The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) was formed in the 1860s and became the second-largest joint railway in Great Britain.[2] The committee, which was often styled the Cheshire Lines Railway, operated 143 miles (230 km) of track in the then counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.[2] The railway did not become part of the Big Four during the implementation of the 1923 grouping, surviving independently with its own management until the railways were nationalised at the beginning of 1948.[3] The railway served Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport, Warrington, Widnes, Northwich, Winsford, Knutsford, Chester and Southport with connections to many other railways.[3]
The Cheshire Lines Committee evolved in the late 1850s from the close working together of two railways, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) and the Great Northern Railway (GNR); this was in their desire to break the near monopoly on rail traffic held by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) in the Southern Lancashire and Northern Cheshire areas.[3] The CLC operated in an area which included the rapidly growing major cities of Manchester and Liverpool, the developing Lancashire coal fields and the growth of the Mersey's seaborne trade.[2][4]
In 1857, the GNR and MS&LR arranged to work closer together. The MS&LR had just come out of an unhappy alliance with the LNWR and the GNR was motivated by the opportunity to gain access to Manchester, via the MS&LR route from Retford.[5][6] A joint MS&LR/GNR service between Manchester London Road and London Kings Cross was provided and the arrangements were formalised by Parliament in the Great Northern and Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Traffic Arrangements Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict. c. cxiii).[note 1][7]
Relations between the LNWR and MS&LR companies were never strong, but they deteriorated in 1859 when the MS&LR supported several new railways in the Manchester area; two of which, the Cheshire Midland (incorporated 14 June 1860) and the Stockport & Woodley Junction (incorporated 15 May 1860) were to form part of the initial CLC.[7][8]
In 1860, the MS&LR was interested in three additional bills that would extend its influence towards Liverpool and Chester; they were the Garston & Liverpool (incorporated 17 May 1861), the Stockport, Timperley & Altrincham Junction (incorporated 17 May 1861) and the West Cheshire (incorporated 11 July 1861). Unfortunately, the MS&LR was unable to fund the building of these railways by itself.[a][7][10]
The shortage of funds led to a variety of negotiations, including the potential of a merger with the GNR, but eventually an agreement was reached on 11 June 1862 between the MS&LR and the GNR.[4] The arrangement was for the establishment of a joint committee to regulate and work traffic on four of the railways already authorised but not yet open. The lines were:
Each company was to provide an equal amount of capital and four representatives to the joint management committee. This arrangement was confirmed by the Great Northern Railway (Cheshire Lines) Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. cxlvii); this was the first official use of Cheshire Lines and at the time it was entirely appropriate as the majority of the lines involved were in Cheshire.[note 2][17][18] This act had not, however, formally set up a separate legal body, providing instead for the two companies to manage and work the four railways through their existing structures.[18]
In 1861, the two partners, MS&LR & GNR, had been authorised by the Garston & Liverpool Railway Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict. c. xxxv) to construct the Garston and Liverpool Railway which made an end-on connection with the St Helens Canal and Railway Company at Garston Dock. This line opened on 1 June 1864 and ran for 3 miles 73 chains (6.3 km) to a terminus at Liverpool Brunswick. This terminus station was only in use from 1864 to 1874, when it was superseded by Liverpool Central, [19] but it did have an extended life as a goods station.[note 3][18] The act included a short (26 chains (520 m)) line to connect a goods station, Wavertree Road (later Wavertree and Edge Hill), to the LNWR at Edge Hill and running powers from there to Garston.[20]
Included within this act were running powers between Garston Dock and Timperley Junction using the lines of the LNWR through Widnes, Warrington and Lymm. [c] and then the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&AR) through to Manchester.[23] The jointly administered lines at this time were known as The Liverpool, Garston & Cheshire Railways.[17]
Liverpool Brunswick station was inconveniently situated near the Southern docks, a good distance from the city centre. This necessitated the railway to transport passengers and their goods by omnibus into the city centre.[24] To rectify this, the partners applied to build an extension railway and this resulted in the building of a difficult line, mainly in tunnels, to a new Central Station, with powers granted by the Liverpool Central Station Railway Act 1864 (27 & 28 Vict. c. ccxc).[note 4]
The Midland Railway (MR) secured a route into Manchester city centre in 1862 and they began to look at options to secure traffic to the west of Manchester and particularly into Liverpool. This led to their associating with the MS&LR and GNR and their partnership working of the lines mentioned above.[5][25]
These lines were brought together under the direct joint ownership of the MS&LR and GNR by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. cccxxvii). They were:[note 5][17][18]
The act additionally gave powers for the MR to join as an equal partner, which it did in 1866.[24]
The MS&LR's Godley and Woodley Branch Railway was transferred to the CLC by the Cheshire Lines Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict. c. cccli)..[note 6][26] This left a small section (27 chains (540 m)) of track between Apethorne Junction and Woodley Junction that still belonged to the Sheffield and Midland Joint Railway, with the CLC having running powers.[27][28]
The Cheshire Lines Committee was finally authorised, by the Cheshire Lines Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. ccvii), as a fully independent organisation with a board formed from three directors from each of the parent companies.[note 7][29]
In 1864, Mr Edward Watkin, the MS&LR's chairman, proposed a more direct railway from Manchester to connect with the Garston and Liverpool Railway; this was mainly on the grounds that the existing arrangements for running powers on LNWR lines were inadequate.[30] He had a point, as the lines were being used by three companies and had several curves that needed careful, and therefore slow, negotiation; there were 95 level-crossings and 60 or more signals in each direction.[26]
one from Cornbrook, near Old Trafford in Manchester, where a connection was made with the MSJ&AR to a junction with CLC (former Garston and Liverpool Railway) line near Cressington;
