Bolton and Leigh Railway

The Bolton and Leigh Railway (B&L) was an early British railway.

History

The company obtained its Act of Parliament on 31 March 1825 to build a line "from the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal at Bolton to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Leigh", allowing steam haulage and stationary steam-hauled inclined planes.

The single-track line was built to carry goods, mainly cloth from the cotton mills. It was 7½ miles (12 km) long, the first section of which opened on 1 August 1828cite web | url = http://www.bolton.org.uk/railways.html| publisher = Bolton| title = Railways of Bolton| accessdate = 2008-04-12] between Bolton and Chequerbent, two years before the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR). The route was surveyed and prepared by George Stephenson, but actually engineered by Robert Daglish, a local man. The first locomotive, "Lancashire Witch" was built by George and Robert Stephensoncite web | url = http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RAbolton.htm| publisher = Spartacus Schoolweb| title = Bolton and Leigh| accessdate = 2008-04-12] ; originally intended for the L&MR it was delivered temporarily to the B&LR as it opened first, and later returned to the L&MR for use in its construction. While with B&LR it was used to haul trains up the 1 in 33 gradient at Daubhill. It was later replaced with Timothy Hackworth's Sans Pareil (after the Rainhill Trials). The line was completed to Leigh by end of March 1830 [cite book| first=Malcolm C |last=Reed |title=The London & North Western Railway |publisher=Atlantic Transport Publishers |year=1996] .

The railway operated from Bolton Great Moor Street to Leigh. In 1829, the convert|4|mi|km|1 long Kenyon and Leigh Junction Railway (K&LJ) was incorporated to link the Bolton & Leigh Railway with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, joining it at Kenyon Junction near Warrington. The Act of Parliament (10 George IV. Cap.36) receiving Royal Assent on 14 May 1829.cite web | url = http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/PNRC0381.htm| publisher = Jim Shead| title = KENYON AND LEIGH RAILWAY.| accessdate = 2008-04-12] At first, the railway was freight only, but a passenger service started on 11cite web | url = http://earlestown.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=75| publisher = Earlestown.net| title = History of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway| accessdate = 2008-04-12] or 13 June 1831.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/b/bolton_great_moor_street/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = BOLTON GREAT MOOR STREET| accessdate = 2008-04-12]

Locomotives

.cite web | url = http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r082.html| publisher = Mike's Railway History| title = THE STORY OF THE LOCOMOTIVE - 1| accessdate = 2008-04-12]

tations

Openings

The original stations on the line were Bolton, Bag Lanecite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/a/atherton/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = ATHERTON BAG LANE| accessdate = 2008-04-12] and Leigh.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/w/west_leigh/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = WEST LEIGH| accessdate = 2008-04-12] Kenyon Junction station, on the L&M, opened on 1 March 1831.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/k/kenyon_junction/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = KENYON JUNCTION| accessdate = 2008-04-12] Further stations opened at Daubhillcite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/d/daubhill/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = DAUBHILL| accessdate = 2008-04-12] and Chequerbentcite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/c/chequerbent/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = CHEQUERBENT (1st Site)| accessdate = 2008-04-12] in 1846, along with Bradshaw Leach on the K&LJ.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/p/pennington/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = PENNINGTON| accessdate = 2008-04-12] In 1871, the original station at Bolton Great Moor Street was closed by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) for reconstruction, and a temporary station opened at Crook Street, which was open from 1 August 1871 to 28 September 1874. The new Great Moor Street station opened on that date, having been rebuilt on its original site but some ten feet (three metres) higher. A new direct line to Manchester via Roe Green opened on 1 April 1875.

In the 1880s, the LNWR decided to remove the inclines at Daubhill and Chequerbent. A new alignment was built at Daubhill, and a new station opened to replace the original. The new alignment included a short tunnel. The original line was retained as a freight line at each end, but severed in the middle. The new Daubhill station opened on 2 February 1885, and was renamed Rumworth & Daubhill on the 28 April of that year.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/r/rumworth_and_daubhill/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = RUMWORTH & DAUBHILL| accessdate = 2008-04-12] At Chequerbent, a new alignment and station was also built, but the original line remained in its entirety, serving the Chequerbent Pits.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/c/chequerbent/index1.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = CHEQUERBENT (2nd Site)| accessdate = 2008-04-12] The last station to open was at Atherleigh, which the London, Midland and Scottish Railway opened on 14 October 1935 as there had been new housing development in the area.cite web | url = http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/a/atherleigh/index.shtml| publisher = Subterranea Britannica| title = ATHERLEIGH| accessdate = 2008-04-12]

Closures

The original stations at Daubhill and Chequerbent closed on 2 February 1885, both due to replacements opening on the new alignment. The station at Chequerbent closed to passengers on 3 February 1952 and Rumworth & Daubhill closed to passengers on 3 March 1952. All other stations between Bolton Great Moor Street and Pennington inclusive closed to passengers on 29 March 1954, with Atherleigh, West Leigh and Pennington closing completely on this date. Some rugby and holiday special trains served Great Moor street until 1958. Atherton Bag Lane closed to freight on 7 October 1963, Chequerbent closed to freight on 27 February 1965 and Rumworth & Daubhill closed to freight on 29 March 1965. The date of closure of Bolton Great Moor Street station to freight is not recorded, but the last of the rails on the line were lifted in 1969. Kenyon Junction closed to all traffic on 1 August 1963, although the line is still open to traffic.

References

External links

* [http://www.thesectionalappendix.co.uk/CLMENLW06.html British Railways in 1960 - Bolton Great Moor St. to Fletcher Street Jn.]
* [http://www.thesectionalappendix.co.uk/CLMENLW04.html British Railways in 1960 - Fletcher Street Jn. to Leigh]