12th June 2010

Branch Line Society
The Wrexham & Lancashire

Locos Used 40145 'East Lancashire Railway' & 67018 'Keith Heller'
Stock Used 5987+5961+6054+6067+5952+1212+3345+9507+17105

Route :
1Z39 : Crewe to Weaste
1Z40 : Weaste to Castleton North Jn
1J41 : Hopwood GF to Rawtenstall
1J42 : Rawtenstall to Hopwood GF
1Z41 : Castleton North Jn to Crewe

Loco(s) Route
40145 (1) Crewe - Crewe South Jn - (via connection to Salop Goods Loop Jn) - Sorting Sidings North - (via Up Through Sidings) - Basford Hall Jn - Norton Bridge - Stafford - Bushbury Jn - Stafford Road Jn - Oxley - Telford Central - Shrewsbury (3) - Chirk - Wrexham Exchange Jn - Penyffordd - Dee Marsh Birkenhead Reception Sidings (4)
67018 (2) Dee Marsh Birkenhead Reception Sidings - Dee Marsh North Jn - Hope - Wrexham General - Croes Newydd North Fork UGL
40145 (1) Croes Newydd North Fork UGL - Wrexham General - Saltney Jn - (via Roodee Slow Line & Chester D&UGL) - Helsby - Acton Grange Jn - (via Down Main) - Warrington Bank Quay (5) - Winwick Jn - Parkside - Eccles Up Goods Loop - Weaste Branch NR Limit
67018 (2) Weaste Branch NR Limit - Eccles Up Goods Loop
40145 (1) Eccles Up Goods Loop - Manchester Victoria - Thorpes Bridge Jn - Castleton Down Goods Loop - Castleton East Jn
67018 (2) Castleton East Jn - Hopwood GF - Heywood - Bury Bolton Street
40145 (1) Bury Bolton Street - Buckley Wells ELR Limit
67018 (2) Buckley Wells ELR Limit - Bury Bolton Street - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall
40145 (1) Rawtenstall - Ramsbottom - Bury Bolton Street - Heywood - Hopwood GF - Castleton South Jn - Thorpes Bridge Jn - Brewery Jn - Philips Park West Jn - Ashton Moss North Jn - Denton Jn - Stockport - Cheadle Hulme - Wilmslow - Sandbach - Crewe

Notes :
(1) 67018 on rear.
(2) 40145 on rear.
(3) The original specification was for the train to use the non-platformed 'Down Main' at Shrewsbury, but platforms were required for a crew change.
(4) Booked to reverse at Birkenhead Sidings into Dee Marsh Sidings, but not enough point clips were available to secure the entire route.
(5) Booked the use the non-platformed 'Down Slow' at Warrington Bank Quay, but platforms were required for a crew set-down.


67018 climbs past Higher Shotton (photo: John Cowlishaw)

Sources : LASERman & Alan Sheppard (both on the train throughout) & Scott Spencer

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from LASERman, Alan Sheppard & Scott Spencer)

