I don’t know the area well, but there is nothing in Liverpool & Manchester Railway Atlas (Brown, Crecy, 2021) to indicate that only one line was used. In the article Davenport Junction and ‘the Khyber Pass’ on the davenportstation.org.uk site, there is a mention of only one line being in use, but it suggests that this was only in the line’s very last years. January 1965 is given as the closure date in the Atlas.Pacifics were too big for the London Road turntable, so they were turned via the junctions south of Stockport, Cheadle Village Junction (Liverpool line) and Davenport Junction, (Buxton line). The line between those two junctions, known as "the Khyber" had two lines of rails, but only the southern one was signalled (bi-directionally); the northern one was of siding status, and had connections serving local industry, but I think if it was clear, through movements could be made along it.
Thank you for your reply. When the duchess’s were named I understood… they were named at the city and city of Salford was named at exchange station(as the end of the station was in Salford), I’m not sure where city of Manchester was named?I have never read a report or seen a picture of a streamlined "Duchess" at London Road.
I think Stanier pacifics only got there on running in turns after overhaul at Crewe Works, usually on locals from and to Crewe! As far as I have read, they were too big for the Stoke route, but Britannias were allowed that way. At some point in the last two years, I read a report of a Princess Royal being seen at Macclesfield, perhaps because (if that was the case) someone forgot that they should not have used that route.
Pacifics were too big for the London Road turntable, so they were turned via the junctions south of Stockport, Cheadle Village Junction (Liverpool line) and Davenport Junction, (Buxton line). The line between those two junctions, known as "the Khyber" had two lines of rails, but only the southern one was signalled (bi-directionally); the northern one was of siding status, and had connections serving local industry, but I think if it was clear, through movements could be made along it.
Someone did suggest that it would have been quicker to have turned big LMR engines by crossing them to the Eastern side and using the Gorton / Hyde Road / Fairfield triangle. That never happened because the bureaucracies of taking them into the Eastern Region (on the original 1948 boundaries) would have been too great.
I have never seen a report of a Stanier pacific at Manchester Exchange. Are the preserved ones allowed through Victoria now?
As City of Manchester entered traffic in 1943, it may have had a low-key naming service. They had other things to worry about at the time.Thank you for your reply. When the duchess’s were named I understood… they were named at the city and city of Salford was named at exchange station(as the end of the station was in Salford), I’m not sure where city of Manchester was named?
Duchess's in M/c Exchange.Thank you for your reply. When the duchess’s were named I understood… they were named at the city and city of Salford was named at exchange station(as the end of the station was in Salford), I’m not sure where city of Manchester was named?
Interestingly, all the above workings, except perhaps the last one, were after Class 8s were effectively off front-line duties, which, if I had to put a date on it, would have been end of Summer 62 TT around Sept 8.Duchess
Duchess's in M/c Exchange.
46257 City of Salford ran Leng from Springs brch to Newton Heath via Parkside passing thro M/c ex and Vic 9tht Sept 1964 the following day conveyed the Railway Queen to M/c Vic and left Leng for Springs brch via parkside (not allowed via tyldesley although diversion of west coast train with Duchess pacifics used this route).
46235 City of Birmingham Departed from M/c Ex with the 12.50 Wigan local via Tyldesley 1963,
46235 worked 03 23 m/c ex Lpool Newspaper train. mid1964
46240 worked into and out M/c Ex 14/5/64 08.10 Hhead-m/c Ex ret 16.30 M/c Ex LLandudno.
46229 worked into M/c Ex Dec 1963 Pcls train Wigan M/c ex via Tyldesley and returned Leng to Patricroft to turn and left Leng via Tyldesley to Springs brch .
46256 arrived into M/c ex 14/04/64 Leng to Patricroft for servicing.
46206 arrived on Patricroft shed having arrived at M/c vic c1962 and in the early hours of the following day worked 01.18 Chester newspaper train from M/c Ex.
O S Nock wrote in the June 1964 Railway Magazine that a month or two beforehand he had a Duchess from Crewe on a Glasgow train. It was a sudden Class 40 substitute, but the Duchess was fully prepared to take, as scheduled, the following Perth train onward, an even longer assignment than Glasgow. There was indeed some disbelief on here that they were working Class 1 trains so late, until the magazine article was looked up.Interestingly, all the above workings, except perhaps the last one, were after Class 8s were effectively off front-line duties, which, if I had to put a date on it, would have been end of Summer 62 TT around Sept 8.
Yes, I'm sure there were some on Class 1 trains well after that, but that was the date (or v soon afterwards) when, IIRC, all the Princess Royals were put into store and then withdrawn without seeing further use. And there were enough Cl 40s (and 44s) to handle most Class 1 diagrams.
O S Nock wrote in the June 1964 Railway Magazine that a month or two beforehand he had a Duchess from Crewe on a Glasgow train. It was a sudden Class 40 substitute, but the Duchess was fully prepared to take, as scheduled, the following Perth train onward, an even longer assignment than Glasgow. There was indeed some disbelief on here that they were working Class 1 trains so late, until the magazine article was looked up.