The railways came to Warrington with the opening of the Warrington and Newton Railway in 1831. This was a branch off the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened the previous year.
Making Tracks tells the story of how the railways developed across the country, with particular emphasis on lines that affected the Warrington area. And for the first time, biographies of prominent people connected to the railways, such as George Stephenson, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, William Allcard, William Jessop and John Blenkinsop, to name just a few. During a Commercial Break I will look at some other major railways too, such as the Great Western Railway and the East Coast Main Line, the route of the Flying Scotsman, as well as some miscellaneous signs, notices and quirky items in connection with the railways.
I will include my own photos, plus others licensed from various sources, including readers of the website. I will follow events in chronological order as far as possible, but by using the drop-down menus you can dip in and out as you choose.
A map of north-west English railways long before the Beeching Cuts
The Three Pigeons pub on Tanners Lane. The platform for the railway station is now occupied by the white office block behind the pub. The line itself was a single track running along the right side of the pub. It is said that a small window in the pub served as the ticket office, but this cannot be verified.
Before we read the story of Warrington’s railways in chronological order, I will tell take you back to the beginning of railways.
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