Irlam's o'th' Height station was long closed when I was a lad there. It was an island platform on the embankment, accessed by a dusty and sinister looking door under the bridge. I believe it closed about 1955.

We occasionally came home from Manchester Victoria to Irlams o'th' Height via Pendlebury as a treat- I can vividly remember the custard-and-cream train with Southport ndestination boards- and the bus (57 or 77?) down Bolton Road.

It was at Pendleton Broad Street station, the next into Manchester after IotH, that I formulated my first theory. I was 3, and we were going to Southport for the day. While we were waiting for the train, I saw a locomotive waiting at a signal. The signal was down, and from my perspective it looked as though the arm rested against the chimney. The loco's smoke rose vertivcally in the still summer air. Then the signal went up, and the loco moved off, the smoke and steam trailing backwards from the chimney. So I concluded that (1) the signal stopped trains by holding the chimney, and (2) the smoke going backwards drove the train along.

Hehe, makes you miss being too young to understand sometimes. :p

Just out of curiosity, wouldn't the Height be before Pendlebury when coming from Manchester Victoria? The platform of Pendleton is still there albeit shut down as far as I can tell when I ride the line.

Very impressive reasoning for a 3 year old. Much better than one of my parents' logic which embarrassed us all when asked at the booking office if we wanted Smoking or Non-smoking, and thought it referred to the train being pulled by a Steam engine, or a diesel :o

Picture of Pendlebury etc
 

Hi there apologies for the delay in replying however I have come accross a fantastic picture of Pendlebury Station which I have obtained also a good one of Swinton - I just need to scan them and then I will get them on here - any clues on how I get them on this thread? The one of Pendlebury is taken from the bridge on Ethel Ave and is around late 1950's but a train is stopped there- anyway reply to this for best way to get them on here? Do I upload?

I replied to your PM, but after uploading to the gallery I would just link to the pictures in this thread. If you need any help just let me know.

ok then will try and get them on here by the weekend along with the press cuttings etc.

Watto all
 

Re "lost" stations in general.

There was a time when the local station was a centre of activity. Its staff became "local characters" and shops and pubs all flourished in the trade it drew in.

However those days are long gone and many stations that have survived have become no more than un-manned"Bus stops": their buildings replaced by glass shelters.

Mind, many should never have been built in the first place, were grossly over-manned perhaps no more than freight facilities for the farming community was in some cases all that were ever needed.

However on balance they were a "good thing" and I regret the passing of the local minor station, in some cases its branch line and on occasion its severed through route.

Its sad to think that some people are more isolated in the 21st century than their ancestors in the 19th.-CF East Anglia, Wales, etc.

62430

Well Pendlebury Station had a pub, "The Station Hotel" aptly enough. It's an Italian Restraunt now.

Swinton Station on the other hand is a small station which I'm happy to say is not only manned (albeit only until mid-afternoon) it is also going to recieve an upgrade in the near future with electronic display boards / lift access / tannoy system etc. and more manned hours, the hope being more people will visit Swinton for the shopping center etc.

The station is a very old building with the origonal canopys etc. and it does have a nice charm as do a lot of stations on the Victoria to Wigan Wallgate line IMO. A fair bit of the line still uses (or has surviving) semaphore signaling from what I observe looking out the window which adds to it's charm (though Swinton has colour lights).

Hi There

Here is the first picture from 1897 - Hope you like it - please click on the link below.

Regards

Neil

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...uryStation.jpg

Hi There

Click on this link below to see the original picture I bid for and won on ebay last week make sure you expand the picture so you can see it all as it's a big picture - Isn't the signal box great - this will have been taken from the bridge on Ethel Avenue. It is from the late 1950's - see the passenger on the platform and also the footbridge in the background - I think it's a great picture and I'm sure you will agree - Enjoy

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/...ats=0&format=0