LET'S MAKE A BOLT TO BOLTON

We leave Chorley behind and make a beeline towards Bolton, pausing at Blackrod to catch LMS (ex L&YR) steam railmotor 10617 to Horwich. 

At Horwich, the staff have turned out to greet us.

The L&YR had their main workshops at Horwich. Here, we're inside in pre-grouping days.

LMS 12501 in Horwich Works in the 1940s.

50650 at Horwich in 1949.

More ex L&YR locos at Horwich, it's 1957 now.

There was a small narrow gauge system at Horwich Works, operated by steam and diesel locos.

Across country now (see the map here) to another L&YR line at Bromley Cross station.

Here's the signal box and station in August 1963 (Ben Brooksbank - Creative Commons License).

At nearby Hall-'i-th'-Wood we find this Leyland Atlantean of a local independent, Blue Bus, in 1994.

We're now in the northern outskirts of Bolton, where Bank Top Brewery can be found.

And so to Bolton. The town's main railway station, Trinity Street, is our first stop. Here's the exterior in 1963 (Ben Brooksbank - Creative Commons License).

Inside, LMS railmotor 10617 again.

There was plenty of steam about in the 1960s.

40076 passes through Trinity Street station.

Northern operate most services today.

Close by was the loco shed, seen here in LMS days.

Another railmotor, LMS 10600, on shed in 1936.

A few more steam locos at Bolton shed in BR days.

The Bolton Crook Street Train Crash 16th March 1918

That's where I'll leave you today. Next time, we'll venture into Bolton town centre.