CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE,

Transcription

1 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE, BY M. D. GREVILLE In addition to previously published data, I have consulted official and Railway Clearing House records, local and railway press, and Bradshaw's Manual. There is often a bewildering discrepancy in dates in railway records, especially the older ones. Every effort has been made to establish the correct dates, and when this has not been possible from contemporary references, I have shown the ones which, taking all circumstances into consideration, seem the most likely to be accurate. Closing of lines and withdrawal of passenger services are noted only up to the outbreak of war in September The closing dates given are those for the last days on which trains ran. The railways have been grouped under the following headings and subheadings: 1 LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A London & North Western Railway and Components B Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway C Midland Railway D North Staffordshire Railway E Wirral Railway F London & North Western and North Staffordshire Joint Line 2 GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY 3 LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY Great Central Railway 4 VARIOUS AND INTER-GROUP JOINT LINES A Birkenhead Joint Line B Manchester South Junction & Altrincham Railway C Cheshire Lines Committee D Sheffield & Midland Railway Companies' Committee E Macclesfield Committee F Mersey Railway 1. LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A. LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY [Formed by amalgamation of Grand Junction, Manchester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham Railways. Amalgamated with Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Became part of London Midland & Scottish Railway, ]. Macclesfield (Beech Road) to 6 or Macclefield (Hibel Road) 135

2 136 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE Stalybridge to Huddersfield Crewe to Shrewsbury Chester & Holyhead Railway Warrington & Stockport Railway Stockport to Northenden Stockport, Disley & Whaley Bridge Railway Sandbach to Northwich Acton (Weaver Junction) to Ditton Hartford Curve to Cheshire Lines Committee Waverton (Tattenhall June tion) to Whitchurch Runcorn (Halton Junction) to Frodsham Junction Over & Wharton Branch Denton to Dukinfield Davenport to Cheadle Village Junction Stalybridge to Diggle Loop Moore Walton Deviation & Latchford Deviation. Dukinfield to Stalybridge (Only first 1^ miles in (In Cheshire up to 3 miles beyond Wrenbury). Absorbed Absorbed jointly with St. Helens Canal and Railway. Absorbed (Passengers ). (Passengers In Cheshire as far as Runcorn Bridge). (In Cheshire except last 2 miles). (Passengers Only short section at Dukinfield in Cheshire. Connection at Dukinfield to Great Central Railway removed ). (Passengers ). (Passengers Only first 2 miles, round Staley and Millbrook, in Made to provide necessary clearance over the Ship Canal. (Passengers Only short sections at Dukinfield and Stalybridge in

3 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 137 Wilmslow to Levenshulme (Slade Lane Junction) (Passengers Southern half only in See also Sections IF, 4A and 4e. The following lines had separate identities before becoming part of London & North Western Railway (i) GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act ). Birmingham to Warrington (In Cheshire from 2 miles north of Madeley to outskirts of Warrington). Chester & Crewe Railway Absorbed Crewe to Chester With Manchester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway (ii) CHESTER & CREWE RAILWAY (Act ) Absorbed by Grand Junction Railway (iii) MANCHESTER & BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY (Act ) Stockport to Sandbach Sandbach to Crewe Cheadle to Poynton Collieries (Passengers to Poynton ). Poynton to Macclesfield Poynton to Collieries (Beech Road) transferred to Colliery Co. With Grand Junction and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway (iv) CHESTER & HOLYHEAD RAILWAY (Act ) Chester to Saltney Junction Saltney Junction to Bangor (Only first \ mile in Saltney (Mold Junction) to (About \ mile north of Mold Kinnerton, in Absorbed by London & North Western Railway Chester & Holyhead Co. dissolved

