Winsford and Over Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Winsford and Over Branch Line was a railway line serving the town of Winsford
in Cheshire
. It was operated by the Cheshire Lines Committee
(CLC) from 1870 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 .
Company (WCR) presented a bill
to parliament
for the construction of a railway from Northwich
to Chester
with a branch to Helsby
. The route was approved, with the exception of the section from Mouldsworth
to Chester. The following year, the WCR presented another bill, once again seeking authorisation to build the line to Chester, but also proposing two branches
, one of which would run from a junction
with the WCR west of Cuddington
to Winsford. This would allow the WCR access to the traffic generated by the salt
works lining the west bank of the River Weaver
near the town. The Chester line was again rejected but the branches were authorised.
Work on construction started early in . By this time, the WCR had been absorbed by the Cheshire Lines Committee. The branch was completed and opened to goods traffic on . Passenger services began on .
at Winsford Junction, about ¾ of a mile west of Cuddington railway station
. The junction was a double junction
facing towards Cuddington but the line became single track
almost immediately and headed off in a south-westerly direction, turning gradually towards the south-east and climbing steadily for a mile before levelling off. The route continued on a level for a further mile and then started to descend into the Weaver valley before reaching Whitegate, the only intermediate station
, two and a half miles from Winsford junction. The facilities there were a loop (not used as a passing loop
) and two long siding
s. A single platform
face was provided.
The line continued its descent for a further two and a half miles until Falk's Junction was reached. Here a branch line diverged to the North-east to serve the H.E. Falk Meadowbank salt works. The main line turned south continued for the last mile along the west bank of the River Weaver until reaching the southern terminus
.
This final stretch was doubled in , and sidings all along this section served the many salt works to be found by the river. This portion of the branch was built on land previously owned by Lord Delamere
and one of the terms of sale was that if the railway continued on to Winsford, the company would be obliged to operate services for the benefit of the townspeople. This became important later during the wrangles between the CLC and the Winsford Local Board caused by the withdrawal of the passenger service.
The Winsford terminus was named Winsford and Over
to distinguish it from the station already serving the town
on the London and North Western Railway
's main line between London and the North
.
By , some of the sidings at Winsford were extended southwards into Hamlett's Central Saltworks and J Garner and Co.'s Bridge Saltworks bringing the length of the branch to a maximum of 6 miles 12 chains and 19 yards.
Though salt was the lifeblood of the branch, it was also a constant hindrance. The salt was extracted by pumping water through the salt and extracting it as brine
. This led to much subsidence
, which at times caused parts of the branch to be closed.
. This meant that branch passenger trains had to wait in the goods sidings until main line services had cleared the platforms.
Most of the goods traffic was generated by the salt works. Coal
was carried towards Winsford and salt toward Cuddington. By , five goods trains
in each direction per day were required.
All services were initially operated by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
(MSLR) which later became the Great Central Railway
(GCR). The MSLR supplied locomotive
s while the CLC provided passenger and goods stock.
The traffic was regulated and safeguarded using the staff and ticket system and later, after passenger services had been withdrawn, one engine in steam. Trains could only pass at Falk's junction.
. These trains were of necessity slow and not many passengers were attracted to use the service. The service was seen as interfering with the goods services by the CLC and they withdrew it on . Despite the low numbers of passengers which had used the service, there was considerable local petitioning for it to be reinstated. The CLC were reluctant to do this and passenger services did not run again until once again as mixed trains. This was as a result of the Winsford Local Board invoking the covenant on the original land sale which required the CLC to provide such a service.
The only accident of note on the branch occurred on when a mixed train ran into a siding in error. The guard was quite seriously hurt but passengers suffered only minor injuries. The report resulting from the subsequent enquiry castigated the CLC for running passenger services on a line with insufficient signalling
and demanded that interlocking
be installed before passengers were to be carried again. The CLC immediately gave notice that passenger services would be withdrawn, citing the cost of the installation. The Winsford Local Board once again campaigned for a reintstatement, eventually bringing a legal case based on the Delamere covenant before the Royal Courts of Justice
on . The courts found in favour of the Board and the CLC was forced to upgrade the branch accordingly. A second line was laid alongside the line leading to the sidings where the accident happened. This was reserved for passenger trains, which the CLC now ran in place of the mixed trains. Additional signal box
es and signalling
were installed and on after having passed an inspection, passenger services resumed. The level of passenger workings was increased and the branch remained relatively busy, with workmen's trains supplementing the timetabled service.