the second from a junction with the first line at Glazebrook to a new junction, Skelton junction, with the CLC (former Stockport, Timperley & Altrincham Junction Railway) near Timperley.[d][23]
The other alteration to the route, promulgated under the 1866 act, was as the result of Warrington residents agitating to have the railway come closer to the town centre. The 1865 plan had Warrington station positioned to the north on the straight route, halfway between Padgate and Sankey stations in a direct line; this would have been about 1,000 yards (910 m) further from the town. A loop was constructed into the town and Warrington Central and goods yard was constructed on it. The loop and station opened in 1873; the direct route, otherwise known as the Warrington avoiding line, was not opened until 1883.[note 9][26][31] In 1897 an impressive two-storey brick goods warehouse was built in the goods yard, superseding an earlier smaller structure.[32]
The direct line to Liverpool Brunswick was opened in 1873 and, from then, the CLC used this more direct route between Manchester London Road and Liverpool Brunswick.[33] The route was further improved when Liverpool Central station opened on 1 March 1874, bringing trains into the city centre.[19] The station was situated on Ranelagh Street on the edge of the city centre and was a much grander station of three stories with a large arched roof and six platform faces.[34][35] At the same time as Central opened, Brunswick closed to passenger traffic; it became a goods station and a much larger warehouse was built around the original station building. The building was so large, about 300 by 500 feet (91 m × 152 m), it was long enough to write the owners names in full Great Northern, Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire and Midland Railways.[19][36]
Liverpool Central Station
In 1879, a connection was made from the direct line to the expanding town of Widnes; the Widnes loop line ran from a junction between Sankey and Farnworth to the south, through Widnes Central and back to join the direct line at Hough Green. The line was jointly owned by the MS&LR and the MR; the CLC ran a passenger service on the line.[37][38] The loop line closed in 1964.[39][40]
The building of the Manchester Ship Canal resulted in two diversions of the line in order to cross the canal at a high level on fixed bridges. The first was at Irlam where a diversion was constructed to the south of the original line and a new station was constructed, both the old route and the diversion were operational from 9 January 1893 to 27 March 1893 when the original route closed.[41][42] The second diversion was between Glazebrook and West Timperley where both intermediate stations, Cadishead and Partington, were rebuilt on raised lines either side of the ship canal. Both routes were operational from 27 February 1893 to 29 May 1893 when the original route closed.[41][43]
Extension to Chesteredit
The Chester and West Cheshire Junction Railway Company had been incorporated in 1865 to construct railways from Mouldsworth to Mickle Trafford and onto Chester Northgate, with a junction at Mickle Trafford connecting to the Birkenhead Railway.[note 11][44]
This was a natural extension of the CLC network and indeed authorised, albeit by a different company, what the West Cheshire Railway had applied, and failed, to do in 1861. It brought access to the county town of Chester, an important tourist centre and gateway to North Wales to the expanding network.[45] The Chester and West Cheshire Junction Railway Company was transferred into the CLC on 10 August 1866.[note 6][26][46]
Construction work did not start straight away, being delayed by contractual negotiations until 1871. The route was 7 miles 43 chains (12.1 km) of double track with 23 bridges. There were intermediate stations at Tarvin & Barrow and Mickle Trafford.[47] The railways, but not the junction with the Birkenhead Railway, opened for goods traffic on 2 November 1874 and for passengers on 1 May 1875.[46] The junction at Mickle Trafford was made in 1875 to enable traffic between the CLC and Chester General but it was not used due to a dispute.[48] The CLC ran five trains in each direction daily between Manchester Oxford Road which was a MSJ&AR station and Chester Northgate.[49]
Improvements in Manchesteredit
The direct route to Liverpool, and into Liverpool Central station from 1874, allowed an increased density of service with sixteen trains in each direction. These trains left Manchester London Road using the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&AR) as far as Cornbrook, then crossing onto the CLC direct line.[50] It was recognised early on that the additional services were going to cause congestion at the Manchester end of the line; at this time, London Road station had been expanded and effectively divided into several stations. The main station was split in half: one half for the LNWR and the other for the MS&LR, which it shared with the Midland Railway.[51][52] The third section of the station was the MSJ&AR platform area, adjacent to the main station; these platforms were used as the terminus for passenger services, but the lines also provided a through connection for freight from Lancashire to Yorkshire.[53]
Initially, the CLC obtained powers, in the Cheshire Lines Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. lvii), to build a new line 1 mile 20 chains (2.0 km) long from Cornbrook into Manchester, with all proper stations, approaches, works and conveniences connected therewith, terminating on the southern side of Windmill Street.[note 12]
Manchester Central showing the goods station which was the former Free Trade Hall Station
This brought the CLC right into Manchester city centre and a temporary station, Manchester Free Trade Hall station, was opened on 9 July 1877.[54] This station was a modest affair, with two platforms and two intermediate tracks, but it enabled the CLC to introduce an improved hourly express service to Liverpool taking 45 minutes which attracted passengers.[50][55]
Even before the temporary Free Trade Hall station opened, the CLC had been authorised by the Cheshire Lines Act 1875 (38 & 39 Vict. c. xci) to build a permanent stationq; this station, Manchester Central which was opened on 1 July 1880, was immediately adjacent to Free Trade Hall station with its frontage on Windmill Street.[note 13] This station had two storeys, goods below and passengers above; it had eight platforms, later increased to nine, six of which were covered by an impressive 210 feet (64 m) single span roof, the other two were protected by an awning on the side of the shed.[56] Most of the station facilities, including the booking office and waiting rooms, were of wooden construction, being intended for temporary use but they lasted until the station's eventual closure in 1969.[57][58][54]
When Central opened in 1880, the Free Trade Hall station closed to passengers and was converted to a goods station; it had another warehouse added in 1882.[59][60]
Manchester Central Station
The Great Northern Railway (GNR) opened a goods warehouse adjacent to the former Free Trade Hall station, between it and Deansgate; the warehouse and its connecting line opened in 1898.[61] The GNR worked goods trains into it from Colwick, using running powers over the Midland from Codnor Park Junction.[62]
