Station Name: HELSBY & ALVANLEY[Source:
Paul Wright]
Looking north from the north end of the platform at Helsby & Alvanley station in the early years of the Twentieth Century. The Helsby & Alvanley station signal box that dated from 1889 is clearly shown. Railway employees including station staff, signalmen and a locomotive crew are posing for the photographer. The locomotive appears to be a Charles Reboul Sacré design 'Class 18' 0-6-0 goods engine dating from 1869. Charles Sacré was the chief engineer of the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway from 1858 to 1886. One 'Class 18' locomotive survived into LNER ownership but it was scrapped in 1924. A batch of these locomotives was converted into saddle-tanks during the Great Central Railway and they became Class J28 under the LNER. They had all been withdrawn by 1930. When this 6-inch scale map was drawn in 1873 Helsby and Alvanley station was in a sparsely populated and remote area. The goods facilities can be seen to the north of Chester Road. Helsby and Alvanley station shown on a 25-inch scale map from 1897. To the north of the station can be seen the goods facilities and a turntable. Helsby and Alvanley station shown on a 25-inch scale map from 1935. The Helsby and Alvanley station goods yard shown on a 25-inch scale map from 1935. The Helsby & Alvenley locomotive shed which closed in 1929 is also shown. Helsby & Alvenley station seen from the air in 1939. The passenger station is seen above the main road and the goods facilities below. The private siding that served the British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd works can be seen leading off from the goods yard. Copyright photo with permision from the Britain from Above website Helsby and Alvanley station in the Summer of 1949 still carried its nameboard despite the fact that this was one of the periods when the station was closed to passenger services. In this view looking south the station appears to be remarkably well kept. The occupants of the station house were no doubt eager to keep it in good order. Photo from the John Mann Collection Helsby & Alvanley station looking south on 31 May 1972. Photo by Keith Holt from the KDH Flickr photostream A view looking south at Helsby and Alvanley station in January 1980. At this time a steady stream of goods services continued to pass through the station. In particular large quantities of petrochemical products passed along the line and continued to do so until the early 1990s. Photo by John Mann. The site of Helsby & Alvanley stations goods yard looking north on 17 May 1991. The yard had been to the left of the line the goods shed being at the point where a tractor can be seen. The train was a Freightliner service from Ellesmere Port to Crewe. Photo by Dave Sallery from his Flickr photostream Helsby & Alvanley station looking south on 4 March 1995 after track lifting had started. Photo by David McGuire from the DMC1947 Flickr photostream Home Page
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