An old shot from 1979. On a sunny summer afternoon, a four-car Class 504 climbs the gradient from Radcliffe to Whitefield with a service from Bury to Manchester Victoria. The tunnel mouth just before Whitefield station can be seen at the top of the hill. The train is about to pass under Dales Lane bridge. This line was electrified in 1916 at 1200v DC, using a "boxed in" third rail, which can be seen in the shot. In the early 90s, the route was converted to an LRT line using trams powered from overhead cables. The scene has now changed: There are overhead cables masking the view; The trees now hide the embankment; The bridge has had a "safety guard" welded across it; The mill chimney has been demolished: The train has long since been scrapped. I would take a comparable "now" shot, but the view would be such a mess, it would not show much.