Midlands connectionedit
The Manchester South District Railway (MSDR) was originally promoted by a group of local landowners, supported by the Midland Railway (MR), to provide a local railway between Manchester and Alderley.[63] It was incorporated by the Manchester South District Railway Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. ccxxii), but nothing done by 1875 when the MR proposed that the section north of Stockport should become part of the CLC, thereby providing MR with access to Central.[note 14][64][65]
At about the same time, in 1875, the construction of Manchester Free Trade Hall station was taking place; the authorisation for the permanent Manchester Central station had been obtained and the MS&LR gave notice to the Midland to quit using Manchester London Road station within three years because of the congestion, as the Midland was a partner in the CLC it was natural for them to try to gain access to the new Central.[66]
In 1876, with nothing much happening on the MSDR and the Midland Railway becoming increasing anxious to find station facilities in Manchester, the Midland proposed that the MSDR became a joint railway to be known as the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies Committee (MS&LR & MR).[note 15][67] A condition of the joint railway was equal funding of the capital to build the line; the MS&LR was not forthcoming with their share and the Midland then petitioned for the undertaking to be transferred to its sole ownership, which was accepted.[note 16][67] The Act also provided powers for the GNR to share in the enterprise, in which case the line would have transferred to the CLC; this option was not exercised, so it remained a Midland Railway line.[67] The line from Heaton Mersey Junction to Throstle Nest Junction (later Throstle Nest East Junction), on the CLC near Cornbrook, opened on 1 January 1880. The Midland set up local services from Free Trade Hall to Stockport Tiviot Dale of 14 passenger trains each way, plus a daily goods train from Wellington Road goods; there were intermediate stations at Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Withington, Didsbury and Heaton Mersey.[67] On 1 August 1880, MR switched its services from London Road to Manchester Central. [64] When the MR was established at Central, they had 26 departures: the 14 South District local trains; and 12 trains for Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and London.[67]
In 1891, the section from Throstle Nest Junction to Chorlton Junction (the junction with the MS&LR line to Fairfield on the London Road to Guide Bridge route) was transferred to the CLC.[note 17]
Expansion on Merseysideedit
Completion of the direct Manchester to Liverpool line, and the connections to it from Timperley and on to the Midland Railway, provided the partners with access to Liverpool without going through Manchester. The only connection the CLC had with the dock complex on the Mersey was at Brunswick, at the very southern end of the docks. Despite improvements made during the 1870s and 1880s and connections with adjacent docks from 1884, the CLC was not able to compete with other railways in the area for the large freight market. Both the LNWR and the L&YR had better connections to the docks, both in terms of quantity and the quality of which docks they connected to.[68][69]
To improve this situation, the CLC acquired 23 acres (9.3 ha) of land at Huskisson in north Liverpool. To access this site, several lines were authorised by the Cheshire Lines Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict. c. clxix). These lines, known locally as the North Liverpool Extension Line, were:[note 18][68][70]
Halewood to Aintree: facilitated by a north bound triangular junction from the Liverpool Extension Railway between Halewood and Hunts Cross stations to a junction with the East Lancashire section of the L&YR at Aintree. The inside of these junctions provided space for an extensive array of goods sidings.[71]
Fazakerley to Walton-on-the-Hill and Huskisson: facilitated by a westbound triangular junction from the Halewood to Aintree line above. The inside of these junctions also provided space for another extensive array of goods sidings.[72]
The lines were opened to Aintree Junction and Walton-on-the-Hill on 1 December 1879, with stations at Gateacre for Woolton, Childwall, Old Swan and Knotty Ash, West Derby and Walton-on-the-Hill.[73][74] The section to Huskisson and Huskisson station, for both passenger and goods trains, opened on 1 June 1880.[73] A passenger service was provided from Liverpool Central to Walton-on-the-Hill, but it proved unpopular and thereafter most services terminated at Gateacre. When Huskisson opened, it too was provided with a passenger service that was even less popular: it was withdrawn on 1 May 1885 and the station closed.[69] The line became known as the Liverpool Loop Line.[75]
Huskisson goods facility became a large complex of warehouses and sidings, including cranes, stablings, cattle pens for up to 2,000 cattle, cotton and grain stores, offices and a turntable. There was a timber yard in Victoria Road and a lairage for a further 1,200 cattle in Foster Street, to cope with the cattle traffic from Ireland; much of which was on its way to Stanley cattle market near Knotty Ash station.[69][76] A short (30 chains (600 m)) connection was made from Huskisson to Victoria Yard Goods (owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board) and Sandon and Canada Goods railway station (owned by the Midland Railway) in 1882.[77][78]
The junction with the L&YR was to the north of a further station, Aintree Racecourse which opened on 13 July 1880 (becoming Aintree on 1884).[79][80] This connection at Aintree provided an additional route onto the CLC for Midland Railway traffic, which had access from the north via Colne and Preston.[73]
The Midland Railway made a connection at Fazakerley to its Langton Dock Branch and goods station in 1885.[77]
Cheshire Lines Building, Birkenhead
The CLC established goods depots over the Mersey in Birkenhead; they opened Shore Road Goods depot on 1 July 1871 to the south of the docks and the East & West Float depot at Duke Street in November 1892 to the north. Neither depot was connected to CLC lines, but were accessed from Helsby over the Birkenhead Railway.[81]
The Mersey Railway completes a link from its former terminus at Liverpool James Street to a new station at Liverpool Central (low-level) on 11 January 1892. The railway did not connect to the CLC lines, but ran to an underground station accessed via steps from the upper station concourse.[82][83]
Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railwayedit
Map of the Cheshire Lines and neighbouring railways in 1899
Managementedit
CLC chief offices were originally at 45 Oldhall Street, Liverpool but were transferred in June 1865 to Alexandra Buildings, 19 James Street, Liverpool. They moved to Liverpool Central station when it opened in 1874.[86]
