Wigan Album

This is a pretty rare view of the Great Central Railway's signalbox at Lowton St. Mary's Junction on the line from Glazebrook West Jct. to initially, Strangeways Hall colliery at Amberswood Common. Later the line would extend to first Lower Ince in 1884, and then finally Wigan Central station in 1892. I assume therefore (but would be happy to be corrected by someone with a greater operating knowledge of this line) that this signalbox must have opened when the line opened in 1879. However the original line at that time did not have the St. Helens branch seen here on the left of the signalbox. When the branch to St. Helens from here was built between 1885 and 1895 (major money problems!)the signalbox must have either been rebuilt or extended depending on the spare lever capacity when first built in order to accomodate the junction. Just visible to the right of the box are the original metals heading towards Westleigh and Bedford station on Crankwood Road. This photo was acquired by pure chance when I was talking to a neighbour who informed me that his father-in-law had been one of the signalman who worked at this box. This then is Mr. Thomas Gordan, relief signalman taken in approx 1947. Mr. Gordan was originally from the Strines area of Cheshire.