Wigan Album

Harry, Where was this located ?

Good photo, Harry. I think it's near Crow Nest junction.
If I'm right, the line at the back of the photographer would take you to Dicconson Lane and Hilton House stations and then on to the Bolton Preston line near Blackrod.

Spot on Winder, just looked it up in my "Railway Around Wigan" book, the Hilton house branch to Blackrod, and as you rightly say, Crows nest Junction. many thanks.

You’re correct Winder. The view is looking approximately south east with the original 1868 Lancashire and Yorkshire line coming up on the right of the view from Crow Nest Jct. Behind us the line will indeed pass through Dicconsen Lane and Aspull stn., and then Hilton House stn., before finally re-joining the Lancashire and Yorkshire main line at Horwich Fork Jct. between Blackrod Stn. and Lostock Jct. The branch joined the L & Y main line from Manchester Victoria to Euxton Jct. at this point.

The line coming in from the left of the photo with 4 car DMU set on was a later L & Y addition which left the later 1887/8 Bolton avoiding line at Dobbs Brow Jct., (between Daisy Hill and Hindley stations). This later Bolton avoiding line left the original Liverpool and Bury line at Windsor Bridge North Jct. and re-joined it at Crow Nest Jct. just to the east of Hindley (North) Stn; and was a four track railway throughout! The Pemberton Loop line was also part of these enhancement works which effectively tripled the track capacity between Manchester and Wigan and gave the L & Y a much more flexible railway. The 4 car DMU set which has been given the road at Hindley and Blackrod Jct. will have run fast line between Windsor Bridge North Jct. and then left the main line at Dobbs Brow Jct. and will re-join the original branch here before running to Horwich Fork Jct. and onto the main line towards Euxton Jct. - very probably a Blackpool train. If you look carefully at the photo you can clearly see that the track layout is designed to favour higher speed running from the Dobbs Brow direction rather than that from the Crow Nest direction; indicating the L & Y’s intentions when they built the later line

One last point which may be of interest; the line in the right of the picture where the locomotive is standing was the L & Y’s original access to and from the Lancashire Union line over Brinscall Bank between Chorley and Blackburn (Cherry Tree). The LNWR who shared the Lancashire Union line with L & Y of course used the magnificent Whelley line as their access to Adlington Jct. and then on to via Chorley to Blackburn.
In those far off days when men were men, and women knew it mind, the railway was still fortunate enough to be run by railwaymen, and them lads knew a thing or two about the working of trains!
Hope that hasn’t been too boring for anyone. I have seen the photo before, but it is still a belting picture by the way Harry.

Not boring at all, Dave. You have a very good knowledge of the local lines. This country had at one time a railway system that was second to none and look what's happened to it.
Thousands of miles of track lifted while the roads get more and more congested with huge wagons carrying freight that should be running on rails.
Will it be any different with the new government? I don't think so.

This spot can still be reached on foot by parking up at the site of dicconson lane & aspull station (landlords farm stables)& walking back along the disused trackbed,(takes about 40 mins there & back),(wear wellies,due to flooded trackbed here & there).
The timber signal box was supported on the embankment at this point by quite a substantial support wall that still exists & can still been seen from the field at the rear of where the box once stood.
There is still a lot of disused point rodding,angle cranks,crank stools etc near to the old signal box.
An old mate of my grandfather was a signalman here in the 1950s,My grandads signalman mate here was called Harold Halliwell.

incidently i bought this photo at the old G&I models shop for 20p in 1985.

What ever happened to G&I models??

The line to the right of the picture, where the engine is; was this the line from Hinley North? I remember going from Wigan to Chorley many times on the train. Originally from the north western station. Later having to go via Wallgate station; why? I remember this about 1961. Could anyone tell me why the route changed

G&I models moved from Library Street to Market Street, in Wigan town, near Galleries, after a short while they changed in the way to shop and trade. You can only buy online.

Albert - the Chorley route you took from North Western was, I believe, closed to passengers in 1960 - it went up through Boars Head, Red Rock, Adlington and Chorley; So they must have rerouted the passenger service via the Hilton House branch in 1960. A daft decision to close the Wigan - Chorley-Blackburn line, but there's always fools running the show....

harry i worked at g+i models as a lad,probably sold you the photo.the photo is credited to a regular customer who used to do prints for us.his name was brian barlow.g+i wrapped up a few years ago but i do believe trades as pier models.

Hi Steve,i certainly remember you working for G&I models in the 1980s before you left the model shop & joined BR to work with bigger trains.
Am i right in thinking that your family had some connection with Hilton House Signal Box?,was it you who showed me some years ago a few old B&W shots taken inside Hilton House Box in the 60s??

Im pretty sure that it was you,your dad was a driver on BR wasnt he?
How are you anyway,are you still working for Virgin?

hello harrold,yes to all your comments.what a good memory you have and good to see your keeping well.yes iam at preston working for vt as a guard.keep the good photo coming.

There's a view of the Blackrod line veering off to the left on Google Earth satellite view. You can follow it to the Horwich junction, firstly it connects to another junction then across the A6 road at a point which is now an Hotel called 'Ramada Jarvis' then finally connects to the Manchester-Preston line near the M61 bridge.

Not sure the present day photo oi in the sams spot as the old photo.Is not the second one taken from the gate out of Landlords farm onto the start of the run into the cutting behind Brinsop Hall just before the level crossing at Brinsop Hall (where I live)