Lostock Junction

[Puddles]

I do enjoy looking at your photos of Lockstock Junction and thinking one day if my railway looks as good when it’s finished I will be a very happy man.
Puddles

[IanS]

Puddles, you forgot one important thing! A model railway is NEVER, EVER finished, it's just been developed as far as you wish.

[Puddles]

Puddles, you forgot one important thing! A model railway is NEVER, EVER finished, it's just been developed as far as you wish.

You are right Ian I think I am just kidding myself when I think about a finished layout, i can’t see that ever happening in reality especially when you see some of the ideas on here that gets you thinking could I squeeze that on to my layout somewhere?
Puddles

[cheshire lines]

Up for the Cup (1).

Two Lancashire teams, Horwich RMI and Great Harwood have made it to the FA Cup final at Wembley (in a parallel universe - they actually used to play in the Northern Premier League), so the photographers are hoping to see some football specials passing through Lostock Junction.

The first one isn't quite what they were expecting, a 2-6-2 tank and a 3F 0-6-0 freight loco heading a train comprising mainly of non-corridor stock!
Thankfully this isn't going all the way to London, but is just a feeder service to Crewe, where the fans will transfer to more suitable stock for the main part of the journey.

[cheshire lines]

Up For The Cup (2)

The photographers are happier with the next one - corridor stock in a mixture of Carmine and Cream an maroon livery, headed by a Black 5.

[glencairn]

I hope the Horwich Advertiser and Bolton News are covering the event?

Lovey pictures as usual.

Glencairn

[cheshire lines]

Thanks Glencairn.
Yes their reporters travelled down the day before. Hope they didn't drink too much of that southern beer to concentrate on the game!

[cheshire lines]

Up For The Cup (3)
As well as the special trains, the Northwestern Road Car Company are running some coaches to the game.



Hopefully that double decker isn't one of them!



and the driver doesn't think he's going to the destination showing on the front of his coach!

[cheshire lines]

Up For The Cup (4)

Another unexpected loco combination : two 2-6-4 tank locos.






Apparently one of the new-fangled diesels had failed shortly after departure, so these two were commandeered to take the train as far as Crewe, where hopefully more suitable motive power would be available.

[cheshire lines]

Up For The Cup (5)

The final football special recorded by the photographers is hauled by Rebuilt Patriot Class 45536 Private W Woods VC.





45536 has strong North West connections, being built at Crewe and named after a hero born in Hazel Grove who went on to work for the LNWR, LMS and BR after serving in WW1, during which he won the VC.