OK not exactly Wigan as such, but I suppose Earlestown isn't too far from Wigan.

But anyway, a few weeks ago I was waiting for a train back to Liverpool on the Liverpool-Manchester platform at Earlestown; by the way I haven't been to this station in a very long time probably since I was young, but what caught my attention was the station building which I didn't recognise the last time I visited the place. I recalled a home video I had taken in March 1991 as we were waiting for a train to York, on the opposite platform. The video shows the old works (Vickers I think) in the distance, yet this station building, which BTW looks period looking, is nowhere to be seen. I thought that was odd, so I looked up the station (admittedly via wikipedia) and it said this building was the oldest surviving station building in the world. So what happened to it in 1991?, was it relocated elsewhere for a time and then rebuilt back at Earlestown?, or was it a building that had once belong to a disused station and the building was salvaged and rebuilt at Earlestown?.

I also noticed the platform which this building stands on seems to be much wider now, and in 1990 there looked like there were additional lines behind it.

Is the works Vulcan?

Is the station still a triangle? That is what I remember, but is more than half a Century since I last saw it. I believe it is the first railway junction.

Probably the Viaduct railway wagon works. Vickers biscuit making machinery factory was nearby. Vulcan loco works was about 1 mile distant.

The works near the station would be Simon Vicars. The social club is still there, known locally as 'Vic's Club'.

My dad worked at Vickers which is why I thought the factory seen from the station would be Vickers. I think the junction was referred to as the triangle.

Anyone know about this mysterious disappearing/reappearing platform waiting shelter building I refer to?. As I said previously, this building certainly wasn't there on that platform in 1991, yet its there now and looks really old, or rather period looking. How long has it been there for, anyone know?. Maybe they knocked it down and rebuilt as it was in a derelict state, but it mustve been smaller as it wouldn't have fitted onto the much narrower/thinner platform at the time.

Someone's wrote on Wiki. - "The surviving Earlestown station buildings were constructed around 1835 on the original site"

Anyway, I've discovered a 'Wigan' link to Earlestown Station!

Across the road from Earlestown station stood the 'Curzon' theatre, which was the place where George Formby made his stage debut, at age 16 !