From the mid-1920s onward, road competition began to take its toll on the passenger revenue. Bus services were introduced which ran direct from Winsford to Northwich town centre quicker than the train. The CLC introduced a Sentinel
steam railcar
in in an attempt to reduce costs, but despite this, in they announced their intention to withdraw the passenger service once again.
Winsford Urban District Council, the successor to the Local Board, made recourse to the law once more. This time however the court ruled in favour of the railway company, declaring the ruling of 1891 a "mistake in law". The passenger service succumbed for the final time on .
A few excursions and special trains did visit the branch after this date. On , a football excursion
from Winsford to Chester was organised. On , an enthusiast
s' special organised by the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society
(RTCS) visited the branch, consisting of an ex-GCR two coach push-pull
set with GCR Class 9K
(LNER class C13) no. 67436 in charge. The final excurson was on , again organised by the RTCS, consisting of five corridor carriages
hauled by LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0
no. 46472. This is almost certainly the only time that corridor carriages had been used on the branch. The train stopped short of Winsford and Over station but the locomotive continued into the station to run round
its train.
's Class 23 0-6-0
's. Shortly after the turn of the century, these were superseded by Sacre class 18's. Passenger services were initially handled by a Sacre Class 24 2-4-0
then by similar Class 12A 2-4-0's.
At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the Sacre locomotives started being replaced by Thomas Parker
designs, in particular GCR class 9B and GCR Class 9D (LNER Class J9) 0-6-0's. Passenger trains at this period were worked by older Parker GCR Class 3 (LNER Class F1) 2-4-2
tank engine
s.
In the 1920s, the workmen's trains were discontinued and only one passenger locomotive and set of carriages were required to work the branch. The F1 tank engines were replaced by one of the GCR Class 2A (LNER class D7) locomotives then allocated to Northwich shed. The F1's returned in 1928 but were in turn supplanted by Sentinel Waggon Works
steam coach no 602 which worked the branch until passenger services ceased at the end of . This vehicle was one of four owned by the CLC; the only motive power ever owned by the company. During this period, there was no longer any requirement for stabling
facilities at Winsford as the first and last passenger trains started and finished at Northwich and it was arranged that the goods services also followed this pattern. Thus the CLC could now close the small locomotive shed
at the terminus, which up until this point had been a sub-shed of Northwich motive power depot.
From the mid-1920s, the ubiquitous GCR Class 9H (LNER Class J10) and GCR Class 9J (LNER Class J11) 0-6-0 tender locomotive
s began to appear hauling good services on the branch. These were gradually displaced after nationalisation by ex-LMS Fowler Class 4F
s, LMS Class 2MT 2-6-0s, BR standard class 2 2-6-0
s and it is possible that occasionally a Northwich-based LMS Stanier Class 8F
was rostered.
British Rail Class 24
and 25
diesels based at Northwich hauled the trip freights that used the branch three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the 1960s but only one other diesel-electric locomotive was ever known to have traversed the branch. This was a British Rail Class 40
which travelled down to Wade's Crossing, between Falk's Junction and Winsford and Over, in Spring 1968 shortly after the branch was closed to provide a British Rail presence during some road works near there by the Winsford council. Any track removal trains would have been diesel-hauled by that date of course, steam locomotion on British Rail ceasing on , but these are not recorded.
The salt industry in the area began a slow decline from as early as 1905, as the traditional open pan
method of extracting salt was superseded. The decline continued apace during the 1930s depression
and goods traffic on the branch dwindled to the extent that in 1953 British Railways considered closing the line completely. An arrangement with Imperial Chemical Industries
(ICI), who by then owned some of the surviving salt works in the area, allowed the railway to soldier on with two goods trains per weekday, although Winsford goods yard had closed on 1 September 1953.
The line closed to general goods on 4 November 1963 when Whitegate station was closed completely. The only services now were to the salt works and mines. Further trimming of the branch followed when on 1 May 1965 the section between Falk's junction and the salt works to the south was closed. On 13 March 1967, rail traffic finally ceased and the branch officially closed on 5 June 1967.
purchased some five and a half miles of the trackbed on and converted it into a linear park
which became known as the "Whitegate Way". The station building and platform at Whitegate survive and are now a visitor centre and the main access point for walkers.
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 operated by the Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
(CLC) from 1870 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
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...
was operated by British Railways London Midland Region until the line's closure in .
Beginnings
In , the West Cheshire RailwayWest Cheshire Railway
The West Cheshire Railway was an early railway company based in Cheshire England.-Early Company history:The WCR was incorporated on 11 July 1861. In 1861, the WCR requested powers to construct a line from Northwich to Chester, with a branch to Helsby, but parliamentary approval was received only...
