Warrington

Quite possibly the first purposeful train spotting trip that I ever went on as part of a group was in October 1960, when I was eleven years old. During my first half-term holiday at big school, the railway society organised a day on Warrington Bank Quay station. We travelled to Warrington Central from Liverpool Central High Level. Passing Brunswick shed, we saw ex-LNER Class J39 No. 64745, the only locomotive to put in an appearance on the day that was not BR Standard or ex-LMS. 

I clearly remember walking along the approach road to Bank Quay High Level and seeing Coronation Pacific No. 46223 Princess Alice in green livery waiting for departure to the north at the down platform.

The other namers spotted were: 45583 Assam, 46247 City of Liverpool, 46226 Duchess of Norfolk, 45723 Fearless, 45668 Madden, 46161 King’s Own, 45551 [un-named, un-rebuilt Patriot and therefore almost as good as a namer], 46160 Queen Victoria’s Rifleman, 46168 The Girl Guide, 46200 The Princess Royal, 45524 Blackpool, 46239 City of Chester, D3 Skiddaw [which I had climbed with my mum and dad three months earlier], 45740 Munster, 45624 St. Helena, 45591 Udaipur, 46169 The Boy Scout, 45676 Codrington.

Who would have thought that there was so much fun to be had in the shadow of an enormous soap factory?

[Royal Scot Class No. 46120 Royal Inniskilling Fusilier, possibly at Chester, two years after our Warrington visit.

[I am indebted to Edward Godfrey, also formerly of Wallasey Grammar School Railway Society, for the list of locomotives recorded on the day.]