 The 5-mile Bickershaw Colliery branch was
well-known for still using steam shunters as late as 1983 and then
after the rationalisation of the track layout at the colliery, for having top-and-tail
working of the Fiddlers Ferry MGR traffic.Throughout the late 1980s the branch saw the 45-HAA rakes worked with a pair of Class 20s at each end, the rear pair being used for the drawback to the mainline at Springs Branch. Class 60s arrived at Springs Branch depot for crew training at the start of 1991. 60016 was noted on shed on 26th January 1991, and spent the next ten months doing little in the way of active work. By 11th February it had been joined by 60015 and in early April the pair had started occasional MGR trials on the mainline north from Wigan. This was in advance of the arrival of the ten or so Coal sector locos due to be out-based at the depot to handle what remained of the Lancashire coalfield traffic. 60014 spent the last week of May 1991 on Springs Branch, but did not join 015/016 as a permanent fixture.  The first working to Bickershaw Colliery was just a matter of time and the
debut appearance was duly made by Coal sector 60032 on 11th June 1991, with
20057+20140 on the drawback duties at the rear of the train. (There had, incidentally, been trials
with 56012 in April, but it seems that the grid was no substitute
for a pair of stalwart 20s). Five weeks passed before the next
visit, 60044 on what was its only trip on the branch, on 17th July
1991.
This was the only time a 60 sporting anything other than Coal sector
decals appeared. The next day 60061 was stabled at Springs Branch,
this being one of the locos assigned for working coal traffic off Wigan
depot,
although of course in practice this demarcation did not last long.60057 was first noted at the depot on 4th August 1991, however August saw no further new Brush's arrive to sweep clean. The Bickershaw colliery branch workings remained a Class 20 'quadroply' throughout the month. In September though, the old order at last started to give way and with 60058 already on shed at Wigan Springs Branch TMD on the 3rd a pristine 60070 arrived light engine at Wigan from the south at 1800hrs the following day. 60070 appeared almost fresh from the factory in ex-works condition. This due were joined later the same month by 60005 & 60045 however it is not clear exactly when this due arrived or by what means and where from.  The first hint of any real take-over of Bickershaw workings came when 60061 made return trips on consecutive days late in the month on 28 & 29th September. October was quiet, with the class 60 showings on the branch being by 60061, and then on 14th October 60045, this being the first time a 60 was used on the drawback end of the train. New sightings of dedicated Coal machines at Springs Branch were 60055, 60057, 60066, 60071, with 60056, 60068, 60072 following in early November. This influx marked the start of regular trips to Bickershaw colliery for the class 60s, although to the year end 4x20 still remained a more common sight than 1x60 + 2x20. 60068 made its debut on 5th November, and appeared five further times over a ten day period. 60072 turned up on the 11th, followed by 60055 and 60070 on consecutive trains on the 23rd. December saw 60004/069/076 record their first turns, the latter's appearance on the 2nd presumably being almost straight out of the box. Six months after its first run, 60032 clocked up its second Bickershaw visit.  In all cases a pair of 20s were on the drawback, but the New Year brought the first instance of a 60 on both ends of the train. 60070 led the 15:00 trip up the branch on 2nd January 92, with 60069 on the rear. Four days later, and 60072 and 60061 did the same trick, though the next observed working was in the hands of 20073+154 plus 20132+177. 60032/061/069/070/072/073/074/076/077 all reached Bickershaw during January - all from the 'correct' Springs Branch coal pool. Until the late 1980s the colliery had been producing up to six trainloads a day for Fiddlers Ferry power station, but this was down to an average of barely one per day by the start of 1992. Even so, the announcement on the last day of January that the pit would close, with the loss of 820 jobs, was a bombshell. Geological problems were the stated cause and Bickershaw officially ceased production on 27th March 1992. The valiant Class 20s retained their grip on workings on the branch to the very end. 60047/060 made their debut in February, and 60066/071 in March. While the colliery band marched through Leigh on closure day to lay their proud history to rest, 60061 worked the 10:00 and 60071 the 13:00 MGRs, in both cases with 20059/168 on the drawback. Clearing the stockpiles of coal produced three workings in early April, then the rails lay rusty for a month. May brought the end, with a further three trains running. Appropriately, all had the mixed 20/60 combination, but the old distinction of keeping the veterans on the drawback was not forgotten with all three pairs of 20s remaining in the FEGN pool featuring on trains. On 14th May 92 20057+154 led the 07:00 trip, with 60066 on the rear, while the next day the same working produced 20016+081 with 60060. The very last trainload of coal empties to Bickershaw blasted up the stiff grade from Springs Branch at 09:00 on Thursday 21st May, with 20059/168 in charge. Then, after loading, the final payload of Bickershaw black gold departed at 11:00 behind 60072.  In all, 19 Class 60s are known to have worked to Bickershaw Colliery:-60004/032/044/045/047/055/057/060/061/066/068/069/070/071/072/073/074/076/077 are all known to have traversed the branch. 49 trains were recorded with 60 power on one end or the other - this is likely to be at least two thirds of the true total. Most appearances logged were by 60061 (11), followed by 60032 (9) and 60055 (8). Page Last Updated: December 2008 |