Company (WCR) presented a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
to parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the construction of a railway from Northwich
Northwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
with a branch to Helsby
Helsby
Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
. The route was approved, with the exception of the section from Mouldsworth
Mouldsworth
Mouldsworth is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located about 8 miles north east of Chester City Centre on the B5393 road. The nearest villages are Manley to the north...
to Chester. The following year, the WCR presented another bill, once again seeking authorisation to build the line to Chester, but also proposing two branches
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...
, one of which would run from a junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
with the WCR west of Cuddington
Cuddington, Cheshire
There are two civil parishes in Cheshire, England called Cuddington*Cuddington, Chester *Cuddington, Vale Royal...
to Winsford. This would allow the WCR access to the traffic generated by the salt
Salt
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...
works lining the west 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...
near the town. The Chester line was again rejected but the branches were authorised.
Work on construction started early in . By this time, the WCR had been absorbed by the Cheshire Lines Committee. The branch was completed and opened to goods traffic on . Passenger services began on .
The route
The branch left the CLC's Manchester to Chester lineMid-Cheshire Line
The Mid-Cheshire Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, between Chester and Manchester.- History :The Mid Cheshire line has its origins in railways promoted by three separate railway companies in the 19th century. The Cheshire Midland Railway was opened to passengers between...
at Winsford Junction, about ¾ of a mile west of Cuddington railway station
Cuddington railway station
Cuddington railway station serves the village of Cuddington in Cheshire.The Northern Rail timetable for Cuddington can be found . The actual .pdf can be found . There is a basic hourly service each way on weekdays and every two hours on Sundays.-Route:...
. The junction was a double junction
Double junction
A double junction is a railway junction where a double track railway splits into two double track lines. Usually, one line is the main line and carries traffic through the junction at normal speed, while the other track is a branch line that carries traffic through the junction at reduced speed.A...
facing towards Cuddington but the line became single track
Single 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....
almost immediately and headed off in a south-westerly direction, turning gradually towards the south-east and climbing steadily for a mile before levelling off. The route continued on a level for a further mile and then started to descend into the Weaver valley before reaching Whitegate, the only intermediate 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...
, two and a half miles from Winsford junction. The facilities there were a loop (not used as a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
) and two long siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
s. A single platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
face was provided.
The line continued its descent for a further two and a half miles until Falk's Junction was reached. Here a branch line diverged to the North-east to serve the H.E. Falk Meadowbank salt works. The main line turned south continued for the last mile along the west bank of the River Weaver until reaching the southern terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
.
This final stretch was doubled in , and sidings all along this section served the many salt works to be found by the river. This portion of the branch was built on land previously owned by Lord Delamere
Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere
Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere , styled The Honourable from 1821 until 1855, was a British peer and politician.-Personal:...
and one of the terms of sale was that if the railway continued on to Winsford, the company would be obliged to operate services for the benefit of the townspeople. This became important later during the wrangles between the CLC and the Winsford Local Board caused by the withdrawal of the passenger service.
The Winsford terminus was named Winsford and Over
Winsford and Over railway station
Winsford and Over railway station was one of three railway stations serving the town of Winsford in Cheshire. The station was the terminus of the Winsford and Over branch operated by the Cheshire Lines Committee and later British Railways.-History:...
to distinguish it from the station already serving the town
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....
on the London and North Western Railway
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...
's main line between London and the North
West 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...
.
By , some of the sidings at Winsford were extended southwards into Hamlett's Central Saltworks and J Garner and Co.'s Bridge Saltworks bringing the length of the branch to a maximum of 6 miles 12 chains and 19 yards.
Though salt was the lifeblood of the branch, it was also a constant hindrance. The salt was extracted by pumping water through the salt and extracting it as brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
. This led to much subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
, which at times caused parts of the branch to be closed.
Operation
Goods and passenger services were originally to be operated from Northwich, but in the event nearly always started and terminated at Cuddington. This caused some operational problems with passenger services as the station there was not provided with a bay platformBay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
. This meant that branch passenger trains had to wait in the goods sidings until main line services had cleared the platforms.
Most of the goods traffic was generated by the salt works. 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...
was carried towards Winsford and salt toward Cuddington. By , five goods trains
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
in each direction per day were required.
All services were initially operated by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
(MSLR) which later became the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
(GCR). The MSLR supplied 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 while the CLC provided passenger and goods stock.
