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I always remember when the parcels trains used to run on the WCML the "roar" the GUVs used to make when going at high speed.
Red Bank used to serve many places - Carlisle, Glasgow, Barrow, Leeds, York, Liverpool (Wavertree), Heysham, etc. I think there was even a cross-Manchester transfer service from Longsight to Red Bank. I believe Vic used to be quite a lively place in the evening as the vans came alongside Platform 11 for the newspapers from the printing presses for despatch to numerous destinations. Add to this parcels & newspapers from Manchester Exchange prior to '69 both complexes must have been an electrifying place to be.
Perhaps Manchester's most celebrated van train was the Heaton (Newcastle) to Red Bank (Manchester Victoria) which last ran on July 11 1988. Regularly double-headed in steam days.
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