© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011 During the summer of 1984, the LNWR "Coal Tank" no 1054 ran a series of short excursions in the Manchester, running to the Wilson's brewery, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary (it closed a year or two later!). We decided a day out was in order. We started on Miles Platting bank, less than a mile from Victoria station, and about half-way to the Brewery, and were rewarded with several trains, before no 1054 passed with its train - the ex-Caledonian Railway (I think - I stand to be corrected...) observation saloon. With a fair bit of time to spare now, we spent a few minutes at Miles Platting station, an interesting triangular layout at the top of the bank. Sadly, this station has since been closed and demolished. Much was changing at Guide Bridge too. We thought it was worth a last look here, where the old 1500v DC EMUs would be replaced in the near future by 25kv AC units. Already, much work had been done - the new service would be using the formerly disused platforms, and new trackwork and wiring were in place, but not yet connected. The class 40 illustrated, working in with an engineer's train, was the last I photographed in BR service. We returned to Manchester Victoria, and spent a little while studying the fine old station. Illustrated below are: the main station front; the map of the L&Y system, and the "Refreshment Room 1st Class" Back to the trains: no 1054 is seen running bunker first with a return trip from the brewery, then running through the station again on its last trip. Also illustrated below - a class 110 DMU (one of the Calder Valley sets); 47 555 "The Commonwealth Spirit" on the Glasgow - Harwich boat train, and 31 113 standing in the banker's spot, ready to assist an eastbound train, if necessary, up the 1 in 59 / 47 Miles Platting bank. And that was it - an interesting day out, and one which recorded a number of things that have long since gone - the class 40s and 45s, the loco-hauled trans-pennine services, 1500v DC overhead electrics, Miles Platting station, and a fair part of Manchester Victoria...