I always found you could figure out where you were - not that you didn’t know anyway, but bear with me - from the countryside and the architecture.
I liked this particular point, a couple of miles south of Charnock Richard. Transport through the ages. A canal, with a railway above, then a motorway on top. I confess to often looking for a plane or a contrail to complete the scene!
You knew you were on the early part of the M1 - all the bridges were built in this style (This one looks as though it’s been rebuilt.)
My all time favourite. I think it has incredible style and it may be unique. Anyone know where it is? It was a landmark for getting home for me.
All pics courtesy of Google.
John
Yes, fairly close to you as well Lance! Maybe when you are setting off in that direction rather than going home.
John
Hi john. Your photograph of Shevington viaduct crops up quite frequently as an example of transportation methods throughout the ages. The M6 crosses the Leeds - Liverpool canal, the Manchester - Southport railway line and also the River Douglas, which used to be navigable, way back to Roman times, from Wigan down to the Ribble at Tarleton.
I don’t know if you recall the event, I think it was in the mid 80’s when a Creda wagon returning southbound to Tean, took evasive action to avoid colliding with, a stove, I believe it was, ironically, that had fallen from the back of a Transit pickup onto the carriageway. The wagon went through the railings and ended up in the river Douglas below. The driver didn’t survive unfortunately.
Also, a few years earlier, it may have been around 1974 or thereabouts, a couple of hundred yards south of this viaduct on the northbound carriageway, an acid tanker belonging to Leather’s chemicals from St Helens overturned, spilling sulphuric acid across the three lanes. It was in the summer months and the roads were full of holiday traffic. The entire northbound carriageway was blocked and people began to get out of their vehicles to inspect the carnage. One unfortunate lady strayed too close to the scene, was overcome by the fumes and died in a pool of acid. Or so the story went. Shortly after this incident, tankers began appearing on the roads fitted with those crash barrier sections that you see along the central reservation, so there must have been some kind of legislation rushed through parliament as a result of the accident. There are no doubt many tanker drivers that read this thread that will either endorse this or dispute it.
Your third photograph was taken looking north. I’m sure that you’re correct in saying that it’s unique. Isn’t there a church just to the left of it. I can’t remember if it’s just before the exit for the truck stop at Carnforth or the exit for Lancaster. I’ll go for the former. I haven’t been up that way for a while.
One, or rather two of my favourite landmarks, were the towers at the former site of Parkside colliery. Long gone now of course. For me, they meant I was ten minutes from home.
Oh, and of course there was that stupid giant rabbit by the side of the Thelwall viaduct. I think the lads on the c.b. used to call it Brian.
Regards. Eddie.
Things that got my attention were landmarks like the lift testing tower in Northampton and the big slag heap just north of the Blyth roundabout on the A1M. I always looked to see if the buckets were working and would count them as they tipped while I was going by.
Just to be pedantic Eddie, it was an RTS tanker carrying Oleum (Fuming Sulphuric Acid) that overturned in December 1972. Pictures show that the tanker did have Armco type guards fitted. As a result of the accident and its horrible consequences The National Chemical Emergency Centre (NCEC) was set up to deal with major chemical incidents. (You can google that organisation which refers to the tragedy)
Thanks for putting me right on that one gingerfold, I was pretty sure someone on here would remember the incident.
Getting back to landmarks, is that camel still in the field alongside the M5 near Taunton ?
i can remember one of sam longson’s 8 wheel tippers loaded with hydrate going off the viaduct southbound . the lorry landed between the railway and the river and he was found , still in his seat yards from the wreckage . he survived and was back driving quite soon after . on a side note he was always called tramp , he would eat anything and anybody’s snap if you didn’t keep an eye on him . dave
Further to the M6 chemical spillage, apologies for this John, I googled NCEC, and lo and behold, sure enough, there’s a photo of an RTS tanker strewn across both carriageways of a motorway. Which motorway exactly, I’m not sure but it isn’t the M6, although the accompanying text would appear to suggest that it is. Yes the tanker is fitted with side protection, but if it isn’t the same motorway, then, ipso facto, it isn’t the same accident. Logical ?
Regards. Eddie.
Here’s another view of the viaduct at Shevington not normally seen from the cab of a wagon. Photo credit. Dave ( Oy ) Green.
Eddie Heaton:
Further to the M6 chemical spillage, apologies for this John, I googled NCEC, and lo and behold, sure enough, there’s a photo of an RTS tanker strewn across both carriageways of a motorway. Which motorway exactly, I’m not sure but it isn’t the M6, although the accompanying text would appear to suggest that it is. Yes the tanker is fitted with side protection, but if it isn’t the same motorway, then, ipso facto, it isn’t the same accident. Logical ?
Regards. Eddie.
