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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Photo-a-Day Archive
Photo-a-Day Archive

Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 20th May, 2013)

60009


60009
Taken last week at (a steam special) coming through Wigan NW.

Photo: John Morris  (Nikon D700 with 24-85mm lens.)
Views: 5,214

Comment by: Ken R on 20th May 2013 at 00:07

Great photo, wishing I was there.

Comment by: Skellon, Sydney on 20th May 2013 at 06:39

Fantastic photo: brings back memories of train-spotting at Whitley Crossing in the 1950s. See comments in "I Remember" the Steam Trains.

Comment by: Helen on 20th May 2013 at 07:55

Didn't our steam engines look sleek & fast compared with old continental engines with all the pipework showing.

Great photo.

Comment by: Helen on 20th May 2013 at 08:59

Skellon, I just realised your comment must have referred to the 'crossing' my sister & I used to go to from my grandparents house in St Clements Rd. I found the rail line again a while ago while visiting Wigan, houses all the way to it...& beside it. No standing on the wooden fence these days & watch a train thunder by !

Comment by: cullie on 20th May 2013 at 09:22

nice one john i was there filming it at the top of platform 4. you may be in my shot lol.

Comment by: RON HUNT on 20th May 2013 at 09:34

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

Comment by: Kath Pressey on 20th May 2013 at 09:41

I can smell it from here! :-)

Comment by: Lizzie down under on 20th May 2013 at 11:57

Great picture John....love steam trains....cheers!!!

Comment by: RON HUNT on 20th May 2013 at 13:54

Been down to Wembley a couple of times recently on the train. 2 hours.. BRILLIANT BUT.... I would still rather have gone down on a steam train taking 4 or 5 hours....

Comment by: Eddie P on 20th May 2013 at 13:57

I think the next steam train through Wigan will be 27th Jly - 17th. Aug. 08.00 Northbound 19.40 Southbound

Comment by: Ernest Pyke on 20th May 2013 at 14:30

Union of South Africa ( loco 60009, originally 4488 ) was built in Doncaster in 1937, has been fitted with 14 boilers and had 5 tenders (per Wikipedia).

Comment by: cullie on 20th May 2013 at 15:59

the nxt steam train through wigan is from southport to somewhere in wales 29th may due in wigan wallgate at 0900hrs i think its a black 5 on it

Comment by: John Morris on 20th May 2013 at 16:49

Thanks for the comment everyone. cullie the train on the 29th May is going to be hauled by a diesel due to "locomotive availability issues". That means they've cocked up and haven't got an engine to you and me.

Comment by: MalLeather on 20th May 2013 at 18:11

So many memories of spotting at Whitley crossing in the fifties. Lived at Spencer Road West. Many youngsters there all looking for The Green Howards which I never did manage to see. Thanks for reminding me of some great times.

Comment by: Ray Dwyer on 20th May 2013 at 18:41

Is this a 'Brittania' class train? I seem to remember they had distinctive numbers.

Comment by: Bill Eatock on 20th May 2013 at 18:47

Fantastic!

Comment by: owdkewyed on 20th May 2013 at 19:41

No it's not a 'Brit' class Ray, it's an A4 the same class as 'Mallard' the one that holds the world record for the fastest steam train.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 20th May 2013 at 20:36

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific, her famous sister Mallard holds the fastest steam locomotive record of 126 MPH in 1933...still unbroken to this day.

Comment by: Norm Skellon, Sydney Australia on 21st May 2013 at 01:21

Mal Leather: are you related to Susan Leather who I knew when train-spotting at Whitley Crescent in the 1950s?

Comment by: Mal Leather on 21st May 2013 at 09:12

Norm, I have a niece called Susan but she did not live in Wigan although the Leather name is very much Lancashire and North Cheshire.However, she may have been a relative as Wigan was home to many of the Leather family. Susan now lives in Quesnel BC

Comment by: Jean F (Wales) Nee Smith on 21st May 2013 at 21:16

Well, Skrllon,helen and mel,I too uesd to go "over the fields" (as we used to say) to the whitley crossing in the good old 50`s They really did thunder past there.happy days.

Comment by: michael Australia Melbourne on 22nd May 2013 at 02:49

I was train spotting at trains at Whitley crossing in the early 50s.flatening pennys on the rail line.great times hi to another wiganer in SYDNEY.

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