24th October 1987

Branch Line Society
The Irwell and Mersey Rambler

DMU Used 52060+59xxx+5xxxx (1)

Route :

DMU Route
as listed Crewe - Madeley - Norton Bridge - Stafford
as listed Stafford - Norton Bridge - Madeley - Basford Hall Jn - Sorting Sidings North - Sydney Bridge Jn - Sandbach - Wilmslow - Cheadle Hulme - Stockport - Heaton Norris Jn - Denton Jn - Ashton Moss South Jn - Ashton Moss North Jn - Philips Park No.1 - Brewery Sidings - Thorpes Bridge Jn
as listed Thorpes Bridge Jn - Cheetham Hill Jn
as listed Cheetham Hill Jn - Queens Road Jn - Prestwich - Hagside - Buckley Wells - Bury Bolton Street
as listed Bury Bolton Street - Buckley Wells - Hagside - Prestwich - Queens Road Jn - Cheetham Hill Jn - Manchester Victoria
as listed Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Philips Park No.1 - Philips Park No.2 - Ashburys West Jn - Gorton Jn - Hyde Road Jn - Trafford Park East Jn
as listed Trafford Park East Jn - Hyde Road Jn - Gorton Jn - Ashburys West Jn - Philips Park No.2 - Ashton Moss North Jn - Ashton Moss South Jn - Denton Jn - Heaton Norris Jn - Stockport - Edgeley Jn - Northenden Jn - Skelton Jn - Deansgate Jn - Altrincham - Hale - Greenbank - Hartford CLC Jn - Mouldsworth Jn - West Cheshire Jn
as listed West Cheshire Jn - helsby - Frodsham Jn - Halton Jn - Ditton - Speke Jn - Wavertree Jn - Edge Hill
as listed Edge Hill - Bootle Branch Jn - Edge Lane Jn - Bootle Jn - Marsh Lane Jn - Sefton Jn - Aintree
as listed Aintree - Sefton Jn (1)
as listed Sefton Jn - Fazakerley Sidings
as listed Fazakerley Sidings - (1) Sefton Jn - Marsh Lane Jn - Bootle Jn - Edge Lane Jn - Bootle Branch Jn - Edge Hill - Liverpool Lime Street
as listed Liverpool Lime Street - Edge Hill - Bootle Branch Jn - Huyton - St Helens Central
as listed St Helens Central - St Helens Junction - Earlestown - Astley - Eccles - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Philips Park No.1 - Ashton Moss North Jn - Stalybridge
as listed Stalybridge - Guide Bridge - Denton Jn - Heaton Norris Jn - Edgeley Jn - Cheadle Hulme - Wilmslow - Sandbach - Crewe

Notes :
(1) Jeremy Sleightholm comments: The actual route was as advertised, except that after an 18 minute early departure from Aintree at Sefton Jn we travelled to and from the then recently closed engineers depot at Fazakerley Sidings (where 08838 was present, along with a couple of cranes and a few wagons.
(2) 59xxx was a class 104 trailer and 5xxxx was a class 108 driving car. Identities required.

Sources : Jeremy Sleightholm (on the train throughout) & John Harrup

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Harrup & Jeremy Sleightholm)

