Wigan Album

The vehicle TTC776H is a rear engined Hillman Imp, but can't tell if it is a car, van or Husky estate. It may even be a Californian coupe. But with that spartan front it is not a Singer Chamois, Sunbeam Sport, or the most sought after Imp model, a Sunbeam Stiletto coupe.

As I remember it MrX. The choke was situated in an unusual position. In the sixties, in Kent, we had them as panda cars.
Getting back to Springs Branch, although only a schoolboy. It surprised me that the Luftwaffe never bombed the Branch, on their way, or their return from bombing Liverpool. Saying that, I am glad they didn’t, I only lived three hundred yards from the turn table.

Where was Springs Branch railway and offices ?

I was taken regularly to Springs Branch as a very small child in the 1950s by my teenage brother Colin when he collected his wages. I was lifted up onto the footplate of shunting engines to see the coal being shovelled into the firebox. Health and Safety would have a field-day today but I never caught any harm. Colin would take me into the rest room for a cup of tea and a cake, and sixty years on I can still recall that someone had added "I" and "ski" to the sign on the door so that it read "Resti Roomski", making it sound Russian! Lovely old buildings and lovely memories. xx

My bedroom over looked spring branch sheds, when I lived down view 1949_1968.

Albert didn't you live facing the corn mill?.

Yes Owd Viewer. Henry Street.

I've heard tales of lettuce and tomatoes being grown in places such as this. I like such tales as these.

Phillip.G. I do believe there was many an egg fried on the fireman’s shovel, after it being heated up in the fire-box. Did it include bacon?.

Hilly....If you leave Wigan via Warrington Road and pass
through Lower Ince, you will come to Cemetery Road and the
Old Hall pub. A further 100 yards or so on the right of the
main road is where Springs Branch Motive Power Depot was.
I believe it re-opened recently as a train maintainance unit
after a multi million pounds rebuild.

Albert. Thanks.
I hadn't previously heard of 'fried egg on a fireman's shovel', but of 'fried bacon ...', most definitely.
In fact, I've seen it prepared in the aforesaid manner on one or two of British Pathe's old films. And, if I may, for my personal delectation, and hopefully for yours, imagine the fireman putting on his baggin at the moment she says "I'm going, well!" (the moment so easy to identify on Vivian Ellis's music Coronation Scot).

Take care, son.

RAY, thank you. My grandad lost the use of his arm in WW1, but was taken on by Springs Branch as a knocker up for staff. This will be another pilgrimage for me. Cheers.

Hilly, interesting to hear of your granddad being employed as knocker up at SP , (known as 8f in those days!) There used to be a barracks at site for overnighting train crews etc. So this could have been on his rounds.....?Barracks long gone of course but there may be pics on here....cheers

Tim. The sleeping block for the railway men was in Morris Stree, opposite at that time, Carter’s chip shop, and St Mary’s Church was about a couple of hundred yards, towards Wigan, on the same side as the chip shop.

One morning, about 5.30 am I was just finishing the, round Scholes beat. Very early sixties. I heard this very angry shouting, In one of the side streets, an elderly women, and a man in his night shirt were really going verbally at each other. The elderly woman was a knocker up, and she used a hammer to bang on the door. She had banged so hard on this chap’s door, that she had knocked a panel out. Best part of it was. She had banged on the.door of the wrong house.

Thanks for the info Albert S I always assumed it was on the other side of the bridge, sort of between Cemetery rd and the branch. So Morris st is the road entrance to the depot right? I’ll have to look what’s on the site now next time I’m up there

Brilliant story, Albert....made me laugh out loud! xx

Yes Tim. Morris Street was the main entrance to Spings Branch. During the war as school lads we would chat to the Italian P.O.W’s. They were used, labouring at the Branch, and would take their mid day break, sitting with their backs, against the walls of the houses in Morris Street

My hubby worked here as a fireman,his name was Clifford Andrews,does anyone remember him.