In 1863, the CLC management committee was made up of four representatives each from its founding companies, which were the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) and the Great Northern Railway (GNR).[note 1][17][18] The management committee (still at this time just MS&LR and GNR) became direct owners and operators of railways, by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865.[note 5] The Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865 allowed for the Midland Railway (MR) to become equal partners in the committee and they took up these powers in 1866; the Cheshire Lines Committee was now finally authorised as a fully independent organisation by the Cheshire Lines Act 1867.[note 7] Now that the CLC had three parent companies, the management was divided by three with each partner having three places.[87]
The committee first met at Manchester on 5 November 1863, where William English was appointed manager; his tenure lasted until 1882. He was succeeded on 1 October 1882 by David Meldrum, who unfortunately died in office in January 1904. In the interim, the committee was managed by Harry Blundell, the Engineer-in-Chief, and Robert Charlton, the Outdoor Superintendent. James Pinion took over in May 1904 and remained manager until 1910, although with reduced responsibilities in his last year before retirement. There followed another interim period, with Charlton and Blundell and the Indoor Assistant, William Oates, running the committee until a new manager, John Edward Charnley, was appointed in August 1911. He had the difficult job of managing the committee through World War I and the 1923 grouping where most railways were grouped into one of the Big Four.[88][89]
Charnley was the manager from 1911 to 1922 when he became secretary and manager for three years until he was succeeded, on his death, by his assistant, William Howard Oates in February 1925. Oates also died in office after only a year and was followed by Alfred Percy Ross, who combined the manager's role with that of Chief Engineer for a few years until July 1929. Sidney Burgoyne followed as manager in that December; he had come from the LNER and he returned there in 1932. The committee's last manager also came from the LNER; Gerald Leedham was designated Acting Manager from January 1933 until 1936, when he became Secretary and Manager until the committee was nationalised at the end of 1947.[e][91][89]
cheshire, lines, committee, formed, 1860s, became, second, largest, joint, railway, great, britain, committee, which, often, styled, cheshire, lines, railway, operated, miles, track, then, counties, lancashire, cheshire, railway, become, part, four, during, im. The Cheshire Lines Committee CLC was formed in the 1860s and became the second largest joint railway in Great Britain 2 The committee which was often styled the Cheshire Lines Railway operated 143 miles 230 km of track in the then counties of Lancashire and Cheshire 2 The railway did not become part of the Big Four during the implementation of the 1923 grouping surviving independently with its own management until the railways were nationalised at the beginning of 1948 3 The railway served Liverpool Manchester Stockport Warrington Widnes Northwich Winsford Knutsford Chester and Southport with connections to many other railways 3 Cheshire Lines Committee1926 map of CLCOverviewLocaleLancashire and CheshireDates of operation1863 1947PredecessorsStockport and Woodley Junction RailwayCheshire Midland RailwayStockport Timperley and Altrincham Junction RailwayWest Cheshire RailwayGarston and Liverpool RailwayThe Liverpool Central Station RailwaySuccessorBritish RailwaysTechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeLength143 25 miles 230 54 km 1925 1 Track length441 miles 1 chain 709 7 km 1925 1 Contents 1 Formation 2 Manchester to Liverpool 3 Extension to Chester 4 Improvements in Manchester 5 Midlands connection 6 Expansion on Merseyside 7 Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway 8 Management 9 Grouping 10 Stock 11 Legacy 12 References 12 1 Notes 12 2 Acts of Parliament 12 3 Citations 12 4 Bibliography 13 External linksFormation editThe Cheshire Lines Committee evolved in the late 1850s from the close working together of two railways the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway MS amp LR and the Great Northern Railway GNR this was in their desire to break the near monopoly on rail traffic held by the London and North Western Railway LNWR in the Southern Lancashire and Northern Cheshire areas 3 The CLC operated in an area which included the rapidly growing major cities of Manchester and Liverpool the developing Lancashire coal fields and the growth of the Mersey s seaborne trade 2 4 In 1857 the GNR and MS amp LR arranged to work closer together The MS amp LR had just come out of an unhappy alliance with the LNWR and the GNR was motivated by the opportunity to gain access to Manchester via the MS amp LR route from Retford 5 6 A joint MS amp LR GNR service between Manchester London Road and London Kings Cross was provided and the arrangements were formalised by Parliament in the Great Northern and Manchester Sheffield amp Lincolnshire Traffic Arrangements Act 1858 21 amp 22 Vict c cxiii note 1 7 Relations between the LNWR and MS amp LR companies were never strong but they deteriorated in 1859 when the MS amp LR supported several new railways in the Manchester area two of which the Cheshire Midland incorporated 14 June 1860 and the Stockport amp Woodley Junction incorporated 15 May 1860 were to form part of the initial CLC 7 8 In 1860 the MS amp LR was interested in three additional bills that would extend its influence towards Liverpool and Chester they were the Garston amp Liverpool incorporated 17 May 1861 the Stockport Timperley amp Altrincham Junction incorporated 17 May 1861 and the West Cheshire incorporated 11 July 1861 Unfortunately the MS amp LR was unable to fund the building of these railways by itself a 7 10 The shortage of funds led to a variety of negotiations including the potential of a merger with the GNR but eventually an agreement was reached on 11 June 1862 between the MS amp LR and the GNR 4 The arrangement was for the establishment of a joint committee to regulate and work traffic on four of the railways already authorised but not yet open The lines were Stockport and Woodley Junction Railway opened 12 January 1863 11 Cheshire Midland Railway opened in two stages in May 1862 and January 1863 b 13 Stockport Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway opened in December 1865 14 West Cheshire Railway opened on 1 September 1869 15 16 Great Northern Railway Cheshire Lines Act 1863Act of Parliament nbsp Parliament of the United KingdomCitation26 amp 27 Vict c cxlviiEach company was to provide an equal amount of capital and four representatives to the joint management committee This arrangement was confirmed by the Great Northern Railway Cheshire Lines Act 1863 26 amp 27 Vict c cxlvii this was the first official use of Cheshire Lines and at the time it was entirely appropriate as the majority of the lines involved were in Cheshire note 2 17 18 This act had not however formally set up a separate legal body providing instead for the two companies to manage and work the