29th September 1956

R.C.T.S. (Lancashire & N.W. Branch)
South Lancashire Coalfield Rail Tour

Locos Used 47440 & 41289
Stock Used [1] : 4x brake vans
[2] : 2x LMS corridor coaches

Route : Reporting Number M965 (throughout?)

Loco Stock Route
47440 [1]

Ancoats Goods - Ashburys
41289 [2]

Ashburys - Gorton - Hyde Road - Fallowfield - Chorlton-cum-Hardy - Throstle Nest South Jn - Trafford Park - Flixton - Glazebrook - Lowton St Mary's - Golborne North - Haydock - St Helens Central

41289

 [2]

St Helens Central - Haydock - Golborne North - Lowton St Mary's
41289 [2]

Lowton St Mary's - Bickershaw & Abram - Hindley South - Amberswood West Jn - Platt Bridge Jn - Bamfurlong Jn
41289 [2]

Bamfurlong Jn - Springs Branch No.2 - (2) - Wigan North Western - Boar's Head - Haigh Jn
41289 [2] Haigh Jn - Whelley Jn - De Trafford Jn - Amberswood East Jn - Amberswood West Jn - Fir Tree House Jn - Ince Moss Jn

41289

 [2] Ince Moss Jn - Fir Tree House Jn - Platt Bridge - Bickershaw West Jn - Hindley Field Jn - Plank Lane - Pennington - Kenyon Junction [No.2 SB]
41289 [2] Kenyon Junction [No.2 SB] - Pennington - Leigh - Tyldesley - Roe Green Jn - Monton Green - Eccles - (3) - Ordsall Lane - Castlefield Jn - Manchester Oxford Road

Notes :
(1) A letter seen by the Webmaster dated 23rd November 1956 written by the Treasurer of the RCTS to a tour passenger confirms that the tour did not go to plan, resulting in a rebate of 5 shillings per ticket being paid by the LMR to the RCTS which was passed back to passengers. Said letter opened with: 'Following the extremely unsatisfactory happenings which marred this tour, ...'. The reasons for the on-the-day problems are not known though it seems clear the train started off very late and was further delayed with the unscheduled change of locos and stock at Ashburys, a little over a mile into the trip.
(2) The planned traversal of the line from Springs Branch No.2 via Kirkless Jn to Hindley Siding and back to Springs Branch No.2 was omitted to catch-back some time.
(3) Train was booked to run from Eccles to Weaste Wharf and back to Eccles but this was omitted due to the late running.


From Andrew Fairholm's ticket collection.


From Bob Mitchell's ticket collection.

Sources : David Davis, Peter Darke & John Debens

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Debens)

M.C Location Booked Actual
0.00 Ancoats Goods 13.55d 14.51½
1.09 Ashburys 14/08 14.58 ~ 16.06
2.23 Gorton 14/11 16/10
3.13 Hyde Road 14/14 16/12
4.78 Levenshulme ? ?
6.19 Fallowfield ? 16/20
7.47 Wilbraham Road ? ?
8.24 Chorlton Jn 14/25 16/25
8.56 Chorlton-cum-Hardy ? ?
10.05 Throstle Nest South Jn 14/30 16/30
10.53 Trafford Park Jn 14.32 ~ 14.45 16.32 ~ 16.35
11.50 Trafford Park ? ?
13.36 Urmston ? ?
14.02 Chassen Road Halt ? ?
14.54 Flixton ? ?
16.68 Irlam ? ?
17.63 Glazebrook East Jn 15/00 ?
18.02 Glazebrook 15/02 16/49
18.53 Glazebrook Moss Jn 15/04 ?
20.55 Newchurch Halt ? ?
21.42 Culcheth ? 16.58 ~ 16.59
23.43 Lowton St Mary's 15/15 ?
25.31 Golborne ? ?
26.60 Haydock Park ? ?
27.25 Ashton-in-Makerfield 15/25 ?
29.06 Haydock ? ?
31.79 St Helen's Central 15.35a ~ 16.00d 17.16 ~ 17.38
40.35 Lowton St Mary's 16.20 ~ 16.25 17.51 ~ 17.59
42.03 West Leigh & Bedford ? ?
43.36 Bickershaw & Abram ? ?
44.30 Hindley South 16/35 18.07 ~ 18.09
44.66 Amberswood West Jn 16/37 18/10
45.76 Bamfurlong Jn 16.45 ~ 16.48 ??.?? ~ ??.??
47.01 Springs Branch No.2 16/53 18.24½ ~
48.39 Kirkless ? CANX
49.05 Hindley Siding 17.03 ~ 17.15 CANX
51.09 Springs Branch No.2 17.25 ~ 17.30 ~ 18.31
52.13 Wigan North Western 17/35 18.41 ~ 18.43
54.27 Boar's Head 17/41 ?
54.69 Haigh Jn 17.44 ~ 17.46 18.50½ ~ 18.52½
55.44 Whelley Jn 17/49 18/56
58.11 De Trafford Jn 17/55 19/01
58.65 Amberswood East Jn ? ?
59.24 Amberswood West Jn ? ?
60.07 Fir Tree House Jn 18/02 19.05 ~ 19.09
60.32 Ince Moss Jn 18.05 ~ 18.08 19.11 ~ 19.17½
61.03 Platt Bridge Jn 18/11 19/19½
61.29 Platt Bridge ? ?
62.34 Bickershaw West Jn 18/14 19/23
63.54 Abram Colliery ? ?
64.21 Plank Lane ? ?
65.36 Pennington West Jn ? ?
66.16 Pennington 18/28 19/30
67.43 Kenyon Junction 18.31 ~ 18.34 19.30 ~ 19.40 [No.2 SB]
68.70 Pennington ? ?
70.30 Leigh 18/40 19/46
72.33 Tyldesley 18/48 ?
74.54 Ellenbrook ? ?
76.10 Roe Green Jn ? ?
76.78 Worsley ? ?
77.56 Monton Green ? ?
78.36 Eccles Jn 19/00 ?
78.70 Eccles 19.02 ~ 19.04 20.08½ ~
79.73 Weaste Wharf / Manchester Docks 19.14a ~ 19.34d CANX
80.76 Eccles 19.43 ~ 19.49 ~ 20.43
81.77 Weaste ? ?
82.39 Seedley ? ?
83.06 Cross Lane ? ?
83.64 Ordsall Lane 19/55 20/51
84.30 Castlefield Jn ? 20/53
84.41 Knott Mill & Deansgate ? ?
84.68 Oxford Road 20.03a 20.56


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