Hidden away surrounded by trees between Molly Wood Lane in the west and the East Lancs line at Rose Grove stands the eery sight of the remains of signal PN386. This signal was a replacement for the old semaphore signal that guarded the entry into Rose Grove from the loop line. This replacement signal was brought in around September 1973 and was a three aspect one, meaning three lights. The top one was green (for clear or go), the middle was yellow (proceed with caution), and the bottom one was red for stop. Half way down the post is a metal ledge, on this a route indicator light sat. During 1973 East Lancashire was resignalled with electrics and they were controlled at Preston's PSB (Power Signal Box). Here we are looking west with Rose Grove behind us, further down the hill towards Padiham was an old yellow distant semaphore signal 520 yards away which survived to the end. Directly behind us are a set of points, one connected the Rose Grove up goods line to enable trains to come down the line going west (signals PN384 & PN385), the other connected to the down goods line for trains coming up to Rose Grove from the loop line travelling east.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
The photo (above) showing the remains of this signal are from behind, left mock up shows it from the front as it would have looked like from a driver's point of view. Here the main red light is on, meaning you are not carrying straight on, but the two white lights under it indicates you are coming of this line and going left and you can carry on. The “G” tells the driver that they are going onto the Rose Grove down goods line. The second mock (right) up is as the first, except SDG is showing, meaning the train is being routed onto the Rose Grove down goods siding.
An extract from the 1973 re-signalling special notice from September of that year. This should help you understand where signal PN386 was located. As well as this signal, PN384 & PN385 were also connected with the branch to Padiham. Near PN385 was a "staff" instrument that was carried by the train down the Padiham branch and back. For safety reasons (this now being a single track) no other trains could be on the line at the same time. Without the staff, a signalman could not operate the points onto the branch nor operate the lights for it. When a train returned to Rose Grove the staff was replaced back near PN385. Click here for a larger version.
Extract from David Allen's BR re-signalling special notice 1330G from 1973, and used by kind permission of The Signalling Record Society
Two old and empty electric cabinets that housed some equipment either for the signal PN386 or possibly for the control of the points onto the down goods line at Rose Grove. The cabinets are next to the old rusty rails of the up line. We are heading west now towards Padiham on 30 September 2018.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
A view in September 2018 from through a metal fence of the rusty rails of the up line which is hidden away by trees. We are looking east here towards the junction with the East Lancs line, note how the track curves to our left for entry onto the down goods line at Rose Grove. If you go to the station here and stand on the Colne / Burnley (east bound) platform you can see this old rusty down goods line. Freight trains coming up from the loop used this line through the station.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
Another closer view of the up line, you can see the wooden sleepers have seen better days, not surprising because by the time this photo was taken (30 September 2018) 25 years had past since the last trains ran along it back in July 1993.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
From the other side of the fence, the remains of the track from the loop line. We are looking east towards Rose Grove from the western (Padiham) side in September 2018. The fence and track were still in situ in 2021. The final track removal from Padiham up to Rose Grove stopped here and this fence was erected to keep the public off railway property.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
On the left you can see a grid or trough which carried cables alongside the former track. At this point we are looking uphill back towards Rose Grove in the east in September 2018.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
One of two stone bridges on the Padiham bank near Rose Grove is partially hidden away from the level of the former track bed. It's not just weathering that has partly coloured the bridge grey, steam locomotives ran this line right until the end of steam at the start of August 1968. We are looking east towards Rose Grove uphillin September 2018. This bridge is the one carrying Molly Wood Lane over the track bed. The Padiham Greenway path has diverged away from the original line here and leads to the lane itself. Directly behind us is a newer bridge carrying the M65 over the line.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
The second stone bridge near Rose Grove (September 2008) is a little closer to Padiham and the tarmac path that runs under it mainly covers the former down line and is part of the Padiham Greenway route. Here we are looking towards Padiham (west) as the path takes us down the bank away from the Rose Grove (east) end. This second bridge was an occupation bridge that gave access to the fields either side of the railway line. The height clearance sign states 5.0 meters, that's 16 feet 4 inches.
Photo by Andrew J Crowther from his Flickr photostream
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