four railways through their existing structures 18 In 1861 the two partners MS amp LR amp GNR had been authorised by the Garston amp Liverpool Railway Act 1861 24 amp 25 Vict c xxxv to construct the Garston and Liverpool Railway which made an end on connection with the St Helens Canal and Railway Company at Garston Dock This line opened on 1 June 1864 and ran for 3 miles 73 chains 6 3 km to a terminus at Liverpool Brunswick This terminus station was only in use from 1864 to 1874 when it was superseded by Liverpool Central 19 but it did have an extended life as a goods station note 3 18 The act included a short 26 chains 520 m line to connect a goods station Wavertree Road later Wavertree and Edge Hill to the LNWR at Edge Hill and running powers from there to Garston 20 Included within this act were running powers between Garston Dock and Timperley Junction using the lines of the LNWR through Widnes Warrington and Lymm c and then the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway MSJ amp AR through to Manchester 23 The jointly administered lines at this time were known as The Liverpool Garston amp Cheshire Railways 17 Liverpool Brunswick station was inconveniently situated near the Southern docks a good distance from the city centre This necessitated the railway to transport passengers and their goods by omnibus into the city centre 24 To rectify this the partners applied to build an extension railway and this resulted in the building of a difficult line mainly in tunnels to a new Central Station with powers granted by the Liverpool Central Station Railway Act 1864 27 amp 28 Vict c ccxc note 4 The Midland Railway MR secured a route into Manchester city centre in 1862 and they began to look at options to secure traffic to the west of Manchester and particularly into Liverpool This led to their associating with the MS amp LR and GNR and their partnership working of the lines mentioned above 5 25 Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865Act of Parliament nbsp Parliament of the United KingdomCitation28 amp 29 Vict c cccxxviiThese lines were brought together under the direct joint ownership of the MS amp LR and GNR by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865 28 amp 29 Vict c cccxxvii They were note 5 17 18 Stockport and Woodley Junction Railway Cheshire Midland Railway Stockport Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway West Cheshire Railway Garston and Liverpool Railway and The Liverpool Central Station Railway The act additionally gave powers for the MR to join as an equal partner which it did in 1866 24 The MS amp LR s Godley and Woodley Branch Railway was transferred to the CLC by the Cheshire Lines Act 1866 29 amp 30 Vict c cccli note 6 26 This left a small section 27 chains 540 m of track between Apethorne Junction and Woodley Junction that still belonged to the Sheffield and Midland Joint Railway with the CLC having running powers 27 28 Cheshire Lines Act 1867Act of Parliament nbsp Parliament of the United KingdomLong titleAn Act for incorporating the Cheshire Lines Committee and for authorising that Committee to make a new Road and for other Purposes Citation30 amp 31 Vict c ccviiDatesRoyal assent15 August 1867Text of statute as originally enactedThe Cheshire Lines Committee was finally authorised by the Cheshire Lines Act 1867 30 amp 31 Vict c ccvii as a fully independent organisation with a board formed from three directors from each of the parent companies note 7 29 vteCheshire Lines Committee RailwayLegendcirca 1870 nbsp Manchester London Road nbsp nbsp Manchester LondonRoad goods nbsp nbsp nbsp Manchester Oxford Road nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Manchester London Road MSJ amp AR Old Trafford nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LNWR to Stockport nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp ArdwickMSJ amp AR to Timperley nbsp nbsp Guide Bridge nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Godley JunctionHyde nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp MS amp LRto Penistone amp SheffieldApethorne Junction nbsp nbsp nbsp Woodley nbsp MS amp LR amp MR Joint sectionwith CLC running powersMS amp LR amp MR Jointto Manchester London Road nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp MS amp LR amp MR Jointto Romiley amp Marple nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LNWRto Manchester London Road nbsp nbsp nbsp Stockport Portwood later goods nbsp nbsp nbsp Stockport Tiviot DaleLNWR to Guide Bridge nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wellington Road goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LNWRto StockportGeorges Road goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cheadle nbsp nbsp nbsp LNWRto Cheadle LNWR nbsp Northenden nbsp BaguleyMSJ amp AR to Old Trafford nbsp nbsp Timperley nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp AltrinchamBroadheath nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bowdon nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bowdon Peel Causeway nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp AshleyWavertree Road goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp MobberleyGarston Dock nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp KnutsfordCressington nbsp nbsp PlumbleyMersey Road nbsp nbsp Lostock GralamOtterspool nbsp nbsp nbsp Salt branchesSt Michaels nbsp nbsp nbsp Northwich goods probably original station Liverpool Brunswick nbsp nbsp Northwich nbsp nbsp nbsp LNWR to Sandbach nbsp nbsp Winnington goods branch nbsp Hartford and Greenbank nbsp nbsp LNWRto Liverpool to Crewe nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cuddington nbsp nbsp Delamere nbsp nbsp WhitegateMouldsworth nbsp nbsp Winsford and OverManley nbsp Helsby and Alvanley nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Birkenhead Railwayto Warrington to Chester nbsp nbsp nbsp Birkenhead Railwayto HootonNot all non CLC stations are shownKeyCLC nbsp Cheshire Lines CommitteeMS amp LR nbsp Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayLNWR nbsp London and North Western RailwayMSJ amp AR nbsp Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway nbsp MS amp LR amp MR Joint Railway nbsp LNWR amp MS amp LR Joint Railway nbsp Birkenhead Joint Railway GWR amp LNWR Manchester to Liverpool editIn 1864 Mr Edward Watkin the MS amp LR s chairman proposed a more direct railway from Manchester to connect with the Garston and Liverpool Railway this was mainly on the grounds that the existing arrangements for running powers on LNWR lines were inadequate 30 He had a point as the lines were being used by three companies and had several curves that needed careful and therefore slow negotiation there were 95 level crossings and 60 or more signals in each direction 26 This proposal was made in the name of the MS amp LR only but Mr Watkin solicited support from the other CLC partners as it was in their interest because of a competing potential alliance between the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway L amp YR and the Great Eastern Railway GER 23 This proposal led to the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Extension to Liverpool