Wigan Album

Lovely story...it must have been lonely up there by yourself, I suppose the robin became very tame as time when by.

Nice photo Pete,
It reminds me of when we used to have a particularly tame & friendly squirrel living in the dense trees behind the signal box at Walkden.
It was quite cheeky at times & it used to quickly run up the steps & venture in & out of the signal box for food,especially if the door & windows were open on a nice day for example.
After having all the nuts that we`d hung out in bags for the birds it developed a taste for mini cheddars & pieces of digestive biscuits instead.
Walkden,Atherton,Crow Nest Jct,& Blackrod Jct signal boxes will close next year & will be consigned to history (just like your old box at Whelley Jct).
Progress!!!!!!!!!!

Nice story too Pete,
That little robin wouldnt have lasted long though at Brewery Sidings box.
Because for company in that box we had a bad tempered ginger tomcat (we named him Marmalade).
Marmalade used to sleep in a comfy bed on the blockshelf,& surprisingly the bells ringing & the passing trains didnt disturb him too much & he lived there happily until the box closed in 1998

And the conclusion is Harry, You have the cat?
That robin will have some offspring still there wondering what happened to their cafe.

No Pete,I didnt get the cat when the box at Brewery Sidings shut as i had already transferred away by then.
I havent a clue what happened to Marmalade when he lost his home i`m afraid.

Why are the boxes closing Harry...not much traffic??

You are not going to believe this, but I remember the robin coming into Whelley Junction Box when I was a Relief Signalman at Wigan. It used to sit on the lever at the end of the frame, whistling away at me, and sharing my baggin'.
Thanks so much for the memory Peter.