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These 'crazy' routes are excellent for seeing bits of the railway you'd otherwise miss. When I was travelling back to Keele from Accrington in the late 80's there must have been a Civil Engineer's possession south of Warrington because from Preston the normal 86/87 was replaced by a 47. Didn't think much about it until south of Warrington - probably Acton Grange junction we veer off to the left and grind our way through the mid-Cheshire saltfield, crawling merrily past ICI at Lostock Gralam and Plumley and returning to the main line somewhere north of Sandbach, I think! I don't think that route was at all suitable for MKIII what with all the squealing and protesting that the flanges were making but hey, that used to be the fun of Sunday travel on BR. Another Sunday the train from Preston didn't even get to Warrington; it just made a left at Euxton and down the line through Chorley and via the Windsor link, through Oxford Road and Piccadilly, through Stockport, made a right at Cheadle Hulme and went to Crewe via Goostrey and Holmes Chapel. You couldn't have planned that! Some of the passengers were moaning about the extra 40 minutes or so but some people are never satisfied! lol! Given the choice between rail replacement and the scenic routes through mid-Cheshire and Windsor Bridge....it's a no-brainer!
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