MY LIFE IN TRAINS
Lineside and Station Sequences
Part Six
Chester and Wrexham– 2 January 1960
The day after New Years Day, 1960, a group of my friends and myself from Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow went on a shed visit trip, with real permits that we used! We travelled overnight by train from Paddington, and spent the day visiting the loco sheds and works at Chester, Wrexham and Oswestry.
I managed to take a few lineside and station shots that I can include in this series. The few shed shots I took can be seen in my Engine Portraits series.
Firstly , there are four images from the Chester part of this trip, including an interesting 6-wheel coach, at Chester Northgate, I think. I’d be interested if anyone can identify this coach, which looks like a pre-grouping survivor – was this from the Cheshire Lines Commission, or the Great Central, or somewhere else?
After Chester, we travelled by train to Wrexham for Croes Newydd and Rhosddu sheds. It looks like we spent a little time waiting for our next train around Wrexham General station – enough to take seven photos, some of which you may have seen before.
All Photographs by Alan Lewis Chambers ©
08:00 A group of my train spotter friends from Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow at Saltney Junction, Chester, on 2 January 1960.
08:45 LMSR 8F 2-8-0 No 48111 heads past Chester engine shed (6A) with a down freight early on 2 January 1960.
08:50 BR Class 4 4-6-0 No 75050 pauses at signals near Chester engine shed on a Birkenhead to Chester local passenger train on 2 January 1960.
09:15 Chester Northgate, I believe - a 6-wheel coach, DM395125, then being used by Henry Pooley & Son Ltd.
Weighing Machine Contractors to British Railways.
10:40 A poor photograph at Wrexham General of GWR Castle 4-6-0 No 7032 'Denbigh Castle' heading an express north towards Chester.
10:43 GWR 74xx 0-6-0PT No 7409 shunting at Wrexham General on 2 January 1960.
11:15 GWR 28xx 2-8-0 No 2856 heads a southbound freight through Wrexham on 2 January 1960 as our party walked to Wrexham Rhosddu shed.
11:58 LMS Unrebuilt Patriot 4-6-0 No 45506 'The Royal Pioneer Corp' is about to resume the journey north from Wrexham General on 2 January 1960.
12:02 GWR Hall 4-6-0 No 6944 'Fledborough Hall' speeds through Wrexham General with a southbound freight on 2 January 1960.
12:07 GWR 56xx 0-6-2T No 5606 passes through Wrexham General with a southbound freight on 2 January 1960.
12:23 GWR 43xx 2-6-0 No 5361 passes through Wrexham General with a southbound freight on 2 January 1960.
