Rainhill station, Merseyside
 

Apparently eventhough Rainhill is only a small place it is one of the oldest stations in England because it is on the Newton-le-Willows to Liverpool line which is where they first tested locomotives.

It's also a listed station. Yet I've seen the station myself and don't think that the appearance of the station is very historic.

Is that a nice way of saying that it looks like a bit of a dump?:D

Actually I mean it looks average. It's got good facilities considering the actual size of Rainhill, but it doesn't look historic like some other staions e.g. Manchester Victoria.

Perhaps the original Liverpool & Manchester Railway station at Rainhill looked more "historic"?
I agree that there is something special about Manchester Victoria but are we getting confused between impressive and historic?

See http://www.rainhill-civic-society.org.uk/ for a picture of the station and it's history.

Surely Rainhill is called historic because of the Rainhill Trials where Robert Stephensons Rocket won him the contract to build the Liverpool to Manchester Railway.

Click here for more info.

eccles was grander than rainhill, unfortunately it was made from wood and burnt down in 71, never to be rebuilt.

DID YOU KNOW: the mayor of salford was run over by rocket on its first proper run and died in eccles church vicarage.

If you think that Rainhill is bad, then take a look at this.....


A little further east from Rainhill in St Helens. Would you believe that this disgraceful mess was the first place in "The World" where one railway passed over another?
The Rail bridge behind the footbridge is part of the St.Helens-Widnes Railway dating back to the 1850's, and crossed the Liverpool-Manchester line at this point. The origional bridge was an ornate structure soon overcome by the growing weight of coal trains upon it, so the bridge you see was built. Only half of the trackbed now remains of this disused railway.

Thanks to St.Helens Council for the pristine condition that you now see it.....

Wasnt the MP Huskinson run over at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester. Was this by Rocket as well?

yep and yep