Caption:

On the afternoon of a winter Saturday, Manchester Victoria’s through

roads reverberated to the unmistakeable ringing sound of an English Electric Type 4 approaching out of the dark, dank, drizzle of the dying, miserably cold day. But, at the time, it seemed extra loud, then, breaking through the veil of mist the game was up. It wasn’t just one Class 40, but no less than two double-heading the longest engineers’ train I had ever seen. It just kept rolling past but, you should have been there to hear the locos opened up to drag the massive load up Miles Platting bank. It was well worthy of a Peter Handford Argo Transacord recording. One of those moments never to be forgotten.