Location Booked Actual
Crewe 07.55d [P12] 08.07½
Crewe South Yard 07/58 08/10
Sorting Sidings North SB 08/00 [UTS] 08/12
Basford Hall SSM 08.03 ~ 08.04 [UTS] 08.15 ~ 08.15½
Basford Hall Jn 08/08 [SL] 08/19½
Madeley 08/18 [SL] 08/28½
Norton Bridge 08/28 [SL] 08/39
Stafford 08.35a ~ 08.37d [P4] [SL] 08.50 ~ 08.51
Stafford Trent Valley Jn 08/38 08/52
Bushbury Jn 08/52½ 09/07
Wolverhampton Stafford Road Jn 09/00 09/12
Oxley SB 09/02 09/12½
Cosford 09/09 09/20½
Madeley Jn 09/15 09/25½
Telford Central 09.17a ~ 09.19d 09.28½ ~ 09.30
Wellington 09/25 09/35 [DM]
Shrewsbury 09.37 ~ 09.41 [P3] 09.47½ ~ 09.49
Gobowen 10/02½ 10/09
Wrexham General 10.16 ~ 10.16½ [P3] 10.23½ ~ 10.24½
Penyffordd 10/30 10.38½ ~ 10.40
Dee Marsh Jn 10/41 10/55
Dee Marsh North Jn ? 10.56 ~ 10.57
Dee Marsh Reception Sidings 10.47 ~ ??.?? 11.00 ~
Dee Marsh Sidings ??.?? ~ ??.?? DIV
Dee Marsh Reception Sidings ??.?? ~ 11.20 ~ 11.07
Dee Marsh North Jn ? 11.14 ~ 11.22
Dee Marsh Jn 11.24 11.28½
Penyffordd 11/37 11.41½
Wrexham General 11.51 ~ 12.04 [P3] 11.55 ~ 12.02½ [P3]
Croes Newydd North Fork 12.09 ~ 12.30 [UGL] 12.06 ~ 12.16½ [UGL]
Wreham General 12.35 ~ 12.45 [P2] 12/18½ [P2]
Wrexham North Jn Sig. CN945 ? 12.20 ~ 12.37
Saltney Jn 13/00½ 12.50 ~ 12.59½
Roodee Jn 13/02½ [SL] 13/05
Chester South Jn 13/04 [USL] 13/09½
Chester 13.06 ~ 13.10 [UDG] 13.11½ ~ 13.15½
Mickle Trafford Jn 13/16 13/20½
Helsby 13.20 ~ 13.22 [P2] 13.25½ ~ 13.26½
Frodsham Jn 13/28 13/32
Runcorn 13/30 13/34½
Acton Grange Jn 13/34 [FL] 13/37
Warrington Bank Quay 13/36½ [DS] 13.40½ ~ 13.41 [P3]
Winwick Jn 13/41½ 13/46½
Earlestown 13/44 13/50
Newton-le-Willows 13/45½ 13/52
Astley 13/51 13/58½
Eccles 13.57 ~ 13.57½ [UGL] 14/05
Weaste 14.08 ~ 14.13 14.12½ ~ 14.18
Eccles 14.23 ~ 14.31 [UGL] 14.24 ~ 14.29
Ordsall Lane Jn 14/37½ 14/35½
Deal Street Jn 14/40 [SL] 14/38½ [DF]
Manchester Victoria 14/42 [P3] [SL] 14/40 ½ [P6]
Miles Platting Jn 14/45 14.43½ [Dn Roch]
Thorpes Bridge Jn 14/46 14/45
Vitriol Works S.B. 14/48½ 14/48½
Castleton Down Goods Loop 14.54 ~ 14.55 14.55½ ~ 14.59½
Castleton East Jn 14.55 ~ 15.00 15.01½ ~ 15.07
Castleton North Jn 15/23 15.10½ ~ 15.13½
Hopwood G.F. 15.25 ~ 15.55 15.15½ ~ 16.05
Heywood 16/05 16.09½ ~ 16.17½
Bury Bolton Street 16.18a ~ 16.30d [P4] 16.37½ ~ 16.44
Buckley Wells 16.45 ~ 17.00 16.49 ~ 16.54
Bury Bolton Street ??.??a ~ 17.25d 17.14 ~ 17.20 [P3]
Ramsbottom 17/37 17/32½
Rawtenstall 17.52a ~ 18.05d 17.46 ~ 18.04½
Ramsbottom ??/?? 18.15½
Bury Bolton Street 18.35a ~ ??.??d 18.25½ ~ 18.38½ [P2]
Heywood 18/48 18/51½
Hopwood G.F. 19.00 ~ ??.?? 18.56½ ~ 19.02½
Castleton North Jn 19/40 [Sdg] 19/05
Castleton South Jn 20.04 ~ 20.05 [ML] 19.09 ~ 19.41
Vitriol Works Jn 20/10½ 19/47
Thorpes Bridge Jn 20/15 [UPL] 19/50 [Up Roch]
MP 1.67 ? 19/51 [UPL]
Brewery Jn 20/20 19/52
Philips Park West Jn 20/23 19/53½
Ashton Moss North Jn 20/28 20/01½
Denton Jn 20/36 20/09
Denton Station Jn 20/37½ 20/10½
Ash Bridge Jn 20/42½ 20/15
Heaton Norris Jn 20/46 [FL] 20.17½ ~ 20.18
Stockport 20.48a ~ 20.49d 20.20½ ~ 20.2½ [P2]
Edgeley Jn No.1 20/50 [FL] 20/23½
Adswood Road Jn 20/51 20/25
Cheadle Hulme 20/52 20/26½
Wilmslow 20/56 [P4] 20.35½ ~ 20.40
Alderley Edge 20/58 20/42
Sandbach 21/11 [FL] 20/55
Sydney Bridge Jn 21/18½ 20/59½
Up Manchester Loop 21/20 [UML] 21.00 ~ 21.02 [UML]
Crewe North Jn ? 21.04½ ~ 21.12½
Crewe 21.23a [P5] 21.14½


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