45593 Kolhapur crosses the bridge at Warpers Moss Lane just to the east of Burscough with the 1st excursion of the day from Manchester in the pouring rain. These runs were sponsored by the local Southport newspaper - 'The Visitor' and consisted of a morning run to Southport, a tender first run back to Wigan Wallgate, with a run round and back to Southport then finally after being turned on the Southport Steamport museums turntable there was the final run back to Manchester.

45593 Kolhapur crosses the moss towards Southport on the return from Wigan Wallgate.

A shot taken from my back garden in Bescar Lane across the farm fields of West Lancashire. 45593 is headed towards Southport with the final run from Manchester and has just passed through Bescar Lane Station.

45593 Kolhapur passes through Bescar Lane station towards Manchester with the final trip of the day. I nipped down the road from my home to catch this shot thinking that there wouldn't be anybody about. How wrong was I!. The fotters were in a semi-circle across the platform and I really thought I would miss out. However I politely asked if i could sit in front and got a mumbled OK. In fact this was perfect and for many years this was my best-ever photograph. Everything has changed here ... The crossing has been modernised to lifting barriers, the signalbox and semaphore signal have gone and the station platform on the Southport direction has been relocated to the far side of the crossing to avoid traffic hold ups on the crossing. Not that there is much traffic apart from tractors to the farmhouses on Martin Mere - Greenings Farm and White House Farm etc...