Wigan Album

Ince Forge. To me, as a youngster, it always looked like an isolated industrial complex, when looking at it from across the fields, from where the pit coal train lines were.

Wigan was a supplier of steam tram engines during the boom of the late 19th century through Wilkinson's but this is not one of their products. This was one of three bought by Ince Forge from the Bury, Rochdale & Oldham Tramways in 1905. They were named 'Ant', 'Bee' and 'Bug'and were originally built by Beyer-Peacock in Manchester in 1886. One of these engines was donated/bought by the British Transport Commission in 1954 and could possibly still exist (either in the National Collection or at Crich Tramway Museum) and it may well be this one!!! It is not recorded which name was allocated to which engine.

Stuart. I remember, Breyer, and Peacock, of Gorton, Manchester. They built locomotives for many countries. I suspect, like many other excellent major engineering companies, they no longer exist.

Yes, Albert. Gorton Foundry was closed in 1966.

Thank you Priscus.

One of the 3 engines still exist but in bits at the National tramway museum, Crich. It was acquired in about 2003 as a steam tram on 10 pallets!

2003!!!!! I don't think that's ever going to be put back together????