Wigan Album

My elder brother worked at Springs Branch in the late 50s/early 60s, and used to take me for a walk there to collect his wages. I was only very young and he used to take me up onto the footplate of the engines to see the coal being shovelled into the firebox. Where was Health and Safety then?.....Minding its own business as it did back then, and I certainly never came to any harm.

What's that behind, is it a Jubilee?

Patriot Class

neil, its not a jubilee wrong chimne.the j10's where transferred to the branch when lower ince gc shed closed in 1952.could be a l&y 4-6-0 but i thought they had all been withdrawn by 1953

dont know why i missed it first time its a patriot

the one behind it looks like a patriot class

Nice to see the 0-6-0 but also nice to see the Patriot, what were those drivers 6'6" ?

Thanks for setting me straight lads.

As anyone got a photograph of the turn-table,that was situated on the Warrington Road side of Springs Branch?. I used to watch them turn the locomotives round, from my back bedroom window, in Henry Street, Spring View, in the 40s.

according to a LNER encyclopaedia, Springs Branch was allocated 14 of these locos in 1952. The last two were withdrawn from service in August 1961

happy days.......long gone now but there use to be some megabeast on them very roads class 40s as an example ggggrrrrr oh my lords

Great picture. Used to go the the shed in the mid 60s to see what was in there. Wish steam was still with us - properly.

the J10s were mostly used on the crack line up to the top place, as well as shunting all over the springs branch area, I worked on most of them at one time or another, there is a beltin photo of one going over the Belle Green lane crossing in the direction of the branch on here somewhere

my old mate owen goulding liked em said they could pull a house down.better than owt the lanwr and l and y ever come up with

An uncle of mine(Albert Short)worked at Springs Branch,in the late 50s early 60s, after the closure of the Maypole Colliery. His job was to prepare the locomotives for their daily tasks, plus pedaling to all differnt parts of Wigan,and district, knocking, in all kinds of weather. A hard job for someone in their early sixties.

Saw a pic in the book on Springs Branch [I think] mentioning Chain Pit Sidings. Can any of the fellas who worked at Springs tell me how the sidings got that name because I have never found a map showing a pit by that name close by.

The "Crack Line" to Top Place, did the Plod know about that?

Aitch to see the photo of the J10 at Belle Green level crossing go to Album Contents Places Ince Page 3 Photo 53

We used to work the 06 10 to manchester central from Wigan
central always had a J10 on this job

Used To Watch Them Slogging Up The Bank With Coal Train From Lowton ST Mary's To Wigan Road Golborne In The 50s