Wigan Album

It is a credit to Peter Worthington, and such people as he, that these photographs were taken for posterity.

I agree totally with Albert, and Peter obviously knows what he's talking about. 'Fitted' freight? He knows from the head code, and doesn't need to check the stock.

BR Brittania class 4-6-2 70019 "Lightning"...with nameplate still attached. Common for 1961.

I agree with Albert and Loz, thanks Peter. I was only 1 in 1961 so photos like these are brilliant, an excellent piece of Wigan history for a lass who now lives in Essex

Brilliant picture of my favourite class of loco. Happy days.

Britannia...Get it right, John!

During summer, 1966, a few of these splendid engines were allocated to the Manchester area. On summer Saturdays, they worked the Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Exchange mail train. This passed through Pemberton at about 21.10...still light in July. 70038 "Robin Hood" was one that I remember coming past Pemberton No2 Box...Happy summer days...

Thank You Susan, only saw you on the last minute; I wasn't much older than 1 in 61, I was 17 more.
There was a near fatal one afternoon where the loco is now, a tanker with about 8-9 toast rack carriages returning ROF workers stopped near the dummy after overshooting the Home signal which was on red. The signal-man and myself first heard the continuous whistle of the loco and noticed it backpedalling with sparks from the tyres/rails and smoke and roaring from the chimney. The signal-man was hanging out of the widow shouting and waving the red flag, I was ready to grab his ankles just in case he went over and out.
Apart from a shunting derailment, this is all the excitement I saw during my 5½ yrs. of service on B.R.

I'm guessing that there are one or two signalmen out there! Would I be right?

Known today as a SPAD - Signal Passed at Danger. They reckon every train driver has done one in his career

Wigan No.2 had one signal-man, at the time I was there I was training to be one,Wigan No.1 had three signal-men because it was a full power box and controlled Wallgate as well as the Northwest station.

This is most certainly 70019 Lightning. I saw all of this class bar one in my trainspotting days at Warrington. I collect 00 scale Britannias and have over 20 various ones. Lightning is on of those that I renamed and renumbered. I remember this loco well as it was at the side of Dallam sheds, Warrington (8B)for a while in the 60's but not a Dallam loco. As a child spotter the main train of the day was the half eight flyer which was nearly always hauled by a "Brit". It never stopped at Warrington so possibly not at Wigan either.These locos finished their on the west coast mailine, north of Crewe, due to the electrification. I travelled behind 70044 Earl Haig, at a timed 108mph with 3 coaches in the train. The driver said he got the speed at 112mph on his speedo. I could go on about these locos for ages.

I did 3 years as a train recorder in Wigan no 2 as a15yr old in 1964 it was one busy signal box night shift was horrendous none stop