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Chequerbent railway station (Bolton and Leigh Railway)

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Coordinates: 53°32′56″N 2°29′43″W / 53.5490°N 2.4952°W / 53.5490; -2.4952
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See also: Chequerbent railway station

Chequerbent
General information
LocationChequerbent, Westhoughton, Bolton
England
Coordinates53°32′56″N 2°29′43″W / 53.5490°N 2.4952°W / 53.5490; -2.4952
Grid referenceSD672059
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyBolton and Leigh Railway
Pre-groupingLondon 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.

History

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c Sweeney, D. J. (1996). A Lancashire Triangle Part One. Triangle Publishing. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-0-9529333-0-4.
  4. ^ a b 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.
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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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