British Rail - Farewell Bury electrics - Summer 1991.

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@PhilThomasTrains]

Glad you enjoyed it - loads more to come!

[@M77174]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing this. Incredibly professionally done.

[@PhilThomasTrains]

Thank you for your kind words. I remember that Malcolm Wrigley was always a stickler for no shake, and smooth camerawork - something which he taught to me as well. Its giving us both a great deal of pleasure to get these videos out on KZbin. Cheers!

[@michaellunn2529]

Excellent memories of a bye gone era

[@PhilThomasTrains]

And not really a great pull to go out and film when so much other stuff was going on. I wish I'd done more with them as well.

[@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.

[@Beswicki]

Many Memories. Thanks for sharing. Crumpsall Station looks a bit different now! :-)

[@PhilThomasTrains]

Thanks for watching!

[@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.

[@PhilThomasTrains]

Glad this film brought back some memories.

[@charliecharliecharliecharl8554]

@majorpygge-phartt2643 I thought these trains were diesel , We used to go to Manchester in the ones that had bouncy comfy seats , when they changed to metrolink they didn't change the rails and I can remember hearing the metro going down the straight bit to Radcliffe late at night

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

@@charliecharliecharliecharl8554 You mean the bit between radcliffe and whitefield? The old 504's used to bomb it through there at near enough top speed, and they had the best time keeping record of all british rail with 99% on time, or at least they did until they and their power supply got too old and kept breaking down. And they were bouncy alright, it was funny when some young busty bint got on sat there going all bouncy bouncy! And I was travelling on a 504 once when Dierdre from confrontation street got on at heaton park along with her two bodyguards.

[@charliecharliecharliecharl8554]

@majorpygge-phartt2643 we learnt Quickly not to bounce to much because of the dust On the seats, going to manny when we were teens was A adventure ,aflecs palace , the coin exchange good times

[@jamesjohnson6h380]

Splendid.

[@SimonTog]

Nice video Phil :)

[@derrickwong5337]

Bye British Rail Fury Electrics!!! R.I.P.😂

[@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.

[@TheRealDandyes1997]

Just subscribe

[@Thornaby37]

Excellent footage 👍 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 ?

[@GarethT902]

Yes the was a crossing that used to allow the coal trains to go to Rawtenstall in BR days after the line closed to passengers.