Cheadle Hulme Junction

[CosherB]

Why do signallers seem to give priority to Stoke line trains at this junction? I frequently travel from Wilmslow to Manchester and back and often get held short of Cheadle Hulme to accomdate a crossing movement off the Stoke line - even though my train is on time! This happens to Northern 323s, ATW South Wales services, X-Country Bournemouth Voyagers, and even (though much less often) to Virgin Pendelinos.

Supplementary question; when the Macclesfield to Stockport railway was built, why didn't it go direct to Stockport to join the Manchester - Crewe line there? That seems far more logical than the sharp turn at Poynton towards the Crewe line, and the even sharper turn at Cheadle Hulme Junction itself to join that line.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

With regard to your supplementary question, the Manchester and Birmingham Railway constructed the line via Cheadle Hulme and Wilmslow to Crewe in 1842. It was not until 1845 that the junction line from that line, from Cheadle Hulme via Macclesfield to Stoke on Trent was completed, hence the reason for its route.

I have only just finished reading a book on the very early days of this railway that is now long out of print, but was lent to me by another old railway enthusiast.

 

[CosherB]

With regard to your supplementary question, the Manchester and Birmingham Railway constructed the line via Cheadle Hulme and Wilmslow to Crewe in 1842. It was not until 1845 that the junction line from that line, from Cheadle Hulme via Macclesfield to Stoke on Trent was completed, hence the reason for its route.

That doesn't explain it at all. Why was the 1845 line not built to Macclesfield directly from a junction at Stockport, a more direct route and one that would avoid the tight reverse curves to meet the Crewe line at Cheadle Hulme instead of at Stockport?

 

[The Crab]

If I remember correctly there was to have been a direct line to Stockport but when it was delayed it was cheaper to build via the present route.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think that land availability and the price of the land, when these had to be purchased for the line to be built upon, also went towards the line route being chosen.