Hi Eddie,
Is this the incident? I can remember the Creda truck going over the top, I always thought it was on the Thelwall until now, Cheer’s Pete
Thanks for the great additions, Eddie, Gingerfold, ChrisArbon Peteand Lance. That last photo of the Shevington viaduct is great Eddie, good timing! Interesting stuff about the acid tanker too. That oleum is truly vile stuff, poor woman.
‘My Favourite Bridge’ is as guessed, South of Lancaster, about 3 miles before what I still call ‘Forton’ services. The church spire that as you point out can be seen alongside it is Scorton church. If you’re ever in the area, there’s a garden centre at Scorton that has an excellent cafe/restaurant.
John.
my mate and I once broke down in a dodge van under that bridge southbound , after about 20mins faffing about (the engine was accessed via a hatch in the cab) we decided to to climb the bank, up and over the bridge where we found a nice little tea room . bearing in mind we were (still are 
) a pair o scruffs the lady serving spent the entire time of our visit hiding behind a lace screen keeping an eye on us . suitably refreshed we wandered back to the van and the bugger started first time ! oh happy days
Hi Pete, yeah, that’s the photo on the NCEC site, but as you can plainly see, it ain’t the M6. M5 maybe, or M50 possibly but M6 never.
Regarding the Creda wagon, my mate was walking along the towpath of the canal with his kids when it happened. He watched the rig come over and the unit land in the River Douglas, which runs alongside the canal at that point. Him and another bloke went into the water to try to get the driver out, but nothing could be done for the poor lad unfortunately.
Regards. Eddie.
Eddie Heaton:
Hi Pete, yeah, that’s the photo on the NCEC site, but as you can plainly see, it ain’t the M6. M5 maybe, or M50 possibly but M6 never.
Regarding the Creda wagon, my mate was walking along the towpath of the canal with his kids when it happened. He watched the rig come over and the unit land in the River Douglas, which runs alongside the canal at that point. Him and another bloke went into the water to try to get the driver out, but nothing could be done for the poor lad unfortunately.
Regards. Eddie.
Good point Eddie, only two lanes and it has got armco barrier on central reservation, I’m sure M50 never had any armco until 80’s?
Edit, just found old thread on TN search “ADR horror stories” on page four read what Frankie Flinstone posted, it says the photo used was on M5.
pete smith:
Eddie Heaton:
Hi Pete, yeah, that’s the photo on the NCEC site, but as you can plainly see, it ain’t the M6. M5 maybe, or M50 possibly but M6 never.
Regarding the Creda wagon, my mate was walking along the towpath of the canal with his kids when it happened. He watched the rig come over and the unit land in the River Douglas, which runs alongside the canal at that point. Him and another bloke went into the water to try to get the driver out, but nothing could be done for the poor lad unfortunately.
Regards. Eddie.
Good point Eddie, only two lanes and it has got armco barrier on central reservation, I’m sure M50 never had any armco until 80’s?
Edit, just found old thread on TN search “ADR horror stories” on proffessional drivers bit and on page four read what Frankie Flinstone posted, it says the photo used was on M5. I reckon the photo is looking north, just south of junction 5 at Droitwich?
The accident that Eddie mentioned took place in 1972 (either November or December seems to be the commonly quoted time of year, certainly not in mid-summer). the tanker was travelling north on the M6 from St. Helens to Whitehaven when it was involved in an accident, that punctured the tank, just past where the M58 joins the M6 at Orrell.
I once witnessed the aftermath of an accident on the northbound M6 in roughly the same spot as the acid spillage incident. Coincidentally, It was also around about the same era.
I wasn’t witness to the events leading up to the accident, however it appeared to me as I filed past the scene,that a car had stopped on the hard shoulder for whatever reason, and on opening the door of the vehicle, two dogs had jumped out and ran into the carriageway, causing a multi vehicle pileup.
The dogs lay dead on the Tarmac with wrecked vehicles all around the place.
I was on my way to Blackpool with my girlfriend at the time, so for this reason, I assume it would have been summertime.
It would appear that over a period of 40 odd years, I have somehow managed to get the two separate events mixed up.
It was never my intention to deliberately mislead anyone. Apologies.
Regards. Eddie.
Hi Eddie, we all get incidents mixed up, it’s an age thing unfortunately. I can remember the original accident but I wouldn’t have been able to give a precise location, or even the year if I hadn’t googled it.
I was recently talking to a Canadian lady who said that Stonehenge was the big must
-see on her forthcoming UK trip. I must have been past it a hundred times over the years and have never stopped; although I remember the first time and thinking that it looked a bit small. But if you were carting those rocks, all the way from Wales, then I suppose you would think they should have been smaller.
Do drivers based in the north ever get to go past Stonhenge?
