Hi Res, I never knew about that crossing at Astley. I live in Golborne, not far from the Huskisson memorial, and work in St Helens so all the places you mention are local to me. I made my dad take me to the Rainhill trials 150th anniversary cavalcade back in 1979!
I have pics of local stations & signal boxes at Golborne, been collecting them when they pop up on ebay, for a few years now. They don't appear so often though.
Attached is a 1910 pic of Golborne South station, you can just make out the pit head in the background to the left. Both station and pit are now of course long gone.
Pete