Notes: Flow Moss was one of the original passenger stations of George Stephenson's 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway the world's first railway to cater for passengers as one of its primary functions. It was also arguably the worlds first inter city railway. When the line first opened on the 15th September 1830 no details exist of the initial intermediate stops and Walkers accurate description of the line at the time of opening says that fares for intermediate stops had not been settled implying that initially there might not have been any stops.

The earliest known company timetable is 1st March 1831, this did not show times at intermediate stops but did list stops in fare tables. The company minutes of 26th September 1832 did give a full list but no further list was given until January 1846.

There were many early changes of stopping place and name so the early history of intermediate stops is patchy. At first trains stops at, for example, level crossings where the gatekeeper issued tickets; perhaps a room in his cottage was available as a shelter. In 1841 platforms and nameboards were added to stations lacking them. Many of the stations consisted of little more than a basic cottage.

As a result of several letters from farmers on Chat Moss the railway built stations at Flow Moss and Lambs Cottage which opened between November 1832 and September 1838. The company offered to stop as many passenger trains as were required for the 'convenience of the public'. In other cases the company went as far as to cater for individual families.

The station would have been served by local trains running between the two cities or on shorted journeys. A steady stream of express and goods services would have passed through. Being located in an area of sparse population the station was a very early closure closing in 1842.

Click here for a detailed history of the Edge Hill cutting and tunnels, including pictures inside the 1829 Crown Street Tunnel

Further reading: Liverpool & Manchester Railway Operations 1831 - 1845 by Thomas J Donaghy
David & Charles 1972 ISBN 0 71535705 0

To see the other closed stations on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway click on the station name: Liverpool Crown Street, Huyton Quarry, Lea Green, Collins Green, Parkside 1st, Parkside 2nd, Kenyon Junction, Glazebury and Bury Lane, Astley, Lambs Cottage, Barton Moss 1st, Barton Moss 2nd, Weaste, Seedley, Cross Lane, Ordsall Lane, Manchester Liverpool Road