Act 1865 28 amp 29 Vict c ccclxxviii note 8 this act was subsequently amended by the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway New Lines Act 1866 29 amp 30 Vict c cxcii which altered the route slightly note 9 The result was two lines one from Cornbrook near Old Trafford in Manchester where a connection was made with the MSJ amp AR to a junction with CLC former Garston and Liverpool Railway line near Cressington the second from a junction with the first line at Glazebrook to a new junction Skelton junction with the CLC former Stockport Timperley amp Altrincham Junction Railway near Timperley d 23 The other alteration to the route promulgated under the 1866 act was as the result of Warrington residents agitating to have the railway come closer to the town centre The 1865 plan had Warrington station positioned to the north on the straight route halfway between Padgate and Sankey stations in a direct line this would have been about 1 000 yards 910 m further from the town A loop was constructed into the town and Warrington Central and goods yard was constructed on it The loop and station opened in 1873 the direct route otherwise known as the Warrington avoiding line was not opened until 1883 note 9 26 31 In 1897 an impressive two storey brick goods warehouse was built in the goods yard superseding an earlier smaller structure 32 nbsp Warrington Central Goods DepotA further MS amp LR act the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Liverpool Extension Act 1866 29 amp 30 Vict c cxci then formally transferred these lines into the CLC note 10 The direct line to Liverpool Brunswick was opened in 1873 and from then the CLC used this more direct route between Manchester London Road and Liverpool Brunswick 33 The route was further improved when Liverpool Central station opened on 1 March 1874 bringing trains into the city centre 19 The station was situated on Ranelagh Street on the edge of the city centre and was a much grander station of three stories with a large arched roof and six platform faces 34 35 At the same time as Central opened Brunswick closed to passenger traffic it became a goods station and a much larger warehouse was built around the original station building The building was so large about 300 by 500 feet 91 m 152 m it was long enough to write the owners names in full Great Northern Manchester Sheffield amp Lincolnshire and Midland Railways 19 36 nbsp Liverpool Central StationIn 1879 a connection was made from the direct line to the expanding town of Widnes the Widnes loop line ran from a junction between Sankey and Farnworth to the south through Widnes Central and back to join the direct line at Hough Green The line was jointly owned by the MS amp LR and the MR the CLC ran a passenger service on the line 37 38 The loop line closed in 1964 39 40 The building of the Manchester Ship Canal resulted in two diversions of the line in order to cross the canal at a high level on fixed bridges The first was at Irlam where a diversion was constructed to the south of the original line and a new station was constructed both the old route and the diversion were operational from 9 January 1893 to 27 March 1893 when the original route closed 41 42 The second diversion was between Glazebrook and West Timperley where both intermediate stations Cadishead and Partington were rebuilt on raised lines either side of the ship canal Both routes were operational from 27 February 1893 to 29 May 1893 when the original route closed 41 43 Extension to Chester editThe Chester and West Cheshire Junction Railway Company had been incorporated in 1865 to construct railways from Mouldsworth to Mickle Trafford and onto Chester Northgate with a junction at Mickle Trafford connecting to the Birkenhead Railway note 11 44 This was a natural extension of the CLC network and indeed authorised albeit by a different company what the West Cheshire Railway had applied and failed to do in 1861 It brought access to the county town of Chester an important tourist centre and gateway to North Wales to the expanding network 45 The Chester and West Cheshire Junction Railway Company was transferred into the CLC on 10 August 1866 note 6 26 46 Construction work did not start straight away being delayed by contractual negotiations until 1871 The route was 7 miles 43 chains 12 1 km of double track with 23 bridges There were intermediate stations at Tarvin amp Barrow and Mickle Trafford 47 The railways but not the junction with the Birkenhead Railway opened for goods traffic on 2 November 1874 and for passengers on 1 May 1875 46 The junction at Mickle Trafford was made in 1875 to enable traffic between the CLC and Chester General but it was not used due to a dispute 48 The CLC ran five trains in each direction daily between Manchester Oxford Road which was a MSJ amp AR station and Chester Northgate 49 Improvements in Manchester editThe direct route to Liverpool and into Liverpool Central station from 1874 allowed an increased density of service with sixteen trains in each direction These trains left Manchester London Road using the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway MSJ amp AR as far as Cornbrook then crossing onto the CLC direct line 50 It was recognised early on that the additional services were going to cause congestion at the Manchester end of the line at this time London Road station had been expanded and effectively divided into several stations The main station was split in half one half for the LNWR and the other for the MS amp LR which it shared with the Midland Railway 51 52 The third section of the station was the MSJ amp AR platform area adjacent to the main station these platforms were used as the terminus for passenger services but the lines also provided a through connection for freight from Lancashire to Yorkshire 53 Initially the CLC obtained powers in the Cheshire Lines Act 1872 35 amp 36 Vict c lvii to build a new line 1 mile 20 chains 2 0 km long from Cornbrook into Manchester with all proper stations approaches works and conveniences connected therewith terminating on the southern side of Windmill Street note 12 nbsp Manchester Central showing the goods station which was the former Free Trade Hall StationThis brought the CLC right into Manchester city centre and a temporary station Manchester Free Trade Hall station was opened on 9 July 1877 54 This station was a modest affair with two platforms and two intermediate tracks but it enabled the CLC to introduce an improved hourly express service to Liverpool taking 45 minutes which attracted passengers 50 55 Even before the temporary Free Trade Hall station opened the CLC had been authorised by the Cheshire Lines Act 1875 38 amp 39 Vict c xci to build a permanent stationq this station Manchester Central which was opened on 1 July 1880 was immediately adjacent to Free Trade Hall station with its frontage on Windmill Street note 13 This station had two storeys goods below and passengers above it had eight platforms later increased to nine six of which were covered by an impressive 210 feet 64 m single span roof the other two were protected by an awning on the side of the shed 56 Most of the station facilities