Rainhill station, Merseyside

[Resolution]

OK all, If there is a way of posting these pics to the site "at full strength" as it were" for all to aquire, please let me know...

...I didn't know about the "Lowton Stn" but it does make sense to me... In the early days, the Winwick junc.to Golbourne link didn't exist and "Earlstown" was know as Warrington Junction with trains travelling as far south as Birmingham. Trains from Birmingham had to go North to Earlstown, turn right on the Stn curve, and turn (left) North again just before the Huskisson monument towards Wigan. An Ideal place for a Station for the then new railway to Preston. Just opposite the "Bulls head" Pub at the road junction by the bridge there is a small gate leading down some steps to the track for just such a place. Y'know, given it's history..Maybe this place should be known as th "Lowton Triangle".

Opposite the Bulls Head, (coming south from Wigan and turning right towards Liverpool on the triangle there) is where the Royal Trains used to park overnight on the curve in the cutting... You always knew when it was there because a Police car (Panda) was always parked opposite the Bulls Head. In these days though.....I expect the whole heavy mob would be present!

Next week (weather and work permitting) I'll see if I can take a few more pics.....a few miles east and a real gem. I know that the thread does say "Stations" but, it is a trackside building.....and Fabulous one in my opinion..

[Resolution]

Hello again all. well, ...... I had a few minutes to spare today and went to take some pics. It's of a place just east of Chat Moss. A little road crossing with gates..at Astley. It's a good spot for photography, dead straight clear view in either direction. Good for those steam specials at full chat!

The crossing is a manual one, you open the gates yourself.....and close them after you! The Box: (I'm sure has been changed since I last saw it....still nice though) and thankfully still manned. The gates are electrically connected and interlocked with the signalling so if you cross, make sure that you return the opening bar to the correct position. There is a pedestrian gate also which you can see to the right of the main gate in the first photograph.

My photographs here are taken from the northern side, so the sun is usually from the other side. For you photographers, Mornings and evengs are superb! especially for the steam specials.

The last photograph shows one of our northern ultra modern fleet of DMU's approaching at speed on a Liverpool - Stalybridge service, (no.150 -224).......(ahem).

Approach via the East Lancs Rd (A580) via Higher Green and "Riddles rd". It's best to park at least 50yds back from the crossing on the right, (leave room for the entrance gate for the house).

Enough Chat....here's the pics..............

[meurglysIII]

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

[Resolution]

That's amazing MeurglysIII, I notice that what must have been a fairly new road bridge is in place in the picture. You'll be aware of course that the road would have had a railway crossing on the southern side of the bridge...(school on one side...pie shop on the other) Do you know when the bridge was built?

[meurglysIII]

Ah, so you know the town!

I'm not sure when the bridge was built but I was aware that there used to be a crossing on Railway Road. I can (just) remember the bridge being raised when the railway was electrified in 1974 or thereabouts. I can also just about remember the vast colliery sidings ( I have a photocopy of a map from 1928 which shows just how vast they were) and diesel shunting engines, up until the early 80s. My model railway "Makerfield" is heavily based on the feel of the area in the late 1970s.

http://www.railwayforum.net/showthread.php?t=882

The attached pic of the other Golborne station, "Golborne North" on the St. Helens and South Lancashire railway, shows how different the two stations were.

"The London and North Western Company's main line from London to the north passes through the township, and has a station at Golborne; at the southern end is a junction with the loop-line connecting with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The St. Helens and South Lancashire Railway (Great Central) crosses the northern part of the township, and has a station called Golborne."

from A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911)

Pete

[Resolution]

You've thrown me there meurglys, Where abouts was the "North Stn"? ...although the Central line must have crossed somewhere.. P.S. I used to work sometimes at the establishment behind what is now the High School and the disused railway bed is still there.

Meurglys, Did you know about the "old" Makerfield racecourse? and it's Station?

Climbing to the top of Common Brow, (just where it flatens out) on your left is a Pub which is set back.....I think that it's called: "The Swan with Two necks" (I'll have to check) just before the turning for the old Lyme pit.
Opposite the front of this pub was the first Haydock racecourse! and...more importantly, and which can still be seen! ........On the other side of the main road there is a gap (between the houses).......where the racecourse Stn was. This line came up from the triangle at Earlstown with "special trains" for the Racing fans.

I don't know when this racecourse closed and when the new one opened but I suspect it was 18...something.

I'll try and find a map for you....

[Resolution]

OK. I think that I've got it now Meurglys,.........

here goes.........I've had to reduce the size drastically, I hope that the detail is still visable. It's from a site called: www.old-maps.co.uk...a very good site for investigating local history.....You can see the racecourse to the left of Crow Lane.....and to the righthand edge of the map...the tracks of the Station are visable. I'll try and find you the map of the Earlstown triangle which was far more complicated than it is now...

[meurglysIII]

Hi resolution (call me Pete by the way, it's easier!)

Thanks for that info, but i have to admit I can't figure out where you mean, I know where crow lane is but can't place the site of the station. I drive through Newton to work so will keep my eyes out for the places you mention. I didn't know about the Old Racecourse by the way, I love learning about stuff like this.

Apologies for diverting your thread from Rainhill by the way, but using your maps site I found the attached, which shows the location of Golborne North station, just to the left of the A49 heading towards Wigan, pretty much opposite the petrol station. the remains of the line here became the branch to the old Kelly bitumen site at Edge Green, alas that moved to preston about 5 years ago so no more oil tanker trains, I remember seeing them hauled by double headed class 37s or class 47, 56 diesels when I used to do a paper round there.... anyway I digress...

I presume the establishment you worked at was the water treatment works, or Rothwells farm? In either case, follow the trackbed towards Ashton Road and the station was just before it crosses the WCML. Must have been great to be a trainspotter here a hundred years ago!

If you can give me directions from the East Lancs Road to the old racecourse site I'd really appreciate it!

Pete

[jbmack]

Hello all just joined forum, re royal trains at Lowton I worked at Parkside No1 signalbox in the 1960's the royal train used to be stabled on the east curve between Lowton Jcn and Parkside No1 , there was a siding next to the curve where vans were stabled with containers which were placed under the royal train toilets.
Re Golborne North I remember seeing the remains of the station and signalbox perched on the embankment when travelling to wigan on the bus in the late 1950's.
If you go to www.tillyweb.biz there is a collection of some of my photos on there (the James Mackenzie collection).
jbmack

[meurglysIII]

Hi James, just spotted your post, I envy you what must be a vast knowledge of the railways in this area as was. My family moved here in 1970, by which time the stations were both closed,the pit was still open though and the goods sidings which are now a car park, so there was still plenty of railway noise. Do you remember the station at Leigh?

Good to hear from you anyway, I'm off to look at those photos now.

Pete