Listed Railway Bridge...

It's hidden by a new development and a grass bank, but from Little Lane you can see it.

It's the old Lacashire Union railway bridge that was part of the Blundell's Colliery complex. The line ran through Pemberton Junction, down the back of Mitchell Street, and over Union bridge near the old Plessy complex.

A part of Wigan's industrial heritage preserved forever.
Interesting, and worth a look.

I will try and get a pic soon...

is it still there then jarvo thought that had be demolished

Dave: Yes, and it's listed.

am i on the right one jarvo, you could get to it from little lane,if it is it holds the same kind of memories for me as triangle valve canteen doorway and so should be preserved for ever

Deffo...

I nearly broke me leg a couple of years ago taking a picture of that bridge, I tread into a 2 foot deep hole hidden by the grass

And it hurt

And then I deleted the photos by mistake

It was called Lady Lane, I'll see if I can root the map out.

Winder

This is from a 1955 map.

Thanks Gaffer, I've got a map that shows the line going under Little Lane, 1890s I think

1907 map of the railway.

I have cropped this picture of that bridge, from a picture I took from the top of a hill in Goose Green, although the bridge has been obscured by a fence, but you can still make out that it is a bridge

Yes, that's the same map that I've got Gaffer.
What used to be Appleton Farm on the old map is now Appleton Court where the new houses are.

Latics, I took some video footage of the old bridge just before they started to build the houses, somebody was using the underneath to store some smashed up cars!!
I'll put it on when I find it.

gaffer

I didnt know there was so many lines around Pem collieries

Sorry, don,t know how to shrink it..

Thats brilliant that custard

When I nearly broke me leg I was going up the left hand side of your photo and I took some photos from the top of the bridge, but I deleted them from my computer by mistake

Going back to the 1970's a way on to the 'Tips' where all the slag heaps were, from Little Lane was over that bridge and I walked, cycled and rode a moto crosser over those tips, between there and Lady Lane at Goose Green

jarvo Did Blundells railway go over Union Bridge which is no longer there but the District is still called Union Bridge.

Mr. Blundell, who owned all the land around there built a Sunday School for the children in Little Lane about a hundred years ago. It is now a Garage but you can pick it out because it has a pointed roof.

Kenny

This extract from the notes at the back of the map shows the scale of the railways at Blundells.

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It wasn't a Lancashire Union line, it was London Midland Scottish.

Gaffer I have to go up Victoria Street everyday to where I live so I am intrigued to know where the railway line was, can you help.

The line opened in 1869,the London Midland and Scottish was only formed in 1923.

ms, is victoria st in Newtown?
the reason I ask is because part of LU line can still be seen, it's in a shallow cutting at the top end of Alexandra park. It's near a pedestrian tunnel that goes under the Wigan to Pemberton line

Winder, I meant LNWR. We've gone over this before in the Union Bridge thread.

winder It is in Newtown. I honestly don't know where a railway line could have run down there. I go to Alexandra Park regularly but have never noticed this but I will have a good look tomorrow. Where abouts should I be looking.

mswigan

The line crossed Victoria Street at the point in between the car sales garage, which used to be John Plumptons Garage and the next houses up on Victoria Street, then it went across the road at an angle running in betweeen the back of the houses on Mitchell Street and what is now Jewsons, the line then followed the line of Mitchell Street behind the houses and crossed Ormskirk Road at the site of what is the car wash place now, which also used to be a John Plumptons Garage, this was where Union Bridge was located, the line went through what is now a row of shops which used to be the Plessey factory and then it went on to the quarries where Norley Hall is now and in Kitt Green.

The line linked with the Lancashire Union Line just East of Bryn the line crossing Warrington Road at the side of where Total Finess is now on the duel carriageway just a bit further up from Sainsburys.
The bridge over Warrington Road was called 'Marus Bridge' and that is where the name of that area comes from.

The name Union Bridge at Newtown probably comes from the fact that the line linked up with the Lancashire Union Line

apls By the eck. Where did you get all that from. Thank you.

mswigan

If you look at the side of Total Fitness, as you go up the duel carriageway, you can see the remains of a railway embankment

I've just done map from Google Birds Eye
Link

mswigan

I got some of me information from a big hard back book called 'Mainline Railways Around Wigan' by Bob Pixton and you can buy it for £6.99 from the Book Clearance Centre in The Galleries and it is well worth it

Mswigan

The line crossed Victoria Street at the Highfield end of Robin park and ran close to and parallel to Mitchell Street.
A smaller scale 1880's map is shown below the main map.Also below is a 1840's map showing the extent of mining in the area.

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gaffer thank you. I can't believe how many pits there were in this area. Do you know what that Foundry House was.

Mswigan

I don't know. If i had to guess i would say it was the works manager's house owned by Worsley Mesnes ironworks.This was located on the opposite side of Baldwin's farm.