including the booking office and waiting rooms were of wooden construction being intended for temporary use but they lasted until the station s eventual closure in 1969 57 58 54 When Central opened in 1880 the Free Trade Hall station closed to passengers and was converted to a goods station it had another warehouse added in 1882 59 60 nbsp Manchester Central StationThe Great Northern Railway GNR opened a goods warehouse adjacent to the former Free Trade Hall station between it and Deansgate the warehouse and its connecting line opened in 1898 61 The GNR worked goods trains into it from Colwick using running powers over the Midland from Codnor Park Junction 62 Midlands connection editThe Manchester South District Railway MSDR was originally promoted by a group of local landowners supported by the Midland Railway MR to provide a local railway between Manchester and Alderley 63 It was incorporated by the Manchester South District Railway Act 1873 36 amp 37 Vict c ccxxii but nothing done by 1875 when the MR proposed that the section north of Stockport should become part of the CLC thereby providing MR with access to Central note 14 64 65 At about the same time in 1875 the construction of Manchester Free Trade Hall station was taking place the authorisation for the permanent Manchester Central station had been obtained and the MS amp LR gave notice to the Midland to quit using Manchester London Road station within three years because of the congestion as the Midland was a partner in the CLC it was natural for them to try to gain access to the new Central 66 In 1876 with nothing much happening on the MSDR and the Midland Railway becoming increasing anxious to find station facilities in Manchester the Midland proposed that the MSDR became a joint railway to be known as the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies Committee MS amp LR amp MR note 15 67 A condition of the joint railway was equal funding of the capital to build the line the MS amp LR was not forthcoming with their share and the Midland then petitioned for the undertaking to be transferred to its sole ownership which was accepted note 16 67 The Act also provided powers for the GNR to share in the enterprise in which case the line would have transferred to the CLC this option was not exercised so it remained a Midland Railway line 67 The line from Heaton Mersey Junction to Throstle Nest Junction later Throstle Nest East Junction on the CLC near Cornbrook opened on 1 January 1880 The Midland set up local services from Free Trade Hall to Stockport Tiviot Dale of 14 passenger trains each way plus a daily goods train from Wellington Road goods there were intermediate stations at Chorlton cum Hardy Withington Didsbury and Heaton Mersey 67 On 1 August 1880 MR switched its services from London Road to Manchester Central 64 When the MR was established at Central they had 26 departures the 14 South District local trains and 12 trains for Derby Nottingham Leicester and London 67 In 1891 the section from Throstle Nest Junction to Chorlton Junction the junction with the MS amp LR line to Fairfield on the London Road to Guide Bridge route was transferred to the CLC note 17 Expansion on Merseyside editCompletion of the direct Manchester to Liverpool line and the connections to it from Timperley and on to the Midland Railway provided the partners with access to Liverpool without going through Manchester The only connection the CLC had with the dock complex on the Mersey was at Brunswick at the very southern end of the docks Despite improvements made during the 1870s and 1880s and connections with adjacent docks from 1884 the CLC was not able to compete with other railways in the area for the large freight market Both the LNWR and the L amp YR had better connections to the docks both in terms of quantity and the quality of which docks they connected to 68 69 To improve this situation the CLC acquired 23 acres 9 3 ha of land at Huskisson in north Liverpool To access this site several lines were authorised by the Cheshire Lines Act 1874 37 amp 38 Vict c clxix These lines known locally as the North Liverpool Extension Line were note 18 68 70 Halewood to Aintree facilitated by a north bound triangular junction from the Liverpool Extension Railway between Halewood and Hunts Cross stations to a junction with the East Lancashire section of the L amp YR at Aintree The inside of these junctions provided space for an extensive array of goods sidings 71 Fazakerley to Walton on the Hill and Huskisson facilitated by a westbound triangular junction from the Halewood to Aintree line above The inside of these junctions also provided space for another extensive array of goods sidings 72 The lines were opened to Aintree Junction and Walton on the Hill on 1 December 1879 with stations at Gateacre for Woolton Childwall Old Swan and Knotty Ash West Derby and Walton on the Hill 73 74 The section to Huskisson and Huskisson station for both passenger and goods trains opened on 1 June 1880 73 A passenger service was provided from Liverpool Central to Walton on the Hill but it proved unpopular and thereafter most services terminated at Gateacre When Huskisson opened it too was provided with a passenger service that was even less popular it was withdrawn on 1 May 1885 and the station closed 69 The line became known as the Liverpool Loop Line 75 Huskisson goods facility became a large complex of warehouses and sidings including cranes stablings cattle pens for up to 2 000 cattle cotton and grain stores offices and a turntable There was a timber yard in Victoria Road and a lairage for a further 1 200 cattle in Foster Street to cope with the cattle traffic from Ireland much of which was on its way to Stanley cattle market near Knotty Ash station 69 76 A short 30 chains 600 m connection was made from Huskisson to Victoria Yard Goods owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and Sandon and Canada Goods railway station owned by the Midland Railway in 1882 77 78 The junction with the L amp YR was to the north of a further station Aintree Racecourse which opened on 13 July 1880 becoming Aintree on 1884 79 80 This connection at Aintree provided an additional route onto the CLC for Midland Railway traffic which had access from the north via Colne and Preston 73 The Midland Railway made a connection at Fazakerley to its Langton Dock Branch and goods station in 1885 77 nbsp Cheshire Lines Building BirkenheadThe CLC established goods depots over the Mersey in Birkenhead they opened Shore Road Goods depot on 1 July 1871 to the south of the docks and the East amp West Float depot at Duke Street in November 1892 to the north Neither depot was connected to CLC lines but were accessed from Helsby over the Birkenhead Railway 81 The Mersey Railway completes a link from its former terminus at Liverpool James Street to a new station at Liverpool Central low level on 11 January 1892 The railway did not connect to the CLC lines but ran to an underground station accessed via steps from the upper station concourse 82 83 Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway editMain article Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway An extension was