Re: Where and when - No 2

Hi John,

Here's a guess. The number of tracks leads me to wonder if this is the WCML. If so, a location which seems to fit is the cutting about 1/2 mile north of Euxton Junction. The road in the background would be the A49, and the photo would be taken from, or just south of, the B5248. There seems to be just a hint of a hill in the distance (above the car), which would be the northern slope of Winter Hill.

The only snag with this suggestion is that the enormous Royal Ordnance factory should be visible at the other side of the 'A49' - but on the other hand I think most of the site is/was single-storey buildings, which could be screened by the trees.

Nowadays the suggested locati> If you follow the line of the white car

The A49 crosses under the line via a narrow dog-leg through the original LNW stone bridge.

Peter Brumby

"Peter Brumby" wrote

Hi Peter,

Are you referring to the section of railway between Euxton Junction and Leyland station and viewed looking east? If so I'm visiting my mother who lives close by there at the weekend and will see if I can check the skyline with that of the photograph.

The location would certainly fit with the loco, especially if it's heading light engine towards the turn off at Euxton, but what would that brake van be doing on what would be the up fast?

There's a shot of the A49 (over) bridge at Euxton in the background of this image:

unfortunately neither that shot, nor another I have at Euxton Junction anything of the skyline.

John.

Well if it's a Bolton loco, rural setting with 5 lines...

could it be the Wigan side of Lostock Junction, looking? I'm not sure if there were 5 running lines (certainly 4), but there were sidings in the fork if the junction. If so, the photo is probably looking roughly South towards Bolton/Manchester and the hill would be the South of Winter Hill as has been suggested.

Adrian

I doubt this. Driving under that bridge almost every day, I have to point out that from the B5248 (Heald House Lane) junction, the A49 runs as good as parallel to the WCML until a dip and an almost right-angle turn under the bridge (Pack Saddle Bridge). The angle the road is at seems too large to be the A49. There is also quite a visible mound where the Royal Ordnance works are, but the majority of the buildings south of the Heald House Lane junction and northern entrance to the site were covered over in turf and are not obvious as buildings. It is possible that the house to the left is Charnock Farm (now a garden centre).

I'll see if I can find time to get out there this afternoon and find the location from where the photo could have been taken from. I suspect it would be from the footpath from Pack Saddle Farm to Heald House road, where Langdale Road, the M6 and Runshaw College now are.

I reckon it's somewhere between Crewe and Preston, but not just north of Euxton Junction as suggested, because there was never a loop on the down side at this point (the line nearest to the camera is in a poorer condition than the other four and has a ground position shunting signal). Had it been near Euxton as suggested, then the loco would've been on the up fast with the brake on the down fast. I'll get back to you.....!

John.