British Rail - Farewell Bury electrics - Summer 1991.

Phil Thomas Trains
Phil Thomas Trains
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Published 2021-04-27
A collection of shots taken by Malcolm Wrigley during the Summer of 1991 on the line between Manchester Victoria and Bury Bolton Street, shortly before the line was converted for use by the Manchester Metrolink tram system. The line was originally electrified in 1916 using a unique 1,200 volt side-contact third rail system, which remained in operation until the line was converted to Metrolink operation in 1991. From 1959 until August 1991, the line was operated by Class 504 EMUs. You will notice the line still had semaphore signalling, and there is evidence of new colour light signals being placed to replace these vintage signals.
All Comments (14)
  • @laszlofyre845
    I was the very last person to move any of the 504's under their own power, on the last night, after the service trains had ended.
  • @petermartin3818
    Just espied this vid! Oh, those were the days. We were on the last run and it was a carnival atmosphere. Reckon they got every detonator out of the units and depot stores and disposed of them on the line between Manchester and Bury! Talk about going out with a bang! Everyone emerged from the train at Bolton Street wreathed in gun powder smoke! Still got the ticket somewhere. Next day a couple of units were seen trundling up and down the ELR towed by a diesel.
  • @055deltic
    Another great film. Fun to watch and the sounds (!) the whine of the motors accelerating and the jointed track - took me back decades in an instant. Thanks for sharing.
  • @M77174
    Absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing this. Incredibly professionally done.
  • @Beswicki
    Many Memories. Thanks for sharing. Crumpsall Station looks a bit different now! :-)
  • @majorpygge-phartt2643
    I used to ride these old bangers, and I once saw one catch fire at radcliffe as it tried to set off. And strangely enough there didn't seem to be any flames but just a big cloud of strange bright yellow smoke from the cable from the collector shoe. So they had to stop and short out the conductor rail while they sorted it. And for those who don't know these old units had their own unique supply system all to themselves with a side contact third rail and an equally unique oddball voltage of 1200 volts, the highest in Britain for a third rail system. And they used to arc so bright it lit up the sky at night in bury and I used to go down there at night in the winter to watch it. And of course this system was better than the usual top contact system as it didn't need de-icing because the water would just run off.
  • @itsonlyme9938
    At Crumpsall Station there was a coal yard near the signal box it would be interesting if any one has a clip of it ? its now a housing estate and where Abraham Moss Centre is that was a siding which had a spur going past North Manchester Hospital to the I.C.I works at Crumpsall Vale. I have found a photo of it on the Manchester Libary Archive web site and showing a signal box.
  • @Thornaby37
    Excellent footage šŸ‘ I guess Ratcliffe viaduct was the favourite photographic location on that line Wasn't there a flat crossing at Bury, where the present day East Lancs Railway goes over the Metrolink ?