Ray Smyth:
Aerial photo of the M6 Motorway, 3 miles to the west of Wigan. Just 2 miles to the left (North) of the
picture is Junction 27 for Standish, 1 and a quarter miles to the right (South) is Junction 26, and the
link with the M58 to Liverpool. The railway line at bottom left goes to Southport, and in the opposite
direction, goes to Wigan, Bolton, Manchester, and beyond. The waterway is the Leeds & Liverpool
Canal. This section of the M6 is known as Gathurst Viaduct. I live just 1 mile from here. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Do you remember many moons ago a Sam Longson 8 wheeler doing a swan dive there Ray ? He went through the barriers and landed between the railway and the canal , he was loaded with hydrate from Fleetwood and survived with hardly a scratch , the lorry was in many pieces , but he was found still sitting in the driving seat covered in lime , no cab , just the driving seat . Can’t recall the drivers name , but he was known as Tramp , he’d eat or drink anything that wasn’t locked away . He should have done the pools that week . Dave
Ray Smyth:
Aerial photo of the M6 Motorway, 3 miles to the west of Wigan. Just 2 miles to the left (North) of the
picture is Junction 27 for Standish, 1 and a quarter miles to the right (South) is Junction 26, and the
link with the M58 to Liverpool. The railway line at bottom left goes to Southport, and in the opposite
direction, goes to Wigan, Bolton, Manchester, and beyond. The waterway is the Leeds & Liverpool
Canal. This section of the M6 is known as Gathurst Viaduct. I live just 1 mile from here. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Do you remember many moons ago a Sam Longson 8 wheeler doing a swan dive there Ray ? He went through the barriers and landed between the railway and the canal , he was loaded with hydrate from Fleetwood and survived with hardly a scratch , the lorry was in many pieces , but he was found still sitting in the driving seat covered in lime , no cab , just the driving seat . Can’t recall the drivers name , but he was known as Tramp , he’d eat or drink anything that wasn’t locked away . He should have done the pools that week . Dave
Yes Dave, I remember the Sam Longson lorry down below the viaduct. I also recall The TI Creda artic boxvan tumbling off the viaduct
when an oven/cooker fell off the back of a scrapmans truck, directly in front of the lorry. The TI Creda driver from Stoke On Trent area
sadly lost his life. I do have a picture of it, but I think it is a bit insensitive to post it on here. Regards, Ray.
This Louis Reece Volvo F7, FKL 310V was driven regularly by “Pedlar” who was based at Horsemonden in Kent.
Pedlar was a frequent visitor to Louis Reece Wholesale Fruit Market on the A49 at Wigan.
Within the Louis Reece building at Wigan was an upstairs drivers rest room and sleeping accommodation.
Ray Smyth:
Thank you to Oily for the pictures. The 1st picture is on the A49 Warrington Road, looking North.
I can recall many lorry rollover incidents at this location, usually from approaching the roundabout
too fast from all directions. The roundabout has been altered to a busy crossroad junction, with traffic lights.
The green Scania artic belongs to Hill Brothers from Higher Ince, Wigan. Hills used to be at
Martland Mill Lane, near where Martland Park Industrial Area is now. Regards, Ray Smyth.
Lovely pics and info Ray. The upset load that Egertons are mopping up looks like one of Mike Spences from Birchwood (did a fair bit of traction for TDG) although the Lancaster storager firm also ran red wagons. Remember the other Hills from Golborne (Hills of Cardiff?) I lived in Golborne for a bit and there was (and still is) a few transport firms from around there. The big SPD fleet, later Conet, Manorcroft Unit Pallets and do you recall a firm (I think) Millingdales that ran Volvos? Sure there’s lots I’ve forgotten. I seem to recall a coach firm near the Asda that had a reallly smart fleet. Purple motors but the name escapes me!
This is the Railway Goods Depot at Chapel Lane, Wigan, looking northbound.
Directly behind the Goods shed is the West Coast Mainline from London Euston
to Glasgow Central, Just across Chapel Lane, and on the other side of the railway
was the depot of Robert Baillie Transport. This location is now “The Range”.
This picture is the M6 Motorway at Junction 27 looking south on July 21st 1963.
8 days later the motorway was officially opened by Ernest Marples, the then
Minister of Transport. I learned later that Ernest Marples MP, was part of the
large Civil Engineering & Construction Company, Marples Ridgeway Ltd.
Hovis Mercedes lorry on the A580 East Lancashire Road, having left the Rank Hovis Bakery
at Cale Lane, Wigan, on its way to Manchester. Cale Lane bakery site is now a new housing
development.
Hi Eddie, Thank you for the picture. I remember Colcloughs on Wilcock Street. It looks like the
ERF has loaded out of England Tubes or R.G.Brown. Where is this location ? Regards, Ray.
Ray Smyth:
D. Sharp of Barnsley had an operation in Wigan during the 1970s. They were based
in the Railway Goods Yard at Chapel Lane in the town centre, alongside Connals of
Maryhill, Glasgow, and the warehouse of Robert Baillie of Portsmouth.
This D.Sharp Atkinson has tumbled on to the fuel pumps at New Island café and
filling station at Lowton, on the A580 East Lancashire Road. Ray Smyth.
Do you know what actually happened there Ray for the Atki to go over ?
Ray Smyth:
D. Sharp of Barnsley had an operation in Wigan during the 1970s. They were based
in the Railway Goods Yard at Chapel Lane in the town centre, alongside Connals of
Maryhill, Glasgow, and the warehouse of Robert Baillie of Portsmouth.
This D.Sharp Atkinson has tumbled on to the fuel pumps at New Island café and
filling station at Lowton, on the A580 East Lancashire Road. Ray Smyth.
Do you know what actually happened there Ray for the Atki to go over ?
W.M.Gaskell Foden.
0
Hi Dean, Re the Atki rollover, I can only assume that the lorry has approached from the right a bit “Lively”,
and had to turn hard left to avoid heading straight through the filling station. Thank you for the Wm.Gaskell
picture. When “WM” is written as “Wm”, it is an old fashioned way of writing William in an abbreviated form.
Austin and Morris LD vans were a common sight in the 1950s and 1960s.
This Austin LD 1 ton van of Brian Nichols Shopfitters was from the 1950s.
Ray Smyth.
I bought this Bedford TK boxvan in 1983, seen here in the livery of its previous owner,
Roberts & Hewett, a crop spraying firm from Lymm in Cheshire. By a strange co-incidence,
my drivers name was Roberts, and his wifes maiden name was Hewitt. Picture 2 sees the
painter, John Beckett, finishing the repaint job of Midnight Blue & White.
