Chequerbent railway station (Bolton and Leigh Railway)

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Chequerbent
General information
LocationChequerbent, Westhoughton, Bolton
England
Coordinates 53°32′56″N2°29′43″W / 53.5490°N 2.4952°W / 53.5490; -2.4952
Grid reference SD672059
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company Bolton and Leigh Railway
Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway
Key dates
11 June 1831 (1831-06-11)Station opened
2 February 1885 (1885-02-02)Station closed

Chequerbent railway station was a railway station in Westhoughton to the south-west of Bolton, Greater Manchester, on the line between Bolton and Leigh. It was open from 1831 until its replacement in 1885 by a later station.

Contents

History

The Bolton and Leigh Railway (B&LR) opened for goods traffic in 1828, followed by passenger services in 1831. [1]

The railway was built as a single track line and the route included two inclines which were worked using ropes hauled by stationary engines, locomotive haulage being used on the flatter sections of the line. [2] One of these inclines was situated north of Atherton Bag Lane railway station with the line climbing up through Chequerbent before dropping towards Bolton. This incline was operated by a 50 horsepower (37,285 W) stationary steam engine. [1] [3]

The station at Chequerbent opened on 11 June 1831. [4] The station was sited south of the Turnpike road (now the A6) near to the engine winding house. [3] The station site was not marked on contemporary maps but the engine house is clearly marked on the OS six-inch map surveyed in 1845. [5] The station has been described as a convenient "halt" for the Hulton Family, as William Hulton was an early promoter and supporter of the railway. [3] [1]

To avoid these inclines, and allow steam locomotives to haul trains for the entire journey, the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), successor to the B&LR, built deviations over easier gradients. This required the resiting of several stations, including Chequerbent. [1]

The station closed on 2 February 1885 and was replaced by a new Chequerbent only a short distance away on the same day. [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shaw, William Stuart (1983). "A Concise History of the Bolton & Leigh Railway". Wigan: Wigan MBC Leisure Department. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 62. ISBN   1-8526-0049-7. OCLC   19514063. CN 8983.
  3. 1 2 3 Sweeney, D. J. (1996). A Lancashire Triangle Part One. Triangle Publishing. pp. 16–17. ISBN   978-0-9529333-0-4.
  4. 1 2 Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 59. ISBN   978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC   60251199. OL   11956311M.
  5. ↑ "Map of area of original Chequerbent station on a 1845 Lancashire XCIV OS six-inch published in 1849". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Atherton Bag Lane
Line and station closed		  London and North Western Railway
Bolton and Leigh line 		  Daubhill
Line and station closed
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