Rookery railway station

Rookery railway station was on the St Helens to Rainford Junction^[1] then Ormskirk line southeast of Rainford, England.^[2]

Rookery
General information
Location	Rainford, St Helens England
Coordinates	53.4963°N 2.7770°W / 53.4963; -2.7770
Grid reference	SD486002
Platforms	Two
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	St Helens Canal and Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
April 1858	First station opened
March 1862	First station closed
1 June 1865	Second station opened
18 June 1951	Closed to passengers

St Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway
Legend
Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Junction Skelmersdale branch Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Village Rookery Old Mill Lane Crank Halt Moss Bank Pilkington Gerards Bridge Liverpool–Wigan line to Wigan North Western St Helens Central (original GCR station) St Helens Central Liverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire Railway Liverpool–Wigan line to Liverpool Lime Street Peasley Cross Hays Chemicals Sutton Oak Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Manchester Victoria Robins Lane Halt St Helens Junction Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Liverpool Lime Street Clock Face Union Bank Farm Halt Farnworth & Bold Appleton Ann Street Halt Warrington and Stockport Railway Vladivar Vodka distillery Warrington Arpley Chester–Warrington line to Chester Warrington Bank Quay High Level│Low Level West Coast Main Line Whitecross Sankey Bridges Fidlers Ferry & Penketh Fiddlers Ferry power station Cuerdley Widnes loop to Sankey Tanhouse Lane Widnes Central Cheshire Lines Committee (Liverpool–Manchester) Hough Green Widnes South Runcorn Gap (second) Runcorn Gap (first) swing bridge Widnes Dock Ditton Mill Weaver Junction–Liverpool line to Weaver Junction & Euston Runcorn Bridge Ditton Junction Halebank Speke 1864 extension to Liverpool Church Road Garston Garston Container terminal Garston Dock Garston and Liverpool Railway to Hunts Cross Hunts Cross chord Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Central Allerton West Allerton Mossley Hill Sefton Park Wavertree Liverpool & Manchester Railway Edge Hill Liverpool Lime Street
This diagram: view talk edit

History

The first station opened in 1858 and closed in March 1862. A second station of the same name opened on a site a short distance further north on 1 June 1865.

The station had distinctive wooden buildings on each platform with curved overhanging roofs^[3] to provide protection from inclement weather. Some other stations on the line had buildings of the same pattern.

The second station closed on 18 June 1951. Goods trains continued to pass through the station site until 6 July 1964 when the line north of Mill Lane was closed and lifted. Both Rookery stations have been demolished.

Services

In July 1922 thirteen "Up" (southbound) trains called at the station on weekdays, with an extra on Saturday evenings. All originated at Ormskirk, several with connections from Southport. Ten Up trains called on Sundays. All trains continued all stations to St Helens. The "Down" (northbound) service was similar.^[4]

The trains all consisted of "Motor Cars - One class only". 'Motor Cars' then did not have their modern meaning, but consisted of a single railway coach joined to a dedicated steam locomotive. Their generic type is summarised in L&YR railmotors. Photographs appear in Bob Pixton's work on the line.^[5]

In 1951 the Up service consisted of five trains on weekdays with three extra on Saturdays, all stations to St Helens. The rolling stock was "Third Class Only". No trains called on Sundays. The Down service was similar.^[6]

All local trains plying between Ormskirk and St Helens called at Rainford Junction, entailing a reverse. None used the 'direct line' between Bushey Lane Junction^[7] and Randle Junction^[8] which formed the third side of the triangle shown near the top of the route diagram. That stretch was the preserve of goods trains, diversions and occasional specials.^[9]

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Old Mill Lane Line and station closed		London and North Western Railway St Helens Canal and Railway		Rainford Village Line and station closed

References

Notes

1. Engineers' Line Reference & mileages via railwaycodes
2. Smith & Turner 2012, Map 45
3. Pixton 1996, p. 100
4. Bradshaw 1985, p. 485
5. Pixton 1996, pp 87-90 & 101
6. Pixton 1996, p. 91
7. Pixton 1996, p. 92
8. Pixton 1996, p. 98
9. Pixton 1996, p. 102

Sources

• Bradshaw, George (1985) [July 1922]. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland: A reprint of the July 1922 issue. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
• Pixton, Bob (1996), Widnes and St Helens Railways, The Archive Photographs Series, Stroud: The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7524-0751-7
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012), Railway Atlas Then and Now, Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7110-3695-6

External links

• The station's history Disused Stations
• The station on an 1888-1913 Overlay OS Map National Library of Scotland
• The station on a 1948 O.S. Map npemaps
• The station and line on multiple overlain maps Rail Map Online
• The station among others Google images