Over and Wharton branch line
Encyclopedia
The Over and Wharton branch line was a railway line serving the town of Winsford
in Cheshire
. It was owned and operated by the London and North Western Railway Company
(LNWR) from 1882 and then the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) until the railways were nationalised under the Transport Act 1947
, which took effect on 1 January 1948. Thereafter the branch was operated by British Railways London Midland Region until the line's closure in .
's (GJR) main line to various salt works and coal
wharves around Wharton Common and the east bank of the River Weaver
. By 1882, the LNWR had converted and amalgamated these lines into a double track
branch line
to a new station
at Over and Wharton
.
at Winsford Junction, a short distance north of Winsford railway station
. The line curved sharply westwards then followed a cutting before curving into the terminus, a distance of 1 mile and 22 yards.
line after the First World War. The original up line was not lifted but used as a long siding. This siding was later used for the storage of locomotive
s bound for the scrap yard. There were no intermediate stations and the only signal box
on the line was closed in 1957 when the line was worked under one engine in steam.
and coal. There was a limited passenger service until when Over and Wharton station closed. Services ran to a variety of local destinations such as Runcorn, Wigan, Warrington and Acton Bridge but offered poor connections in the main.
Winsford
Winsford is a town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver south of Northwich and west of Middlewich, and grew around the salt mining industry after the river was canalised in the...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. It was owned and operated by the London and North Western Railway Company
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) from 1882 and then the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) until the railways were nationalised under the Transport Act 1947
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
, which took effect on 1 January 1948. Thereafter the branch was operated by British Railways London Midland Region until the line's closure in .
Beginnings
The line was an extension and, to some extent, resiting and relaying, of various branches connecting the Grand Junction RailwayGrand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
's (GJR) main line to various salt works and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
wharves around Wharton Common and the east bank of the River Weaver
River Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
. By 1882, the LNWR had converted and amalgamated these lines into a double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
to a new station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
at Over and Wharton
Over and Wharton railway station
Over and Wharton railway station was one of three railway stations serving the town of Winsford in Cheshire. The station was the terminus of the Over and Wharton branch line, a short branch off the West Coast main line operated by the London and North Western Railway and later the London Midland...
.
The route
The branch left the LNWR's Crewe to Warrington LineWest Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
at Winsford Junction, a short distance north of Winsford railway station
Winsford railway station
Winsford railway station serves the town of Winsford in Cheshire, England.It is a staffed station which has a hourly service throughout the day with a few exceptions....
. The line curved sharply westwards then followed a cutting before curving into the terminus, a distance of 1 mile and 22 yards.
Operation
The branch was originally double track but then was worked as a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
line after the First World War. The original up line was not lifted but used as a long siding. This siding was later used for the storage of locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s bound for the scrap yard. There were no intermediate stations and the only signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
on the line was closed in 1957 when the line was worked under one engine in steam.
Passenger services
Although the LNWR provided passenger facilities at the terminus at Over and Wharton, the main raison d'être of the line was freight: mainly saltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and coal. There was a limited passenger service until when Over and Wharton station closed. Services ran to a variety of local destinations such as Runcorn, Wigan, Warrington and Acton Bridge but offered poor connections in the main.