I started taking photos of steam locos in the Bolton area in 1965, using a Kodak Brownie. The results were indifferent but made for a nice record. My dad let me use his 35 mm camera from 1966 and results improved, helped by his friend from Walker’s Tannery, Tommy, who did the developing and printing.
One of our favourites was green-liveried BR Standard class 5 73014. Here she is on June 3rd 1967, with Black 5 45260, about to leave the shed to work a Westhoughton Labour Club special to Blackpool. Driver Bert Welsby and fireman Malc Frost, accompanied by Cleaner Paul SalvesonEntwistle Viaduct – the summer of 1966. An Agecroft 8F slogs up the climb on the Brindle Heath – Carlisle mixed goods45694 ‘Bellerophon’ leaves Bolton on a Blackpool parcels train in June 1966. Unusual having a ‘Jubilee’ on this, normally a Newton Heath ‘Black 5’Bolton-based Stanier 8F 48547 takles empty coal wagons from Kearsley Sidings up to Linnyshaw Moss, where one of the Walkden Yard NCB locos would take over
A 9F leaves Hellifield heading north on a Wides – Long Meg anhydrite ’empties’ train. April 30th 1967The Linnyshaw Moss branch again – another Bolton 8F heads up to the NCB sidings with a brake van