The traffic was regulated and safeguarded using the staff and ticket system and later, after passenger services had been withdrawn, one engine in steam. Trains could only pass at Falk's junction.
Passenger services
Passenger services on the line commenced on and consisted of a single carriage attached to two weekday goods services making up a mixed trainMixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
. These trains were of necessity slow and not many passengers were attracted to use the service. The service was seen as interfering with the goods services by the CLC and they withdrew it on . Despite the low numbers of passengers which had used the service, there was considerable local petitioning for it to be reinstated. The CLC were reluctant to do this and passenger services did not run again until once again as mixed trains. This was as a result of the Winsford Local Board invoking the covenant on the original land sale which required the CLC to provide such a service.
The only accident of note on the branch occurred on when a mixed train ran into a siding in error. The guard was quite seriously hurt but passengers suffered only minor injuries. The report resulting from the subsequent enquiry castigated the CLC for running passenger services on a line with insufficient signalling
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
and demanded that interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
be installed before passengers were to be carried again. The CLC immediately gave notice that passenger services would be withdrawn, citing the cost of the installation. The Winsford Local Board once again campaigned for a reintstatement, eventually bringing a legal case based on the Delamere covenant before the Royal Courts of Justice
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
on . The courts found in favour of the Board and the CLC was forced to upgrade the branch accordingly. A second line was laid alongside the line leading to the sidings where the accident happened. This was reserved for passenger trains, which the CLC now ran in place of the mixed trains. Additional 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...
es and signalling
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
were installed and on after having passed an inspection, passenger services resumed. The level of passenger workings was increased and the branch remained relatively busy, with workmen's trains supplementing the timetabled service.
From the mid-1920s onward, road competition began to take its toll on the passenger revenue. Bus services were introduced which ran direct from Winsford to Northwich town centre quicker than the train. The CLC introduced a Sentinel
Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
steam railcar
Railmotor
Railmotor is a term which was used by several British railway companies for a steam railcar.-Overview:William Bridges Adams started building railmotors as early as 1848, but only in small numbers...
in in an attempt to reduce costs, but despite this, in they announced their intention to withdraw the passenger service once again.
Winsford Urban District Council, the successor to the Local Board, made recourse to the law once more. This time however the court ruled in favour of the railway company, declaring the ruling of 1891 a "mistake in law". The passenger service succumbed for the final time on .
A few excursions and special trains did visit the branch after this date. On , a football excursion
Football Specials
Football Specials were chartered trains operated by British Rail in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and 1980s for football fans to travel to away games.-Background:...
from Winsford to Chester was organised. On , an enthusiast
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s' special organised by the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society
Railway Correspondence and Travel Society
The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society is a national society founded in Cheltenham, UK in 1928 to bring together those interested in rail transport and locomotives....
(RTCS) visited the branch, consisting of an ex-GCR two coach push-pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
set with GCR Class 9K
GCR Class 9K
The Great Central Railway 9K and 9L classes were two related classes of 4-4-2T Atlantic steam locomotives. They were both intended for suburban passenger services. After the 1923 Grouping, they served the LNER as classes C13 and C14....
(LNER class C13) no. 67436 in charge. The final excurson was on , again organised by the RTCS, consisting of five corridor carriages
Corridor (rail vehicle)
A corridor is a passageway in, and generally between, railway passenger vehicles.-Related terms:* Corridor coach - a coach with corridors between vehicles...
hauled by LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0
LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for light mixed traffic.-Design:...
no. 46472. This is almost certainly the only time that corridor carriages had been used on the branch. The train stopped short of Winsford and Over station but the locomotive continued into the station to run round
Headshunt
A headshunt is a short length of track, provided to release locomotives at terminal platforms, or to allow shunting to take place clear of main lines.- Terminal Headshunts :...
its train.
Locomotives
As noted previously, motive power on the branch was provided by the MSLR (later the GCR). The first recorded use of locomotives used on the line is in when goods and mixed trains were handled by Charles SacreCharles Sacre
Charles Reboul Sacré was an English engineer, Engineer and Superintendent of the Locomotive and Stores Department of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. Samuel Waite Johnson was his assistant between 1859 and 1864...
's Class 23 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
's. Shortly after the turn of the century, these were superseded by Sacre class 18's. Passenger services were initially handled by a Sacre Class 24 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
then by similar Class 12A 2-4-0's.
