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The development of Lostock Hall as a railway centre [1846-1881]

Rail connections eastwards from Preston first came to be established from 1st June 1846 with the opening of the Blackburn & Preston Railway. This short-lived company had constructed a route from Blackburn to join up with the existing 1838 North Union Railway at Farington, just under 3 miles south of Preston. The actual connection was originally made by means of a (now long-vanished) sharply-curved spur that joined the NU tracks immediately to the north of the (also now-demolished) Farington Junction signal box. (See map on next page).

A little over two months later, anxious to establish routes of its own towards the ports of Merseyside and the Lancashire Coast, the B&PR was absorbed by the rapidly-expanding East Lancashire Railway Company.  The latter proceeded to acquire the assets of the Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway (upon which construction had yet to commence) and successful achievement of such an ambition then appeared to be in sight.

From the outset, the B&P provided locomotive-servicing facilities close to the eastern extremity of its territory, namely at Farington, these actually being located in the nearby small village of Lostock Hall. The first structure, a single-road engine shed, came to be erected in 1846 on the eastern side of Watkin Lane (the present-day A49 Preston to Wigan road) at a point very close to the site of the later L&Y goods warehouse – the latter remaining a familiar sight in the area well into the 1960s. From very early maps, it is also thought that this was adjacent to the original Lostock Hall station.

Given that it did only survive in that location until 1848, this was presumably merely a temporary arrangement.  Certainly, that building seems to have been merely of timber construction, for it eventually came to be dismantled piece-by-piece, subsequently to be re-erected in Blackburn at the other end of the Company’s route and probably with a similar purpose in mind.  (This may very well have been the structure that then appeared on a site near to Taylor Street goods depot.)  

Tracks from the Liverpool direction via Ormskirk having finally arrived in the Lostock Hall area shortly afterwards, the new line was opened to traffic on 24th April 1849.  Crossing the North Union main-line by an over-bridge immediately to the north of now long-vanished Farington Station (closed 1957), the actual physical connection with the existing Blackburn route was then laid-in by Moss Lane bridge and at what soon came to named as Lostock Hall Junction.  

Such a sudden increase in traffic resulted in a necessity for a much larger motive power depot with its associated servicing facilities to be established in the locality.  Immediately to the west of the new junction and adjacent to the north side of the Liverpool tracks, new sidings were therefore laid-in on spare land adjacent to Moss Lane, with a two-track through-road engine shed soon coming to be erected there.  Until at least the early 1970s, a large single-pitched roof timber-construction building existed on the same site, in use as the local Carriage & Wagon repair depot. Clearly of considerable age, the suggestions are that this may very well have been the original loco-shed structure.  

Following closure of the original facility, the building itself continued to be used as a Carriage & Wagon maintenance facility, surviving as such until the early 1970s, when history came to repeat itself with the occupation by the Carriage & Wagon Dept of the vacated former 10D steam shed.

A 1960 view of Lostock Hall Junction looking west showing, to the right, what is thought to be the 1849 to 1881 two-road locomotive depot.  This building survived as a carriage & wagon maintenance depot until the 1970s.  
Picture: J. Yates (courtesy Foxline Publications)
The new junction being situated a couple of hundred yards to the east of the first, as well as the present-day, Lostock Hall station, apparently expectations were that the bulk of new business would materialise between the cotton mill towns of East Lancashire and the port of Liverpool. In actual fact, it came to transpire that an equal (if not greater) requirement had been created for direct Liverpool to Preston (and Scottish) traffic.  However, given the very basic rail network in the Preston area at that early date, this unexpected demand was going to cause serious problems within Lostock Hall itself and, certainly through trains were clearly faced with the not inconsiderable inconvenience of having to reverse direction here, before proceeding to, or arriving from, the junction with the NUR at Farington. Such an awkward arrangement that necessitated a change in engines at Lostock Hall endured until 1850, when, following a difficult period in its relationship with the North Union – much of this arising from increasing problems over conflicting traffic movements on the level in the Farington area - the East Lancashire eventually gained independent access to Preston station over a route of its very own.  

From a triangular junction between Lostock Hall and Bamber Bridge, a new line was laid direct to what later became known as the ‘East Lancs Side’ of Preston Station and involving a second rail bridge crossing over the River Ribble.

To complete the story, the curve to Farington immediately became redundant and was closed, although, in 1886, most of the track-bed was utilised to provide access to a new south-facing junction with the North Union – one that allowed traffic to run directly from Blackburn towards Wigan and vice-versa.  Heavily used over the years by minerals and general merchandise traffic, the connection survives intact today and still sees much use as an important diversionary route, permitting direct access to the Settle & Carlisle line without the inconvenience of a reversal in Preston. Local railwaymen know it as “The Back Line”.

Elsewhere in the Preston area, having already absorbed the Bolton & Preston Railway, the L&Y was making major inroads into creating potential business between the industrial conurbations of Manchester/Bolton and the Lancashire Coast.  Indeed, this was a major factor in the Company assuming joint responsibility with the L&NWR from 28th July 1849 over the operation of the Preston & Wyre Railway.  The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway being incorporated in 1847 as an amalgamation of several important lines (the chief of which was the 1836 Manchester and Leeds Railway), it was, perhaps, inevitable then that, on 13th May 1859, the East Lancashire Railway itself became absorbed into the L&Y system.

Locomotives arriving at Preston came to be stabled in a very cramped and primitive depot situated in the fork created by the L&NWR main-line and the East Lancashire platforms at the station.  This was a brick-built 5-track straight dead-ended shed with a gable-style slate roof. Facilities included a turntable, a coaling-stage, a water-tank and a repair shop. However, in 1877, the building had to be modified by being shortened in length due to the inevitable enlargements that were taking place to the station area.

Facilities included a turntable, a coaling-stage, a water-tank and a repair shop. However, in 1877, the building had to be modified by being shortened in length due to the inevitable enlargements that were taking place to the station area.

A view of Preston Butler Street Goods Depot in the 1860's.  Part of the original ELR locomotive depot can be seen to the right of the picture.  

Picture: Collection the late Greg Fox
 

Unfortunately that’s all we have in this section for now, so before you continue on to the next page, please do consider the following.

What you have just been reading is, of course, only a small part of the story of Lostock Hall MPD ….  all of it having been gratefully received from a mere handful of contributors who have so generously assisted us to-date.  

There are obviously many more stories out there just waiting to be told … only these haven’t as yet been passed on to us!  Therefore, in order to start filling-in many missing pieces in this, still very incomplete, jigsaw, please do now consider making a contribution of your own.

Items of information and scanned photographs would be most welcomed. Alternatively, you might wish to share your footplate experiences by meeting up for a pint and a natter in the pub, or, failing that, through merely participating in our “Discussion Forum” (as many already have done). Regardless of how you make contact and irrespective of whatever manner you feel you may be able to assist, please DO get in touch!

 

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