Location Booked Actual
Crewe 08.18d 08.23
Madeley 08/30 ?
Norton Bridge 08/41 ?
Stafford 08.46a ~ 08.50d ?
Norton Bridge 08/57 ?
Madeley 09/08 ?
Basford Hall Jn 09/18 ?
Sorting Sidings North 09/21 ?
Sydney Bridge Jn 09/26 ?
Sandbach 09/33 ?
Alderley Edge 09/46 ?
Wilmslow 09/48 ?
Cheadle Hulme 09/51 ?
Edgeley Jn 09/53 ?
Stockport 09.54a ~ 09.57d ?
Heaton Norris Jn 09/58 ?
Denton Jn 10/05 ?
Ashton Moss South Jn 10/10 ?
Ashton Moss North Jn 10/12 ?
Philips Park No.1 10/20 ?
Brewery Sidings 10/26 ?
Thorpes Bridge Jn 10.29 ~ 10.33 ?
Cheetham Hill Jn 10.38 ~ 10.42 ?
Queens Road Jn 10/44 ?
Prestwich 10/46 ?
Whitefield 10/50 ?
Hagside 11t00 ~ 11t10 ?
Buckley Wells 11.20 ~ 11.25 11.00 ~ 11.13
Bury Bolton Street 11.30a ~ 11.50d 11.15 ~ 11.52
Buckley Wells 11.53 ~ 11.58 ?
Hagside 12/08 ?
Whitefield 12/14 ?
Prestwich 12/19 ?
Queens Road Jn 12/24 ?
Cheetham Hill Jn 12/27 ?
Manchester Victoria 12.31 ~ 12.39 ?
Miles Platting 12/42 ?
Philips Park No.1 12/44 ?
Philips Park No.2 12/46 ?
Ashburys West Jn 12/48 ?
Gorton Jn 12/50 ?
Hyde Road Jn 12/53 ?
Trafford Park East Jn 13.03 ~ 13.12 ?
Hyde Road Jn 13/27 ?
Gorton Jn 13/30 ?
Ashburys West Jn 13/32 ?
Philips Park No.2 13/34 ?
Ashton Moss North Jn 13/40 ?
Ashton Moss South Jn 13/42 ?
Denton Jn 13/45 ?
Heaton Norris Jn 13/51 ?
Stockport 13/53 ?
Edgeley Jn 13/55 ?
Northenden Jn 13/59 ?
Skelton Jn 14/02 ?
Deansgate Jn 14/04 ?
Navigation Road 14/05 ?
Altrincham North 14/07 ?
Hale 14/10 ?
Mobberley 14/15 ?
Plumley West 14/23 ?
Greenbank 14/29 ?
Hartford CLC Jn 14/32 ?
Mouldsworth Jn 14/42 ?
West Cheshire Jn 14.55 ~ 14.59 ?
Helsby 15/02 ?
Frodsham Jn 15/07 ?
Halton Jn 15/11 ?
Ditton 15/16 ?
Speke Jn 15/21 ?
Wavertree Jn 15/28 ?
Edge Hill 15.31 ~ 15.47 ?
Bootle Branch Jn 15/50 ?
Edge Lane Jn 15/53 ?
Bootle Jn 16/06 ?
Marsh Lane Jn 16/11 ?
Sefton Jn 16/21 ?
Aintree 16.30 ~ 16.35 16.07 ~ 16.17
Fazakerley Sidings DIV 16.28 ~ 16.35
Sefton Jn 16/44 ?
Marsh Lane Jn 16/54 ?
Bootle Jn 16/59 ?
Edge Lane Jn 17/12 ?
Bootle Branch Jn 17/15 ?
Edge Hill 17/18 ?
Liverpool Lime Street 17.23a ~ 17.30d 17.12 ~ 17.29
Edge Hill 17/35 ?
Bootle Branch Jn 17/37 ?
Huyton 17/41 ?
St Helens Central 17.52a ~ 17.56d ?
Earlestown 18/10 ?
Astley 18/21 ?
Eccles 18/28 ?
Deal Street 18/35 ?
Manchester Victoria 18.37a ~ 18.39d ?
Miles Platting 18/44 ?
Philips Park No.1 18/46 ?
Ashton Moss North Jn 18/51 ?
Stalybridge 18.55a ~ 18.59d ?
Guide Bridge 19/06 ?
Denton Jn 19/08 ?
Heaton Norris Jn 19/16 ?
Stockport 19.18a ~ 19.20d ?
Edgeley Jn 19/22 ?
Cheadle Hulme 19/25 ?
Wilmslow 19/29 ?
Alderley Edge 19/31 ?
Sandbach 19/42 ?
Crewe 19.55a 19.42


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