1932 Cheshire Lines Committee
Note: This is a sub-section of 1932 Railway Year Book and Cheshire Lines Committee
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GENERAL OFFICES.
CENTRAL STATION, LIVERPOOL.
DIRECTORS.
THE RIGHT HON. LORD FARINGDON, 18, Arlington Street, London, S.W. WALTER BURGH GAIR, Kestrel Grove, Bushey Heath, Herts.
THE HON. ERIC BRAND BUTLER-HENDERSON, Winwick Manor, Rugby. O. R. H. BURY. 4.3, Threadneedle Street, E.C. 2.
FREDERICK LIDDELL STEEL, 8, Chepstow Street, Manchester.
F. TATLOW. C.B.E., Duffield. Derby.
CHARLES BOOTH. Elmhurst, Aigburth, Liverpool.
SIR EDWIN F. STOCKTON, Jodrell Hall, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.
- Represent London and North Eastern. f Represent London Midland and Scottish.
OFFICERS.
{Unless other (vise stated., the addresses of the Officers are at the General Offices^ as above.) Manager—S. T. BURGOYNE, M.V.O., O.B.E.
Assistants to Manager—W. SHUTTLE WORTH (Operating), O. R. GRIFFITH (Commercial.)
Secretary—T. R. SMITH.
Engineer— A. NEWLANDS, C.B.E., M.Inst.C.E., Euston Station, London.
Resident Engineer— K. C. MARRIAN, A.M.Inst.C.E.
Accountant—K. W. DOUGHTY.
Solicitor—I. B. PRITCHARD, King’s Cross Station, London, N.I.
Assistant Solicitor—E. COLE BY.
Locomotive Engineer— H. N. GRESLEY, C.B.E., M.Inst.T., King’s Cross, N.I.
Carriage and Wagon Superintendent— H. N. GRESLEY, C.B.E., M.Inst.T., King's Cross, N.I.
Estate and Rating Agent—A. J. BRICKWELL, F.S.I., M.Inst.T.
Storekeeper—J. E. FRAPPELL, Warrington.
Police Superintendent—JOHN HOGG.
Auditors—C. H. NEWTON, King’s Cross, N.I, and E. TAYLOR, Euston, N.W.l.
Bankers—WILLIAMS DEACON’S BANK, LTD., and MARTINS BANK, LTD (Central Branch).
Telegraphic Address : Committee Liverpool.
Tel. 1414 Royal.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
INCORPORATING the Cheshire Midland, Garston and Liverpool, Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction, Stockport and Woodley Junction, and West Cheshire Rys., the Cheshire Lines system was constituted in 1865 with the G. N. and M. S. & L. Rys. as owners. As from 1 July, 1866, the Midland came in as a third partner, and the system is now administered by nine directors of the owning companies, six of the L. and N. E., and three of the L. M. and S. The section from Brunswick to Liverpool Central Station, the Liverpool Extension from Cornbrook to Garston and from Timperley to Ghizebrook, and the Chester Extension from Mouldsworth to Chester were constructed under Acts obtained in 1866. On 15 Aug., 1867, an Act was obtained incorporating the Cheshire Lines as a separate undertaking under the control of the then M. S. & L., Mid. and G. N. Companies. The Committee works by agreement the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Ry. from Aintree to Southport.
The various sections were opened for traffic as follows: Altrincham to Knutsford,12 May, 1862; Knutsford to Northwich, 1 January, 1863 ; Stockport to Woodley, 12 January, 1863; Stockport and Timperley,] February, 1866 ; Woodley to Godley, 1 February, 1866 ; Northwich to Helsby, 22 June, 1870; Cuddington to Winsford. 1 July, 1870; Garston to Brunswick Dock, 1 June, 1864 ; Brunswick Dock to Liverpool Central, 1 March, 1874 ; Garston to Corn brook, 2 September, 1873; Glazebrook to Timperley, 1 August, 1873; Mouldsworth to Chester, 1 May, 1875 ; Cornbrook to Manchester Central (temporary station), 9 July. 1877 ; New Central station, 1 July, 1880; Hunt’s Cross and Halewood to Huskisson Dock and Aintree (Racecourse),! December, 1879 ; Warrington Straight Line, 7 September, 1883; Aintree to Southport (Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Company), 1 September, 1884.
