Then & Now

[Ash Bridge]

Well that’s nice isn’t it...

Aw....you weren't supposed to see that!

 

[delt1c]

Yes, remember seeing them in that state when passing by on the industrial estate across the way in my Royal Mail van, they lay roughly in the area where Bahamas stands in the 1st picture, was this around the early 1980s? Regarding 40135, this was her at Bury 11 days ago (shouldn't let Mr Cowley see this)

was the mid 70's during those long hot summers and introduction to medication known as long cool pints

I blame it on a weak bladder really![/QUOTE]

 

[billh]

Sorry billh, what I meant was that none were visible on my shot, there were plenty in the yard on the other side of the depot and at the other end plus inside along with several 506 EMUs. Interesting what you say about the vacuum only 76s, when you say unsuitable was it down to their physical and mechanical condition or were there design differences to other class members?



I blame it on a weak bladder really!

I will check with a mate who was a fitter at Reddish in the 70's as to the exact reason they were breaking EM1s. He has a few tales to relate about working there- the body lift of a EE type4 where they forgot to disconnect the bogies and lifted the whole loco ,for a few seconds! Or, the spanner left in a diesel's cylinder and neatly impressed into the top of the piston......

 

[Ash Bridge]

was the mid 70's during those long hot summers and introduction to medication known as long cool pints

I blame it on a weak bladder really!

[/QUOTE]

So like billh mentioned, withdrawals commenced during the 70s then, I wasn't personally observing the trains quite as much from around 1976-84 and just assumed 76 withdrawals commenced shortly after it was clear that Woodhead was closing.

I will check with a mate who was a fitter at Reddish in the 70's as to the exact reason they were breaking EM1s. He has a few tales to relate about working there- the body lift of a EE type4 where they forgot to disconnect the bogies and lifted the whole loco ,for a few seconds! Or, the spanner left in a diesel's cylinder and neatly impressed into the top of the piston......

Now I can't wait to hear some of these!

 

[delt1c]

As you know at times I talk a lot of male bovine species . But i believe some of the grounded hulks were only shown as stored not withdrawn. Even though they had no bogies and were eating dust

 

[RichmondCommu]

Between 1978 and its closure my friends and I managed to get round Reddish on several occasions thanks to the friendly depot staff. One bit of trivia that I do remember was that the name of the depot cat was Angie. On my first visit to Reddish in 1976 (my friends and I were only 10 at the time and didn't have the courage to ask if we could have a look round) we walked along the path that went around the edge of the depot. Whilst gawping through the perimeter fence we were almost knocked flying by two girls riding horses. I also remember on one occasion seeing a Vauxhall Viva inside the repair shed next to a class 40; I often wondered whether depot staff did a little bit of car maintenance on the side. Memories!

 

[Ash Bridge]

Its great to hear your memories there RC, and many thanks for sharing. My first visit to Reddish was about seven years previous to yours when aged about 12 or 13 and the last time being around 1975. I can remember on the first time seeing several class 77s stabled in the yard alongside the path that you mention, then withdrawn but pantographs raised and compressors ticking away, we didn't know then that they had been purchased by NS for operation in the Netherlands and couldn't understand why they were still taking current. Like you also mentioned the staff were very friendly and it was never a problem getting around the depot, I don't ever recall being refused but the biggest problem I recall was the fact that very often there were members of the travelling community camping on the waste land at the end of Station road, the feral kids that accompanied them had a habit of bombarding you with rocks and stones when trying to pass through, especially if you were only 15 or less.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Its great to hear your memories there RC, and many thanks for sharing. My first visit to Reddish was about seven years previous to yours when aged about 12 or 13 and the last time being around 1975. I can remember on the first time seeing several class 77s stabled in the yard alongside the path that you mention, then withdrawn but pantographs raised and compressors ticking away, we didn't know then that they had been purchased by NS for operation in the Netherlands and couldn't understand why they were still taking current. Like you also mentioned the staff were very friendly and it was never a problem getting around the depot, I don't ever recall being refused but the biggest problem I recall was the fact that very often there were members of the travelling community camping on the waste land at the end of Station road, the feral kids that accompanied them had a habit of bombarding you with rocks and stones when trying to pass through, especially if you were only 15 or less.

