Wigan Album

I used to go to Abram North signalbox in the 1960s, when my friend Jack Murphy was the signalman here. The box was situated on the level crossing down Bolton House Road in Bickershaw and at the time dealt with coal traffic from Bickershaw Colliery (Plank Lane) and coal traffic from Albert Colliery (Bickershaw). This engine 46168, was sent down here for a load of wagons near the end of its life, around 1964 or 1965, I forget the exact date. The locomotive was in a filthy and appalling condition and could barely drag itself around let alone a train of loaded coal wagons. Steam was leaking from everywhere it could and the engine, after repeated attempts to start and slipping to a stand only just managed to get the train on the move.What a terrible state to let a once proud, front line passenger loco to get in. I never saw The Girl Guide again so it must have been scrapped soon after.

I remember seeing 'Girl Guide' on Springs Branch shed. My dad used to take me to the sheds on Sunday nights. I remember the following namers: 'Cornwallis' 'King's Own' 'United Provinces' 'Central Provinces' 'Keith' 'Prince Rupert' 'Barham' 'Lancashire Fusiler' 'Grenadier Guardsman'

Nameplate still intact. Rare for that time.

My dad Norman Taylor was a driver out of Springs Branch in the late 1940s/early 50s and died when I was 5, 1953. Anybody know of him? We lived in a railway cottage in Pemberton.

i fired this loco many times to London on one occasion it
was used daily to work the Wigan to ROYAL ORDERNANCE FACTORY
Euxton nr Chorley.

This engine was withdrawn from Springs Branch in May 1964 and had been scrapped at Crewe Works three months later.