4 138 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE (v) WARRINGTON & ALTRINCHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act ) Became Warrington & Stockport Railway Warrington to Altrincham (now Broadheath) Altrincham to Timperley Absorbed by London & North Western Railway jointly with St. Helens Canal & Railway (vi) STOCKPORT, DISLEY & WHALEY BRIDGE RAILWAY (Act ) Stockport to Whaley Bridge opened Absorbed by London & North Western Railway B. LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE RAILWAY [Manchester & Leeds Railway (Act ) became Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway ] Ashton to Stalybridge (Only short section at Stalybridge in Stalybridge Junction with Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Amalgamated with London & North Western Railway C. MIDLAND RAILWAY (Act ) [Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway ] Heaton Mersey to Cheadle Heath Cheadle Heath to New Mills See also Sections 4c and 4o. (Passengers ). D. NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY (Act ) [Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway ] Stoke to Crewe Harecastle to Crewe in Cheshire. Harecastle to Congleton Congleton to Macclesfield North Rode to Uttoxeter (First 3 miles in Harecastle (Lawton Junction) Goods, to Sandbach (Passengers to Wheelock only Withdrawn ).

5 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 139 Stoke to Congleton Upper Junction via Biddulph (Passengers Withdrawn Only last 1^ miles in Congleton Lower Junction to Goods only. Brunswick Wharf Harecastle (Alsager Junction) to Keele (Passengers Withdrawn Only 1st mile in See also Sections IF and 4E. E. WIRRAL RAILWAY [Hoylake Railway (Act ) became Hoylake & Birkenhead Rail & Tramway Co , Seacombe, Hoylake & Deeside Railway , and Wirral Railway Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway ]. Birkenhead to Hoylake (Closed Birkenhead to Leasowe to ). Hoylake to West Kirby and extension to new Birkenhead Docks Station Birkenhead Docks to Park & Wallasey Branch Wallasey to New Brighton Seacombe Branch ? F. LONDON & NORTH WESTERN AND NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE JOINT LINE Middlewood Curve opened (Passengers ). Regular passenger service lasted only 3 years. 2. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (Act ) [Amalgamated with Shrewsbury & Chester Railway ] Nantwich to Market Drayton (In Cheshire to 1 mile south of Audlem). See also Section 4A. The following line had a separate identity before becoming part of Great Western Railway.

6 140 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE Shrewsbury, Oswestry & Cheshire Railway (Act ) [Amalgamated with North Wales Mineral Railway (Act ) as Shrewsbury & Chester Railway ] Saltney Junction to Ruabon (First 4 miles in Cheshire) Saltney Quay Branch Goods only. Amalgamated with Great Western Railway LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY [Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway (Act ). Became Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway , and Great Central Railway Became part of London & North Eastern Railway ] Manchester to Godley Godley to Broadbottom Woodheadto Dunford Bridge Guide Bridge to Stalybridge Hyde Junction to Hyde Hyde to Compstall (for Marple) Compstall to New Mills Godley to Woodley Hyde Junction to Marple (Guide Bridge to Godley in (Part of Woodhead Tunnel in (Only short section at Stalybridge in (In Cheshire to Marple only) Transferred to Cheshire Lines Committee Transferred to Sheffield & Midland Ry. Cos. Committee Chester to Hawarden Bridge (In Cheshire to 1 beyond Blacon). North Wales & Liverpool Railway absorbed See also Sections 4s, 4c, 4o and 4E. mile The following line had a separate identity before becoming part of Great Central Railway. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD & LINCOLNSHIRE AND WREXHAM, MOLD & CONNAH'S QUAY JOINT LINE. [Powers of Wirral Railway incorporated by Certificate of 1883 transferred by Act of to Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire and Wrexham, Mold & Connah's Quay Railways. Became Dee & Birkenhead Committee and North Wales & Liverpool Railway Committee ]

7 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 141 Hawarden Bridge to Bidston Passengers. (In Cheshire from just South of Burton Point Station.) Absorbed by Great Central Railway VARIOUS AND INTERGROUP JOINT LINES A. BIRKENHEAD JOINT LINE (GREAT WESTERN AND LONDON & NORTH WESTERN) (i) BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act ). [Amalgamated with Chester & Birkenhead Railway ] Chester West Loop Chester to Warrington (Wal ton Junction) Became Birkenhead Railway Absorbed jointly by Great Western and London & North Western Railways Hooton to Helsby Tranmere Pool Branch Hooton to Parkgate Extension from Green Lane Junction to Birkenhead (Woodside) Parkgate to West Kirby Rock Ferry Connection with Mersey Railway Daresbury Walton Deviation Acton Grange Junction to Walton New Junction Stanlow Dock Junction with Ship Canal Goods only. Made to provide necessary clearance over the Ship Canal. Connection with London & North Western Railway South of Warrington Goods only. (ii) CHESTER & BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY (Act ) Chester to Birkenhead (Grange Lane) Extension to Birkenhead Closed for Passengers (Monk's Ferry)

