East Lancashire Railway (1844–1859)

It began as a railway from Clifton via Bury to Rawtenstall, and during its short life grew into a complex network of lines connecting towns and cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Preston, Burnley and Blackburn.

Parts of the network remain in use today, and a section of the original line between Bury and Rawtenstall is now operated as a heritage railway.

[2] Following an act of parliament to enable them to become a railway company,[2][3] they built their line from Manchester to Bolton, although on a slightly different alignment than was first planned.

[7] Strong financial support was offered to the MB&RR by local businesses, who were unhappy with the idea of the M&LR building their own railway.

[8] The Manchester and Leeds District Board of Trade produced a report in 1845 which gave their backing to the M&LR[12] and the line was sanctioned in 1846, however the MB&RR project was unaffected by this connection.

However, a shortage of workers in 1845 (reflecting the amount of railway construction underway at that time) meant that some men were asked to work on Sundays, resulting in some being charged with breaking the Sabbath.

The railway climbed a constant gradient, across a mixture of viaducts, tunnels, cuttings and embankments, one of which, the mile–long section from Ramsbottom to Stubbins, was substantial.

[16] The extant Clifton Viaduct was built to cross the River Irwell, which flowed 80 feet (24 m) below, and also the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal.

c. xxxv)[10][18] the B&PR was absorbed by the MB&RR on 3 August 1846 under the East Lancashire Railway Amalgamation Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict.

In the end the ELR won its bid, but had to landscape its embankment (which later became the dividing line between Avenham and Miller Parks), make an ornamental arch for carriages and pedestrians crossing under the railway, and build a footbridge on the river viaduct.

Surveyed two days earlier by the Inspector-General of railways, Charles Pasley,[22] who was reportedly satisfied with the project,[13] upwards of 1,000 invitations were delivered to local people, shareholders and other interested parties.

Passengers were provided with a large meal in a closed-off section of a power-loom shed owned by John Robinson Kay.

[23] In November 1846 the company submitted proposals for a new line from Buckley Wells (south of Bury) through Whitefield and Prestwich, to a new terminus at Victoria Station.

[28] The line ran into new platforms built on the east side of the NUR's station, which were managed and staffed by the ELR, and which had their own booking hall and entrance.

[35] The ELR's expansion and the opening of new routes—including an alternative route between Manchester and Leeds—had caused a degree of consternation at the L&YR, but the two companies initially managed to work together successfully.

[36] On the morning of 12 March 1849, despite the presence of police from Bury and Pendleton, the L&YR placed a large baulk of timber across the ELR's line at Clifton Junction, effectively blocking it.

The line remained completely blocked until about mid-day, with a queue of trains from both companies, and from the Blackburn and Darwen Railway, building up on each side of the blockage.

[36] The General Manager of the ELR, Richard Hacking, wrote to The Times newspaper expressing his annoyance at the L&YR's tactics.

He claimed to have received a letter from the company sent on 9 March 1849 informing him of proposed changes to operational procedures resulting from a near-collision at Clifton Junction.

The second change was that "for the safety of the public"[37] all ELR trains would be required to stop before the points at the junction, where all passenger tickets to Manchester would be collected by L&YR employees.

A daily return would be required of all passengers and other freight booked from Salford "for the purpose of keeping regularly and balancing punctually the accounts of the two companies".

In his letter he concluded that the purpose of the L&YR's demands was to impede the flow of ELR traffic to Manchester and onwards to Yorkshire.

Hacking also mentions an approaching up-train from Bolton, which on encountering the blockage apparently moved across to the down line to bypass it – in the face of oncoming traffic.

Hacking's account ends by claiming that Blackmore ordered the L&YR train to move, effectively resolving the dispute.

[38] It was eventually settled in court, with the ELR thereon making a pro rata payment according to the distance travelled on each railway.

One of its earliest orders was for twelve Long Boiler 2-2-2s from Fenton, Craven and Company (at least one of these was used on the inauguration of the railway[14]), but dissatisfied with the locomotives they accepted only four,.

The ELR livery for passenger locomotives was dark green with red brown frames, and polished domes and safety valves.

To succeed Lees at Bury, the LYR appointed John Jacques and Henry Critchley as outdoor and indoor locomotive superintendent respectively: both took up their duties on 24 April 1865.

In 1846 the LYR had begun constructing a proportion of its locomotives in its own workshops (one of the first railways to do so) at Miles Platting, and after the 1859 amalgamation supplied a number of these to the EL section.

The coloured lanterns used as portable signals were painted red on one side (stop), green on another (go slowly), and clear on the third (proceed).