Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 24th May, 2023)

Looks like they are widening the right hand side footpath.

New Pelican Crossing isn't it.

We need more traffic pelican lights, it's very difficult sometimes to cross roads at peak times. The Councils spent far too much time and money on cycle lanes that most cycalist don't use.

We were only the other day talking about this area and saying about when rail lines were still running along the road and under the bridge, someone suggested they were tram lines. There were Rylands sidings marked on maps on what was a large field before the college was built, and where the coal and goods trains went in and out of along here, but did a tram ever go along Walkden Ave and Buckley St to Beech Hill as does the bus, or did the tram go along Park Road and then up Gidlow Lane to Beech Hill?

They are making the road width narrow by making the footpath even wider. In other words, More traffic congestion either way.
What's going on!

"Where?

Not sure where this is?

This railway must have had four tracks at one time looking at the abutment that still stands, minus the bridge.

Malc I think it still has four tracks?

It will be a Puffin crossing Arthur, and if you haven't got a glue like the other day it's very similar to a Pelican crossing, but it's got sensors on top of the traffic lights, these sensors detect if cyclists are using the crossing, and if if they are and move ever so slowly, they will then able to hold up traffic at the red light for much longer.

Get a big Hump and break someone's sump, or exhaust.

According to maps it seems that Rylands sidings were situated further up at Gidlow, but the coal trains did use the tracks that came under the bridge to Ryland's Mill. Also it was only in 1923 that Walkden Avenue was extended to meet up with Buckley Street, so the tram lines wouldn't have ran along here.
Information from here:
https://www.wiganlocalhistory.org/articles/rylands-sidings
Thanks to Graham Taylor and Wigan Local History & Heritage Society

There is only two sets of tracks on the this section of the railway, up and down. Malc is right, the lines and the bridge were lifted in the 1960s. The overhead live wires for the trains Pantograph is testament to that proof.

The lines from Rylands sidings were still in use up until the very early 60s and connected with the West Coast main line behind what was then Beech Hill R.O.F. , now Milliken. Wigan Corporation's public transport system went over to being completely bus operated by 1931and the nearest last tram service to Beech Hill would have been the Martland Mill route crossing Gidlow Lane on Park Road. There was a very short lived experiment on this route using single decked trolley buses, which was abandoned in favour of conventional buses.

Rylands sSidings were at Whitley Fields and the line from there ran under the bridge into the Mill. This stretch of track was never 4 line. It was originally intended to be and the bridges were built to accommodate them (see also Park Road Bridge) The Whelley line obviated the need and joined at Standish Junction so it was 4 track from there to Preston. Two of the tracks were removed when the line was electrified in 1974

Two tracks from Northwest Station to Euxton then 4 tracks onwards to Preston

I started work at Euxton in 1965 and remember the railway lines which were discontinued inside. By all accounts by that time it was only recently that people came by coach to work there instead of by train.
The car park at the time when going home was full of coaches.. definitely during the war and right up to the early sixties people came by train from all over Wigan and beyond. I remember people from Whelley were already on the coach where I and others were picked up in Scholes. The next stop was Adlington after going up Wigan Lane. I would love to have gone by train to see all the stops along the way to Euxton.

Dave Johnson, never 4 tracks, there's only 1 Bridge not wide enough to take 4 lines. As Malc rightly says the Bridge that carried the other 2 tracks has been took down. So, only 2 lines over this Bridge. Its so logical.

Cant believe what I'm reading on that message board section of WW about a Wigan council trying to make our roads safer for families.
Do these people who make these comments not think of anything only themselves.
These lights will make it safer for teenagers coming out of college, and children coming from the deanery and families coming out of Mesnes park.
All you speeding motorists will just after get used to it, because soon the speed limits on all roads in built up areas will be 20mph.