Tanhouse Lane railway station

Tanhouse Lane railway station is a closed station on the former Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee line, which formed a loop off the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) line in the Widnes area between Liverpool Central and Manchester Central.[2] It was opened on 1 September 1890 as "Tanhouse",[3] being changed later to "Tanhouse Lane". It closed on 5 October 1964.[4][5][6]

Tanhouse Lane
Location	Widnes, Halton England
Coordinates	53.36278°N 2.71139°W
Grid reference	SJ527853
Platforms	2[1]
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Pre-grouping	Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Post-grouping	Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Key dates
1 September 1890	Station opened as "Tanhouse"
Before 1922	Station renamed as "Tanhouse Lane"
5 October 1964	Station closed

Widnes Loop Line
Cheshire Lines Committee formerly to Manchester Central Sankey for Penketh Widnes Junction Tanhouse Lane St Helens & Runcorn Gap Rly to Runcorn Gap Widnes Widnes Central Marsh Branch Moor Lane Junction Landowners' Branch Hale Road Tunnel Hough Green Junction Hough Green Cheshire Lines Committee formerly to Liverpool Central

In 1922 13 "Down" (towards Liverpool) trains called on "Week Days" (Mondays to Saturdays). Eight ran from Warrington Central, two from Manchester Central and two started at Tanhouse Lane itself, all headed for Liverpool Central. One ran from Tanhouse Lane to Garston and there was the 12:15 from London Marylebone to Liverpool Central which called at Tanhouse Lane at 18:59. "Up" services were similar.[7]

The station was situated in an industrial area and was popular with workers travelling to and from it.[8] With the rise in the use of the motor car, the station was nominated for closure in the Beeching Report.[8][9] The final services ran on 3 October 1964, with the first service of the morning to terminate at Tanhouse Lane being a workmen's train;[8] and the station closed from 5 October 1964.[5][6] The goods yard remained in use until the late 1990s to serve the Blue Circle cement facility on Tanhouse Lane.[8] The area fell into dereliction[10] until a short section of the former Widnes Loop was converted into a heritage feature.[8] A short section of a wall from the station can still be seen.[8]

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Widnes Central Line and station closed		Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee Widnes Loop		Sankey Line closed, station open

References

1. Pixton 2007, p. 74.
2. Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. p. 45, section D4. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
3. Dow 1962, p. 128
4. "Disused Stations: Tanhouse Lane station". Disused Stations. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
5. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
6. Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
7. Bradshaw 1985, pp. 720–5
8. "The GC & MR Joint". The 8D Association. October 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
9. Beeching, Richard (1963). "The Reshaping of British Railways" (PDF). HMSO. p. 120.
10. Shannon & Hillmer 2003, p. 113

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 and Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
• Dow, George (1962). Great Central, Volume Two Dominion of Watkin 1864-1899. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-1469-5. OCLC 655324061.
• Pixton, Bob (2007). Liverpool Manchester 2:Cheshire Lines. Southampton: Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-03-6.
• Pixton, Bob (1996). Widnes and St. Helens Railways. NPI Media Group. ISBN 978-0-7524-0751-7.
• Shannon, Paul; Hillmer, John (2003). Manchester and South Lancashire. British Railways Past and Present. Kettering: Past & Present Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85895-197-3. No 41.
• Townley, C.H.A. (2002). The industrial railways of St. Helens, Widnes and Warrington. Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 978-1-901556-25-4.
• Wright, Paul (2011). Lost Stations of North West England. Silverlink Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85794-371-9.

External links

• Tanhouse Lane station on a navigable 1946 O.S. map
• Tanhouse Lane station via Disused Stations UK
• Widnes Loop via 8D Association