I remember sitting on the steep enbankment close to triangle valve and watching and talking to the steam train drivers and stokers filling up at the water tower along that stretch of line,summer times as kids,memories.

APLS - look on gaffer's 1908 map and you'll see that the railway line you keep referring to as Lancashire Union is clearly marked L&NWR.
Lancashire Union railway went from Standish to Blackburn.

Union Bridge was there before the connection to the Lancashire union line.

did the same thing at the same place phil

It was jam butties and water bottle time but it was good,

Stokers, Phil?

Beware, pedants are abroad.

And I don't mean out of the country.

Adverb

abroad (comparative more abroad, superlative most abroad)

(dated) At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space
A tree spreads its branches abroad.

used to stand on the bridge as the steam engines went under, near choked with all the smoke never had any sense

brill, same as,did the same on ironbridge in Wigan,

i used to go to the raiway crossing at the brook and if the signal man was in a good mood, he'd let us into the signal box,happy days indeed

Dave and Phil: That was the old Winstanley Colliery crossing. Coal trains waited for the right of way before being given the road on to Pemberton Junction. They would then take the route via the Pemberton Loop that ran to Hindley North, thus avoiding Wigan Wallgate.

Happy memories down there: the Fireman would take us over the line because the crossing was blocked by the coal train.
Dangerous days; long before H&S...

there used to be a namer go through every day at 11'10am'used to sit on the fence'down the brook waiting for it ''mars'' it was called

I bet the regeneration dept are scratching their heads to find a reason to clear it, and make it more vibrant.

On another note, why are there two letter "B's" in the new/ish brickwork on the railway bridge in Little Lane?

Great map, Gaffer...

Dave: Mars was a Stanier Jubilee class that probably was on the Harrogate to Liverpool run...

spent many a day down there jarvo with my 10s/6d train numbers book

Ian Allan ABC Combined Volume...

I used to get mine from Simm's bookshop in Wigan.

that's the one jarvo used to send away for my books, can't think where from though

The L&Y line (Lancs & Yorks)

Still got my 10/6d book! Bought it in 1951!

wish i still had mine tony

Tony Kearns >David49. Just dug my book out. Its says on the cover that my book is part 3, and covers London-Midland- Region engine no's 40000-59999, cost 2shilling. Inside is an order form for other regions, which cost 10/6d by post. Going off these no's, they must have built a hellovalot of engines!!I'v not looked @ it for many years, and had forgotten how interesting a book it is.Got quite a few photos in it as well, but i'v still not mastered the art of xfering photos onto here yet!

tony who was the order form from,i sent away for my books but can't remember the name of the company

In the early 1970's I used to buy a 'combine' every year from Smiths

Steam section was at the back of the book

apls'like i as saying i sent away for mine, you had to tick a box at the side of the item you wanted,they had all kinds of railway books,its bloody annoying the life out of me now cos i can't remember who it was

Tony Kearns> Jarvo, The named engine, Mars you referred to, is in my book,. listed under Class '5XP' and '6P' "Jubilee" 4-6-0, and its no was:- 45698. Does anyone remember a shunting engine that was stored on what was the 'Summersales'colliery site on Highfield? It was there behind some railings up to about 10-15 years ago, but they have demolished the few industrial units that were there and built houses on the land.You could find it by following your nose, 'cos the stink from Brown's sausage skin works close by, was a unique experience, putting it mildly!!

don't remember the shunting engine tony,but i remember the sausage factory at summersale and the brook running yellow

TonyKearns>David 49. You'l have 2 excuse my slow responses, i'm strictly a one finger tapper, and not very good at it! The adress was:- Ian Allan Ltd. 282, Vauxhall Bridge Rd. London, SW1, and inside, there's an application form to join the Ian Allan Locospotters Club, of the same adress. Cost a shilling plus 6d for your badge.

thats the one tony, i'll sleep tonigh now, forgot all about the badge,you've brought back some good memories there tony

there was a listed bridge over manchester rd but it was demolished before it listed too far

It was Ian Allen Ltd

I used to get a magazine every month called 'Modern Railways' and that was a Ian Allen publication too

Tonykearns > pls, When did that publication come out? In my Ian Allan spotters Book of '51,there's an advert for a monthly magazine called 'Trains Illustrated',from the same publisher, and cost 1/6d. Can't find any reference to 'Modern Railways',Any idea when this one was published? Or did they possibly re-title 'Trains Illustrated'?

same mag changed its name in the early 60s

Thanks for the info, mache. much appreciated.

modern railways

Gaffer on one of your maps there is a Bridgewater School in I think Highfield. I don't remember this.

It's not Highfield ms it's off Ormskirk Rd going up to Pem.
This is the Google Map

Winder

That must have been the name of the school before St Marks.

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