8 142 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE Grange Lane to Cathcart Goods only. Street (Bridge End) Amalgamated with Birkenhead, Lancashire & Cheshire Junction Railway B. MANCHESTER SOUTH JUNCTION & ALTRINCHAM RAILWAY (LONDON & NORTH WESTERN AND GREAT CENTRAL JOINT) (Act ) Manchester to Altrincham (In Cheshire from 1 mile south of Stretford). Altrincham to Bowdon Closed C. CHESHIRE LINES COMMITTEE [Formed by Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway and Great Northern Railway, by amalgamation of Stockport & Woodley, Cheshire Midland, West Cheshire, and Stockport, Timperley & Altrincham Railways with Garston & Liverpool and Liverpool Central Station Railways. Midland Railway joined ] Stockport to Altrincham (Deansgate Junction) Baguley (Skelton Junction) to Broadheath Godley to Woodley transferred from Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railways Chester & West Cheshire Junction Railway Northwich Salt Branches Northwich to Helsby Hartford to Winnington Cuddington to Winsford & Over Baguley (Skelton Junction) to Glazebrook Absorbed Goods only (Passengers 22.6,1870). Regular passenger ser vice Mouldsworth to Helsby withdrawn Goods only (Passengers ) Withdrawn to , to and finally (Passengers In Cheshire to 1 mile beyond Partington).

9 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 143 Mouldsworth to Chester (Passengers ). Timperley Curve to Man (Passenger service till Chester South Junction & only closed Altrincham Railway ). Partington Glazebrook De Goods, viation (Passengers Only 1st mile in Cheshire. Made to provide necessary clearance over Ship Canal). The following lines had separate identities before becoming part of Cheshire Lines Committee. (i) STOCKPORT & WOODLEY RAILWAY (Act ) Stockport to Woodley opened Formed part of Cheshire Lines Committee (ii) CHESHIRE MIDLAND RAILWAY (Act ). Altrincham to Knutsford opened Knutsford to Northwich opened Formed part of Cheshire Lines Committee (iii) WEST CHESHIRE RAILWAY (Act ). Formed part of Cheshire Lines Committee (iv) STOCKPORT, TIMPERLEY & ALTRINCHAM RAILWAY (Act ) Formed part of Cheshire Lines Committee (v) CHESTER & WEST CHESHIRE JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act ). Absorbed by Cheshire Lines Committee D. SHEFFIELD & MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPANIES' COMMITTEE (GREAT CENTRAL AND MIDLAND) (Act ) Hyde Junction to Marple transferred from Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Romiley to Stockport (Bred bury Junction) (Passengers ). Romiley to Ashbury's (Passengers Romiley to Reddish Junction in Reddish Junction to Stock port (Brinnington Junction)

10 144 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE E. MACCLESFIELD COMMITTEE [Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway (Act )] Marple to Macclesfield Passengers. (Goods ). Extension to join North Staffordshire Railway at (Passengers ). Macclesfield Vested in Macclesfield Committee (Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire and North Staffordshire) F. MERSEY RAILWAY [Mersey Pneumatic Railway (Act ) became Mersey Railway ] Liverpool (James Street) to Birkenhead Extension to Birkenhead Park Rock Ferry Branch For all the assistance which has made possible the compilation of this list the author expresses his gratitude. Especially does he wish to thank Mr. C. R. Clinker of Rugby, Mr. G. O. Holt of Penrith, Mr. W. J. Skillern of Stockport, Mr. T. Williams of Liverpool, and Mr. L. C. Johnson, archivist to the British Transport Commission, and his staff.