BR in the 1980s - The Alan Harrison Collection Part 27 Miles Platting (British Rail Trains)

During the summer of 1986, my good friend Alan travelled around the UK, armed with a hefty VHS camera, recording the railway scene. I'm delighted to be able to bring you the results. Part 27 of Alan's wanderings finds him visiting the now demolished station at Miles Platting. Miles Platting, which was closed in 1995, was located 1.25 miles east of Manchester Victoria, at the top of the formidable Miles Platting Bank. During the 1980s, a loco was usually stabled in the centre road at Manchester Victoria in order to provide banking assistance to heavy eastbound freight trains. The opening shot of this sequence sees a class 25 performing this role, dropping off a class 56 hauled rake of 100 tonne TEA tanks just before the end of the loop. Miles Platting Station had four platform faces and formed the junction of two trans-Pennine routes; the Standedge line via Stalybridge and the Calder Valley line via Rochdale and Hebden Bridge. In the next shot, we see a Class 110 DMU heading for Bradford and Leeds via the Calder Valley, followed by a Class 45 hauled eastbound service via Stalybridge and Huddersfield. A class 47 ascends the bank with a ballast working before two Class 142, second generation ‘Pacer’ units are seen on Oldham loop workings. One of the Pacers is carrying its original blue Provincial Railways colour scheme, whilst the second is sporting the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) orange and brown livery. After the GMPTE 142 has headed towards Victoria, a Class 47 hauled Trans-Pennine is able to cross the junction onto the Standedge route. A 2 x 2 car Metro Cammell Class 101 comes in from Rochdale, followed by the GMPTE 142 heading back towards the Oldham Loop and a light engine Railfreight liveried class 31, presumably coming off Newton Heath Depot. A further Class 110 Metro Train comes in from the Rochdale direction, and two class 45 peaks head Westbound and Eastbound Trans-Pennine workings.Finally, we see 56132 with a rake of TEAs heading eastbound towards Yorkshire via the Calder Valley. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this video. Please leave comments below. Thank you.
Durante el verano de 1986, mi buen amigo Alan viajó por el Reino Unido, armado con una gran cámara VHS, grabando la escena del tren. Estoy encantada de poder traeros los resultados. La parte 27 de las andanzas de Alan lo encuentra visitando la estación ahora demolida en Miles Platting. Miles Platting, que se cerró en 1995, estaba ubicado a 1,25 millas al este de Manchester Victoria, en la cima del formidable Miles Platting Bank. Durante la década de 1980, generalmente se establecía una locomotora en la carretera central de Manchester Victoria para brindar asistencia bancaria a los trenes de carga pesados ​​​​en dirección este. El primer plano de esta secuencia muestra a una clase 25 realizando este papel, dejando un rastrillo remolcado de clase 56 de tanques TEA de 100 toneladas justo antes del final del bucle. Miles Platting Station tenía cuatro caras de plataforma y formaba el cruce de dos rutas trans-Pennine; la línea Standedge vía Stalybridge y la línea Calder Valley vía Rochdale y Hebden Bridge. En la siguiente toma, vemos una DMU de clase 110 que se dirige a Bradford y Leeds a través de Calder Valley, seguida de un servicio de transporte de clase 45 en dirección este a través de Stalybridge y Huddersfield. Una clase 47 asciende por el banco con un lastre funcionando antes de que se vean dos unidades 'Pacer' de segunda generación Clase 142 en el funcionamiento del circuito de Oldham. Uno de los Pacers lleva su esquema de color azul original de los Ferrocarriles Provinciales, mientras que el segundo luce la librea naranja y marrón del Ejecutivo de Transporte de Pasajeros del Gran Manchester (GMPTE). Después de que el GMPTE 142 se haya dirigido hacia Victoria, un Trans-Pennine remolcado de Clase 47 puede cruzar el cruce hacia la ruta Standedge. Un vagón 2x2 Metro Cammell Clase 101 llega desde Rochdale, seguido por el GMPTE 142 que regresa hacia Oldham Loop y un motor ligero Railfreight con librea clase 31, presumiblemente saliendo de Newton Heath Depot. Otro tren de metro de clase 110 llega desde la dirección de Rochdale, y dos picos de clase 45 se dirigen a los trabajos de Trans-Pennine en dirección oeste y este. Finalmente, vemos 56132 con un rastrillo de TEA que se dirige hacia el este hacia Yorkshire a través de Calder Valley. Me encantaría escuchar tu opinión sobre este video. Por favor, deje comentarios a continuación. Gracias.

[@atilllathehun1212]

Great memories. Spent a lot of my time at Miles Platting in the late 80s and early 90s. Always a good place for freights and loco hauled services.

[@kartwheelkarl]

Absolutely Attila - I probably saw you on the platforms when I was riding through on the Transpennine services. Used to bash them al day, back and too between Victoria and Stalybridge. Happy days eh?

[@derekmeller5873]

Just had a quick coffee break watching this and our office is next to a place that reconditions and scraps old construction plant. So as well as the sight and sound i've had the smells of oils and metal and grime. Sensory overload! Fantastic!

[@kartwheelkarl]

Brilliant Derek. I have said before it would have been great to have issued scratch and sniff cards with this collection. I think you went one better. Really glad you're enjoying the vids.

[@terryashton3541]

Thanks for this splendid video, this footage of Miles Platting station takes me back to the 1950s when I used to do trainspotting all around this area, I used to watch the old `double headed` Liverpool to Newcastle trains tearing through here many times, but not just for climbing the 1-47 bank but was double headed all the way to Leeds, and also many times you get get Glasgow shedded engines also coming off Newton Heath depot, sheds like 66a, 67a and and Carlisles 68a going down to Victoria or the old Manchester Exchange station, yeh brings back some good memories.

[@kartwheelkarl]

Fabulous memories indeed Terry. I can't claim to remember that same heyday of Newton Heath and Miles Platting but, like you, these videos are wonderful for evoking long forgotten times. I'm really pleased that you're enjoying the collection.

[@garethjones9635]

Your friend Alan is a lucky man, Karl. I spent hours at this place in the mid 80s, and not once did I see a train being banked up the grade! Hard to believe that the station was still open at this time - just look at the state of the platforms! Not sure that I ever saw anyone get on or off a train.
It was however a very atmospheric place, and if it was a warm day the signalmen would have the box windows open so you could hear the bell signals and the slamming over of the leavers.
Needless to say, station, box, semaphore signals and most of the trackwork is no longer there today.

[@kartwheelkarl]

Thanks for your comments Gareth. I have to admit that I spent very little time on Miles Platting station. I tended to spend days bashing peaks between Victoria and Stalybridge, so MP was just the station at the top of the bank! I do agree with you though that banking seemed to be a rare occurance. There was always a banking loco sitting shut down in the centre road at Vic, but it rarely seemed to move!

[@TheAudiostud]

Getting used to the now customary rant of "You Basta*d" especially when wearing headphones 😜

[@kartwheelkarl]

Apologies on behalf of either Alan or one of his companions for the outbursts AS. I hope it's not spoiling your enjoyment of the collection too much. I would imagine the locos sound brilliant through a decent set of headphones?

[@annescholey6546]

Few Rats were left by this time

[@kartwheelkarl]

Absolutely Anne. In fact, by this time, many of these locos' days were numbered!