The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened in 1830 and it was the first modern railroad. These trains strengthen the economy and manufacturing industry of Manchester. The Manchester Liverpool Road was the world’s first purpose-built passenger and goods railway station and served as the Manchester terminus on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway – the world’s first inter-city passenger railway. It is still extant and its buildings form part of the Museum of Science and Industry.
Photographer David Rostance took these amazing photographs of Manchester trains and stations in the 1980s. The Government ran the railway until 1989, the privatization took place in the mid-90s.
#1 Stockport Viaduct, July 1984
#2 Manchester Victoria, October 1986
#3 Brush Type 4 No. 47489 heads the 07.17 Harwich Parkestone Quay – Glasgow Central past Kearsley Junction on 5th January 1985.
Kearsley power station closed in 1980 and the five cooling towers, two of which are visible here, were demolished during the week of 14th May 1985. Kearsley Junction signal box was closed on 7th September 1986 and was destroyed in an arson attack a month later on the 7th October. The junction referred to in the name of the box was with the line to Linnyshaw Moss where there were colliery workings. The branch closed north of Kearsley Branch Sidings on the 15th August 1971 but the sidings remained in use until the CEGB power station branch closed in 1977.
#4 English Electric Type 4 No. 40082 passes Mottram yard with the ‘Humberside Envoy’, a Hull
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#7 Longsight, February 1984
#8 Type AL5 ac electric 85020 waits to leave Manchester Piccadilly with empty stock for Longsight carriage sidings on 23rd June 1984.
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#10 Kearsley Junction, January 1985.
I imagine that the incompliant exhaust resulted in the shots produced by my three colleagues ending up in the bin. I think, however, that there are sufficient ancillary features in this view to justify inclusion here. LNER Gresley Class A4 4-6-0 No. 4498 SIR NIGEL GRESLEY passes Kearsley Junction signal box with the Thames-Trent Express on 5th January 1985.
