. . .Wasn't the signalling only recently modernised between Wigan Wallgate and Lostock Junction or is it the original TCB signalling between Wigan Wallgate and Crow Nest Junction that needs replacing?
. . .The last time I used that line on a regular basis was in 1987/1988 when AB with semaphore signals was used between Crow Nest Junction and Walkden, (and if I remember correctly) Lostock Junction to Crow Nest Junction via Westhoughton was a long unsignalled section with the block limits being Crow Nest Junction and Lostock Junction – am I correct?
Pretty much, although the bit between Crow Nest Jct & Lostock Jct was not unsignalled as such but AB (Absolute Block), but I know what you mean.
The distances between Crow Nest Junction & Lostock Junction boxes was 3miles 1113 yds.
There was also an intermediate ground frame at Westhoughton to operate a siding off the down line to serve the Metal Box factory as well as trailing crossover between the down & up lines.. (released by Lostock Junction) lever 71 crossover release, lever 72 down siding release
On the up main going from Wigan/Hindley/Crow Nest Jct towards Lostock Jct the signals circa 1987/88 were as follows..
WN 36 (Warrington's three aspect automatic colour light signal)
WN 38 (Warrington's three aspect automatic colour light signal, also acting as up main distant for Crow Nest) (CNR24) 1586 yds to home
CN24 (Crow Nest's up main three aspect colour light home signal).. also has a position four "feather" route indicator for route to up "Atherton" branch
CN23 (Crow Nest's up main two aspect colour light starting/section signal)..
LJ 86 (Lostock Junction Up "Wigan Line" two aspect colour light distant signal) 1495 yds to home signal LJ85/76
LJ 85/76 (Lostock Junction up "Wigan Line" three aspect colour light home signals (76 was position 3 route indicator "feather" for going onto the up slow line at Lostock).. LJ85 read on to the up fast at Lostock Junction
On the down main travelling from Lostock Jct to Crow Nest Jct/Hindley/Wigan, the signals circa 1987/88 were as follows..
LJ12 (Lostock Junction's two aspect colour light starting/section signal)
CNR5 (Crow Nest's two aspect auto distant colour light signal, with emergency replacement switch in Crow Nest) 1962 yds to CN5 signal
CN5 (Crow Nest's three aspect colour light home signal)
CN8 (Crow Nest's four aspect colour light section signal) also acting as down outer distant for Wigan Wallgate
WN37 (Warrington's three aspect automatic colour light signal) also acting as down inner distant for Wigan Wallgate
WN35 (Warrington's four aspect controlled colour light signal, protecting Wigan NW Station Jct, also slotted with Wigan Wallgate & acting as down outer home for Wigan Wallgate box (slot/switch number WW100).
The "Atherton" line from Walkden to Crow nest was AB (Absolute Block) & the distances between Walkden & Crow Nest Jct signal boxes was 7miles 645 yds... when Atherton was switched in the distance between Crow Nest & Atherton was 3miles 1035 yds.
In 1987/88 the signal sequence on the down "Atherton" branch was as follows.
WN19 (Walkden's two aspect colour light distant signal) 1620 yds to home
WN20 (Walkden's three aspect colour light down home signal)
WN19 (Walkden's semaphore down starting/section signal)
AN6 (Atherton's semaphore down distant signal) 1143 yds to home
AN7 (Atherton's semaphore down home & section signal)
CNR7 (two aspect down branch colour light distant signal for Crow Nest Jct with emergency replacement switch in Crow Nest) 1500 yds to CN7 signal
CN7 (three aspect down branch colour light home signal for Crow Nest Junction)
On the up "Atherton" the signals were as follows..
CN20 (Crow Nest's two aspect colour light starting/section signal)
AN35 (Atherton's two aspect colour light distant signal) 1530 yds to signal AN34
AN34 (Atherton's semaphore up home signal)
AN33 (Atherton's semaphore up starting/section signal)
WN6 (Walkden's semaphore up distant signal) 1229yds to signal WN7
WN7 (Walkden's semaphore up home signal)
WN8 (Walkden's semaphore up section/starting signal)
When Walkden, Atherton & Crow Nest boxes were abolished on the 28th July 2013 the Atherton line between Crow Nest Junction & Walkden was fully resignalled to TCB regulations using axle counters for train detection, the much older area formerly controlled by Crow Nest was merely assimilated & kind of bolted on to the new resignalled area, Crow Nest's signals were exactly the same ones & were never changed in the 2013 resignalling scheme, they were merely renumbered & the suffix changed from CN (Crow Nest) to MP (Manchester Piccadilly).
The area formerly controlled by Crow Nest Junction, Atherton, Walkden I understand went onto a small separate workstation totally independent of the NX panel in Piccadilly with the workstation being known as "Crow Nest Workstation".
If the area between Lostock Junction/Crow Nest Junction/Wigan is getting resignalled I can only kind of speculate & guess that it may be because of it's age (the mechanical box that was at Crow Nest Jct was commissioned along with it's signalling on Sunday 1st October 1972, this 1972 signalling is still in use between Crow Nest & Wigan, it is some 52 years old or thereabouts & may need renewal in some shape or form to make it AC "immune", I don't know as I'm not an S&T engineer but I'm guessing that due to the age of the system some renewal & upgrade work will need to be carried out.
Come to think of it (MP809) the four aspect automatic signal on the down & at the end of the down platform at Hindley will probably have to be renewed as due to it's location I reckon that there will not be sufficient clearance for the OLE to pass beneath it.
Some of the 1972 era signals were looking a bit tired & rusty.
Incidentally most of the signalling between Euxton Junction/Lostock Junction/Bolton/Windsor Bridge/Ordsall Lane were renewed & in effect partially resignalled in connection with the Euxton Junction-Ordsall Lane electrification that took place a few years back despite them being much newer, with the signals in the Lostock-Bolton-Agecroft areas dating back to the mid 1980s/early 1990s..
Indeed I can still remember those 1980s signals in the Bolton area being brand new & being put in & commissioned.
