Golborne Junction WCML (very confusing)

[jpendle]

I've been looking at the tracks running south from Wigan NW to Golborne and I am very confused as to which lines are which.

 

I know that the Up and Down main (fast?) lines run though the middle of WNW on Platforms 4 and 5, and that platforms 1 and 6 are the Up and down loops.

 

Immediately north of the station the WCML is a 2 track formation, but south running past spring branch and as far as Golborne Junc things get confusing.

 

There are numerous ladders and crossings and there is a burrowing junction near Springs branch.

 

Immediately to the North of Golborne junction the formation is 4 tracks, which I'm numbering 1-4 counting from the Liverpool side.

 

Here's here I get lost (especially if I were driving a train). Tracks 1 & 2 merge, they then merge with track 3 and then there is a facing crossover to track 4.

 

It appears to be UP and Down slow connecting to UP and Down Fast to result in a 2 track line south of the junction.

 

But at Wigan we have Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast, and Up slow. Where is the switch over made, and what about the 6 track section at Springs Branch??

 

Ideally I'd like to see a map which names each individual track but as I can't find one I thought I'd ask the experts on here.

 

Regards,

 

John P

[LMS2968]

I'm not familiar with the present setup, but in former years, south of NW station and from west to eat was Down Slow, Up Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast, Down Goods and Up Goods. The Liverpool lines merged into the Slow lines west to north at Springs Branch Junctions; also was the branch to New Springs heading off north east; then came the Manchester Lines heading east and coming off the Goods and Fast lines. South of this, the Goods lines went downhill to join the Whelley Line, then burrow under the Main lines to join the Slow lines at Bamfurlong Jct. There was also a spur from here heading west to join the Liverpool lines. The then remains only the Slow and Fast lines as far as Golborne Jct.

 

[anroar53]

This is probably not much help as it is 'yonks' old and the track layout must've changed by now. Finished scanning Euston - Carlisle map a few months ago, so here goes.

 

Andy.

 

[APOLLO]

The running lines south of Wigan NW to Golborne Jcn are still the same as your plans show Anwar 53, but the junctions have changed considerably at Wigan, Springs Branch, Bamfurlong and Golborne, ladder formations replacing diamonds mainly and there is a (for the last few years) a bi-directional passenger loop track for the Liverpool trains from platform 6 at Wigan NW to Springs Branch. The only diamond (I think) is now on the slow lines at Springs Branch Jcn where the Liverpool line diverges.

 

Here is the current Network Rail sectional appendix for the North West

 

http://archive.nr.co.uk/browse%20documents/sectional%20appendix/sectional%20appendix%20full%20pdf%20copies/london%20north%20western%20north%20sectional%20appendix.pdf

 

Scroll down to section marked List of Module Pages and Dates (after page 94), then down to Pages 23, 24, 25 & 26  which show the current line plans of this area.

 

Full document all areas  http://archive.nr.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?root=&dir=%5csectional%20appendix%5cSectional%20Appendix%20full%20PDF%20copies

 

Hope this helps.

 

Brit15

Edited February 7, 2018 by APOLLO

[APOLLO]

I'm not familiar with the present setup, but in former years, south of NW station and from west to eat was Down Slow, Up Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast, Down Goods and Up Goods. The Liverpool lines merged into the Slow lines west to north at Springs Branch Junctions; also was the branch to New Springs heading off north east; then came the Manchester Lines heading east and coming off the Goods and Fast lines. South of this, the Goods lines went downhill to join the Whelley Line, then burrow under the Main lines to join the Slow lines at Bamfurlong Jct. There was also a spur from here heading west to join the Liverpool lines. The then remains only the Slow and Fast lines as far as Golborne Jct.

 

 

 

What an interesting map, showing all the "main" lines of long ago. If you add all the colliery & industrial lines etc it would look like a bowl of spaghetti !!!! We are lucky here in Wigan we still have two stations and seven rail routes out of town.

 

There is a thread here on Rmweb for Wigan, Leigh & the surrounding areas railways.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105787-railways-around-wigan-leigh-the-surrounding-areas/

 

Brit15

[beast66606]

Watch in real time

 

http://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/warrington

[big jim]

Apollo beat me to it, I was also going to quote the sectional appendix

 

As it happened I had to do a turn back at springs branch on Saturday night which involves going on the down slow from Golborne, over ince moss chord and onto the down goods to springs branch jn where I changed ends and crossing back over to the up goods and head back aouth to Golborne again but taking the line to lowton jn and onward to newton le willows

 

The up goods from Wigan south jn is permissive freight so it is used to do loco swaps, removals, additions etc as trains can be signalled on to each other, have done it when we needed to put a 70 on the logs, it ran light to springs branch and sat at the signal while the log train ran in behind and coupled up

 

Another ‘keep you out of the way’ move is down goods to platform 1 where you run through the underpass at bamfurlong on the down goods, cross to the up goods at Wigan south jn, which then becomes the up Passenger loop through platform 1

 

It’s a surprising complicated station and surrounding area when it comes to shunting around

[APOLLO]

A  cracking place to spend a Saturday night is Springs Branch Jim !!!!!!!

 

Brit15

[Joseph_Pestell]

This is probably not much help as it is 'yonks' old and the track layout must've changed by now. Finished scanning Euston - Carlisle map a few months ago, so here goes.

 

Andy.

 

18 Winwick - Springs Branch.JPG19 Wigan - Leyland.JPG

 

Very interesting to compare with current layouts.

[jpendle]

Thanks for all your replies, the sectional appendix and the opentraintimes website have answered all my questions. They are a lot better than trying to interpret Google satellite images, especially when the Down Slow is in shadow!

 

Regards,

 

John P

[jpendle]

And a bonus!! Just saw on the opentraintimes site that the Wilton to Knowlsey Bin Liner is now routed over the old L&Y Atherton line from Man Vic, this is the only freight that works this line.

 

Now a question for those who may know. Originally, this service ran from Rochdale through Piccadilly and then on the Liverpool line to Parside Junction and then up the WCML.

 

The route through Atherton would seem to be the better one as it is shorter and less congested, so why the delay in adopting it? Was route knowledge the issue?

 

Regards,

 

John P