At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the Sacre locomotives started being replaced by Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker (engineer)
Thomas Parker was chief mechanical engineer of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway from 1886-1893.He was Carriage and Wagon Superintendent at the railway's Gorton works from 1858 and then replaced Charles Reboul Sacre who resigned in 1886...
designs, in particular GCR class 9B and GCR Class 9D (LNER Class J9) 0-6-0's. Passenger trains at this period were worked by older Parker GCR Class 3 (LNER Class F1) 2-4-2
2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
tank engine
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s.
In the 1920s, the workmen's trains were discontinued and only one passenger locomotive and set of carriages were required to work the branch. The F1 tank engines were replaced by one of the GCR Class 2A (LNER class D7) locomotives then allocated to Northwich shed. The F1's returned in 1928 but were in turn supplanted by Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
steam coach no 602 which worked the branch until passenger services ceased at the end of . This vehicle was one of four owned by the CLC; the only motive power ever owned by the company. During this period, there was no longer any requirement for stabling
Stabling point
A stabling point, in UK railway parlance, is a small traction maintenance depot where locomotives are parked whilst awaiting their next turn of duty. A stabling point may be fitted with a fuelling point and other minor maintenance facilities. A good example of this was Newports Godfrey road...
facilities at Winsford as the first and last passenger trains started and finished at Northwich and it was arranged that the goods services also followed this pattern. Thus the CLC could now close the small locomotive shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
at the terminus, which up until this point had been a sub-shed of Northwich motive power depot.
From the mid-1920s, the ubiquitous GCR Class 9H (LNER Class J10) and GCR Class 9J (LNER Class J11) 0-6-0 tender locomotive
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
s began to appear hauling good services on the branch. These were gradually displaced after nationalisation by ex-LMS Fowler Class 4F
LMS Fowler Class 4F
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Fowler 4F is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for medium freight work. They represent the ultimate development of Midland Railway's six coupled tender engines.- Background :...
s, LMS Class 2MT 2-6-0s, BR standard class 2 2-6-0
BR standard class 2 2-6-0
The BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive, one of the British Railways Standard classes of the 1950s. They were physically the smallest of the Standard classes; 65 were built....
s and it is possible that occasionally a Northwich-based LMS Stanier Class 8F
LMS Stanier Class 8F
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's 8F class 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight...
was rostered.
British Rail Class 24
British Rail Class 24
The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
and 25
British Rail Class 25
The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"...
diesels based at Northwich hauled the trip freights that used the branch three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the 1960s but only one other diesel-electric locomotive was ever known to have traversed the branch. This was a British Rail Class 40
British Rail Class 40
The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
which travelled down to Wade's Crossing, between Falk's Junction and Winsford and Over, in Spring 1968 shortly after the branch was closed to provide a British Rail presence during some road works near there by the Winsford council. Any track removal trains would have been diesel-hauled by that date of course, steam locomotion on British Rail ceasing on , but these are not recorded.
Decline and closure
After withdrawal of the passenger service, the operation of the branch was simplified and economies made. The locomotive shed at Winsford closed in July 1929 and was demolished, the double track section of the branch near Falk's Junction was reduced to a single line and various signal boxes were downgraded to ground frames or removed altogether.The salt industry in the area began a slow decline from as early as 1905, as the traditional open pan
Open pan salt making
In Europe virtually all domestic salt is obtained by solution mining of underground salt formations although some is still obtained by the solar evaporation of sea water. Salt is extracted from the Brine using vacuum pans, where brine is heated in a partial vacuum in order to lower the boiling...
method of extracting salt was superseded. The decline continued apace during the 1930s depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and goods traffic on the branch dwindled to the extent that in 1953 British Railways considered closing the line completely. An arrangement with Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
(ICI), who by then owned some of the surviving salt works in the area, allowed the railway to soldier on with two goods trains per weekday, although Winsford goods yard had closed on 1 September 1953.
The line closed to general goods on 4 November 1963 when Whitegate station was closed completely. The only services now were to the salt works and mines. Further trimming of the branch followed when on 1 May 1965 the section between Falk's junction and the salt works to the south was closed. On 13 March 1967, rail traffic finally ceased and the branch officially closed on 5 June 1967.
The line today
Cheshire County CouncilCheshire County Council
Cheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...
purchased some five and a half miles of the trackbed on and converted it into a linear park
Linear park
A linear park is a park that is much longer than wide. It is often formed as a part of a rails-to-trails conversion of railroad beds to rail trail recreational use...
which became known as the "Whitegate Way". The station building and platform at Whitegate survive and are now a visitor centre and the main access point for walkers.