One other thing that I forgot to mention was on at least one occasion seeing a class 504 which had arrived from Bury for tyre turning. I have a picture somewhere at home of a class 504 in all blue with brake vans at either end. Even after we'd cleared the class 76s Reddish was always worth a visit because of the number of class 40s, 25s and 47s undergoing repair.

 

[Ash Bridge]

One other thing that I forgot to mention was on at least one occasion seeing a class 504 which had arrived from Bury for tyre turning. I have a picture somewhere at home of a class 504 in all blue with brake vans at either end. Even after we'd cleared the class 76s Reddish was always worth a visit because of the number of class 40s, 25s and 47s undergoing repair.

Ah yes. of course the 504s, and also quite common to see class 304s and even occasionally 3rd EMUs from the Merseyrail system, quite a variety to been seen there during its heyday.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Well I think it's perhaps time to revive this thread with another set of scenes, and at the same time add a respectful nod to a much missed RUK member above.... RichmondCommu This time the location is very close to me, it being Ash Bridge these days referred to as Junction.

1) The first shot dated 1975 depicts a midday Stalybridge-Stockport service formed of a pair of Buxton line class 104 3 car DMU sets with their distinctive white painted cab roofs, track rationalisation having recently taken place after the closure a few years previously of the up/down slow lines and nearby Jubilee Sidings.

2) Exactly the same position today with nature making its presence felt, not a great deal of change to the trackwork at this point although long gone is Ash Bridge signalbox and the platelayers hut sadly.

3) A different angle this time, also with an interesting rake of departmental stock behind the class 08 shunter, anyone know what the equipment carried on the wagons is for? Dated 1973.

4) Today's view from the identical location... well not much add about that one really....

 

[Cowley]

I’m really struck by how tidy it all looks in the photo with the 104.
I suppose we should be grateful that the railway is still there and still gets some interesting traction passing from time to time.
The mixed train behind the 08 is an 0 gauge (on a budget ) modellers dream. I might show that one to my friend if that’s ok?

The last (present day) one is, well. I could lend you the chainsaw for a weekend...

 

[Ash Bridge]

One thing the second shot doesn't show is the fact that from a point roughly between the rear car of the DMU and the signal gantry the line is now only single track to a point just before reaching Denton station. The reason for this was to enable BR to avoid the cost of installing a double track bridge deck back in 1988 over the new Manchester orbital ring road then being constructed, hard to believe now that the entire route from Heaton Norris Junction to Denton Junction was until 1971 four track throughout.

 

[TBirdFrank]

post deleted

 

[Altfish]

In my early trainspotting days the arrival of the Boat Train at Piccadilly (I'm talking 66/67 IIRC) would normally herald a class 40, usually one of the first unnamed 10, D200-D209, think they were allocated to 30A Stratford.

 

[Ash Bridge]

In my early trainspotting days the arrival of the Boat Train at Piccadilly (I'm talking 66/67 IIRC) would normally herald a class 40, usually one of the first unnamed 10, D200-D209, think they were allocated to 30A Stratford.

That was just a couple of years before my interest started to develop, I'm presuming it's the 'Harwich' you refer to? that's interesting to read as by the time I'd become aware of this train it was always in the hands of an ER Class 37 apart from this rare occasion one Saturday during 1973

 

[chorleyjeff]

Paying 1973 prices would certainly be nice; presumably something like 40 - 50p a pint in those days? Having said that, what beer would have been on offer in said buffet car - probably tins of gassy, rather metalic-tasting Worthington E or Watney's Red Barrel?

