[Tony]

I stumbled on the forum yesterday. Posts about the Pendlebury area brought back many memories. I lived all my childhood in the area; nursery at St Augustines during WW2 (opposite Pendlebury station), Cromwell road Juniors (opposite Swinton goods yard). Bunked round Agecroft engine sheds every evening (near Irlams o'th Height station).
There were four tracks from Brindleheath to beyond Walkden. The fast tracks had an easier cimb from Pendleton station to Pendlebury whilst the slow lines climed from Brindleheath Junction to Pendlebury. Most freight trains on the slow lines needed a banker. Between P/bury & Walkden most signals were duplicated (high and low levels) on the same post, all having distant and home arms together. This was because of the many bridges.
Swinton had a goods yard (I think it is a builders yard/suprmarket?) which accepted up to 8 trains a day, a lot of shunting was done usually by the train engine.
Pendlebury ticket office was at the roadside with a covered wooden bridge to the platforms. Chapter 2 later!