Wigan Album

It's Alf Davenport, not Jones, at the back. Sorry Alf !

Thanks to who submitted this picture of my Dad Frank Bache
it brought back happy memories

I'll bet Mr Birchmore scrounged that brew? It certainly won't have been his own! Fantastic picture, from when we had a real Railway. Keep up the good work Tommy.

do you have any photos in your collection of my dad wilf monks who also worked at springs branch shed

Once got a lift off Frank in is Opal car, believe me he drove it just like a train, very very fast.
Nice guy sadly missed working with him was a pleasure.

Hi Carol, fired to your dad many times,once on the 20th January 1963 we left Carlisle at 1.50a.m.with a fast freight for the south with black five 45205, it was blizzard conditions over Shap,when we stopped to fill the tender with water at Shap summit as we wouldnt risk the water troughs at Tebay, on alighting from the engine I went up to my neck in a snowdrift, then when diverted into the loop at Grayrigg summit we were blocked in there for over 2 hours the wind being that severe that it blew off the roof of the platelayers cabin.eventually we reached Wigan many hours later tired and weary. Happy Days, P.S. also fired to your grandad Fred , Franks dad.

Frank bache 233...I went with Frank, Bill Bootle and his son Carl wathing the Latics in the Cup at Wrexham..........We saw the match end and set off in his car up to the newly opened M56 and onto the M6...Frank dropped me off at the end of Howden Drive in Worsley Mesnes and as I walked 100 yards to my home and it was showing 17.40 on the TV !!
No further comments needed, except to say the Latics lost........

I remember Frank coming back from Carlisle one night with 1M15 19.30 Inverness-Euston...I was stood in Spring's Branch Shed Yard as it was just coming light looking towards Wigan as Frank came around the Wigan bend and the speed restriction......
The train had two bleeps on(class 50's) and as Frank opened the two locos up, both locos had flames reaching up from the exhausters....And I mean a lot of flames...
Only Frank !

Thanks for that memory Colin. The talk of two D400's blowing flames has the hairs on the back of my neck on end.

Carol Bache hope you remember me David Hulse your dad and mine where great buddies at springs branch send me an email or facebook

Just for info, the loco is a Class 25 Diesel Electric!