Manchester Oldham Road railway station
Encyclopedia
Manchester Oldham Road was a railway station built on the Manchester and Leeds Railway
(M&LR) in Miles Platting
, Greater Manchester
. Built in 1839 and opened on 3 July, it was the Manchester
terminus for the railway.
In 1839, both the M&LR and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
realised that their respective stations were too far from the city centre. Despite the conflicting aspirations of the two companies, negotiations between the two resulted in agreement to build a new station at the central location of Hunt's Bank, with the M&LR to have control. The M&LRs extension of the line to the newly completed Manchester Victoria at Hunts Bank opened on 1 January 1844 and the original M&LR station closed for passenger use on the same date. An Act of Parliament
, receiving royal assent
had been obtained on 1 July 1839, enabling construction of this extension.
Once the M&LRs new extension had been opened, Oldham Road station was converted from passenger use to the receipt, unloading, storing and despatch of goods. From 1844, goods trains operated along what was now a short branch line (72-chains in length) from Oldham Road Junction near Miles Platting station
. Waggons
of 8 metric tons (7.9 LT) or more were raised and lowered from the goods yard at street level below by a double hoist
. The business offices (including the Superintendent's office) of the railway remained at the station.
The goods depot continued to grow in size throughout the nineteenth century under the ownership of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
and was completely rebuilt in 1916. In its final form it had a number of 'sheds', which were called the Fruit Shed, Provision Shed, Delivery Shed, Fish Shed, Cloth Shed, Grain Shed, Potato Shed and the Shipping Shed, indicating the diversity of traffic handled there. British Railways London Midland Region continued to handle sundries traffic at Oldham Road for some years after the nationalisation of 1948.
sorting depot.
Manchester and Leeds Railway
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
(M&LR) in Miles Platting
Miles Platting
Miles Platting is an inner city district of Manchester, England. It is east-northeast of Manchester city centre, along the course of the Rochdale Canal and A62 road...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. Built in 1839 and opened on 3 July, it was the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
terminus for the railway.
History
The station was built in 1839 on the north side of Oldham Road, and the east side of Lees Street. The line reached the station by a viaduct, 30 feet above the surrounding streets. A 'flight of spacious stairs' was used by passengers to reach the 'very commodious' station building. M&LR passenger trains from and to Yorkshire served the station from its opening on 3 July.Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
realised that their respective stations were too far from the city centre. Despite the conflicting aspirations of the two companies, negotiations between the two resulted in agreement to build a new station at the central location of Hunt's Bank, with the M&LR to have control. The M&LRs extension of the line to the newly completed Manchester Victoria at Hunts Bank opened on 1 January 1844 and the original M&LR station closed for passenger use on the same date. An Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
, receiving royal assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
had been obtained on 1 July 1839, enabling construction of this extension.
Once the M&LRs new extension had been opened, Oldham Road station was converted from passenger use to the receipt, unloading, storing and despatch of goods. From 1844, goods trains operated along what was now a short branch line (72-chains in length) from Oldham Road Junction near Miles Platting station
Miles Platting railway station
Miles Platting railway station served the district of Miles Platting in Manchester from 1844 until closure on 27 May 1995. The station was opened on 1 January 1844 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway; after amalgamating with other railways, this became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847...
. Waggons
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
of 8 metric tons (7.9 LT) or more were raised and lowered from the goods yard at street level below by a double hoist
Hoist (device)
A hoist is a device used for lifting or lowering a load by means of a drum or lift-wheel around which rope or chain wraps. It may be manually operated, electrically or pneumatically driven and may use chain, fiber or wire rope as its lifting medium. The load is attached to the hoist by means of a...
. The business offices (including the Superintendent's office) of the railway remained at the station.
The goods depot continued to grow in size throughout the nineteenth century under the ownership of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
and was completely rebuilt in 1916. In its final form it had a number of 'sheds', which were called the Fruit Shed, Provision Shed, Delivery Shed, Fish Shed, Cloth Shed, Grain Shed, Potato Shed and the Shipping Shed, indicating the diversity of traffic handled there. British Railways London Midland Region continued to handle sundries traffic at Oldham Road for some years after the nationalisation of 1948.
Current status
The area is very different from what it once was. The station and line no longer exist, although part of the viaduct which led to it is still visible from the railway line from Victoria to Miles Platting and from the eastern end of New Allen Street. Most of the old station and sidings have since been replaced by a large Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
sorting depot.