Does anyone know the reason for the severe kink in the line at the west end of Patricroft station, and whether this is the reason why the speed-limit remains 75 right the way through from Astley to Ordsall Lane and why the 60 at Astley was never raised (remember the announcements of 75 all the way across Chat Moss and 90 for the rest of the line)? It looks as though this could be something to do with the way in which the Manchester end of the line was quadrupled in the 1880s, which someone with local expertise might know about.
From the OS maps (6" and 25") it is clear that Patricroft was originally straight. The quadrupling seems to have been on the south side between Barton Moss Jn and Eccles Jn, then on the north side to Cross Lane, and then back to the south side to Exchange, and this ties in with the opening-dates for the various sections. But this is not enough to explain why both pairs of lines seem to kink/have kinked at Patricroft, with both pairs of platforms at a slight angle to the direct line of route. Was there something already at Patricroft that prevented a straighter alignment from being chosen?
Whatever the reason, this seems to be yet another example of a widening of the line spoiling what had been a very good alignment. (How many of us, I wonder, remember Twyford on the GW main line in the 1960s with its vicious kink around the main-lines platforms and the resulting 75 speed-limit?)
From the OS maps (6" and 25") it is clear that Patricroft was originally straight. The quadrupling seems to have been on the south side between Barton Moss Jn and Eccles Jn, then on the north side to Cross Lane, and then back to the south side to Exchange, and this ties in with the opening-dates for the various sections. But this is not enough to explain why both pairs of lines seem to kink/have kinked at Patricroft, with both pairs of platforms at a slight angle to the direct line of route. Was there something already at Patricroft that prevented a straighter alignment from being chosen?
Whatever the reason, this seems to be yet another example of a widening of the line spoiling what had been a very good alignment. (How many of us, I wonder, remember Twyford on the GW main line in the 1960s with its vicious kink around the main-lines platforms and the resulting 75 speed-limit?)