In the North West in 1971 a pint of bitter in a lounge bar was typically 13p.
Mild 10p in public bar, 11p in lounge bar
Bitter 12 and 13p
Lager 15 to 17p
Vast majority of pubs in the NW were brewery tied or managed and there was little price competition!!!

 

[Altfish]

That was just a couple of years before my interest started to develop, I'm presuming it's the 'Harwich' you refer to? that's interesting to read as by the time I'd become aware of this train it was always in the hands of an ER Class 37 apart from this rare occasion one Saturday during 1973

Yes, it was The Harwich Boat Train, I think over a period of about a year I cleared off the first ten class 40s

 

[Ash Bridge]

Yes, it was The Harwich Boat Train, I think over a period of about a year I cleared off the first ten class 40s

Ah, happy days!

 

[Cowley]

Great photo of the 40. Nice to see a BR blue loco with working headcode blinds too.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Great photo of the 40. Nice to see a BR blue loco with working headcode blinds too.

Thanks Mr C, looking at that just got me thinking (oh no, not again ) about that large square presumably radiator aperture visible on the side of the class 40, why did all or most of the Eastern Region ones have the outer grill removed exposing the shutters, whereas LM examples seemed to retain it?

 

[Cowley]

Thanks Mr C, looking at that just got me thinking (oh no, not again ) about that large square presumably radiator aperture visible on the side of the class 40, why did all or most of the Eastern Region ones have the outer grill removed exposing the shutters, whereas LM examples seemed to retain it?

Is that what they call a frost grill?
I think I heard once that it was to do with keeping the radiators cooler in hot weather (similar problem with the 37s), but that doesn’t explain the difference between regions and I don’t know if it’s correct.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Is that what they call a frost grill?
I think I heard once that it was to do with keeping the radiators cooler in hot weather (similar problem with the 37s), but that doesn’t explain the difference between regions and I don’t know if it’s correct.

Interesting answer, looking at pictures of 37s over the years it seems that they all retained their outer grills from new in the 60s up until around the early 80s, then seemed to start having them removed in a similar way to what was done with these ER 40s during the early 70s going off shots I can find online. Seems a bit odd regarding the heat though, being that these eastern locos probably spent more of their time in the more northerly parts of the country.

 

[Cowley]

Good point and for my 4000th post I shall admit that I haven’t got a clue .

 

[Ash Bridge]

Good point and for my 4000th post I shall admit that I haven’t got a clue .

Happy 4000th!

 

[Cowley]

Happy 4000th!

Thanks Mr Bridge.

 

[billh]

That was just a couple of years before my interest started to develop, I'm presuming it's the 'Harwich' you refer to? that's interesting to read as by the time I'd become aware of this train it was always in the hands of an ER Class 37 apart from this rare occasion one Saturday during 1973

I don't ever remember seeing a 40 on the Harwich.When first diesel hauled it was an EE type 3 in early number series (D6701 etc). about 1962? B1 Steam/EM2 electric before that at Guide Bridge.

 

[Cowley]

I don't ever remember seeing a 40 on the Harwich.When first diesel hauled it was an EE type 3 in early number series (D6701 etc). about 1962? B1 Steam/EM2 electric before that at Guide Bridge.

God I wish I was a bit older sometimes...

 

[billh]

God I wish I was a bit older sometimes...

Well I am a bit older but don't wish for it or any divine intervention, thank you.
Also, about that time , brand new Deltics on delivery runs from Newton le Willows to Doncaster, never seen anything like it then or since, magnifique!

 

[Ash Bridge]

Well I am a bit older but don't wish for it or any divine intervention, thank you.
Also, about that time , brand new Deltics on delivery runs from Newton le Willows to Doncaster, never seen anything like it then or since, magnifique!

Hey come on now Bill, that's really rubbing it in!

 

[Cowley]

Hey come on now Bill, that's really rubbing it in!

Ah well I suppose he’s got the right .
My dad tells me of seeing brand new Baby Deltics and Metrovicks.
I try to pretend that I don’t care...