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Hindley

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Hindley - just west of railway station Sunday 13th October 1963
Hindley - just west of railway station Sunday 13th October 1963
Photo: Chris Heaven
Views: 2,974
Item #: 30630
Two photos taken independently moments apart on Sunday 13th October 1963 just west of Hindley railway station. I found these among an auction lot of railwayana and I am grateful to Tom Sutch for identifying the location. The train is approaching Hindley off the Pemberton loop. It is the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) "East Midlander" No6 railtour. One photo is taken from the train and the other from the footbridge (which still exists I think) visible in the lower picture. The platform at Hindley station can be seen through the bridge arch in the distance in the lower image. The railwayman standing by the train in that picture can just be made out next to the last carriage and below the fantastic signal gantry in the upper image. The locomotive was ex LMS Crab 42869. The train, which set off from Nottingham, had come from Crewe via Warrington, Earlestown & St Helens and Rainford Junctions. It went on to Horwich (old) station & Works via Crows Nest Junction. It had to back into Horwich station.

Comment by: Jarvo on 6th July 2018 at 23:12

Surely the connection from St Helens to Rainford would have been long closed and lifted by 1963? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Comment by: Jarvo on 6th July 2018 at 23:19

Just found this:

In 1951 BR[LMR] proposed the withdrawal of the St Helens and Rainford Junction service and the last trains ran on Saturday 14 June 1951. After that date the St Helens platform at Rainford Junction went out of use. Goods trains, always more numerous than passenger services, continued to pass through as did some passenger diversions and excursion services. Even in 1964 the St Helens line had two daily pick-up goods services calling at Old Mill Lane sidings with one continuing on to Rainford Junction, and there were five through freight trains running to/from the north-east.

Comment by: Chris Heaven on 7th July 2018 at 00:15

See Six Bells Railtours website for all the details of the train's route and itinerary.

Comment by: Jarvo on 7th July 2018 at 07:17

Thank you, Chris. Great photographs of my favourite stretch of railway track, coming off the Pemberton Loop.

Comment by: baker on 8th July 2018 at 20:18

the st helens to skelmersdale and ormskirk line closed in 1965 lifted 1965/6

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 8th July 2018 at 21:32

Brilliant brings back great memories.

Comment by: Philbee on 9th July 2018 at 17:09

From the top picture it looks as is coming off the whelley loop,the Pemberton loop was about half a mile down the left side of the photo

Comment by: baker on 13th July 2018 at 18:41

rear coach is positioned west of the whelley loop junction,somewhere in these pages is a pic of a war dept 2_8_0 with a coal empties for yorkshire using the same stretch of line coming off the pemberton loop line

Comment by: Garry on 14th July 2018 at 20:00

Wrong Baker, the Pemberton line is under the 3rd signal gantry, 3rd from the left.

Comment by: Garry on 14th July 2018 at 20:26

Should have said shown in the top photo.

Comment by: S Buckley on 15th August 2018 at 23:49

Are you sure it’s coming off the Pemberton loop? The branch above the carriages is to the Whelley loop line going to DeTrafford Junction and the line that the loco is over to the right of the track formation came from Wallgate station. Looks that way to me anyhow..

Comment by: S Buckley on 15th August 2018 at 23:52

Are you sure it’s coming off the Pemberton loop? The branch above the carriages is to the Whelley loop line going to DeTrafford Junction and the line that the loco is over to the right of the track formation came from Wallgate station. Looks that way to me anyhow..

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