Congratulations on some seriously impressive research. You have details here which would never have been known to the L&Y, LMS or BR staff files!
Thanks very much for that, I can't stress enough just how many times I felt like giving up on this list!
Excellent work, well done, Andy.
Just one question - re. W. W. Parry (Simonstone, 1940-41): "SM of Whitchurch". Is that Whitchurch, Shropshire, or one of the two stations in Whitchurch, Hampshire?
And again, thanks, couldn't have completed this without your help! I know you know just how difficult and time consuming railway research can be, and I always enjoy reading your articles.
Almost certainly the one in Shropshire
Yes, it was indeed the one in Shropshire.
Having joined the railway at Pen-y-Groes in 1918, believe Welshman Mr. William Walter Parry 's appointment as stationmaster at Whitchurch in 1962 was possibly his very last railway placement before retiring in March 1966.
Thanks for confirming Mr. Parry's first two names, I've updated my notes accordingly.
Yes, Mr. Parry did retire at Whitchurch after many years of railway service in 1966.
By the way, James Cottom was born in 25th August 1874.
Thanks for the DOB confirmation, I have also amended my list as you say, hopefully at some point in the future the amendments will turn up of the Disused Stations site.
As a resident of Great Harwood from 1973 to 1978 I never saw any trains through the town, but nevertheless appreciate the work done on the history of the loop line. I worked at the back of the Mullard factory in Little Harwood, where the line ran just the other side of the wire fence, and often wished trains still passed to add some interest.
Where you worked was roughly where an old coal mine called "Blow up" was plus around eight cottages named after the pit. By 1842ish it was abandoned and the L&Y had to demolish around half of the cottages during construction. I too wished that back in the 1970's the line was still open but sadly we missed it, from 1972 to 1976 and that long heatwave the cutting next to Harwood station was unceremoniously filled in with industrial and domestic waste - Boy did that stink!!
As someone who grew up in Nelson and lived in the area for 50 years, I am impressed by the research you have done into a line which was only a few miles away from me and to which I never paid much attention. Good work.
You probably knew someone who did travel along the loop line, it was a common route especially during the town holidays, thanks for the kind words.
Regarding the list of SM's - I mentioned in a different thread about my findings. Simonstone was the real surprise to me, roughly double the number of SM's than that of the two town stations, a place to be assigned your first SM position and gain experience. It wouldn't surprise me that many such small stations around the country were used like, well almost a school for first time station masters.
What I do see in the list is during the L&Y days, unsurprisingly SM's tend to move from one local station to another not too far away. Once the LMS takes over, SM's could move a great distance such as Mr. Parry from Wales and even further when BR are in charge, Mr. Turner for example moved up to Dundee...
Finally, thanks to each and every one of you who has helped me compile this list, I simply couldn't have done it without you all!
Andy.