connected to the North Liverpool Extension Line at Aintree in 1884 this line ran 14 miles 3 chains 22 6 km to Southport Lord Street The line was independent but was operated by the CLC 84 85 nbsp Map of the Cheshire Lines and neighbouring railways in 1899Management editCLC chief offices were originally at 45 Oldhall Street Liverpool but were transferred in June 1865 to Alexandra Buildings 19 James Street Liverpool They moved to Liverpool Central station when it opened in 1874 86 In 1863 the CLC management committee was made up of four representatives each from its founding companies which were the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway MS amp LR and the Great Northern Railway GNR note 1 17 18 The management committee still at this time just MS amp LR and GNR became direct owners and operators of railways by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865 note 5 The Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865 allowed for the Midland Railway MR to become equal partners in the committee and they took up these powers in 1866 the Cheshire Lines Committee was now finally authorised as a fully independent organisation by the Cheshire Lines Act 1867 note 7 Now that the CLC had three parent companies the management was divided by three with each partner having three places 87 The committee first met at Manchester on 5 November 1863 where William English was appointed manager his tenure lasted until 1882 He was succeeded on 1 October 1882 by David Meldrum who unfortunately died in office in January 1904 In the interim the committee was managed by Harry Blundell the Engineer in Chief and Robert Charlton the Outdoor Superintendent James Pinion took over in May 1904 and remained manager until 1910 although with reduced responsibilities in his last year before retirement There followed another interim period with Charlton and Blundell and the Indoor Assistant William Oates running the committee until a new manager John Edward Charnley was appointed in August 1911 He had the difficult job of managing the committee through World War I and the 1923 grouping where most railways were grouped into one of the Big Four 88 89 Charnley was the manager from 1911 to 1922 when he became secretary and manager for three years until he was succeeded on his death by his assistant William Howard Oates in February 1925 Oates also died in office after only a year and was followed by Alfred Percy Ross who combined the manager s role with that of Chief Engineer for a few years until July 1929 Sidney Burgoyne followed as manager in that December he had come from the LNER and he returned there in 1932 The committee s last manager also came from the LNER Gerald Leedham was designated Acting Manager from January 1933 until 1936 when he became Secretary and Manager until the committee was nationalised at the end of 1947 e 91 89 vteCheshire Lines Committee RailwayLegendat Nationalisation 1948 nbsp nbsp nbsp LNER to Penistone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Godley Junction nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LNERto Manchester nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp WoodleyManchester Central nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS amp LNER jointto MacclesfieldManchester Central goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Deansgate goods LNER nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS amp LNER jointto ManchesterLMS to Manchester nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Portwood goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Tiviot DaleLMS to Liverpool nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to ManchesterCLC Cornbrook nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wellington Road goodsconnections to LMS amp LNERjoint Manchester to Altrincham nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to StockportCornbrook goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Chorlton cum Hardy nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS New Mills andHeaton Mersey LineManchester United FC nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to Manchester nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp CheadleTrafford Park sidings nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to CreweTrafford Parkand Stretford nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to Stockport amp BuxtonUrmston nbsp nbsp NorthendenChassen Road nbsp nbsp BaguleyFlixton nbsp nbsp nbsp Irlam nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS amp LNER jointto Manchester nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Altrincham and Bowdon nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp HaleLMS to Warrington amp Liverpool nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp AshleyWest Timperley nbsp nbsp nbsp MobberleyPartington nbsp nbsp nbsp KnutsfordCadishead nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Plumley nbsp nbsp nbsp Lostock GralamGlazebrook nbsp nbsp nbsp Salt branchesLNER to St Helens nbsp nbsp nbsp NorthwichRisley nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to SandbachPadgate nbsp nbsp nbsp Winnington andAnderton goods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Hartford and GreenbankWarrington Central nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMSto Liverpool to CreweLMSto Wigan to Warrington nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cuddington nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Sankey for Penketh nbsp nbsp nbsp WhitegateWidnes loop LNER amp LMS joint operated by CLC nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Winsford and OverTanhouse Lane nbsp nbsp nbsp DelamereWidnes goods nbsp nbsp nbsp MouldsworthLMS to St Helens nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Appleton nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Manley goodsLMS to Widnes South nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Helsby and AlvanleyFarnworth nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Barrow for TarvinWidnes Central nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Mickle TraffordWidnes Docks nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Birkenhead joint to Warringtonend of Widnes loop nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Birkenhead jointto Birkenhead to ChesterHough Green nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to BirkenheadHalewood nbsp nbsp nbsp ChesterNorthgate Northgategoods nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Hunts CrossGateacre for Woolton nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to RuncornChildwall nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to Edge HillLMS to Manchester nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp LMS to RuncornLMS to Liverpool nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Garston Garston goodsKnotty Ash amp Stanley nbsp nbsp West Derby nbsp nbsp Cressington amp GrassendaleClubmoor nbsp nbsp Mersey Road and AigburthHuskisson goods nbsp nbsp nbsp OtterspoolWalton on the Hill nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp St Michaels td, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