The Committee has its own passenger stock, but owning companies provide the goods rolling stock and locomotive power and work their own trains over the Committee’s lines, the L. and N. E. operating all joint trains. There are extensive goods stations at Birkenhead, Liverpool (Brunswick, Huskisson and Wavertree Road), Manchester, Chester, Warrington, Stockport, Southport and other places, and these are all well equipped with modern appliances for negotiating all descriptions of merchandise.
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the first to run hourly express trains between Liverpool and Manchester. These trains are composed of coaches of the most modern type, constructed upon four wheeled bogies, and fitted with a system of heating and electric lights. This service has gained a well-merited reputation for regularity and punctuality.
Independently of its own system, the Cheshire Lines has important connections with the L. and N. E. at Manchester Central and Godley. At Liverpool Road Station, Chester, the L. and N. E. also has a junction with the Cheshire Lines Committee, connecting that system with Hawarden Bridge, Wrexham, etc., thus forming another route to North Wales. A junction is formed just outside Chorlton-cum-Hardy Station, enabling the L. and N. E. by means of its railway from Fairfield to run trains into the Central Station, Manchester. In addition to the connections referred to, the Cheshire Lines connect with the L. M. and S. main line at Chorlton-cum-Hardy Junction and Cheadle Junction, by which routes trains are run to and from London (St. Pancras) and the Midland district.
Important Bridges, Viaducts, and other engineering works on the railway are those carrying the main lines between Liverpool and Manchester and Stockport over the Manchester Ship Canal, the viaducts carrying five lines of way over part of the city of Manchester and Northwich viaduct consisting of fifty spans, carrying the railway over the rivers Dane and Weaver and also the Weaver Canal.
Principal Towns Served.—Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport, Warrington, Widnes, Northwich, Winsford, Knutsford, Birkenhead, Chester and Southport.
Largest Passenger Stations.—Manchester (Central) (9 platforms and 13 roads) covers over 10 acres of ground; Liverpool (Central), Stockport, Warrington, Southport and Chester (Northgate).
Steepest Gradient.—1 in 61, at Woodley, falling towards Stockport, for a distance of 11 miles; for goods or mineral trains only, 1 in 48, at Winnington.
Permanent Way.—Rails, 95 lbs. B.S. per yard ; chairs, 46 lbs. B.S. each.
Rolling Stock.—The Committee own altogether 485 coaching vehicles, including 4 Sentinel-Cammell cars, and the whole of these are fitted with the automatic vacuum brake. All the carriages are lighted with electricity or oil gas.
Road Equipment.—Vans, lorries, etc., 81; horses, 76 ; motor vehicles, 9.
Mileage.—143.5,of which there are 18 of single track, 124 double track, 11 of three lines and 9 of four lines or more. Total length, including sidings, in equivalent of single track, 446 miles 62 chains.
Longest Tunnel.—Dingle, J of a mile long, between Brunswick and St. Michael’s Stations, Liverpool.
Dimensions of Vehicles.—The longest passenger coaches are 58 ft. IJ in. in length. The largest goods or mineral vehicles measure 56 ft. 9 ins. long.
Colours of Rolling Stock.—Oak brown.
Communication between Passengers and Trainmen is by means of chain over the doors inside the carriages, which actuates the automatic vacuum brake.
Heating of Passenger Trains.—Steam.
Brake.—Automatic vacuum.
Signalling.—Absolute block ; interlocking system throughout. The Committee does all its own signalling work at its engineering shops at Warrington. The largest signal box is Manchester Central B box ; it contains 115 levers.
Driver’s Position on the Footplate.—Right hand.
Total Length of Platform Faces at the Largest Stations.— Liverpool Central, 3,700 ft. (longest platform, 760 ft.); Manchester Central, 6,000 ft. (longest platform. 795 ft).
Mile Posts.—On up side of main line.
Gradient Boards.—On down side of main line.
Statistics—(Year ended December 31, 1931.)—Passenger Train Traffic, £545,063; Goods Train Traffic, £905,675; Total (with other items), £1,470,972; Expenditure, £1,509,448; Net Receipts, Dr., £38,476.
See Also
Sources of Information