Altrincham Gas Works Railway

[rogerfarnworth]

This short railway ran along Moss Lane in Altrincham, my home town. I came across it on an IRS email group and wanted to find out more.

Altrincham Gas Works Tramway

An item about the Altrincham Gas Works Tramway appeared on the Industrial Railway Society (IRS) email discussion group to which I belong. [2] John Pitman on that discussion group provided a link to…

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Bit more here...

http://www.altrinchamheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Altrincham-Gas-Works-Railway-Bylines-Vol5-Iss-5-April-2000.pdf

P.S. Is this a Railway or a Tramway ?

 

[rogerfarnworth]

P.S. Is this a Railway or a Tramway ?

Interesting question it could be referred to as either, I think. It was steam powered after being horse drawn, it could be classed as an industrial railway, but rails were in the road over much of its length. It was not used for passengers, just for freight. .....

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Are any parts of the former gasworks tramway rails still in place in downtown Altrincham, or have they long since been lifted and/or tarmacked over?

 

[rogerfarnworth]

I could not see any last time I was there a few weeks back, but other may know better. I have seen comments elsewhere which suggest some of the rails my be imbedded in lower levels of the road construction but not visible at the surface.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Interesting article thanks.

As a former resident of Alty and a current regular visitor to Moss Lane I wasn’t aware of this.

I’m assuming the gas works are where BTH school is and where the Shearings coach station was.

I’m pretty sure there was a Gasometer further down behind Alty FC where the new estate is (Welman Way?)

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Moss Lane was their location to the East of the railway - the gasometer you remember was one of two on the site.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Moss Lane was their location to the East of the railway - the gasometer you remember was one of two on the site.

A fairly large gasworks then. Where the old red buildings on Moss lane part of it; the one which housed the Riley snooker club opposite Stamford Park?

Interesting to see the spur would have gone through the ice rink now

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Not sure about which building you mean, but yes a reasonably substantial site.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Interesting to see the spur would have gone through the ice rink now

Looks like the Gas Works branch curved off from Altrincham station opposite (and on the far side from) the station approach, where the clock tower (built 1880) still is.

Presumably that would have meant that the only access to the Chester bound platform 4 at Altrincham would have been via the overbridge.

Interesting that when the gas works company purchased a diesel shunter in 1946, it kept breaking down, and so the previously acquired steam engine was retained by the company until closure of the tramway in c. 1958.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Yes, I believe you are right about access to Platform 4

 

[Mcr Warrior]

One further article of interest here...

The Industrial Archaeology of the Altrincham Gas Works Tramway

Locomotive ‘Arthur E Potts’ outside the Depository at Altrincham Sattion in 1947. The Altrincham Gas Works tramway is one of those lost sights of the late 19th and 20th century – …

archaeologytea.wordpress.com

Discusses (inter alia) what might still be left of the old tramway.

 

[Revaulx]

I'm from Alty. The gasworks and tramway closed when I was a tiny baby. I first learned of the tramway's existence when I was about 12 (1969-70) and explored its route pretty thoroughly. There were some rails still visible alongside the old Pickfords depostitory on Oakfield Road, but that was pretty much all.

 

[Greybeard33]

According to Rail Map Online, the tramway left Moss Lane roughly along the alignment that is now Welman Way, and the Royal Mail Delivery Office is now on the former gasworks site.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Not sure about which building you mean, but yes a reasonably substantial site.

The building was where New Copper Moss (street) is now but judging by further comments it would seem it veered off up Urban Road (well what is Urban Rd now)