WIDNES DEVIATION RAILWAY

(Carterhouse Junction)

[Source: Paul Wright]

Carterhouse Junction was formed when the deviation line opened to freight traffic on 1 November 1869. The junction was located to the west of a level crossing that linked Tanhouse Lane to the banks of the River Mersey via a swing bridge over the Sankey canal which ran parrallel to the railway on its south side.

From the start the junction was controlled by a signal box. The first box survived until 1896 when it was replaced by an LNWR type 4 that had a brick base and timber upper cabin. The box was equipped with a 30 lever frame. It was located on the west side of the crossing on the south side of the line the junction being just to its west.

By the 1890s two large factories had opened on the north side of the line at Carterhouse. To the west of Tanhouse Lane was the Pilkington Works and to the east the Sullivan Works. Both had their own sidings. Sidings had also been provided in the fork of the junction accessed via the original Garston and Warrington line.

There was also a short branch line from Carterhouse Junction which came off the original line, passed under the deviation and ran to the Cornubia Works. It had fallen out of use by the 1940s.

Carterhouse Junction continued to be a junction between the deviation and the original route of the Garston and Warrington railway until 10 March 1969. On that date the original line closed as a through route. From Carterhouse Junction to the Musspratt Works of ICI the line remained open as a siding. It was cut back in stages being converted to act as a stone terminal in the early 1980s. It had ceased to be used by the 1990s.

From 18 April 1982 Carterhouse Junction signal box had control of a new junction. This was a connection from the deviation line to Tanhouse Yard.

Sidings into what had been the Sullivan Works continued to be used until the late 1990s.

In 2000 the yard at Tanhouse closed. Carterhouse Junction signal box served little purpose and was switched out for much of the time. From 2003 it was switched out on a permanent basis. By December 2005 the connection to the stone terminal had been removed and on 3 December 2006 Carterhouse Junction signal box was officially abolished. It was demolished on Sunday 14 April 2007.


Looking east at the Widnes Deviation line at its eastern end on 1 September 2005. Carterhouse Junction is just out of view to the right.
Photo by Terry Callaghan


Carterhouse Junction shown on a 1905 map. The junction is seen bottom right. The original Garston and Warrington line and its sidings are marked (as Warrington and Garston Line). The deviation is seen above the original line and the Cornubia Works branch passing beneath it. At the top of the map is the Tanhouse Goods yard of the Great Central and the Midland Railway.


Looking west towards Carterhouse Junction in the mid-1960s. To the left is the deviation line and to the right the original line of the Garston and Warrington railway. Carterhouse Junction signal box is seen in the distance. A train of chemical tanks is heading towards the junction from the original line.
Photo by Richard Mercer

A drivers eye view of the Widnes Deviation looking west away from Carterhouse Junction on 2 July 1996. The route of the original Garston and Warrington railway is seen to the left one track still being in situ. In later years this line had been part of a stone terminal siding the through route having closed on 10 March 1969. The deviation line begins its climb just beyond the junction.
Photo by John Wilson

Carterhouse Junction looking west from the signal box in 1968. A rail tour is seen passing the box and going onto the deviation line. The original course of the Garston and Warrington railway continues westwards parallel to the Sankey canal.
Photo by Les Fifoot


A train of empty coal wagons hauled by a class 37 locomotive comes off the deviation line at Carterhouse Junction on 2 February 1984 en route from Garston to Mansfield.
Photo by John Wilson


Carterhouse Junction signal box on 5 April 1988.
Photo by Harry Gardner


On 28 February 1984 a train of empty stone wagons comes out of the siding at Carterhouse Junction that was once the original route of the Garston and warrington railway.
Photo by John Wilson


On 5 March 1984 class 40 number 40 003 heads east past Carterhouse Junction signal box.
Photo by John Wilson


Carterhouse Junction looking west in the early evening in October 1987 as a freight train heads east hauled by two class 20 locomotives.
Photo by Terry Callaghan


Looking west at the site of Carterhouse Junction on 28 December 2005. The stone terminal line, until 10 March 1969 the original route of the Garston and Warrington railway through Widnes, had been lifted.
Photo by Paul Wright

A view looking east towards Warrington from the towpath of the Sankey canal on 14 March 1992. Carterhouse Junction signal box is seen to the left. About to pass the box is a rail tour.
Photo by John Wilson


Carterhouse Junction looking west on 24 May 2005. The signal box had not closed by this time but it was unmanned and boarded up. The scaffold was to support the box which had started to lean dangerously towards the canal. It was officially taken out of use on 3 December 2006. It was demolished on 14 April 2007.
Photo by Paul Wright

Carterhouse Junction looking west on 20 October 2012. all trace of the signal box and the junction had been swept away. The train approaching the level crossing was the Ferry go Round rail tour en route to Latchford where it would turn round and head back to Fiddlers Ferry Power station.
Photo by Terry Callaghan

To see more views of Carterhouse Junction signal box click here

To return to the Widnes Deviation Railway page click here

 

 

 

[Source: Paul Wright


Last updated: Thursday, 18-May-2017 17:23:40 CEST
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