Atherton Line

[Philip]

I remember using the Liverpool Exchange/Manchester Victoria/Leeds Central dmus after they were introduced in 1962. They were non-stop from Wigan Wallgate to Victoria in about 25 minutes via the fast lines, and the sweep down from Irlams-O'-Th'-Height over Brindle Heath flyover to Pendleton Broad St was quite exhilerating, and there was always a very loud rail roar approaching Pendleton B.S.

Ah right interesting. Was this where the line crosses the small viaduct (the noisy section)?

 

[Welshman]

Yes - as I remember it was between the Brindle Heath flyover and into the cutting towards Pendleton Broad St station.
The close proximity of the cutting wall caused the sound to be bounced back at the train and seem even louder.
It was such a noisy ride the memory has stayed with me all these years!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone any information if any colliery lines crossed either over or under the Atherton Line and if so, which were they?

 

[Springs Branch]

Dennis Sweeney's book A Lancashire Triangle - Part Two has a section on the industrial railways of the Manchester Collieries.

Although Sweeney's focus is on the history of the area's LNWR lines rather than the L&Y, p.351 of the book has a map clearly showing the relationship of the Atherton line to the Manchester Collieries' (later to become NCB's) extensive private railway system in the vicinity of Little Hulton and Walkden.

Colliery railways crossed the Atherton line in three places:-

1. Just west of Mort Lane at Little Hulton - the colliery line between the end of the ex-LNWR mineral branch from Little Hulton Junc. (on the Bolton - Roe Green line) and the Peel Hall and New Lester pits.
2. Just west of Walkden High Level station, alongside Newearth Road - the line between Mosley Common colliery and the Manchester Collieries / NCB central workshops & loco shed at Walkden.
3. East of Walkden High Level - the colliery line between Sandhole colliery and Linnyshaw Moss.

At locations 1 & 2, the colliery lines passed beneath the Atherton line. At no. 3 the mineral line passed above, close to where the M60 now passes over the Atherton line.

This 1961 One Inch OS map (available at the National Library of Scotland website) clearly shows nos. 2 and 3.

Explore georeferenced maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland

Peel Hall and New Lester collieries had closed by the time this map was surveyed in the late 1950s and the remaining rail connection towards Little Hulton was from the Atherton line itself. However the underbridge for the former line to the coal mines can still be seen and its course is marked as a track.

Further west, several other colliery branches joined the Atherton line e.g. from Eatock pits, near Dobbs Brow Junc. and from the Hewlett pits at Hart Common, joining near Crow Nest Junc. However none of these actually crossed above or below the main line.

Further west still, approaching Wigan and not technically on the Atherton line as such, the L&Y main line passed above the - ahem - Springs Branch.

 

[Momo and diggy]

Dennis Sweeney's book A Lancashire Triangle - Part Two has a section on the industrial railways of the Manchester Collieries.

Although Sweeney's focus is on the history of the area's LNWR lines rather than the L&Y, p.351 of the book has a map clearly showing the relationship of the Atherton line to the Manchester Collieries' (later to become NCB's) extensive private railway system in the vicinity of Little Hulton and Walkden.

Colliery railways crossed the Atherton line in three places:-

1. Just west of Mort Lane at Little Hulton - the colliery line between the end of the ex-LNWR mineral branch from Little Hulton Junc. (on the Bolton - Roe Green line) and the Peel Hall and New Lester pits.
2. Just west of Walkden High Level station, alongside Newearth Road - the line between Mosley Common colliery and the Manchester Collieries / NCB central workshops & loco shed at Walkden.
3. East of Walkden High Level - the colliery line between Sandhole colliery and Linnyshaw Moss.

At locations 1 & 2, the colliery lines passed beneath the Atherton line. At no. 3 the mineral line passed above, close to where the M60 now passes over the Atherton line.

This 1961 One Inch OS map (available at the National Library of Scotland website) clearly shows nos. 2 and 3.

Explore georeferenced maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland

Peel Hall and New Lester collieries had closed by the time this map was surveyed in the late 1950s and the remaining rail connection towards Little Hulton was from the Atherton line itself. However the underbridge for the former line to the coal mines can still be seen and its course is marked as a track.

Further west, several other colliery branches joined the Atherton line e.g. from Eatock pits, near Dobbs Brow Junc. and from the Hewlett pits at Hart Common, joining near Crow Nest Junc. However none of these actually crossed above or below the main line.

Further west still, approaching Wigan and not technically on the Atherton line as such, the L&Y main line passed above the - ahem - Springs Branch.

at location 1 the track bed can be walked from the sight of peel hall colliery to where the track went across mort lane via a level crossing passing under the Atherton line near peel hall sidings. The bridge was replaced about 10 to 15 years ago and is only double track in width.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The stations were connected by the very long platform 11 from Victoria you can still see some of the platform edges. Don't know why they can't use this to create another platform at victoria.

Looking at the line on the Salford side where the Irwell has been bridged, how would the recent development constructions impinge upon the required minimum area for a platform and would these same developments also preclude a station entrance in the same area?