Whelley railway station
Whelley railway station was in Whelley, Wigan (now in Greater Manchester, England) on the Whelley Loop section of the Lancashire Union Railway. The station was situated where the B5238 bridged the line.
Whelley | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Whelley, Wigan England |
| Coordinates | 53°33′17″N 2°36′49″W / 53.5547°N 2.6137°W |
| Grid reference | SD594066 |
| Platforms | 2[1] |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Lancashire Union Railway, "Whelley Loop" |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 January 1872 | Station opened |
| 1 March 1872 | Station closed to passengers[2] |
| c1970 | Station closed completely |
History edit
The two stations on the Whelley Loop - Whelley and Amberswood - are believed to be among the shortest lived passenger stations in the country, opening at the beginning of 1872 and closing in March of the same year. Their goods yards remained open until the Whelley loop closed in the 1970s.[3]
Services edit
The key purpose of the Whelley Loop was to enable trains to avoid Wigan. It is therefore surprising that passenger stations were even constructed on the loop. All lines to or through Wigan were radial, as the accompanying map shows. The loop was connected to every one of them, allowing trains arriving at Wigan from all points except Southport and Pemberton to leave Wigan to all points, without gridlocking the centre.
The dominant traffic was goods, especially coal, but passenger diversions used the line from time to time.
The loop came into its own in passenger terms with Summer seaside specials, notably to and from Blackpool. Pixton, for example, has a fine 1961 shot of a Summer Saturday Sheffield to Blackpool train at Lowton St Mary's. It would bear right at Hindley South onto the Whelley Loop and then join the WCML at Standish, bypassing Wigan altogether.[4][5]
There is a now school called Canon Sharples C.E Primary School next to the loop line.[6]
The station in the 21st Century edit
The station has been demolished. The trackbed is a public footpath.
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Line and station closed | London and North Western Railway Lancashire Union Railway | Amberswood (Hindley) Line and station closed | ||
| Standish Line and station closed | Hindley Line closed, station open |
References edit
- ^ Suggitt 2004, p. 64.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. xxx.
- ^ Whelley Station, Disused Stations, retrieved 7 January 2011
- ^ Pixton 1996, p. 119
- ^ Trains over unusual routes 1964 via psul
- ^ The school via its website
Sources edit
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Pixton, Bob (1996), The Archive Photographs Series Widnes and St Helens Railways, The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7524-0751-7
- Suggitt, Gordon (2004). Lost Railways of Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-85306-869-0.
External links edit
- The station site on a 1948 OS map via npe maps
- Line and mileages via Railwaycodes
- The station via Disused Stations UK