Eddie Bellas photographs

I have the pleasure of adding a couple of historical photos by the well known Earlestown photographer, Eddie Bellass. Eddie successfully photographed the steam era in the 1950's and 60's. Thousands of his negatives are currently being sorted by a publisher but he has kindly found and forwarded several photographs for addition to our blog. Both the additions today (February 8th) were taken on the Winwick line in the early to mid 1960's. Click on the thumbnails and Eddie's printed legends are easily read.

The picture of 'Pocket Rocket', class 4MT, 76079, is particularly poignant to myself and my wife as it headed a 'Cotton Mill Express' Special from Manchester Victoria to Preston in April 2008, on which we were passengers. Also this loco was resident at Sutton Oak shed in my trainspotting days, just down the road from where I lived in St Helens. The locomotive was sold by Ian Riley in the summer of 2009 after serving on the East Lancs Railway. She is now giving stirling service on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. For more of Eddies's photographs vist the following website - http://www.eddie-bellass.fotopic.net/