White Moss Level Crossing Halt railway station

White Moss Level Crossing Halt
Location
Place	Skelmersdale
Area	West Lancashire
Coordinates	53°32′36″N 2°48′15″W / 53.543305°N 2.804103°WCoordinates: 53°32′36″N 2°48′15″W / 53.543305°N 2.804103°W
Grid reference	SD467054
Operations
Original company	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Pre-grouping	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Platforms	Two
History
1 July 1906	Opened
18 June 1951	Closed
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Skelmersdale Branch
Legend
Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway Ormskirk Burscough Junction Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway Westhead Halt Skelmersdale White Moss Level Crossing Halt Hey's Crossing Halt Liverpool and Bury Rly Kirkby Bushey Lane Junction Randle Junction Rainford Junction Liverpool and Bury Rly St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway

White Moss Level Crossing Halt railway station was on the Skelmersdale Branch,^[1] which ran from Ormskirk to Rainford Junction via Skelmersdale. Most trains ran beyond Rainford Junction through to St Helens.^[2] It opened on 7 January 1907 and closed on 18 June 1951. The line through the station closed in 1964 and was subsequently lifted. The station was demolished and its site is now buried under the M58 motorway.

Services

In July 1922 16 "Up" (southbound) trains called at the station on weekdays, with an extra on Saturday evenings. All originated at Ormskirk, several with connections from Southport. Ten Up trains called on Sundays. All trains continued to Rainford Junction where a few terminated, the majority continuing all stations to St Helens. The "Down" (northbound) service was similar.^[3]

The trains all consisted of "Motor Cars - One class only". Please note that 'Motor Cars' then did not have their modern meaning, but consisted of a single railway coach joined to a dedicated steam locomotive. Their generic type is summarised in L&YR railmotors. Photographs appear in Bob Pixton's work on the line.^[4]

In 1951 the Up service consisted of nine trains on weekdays with three extra on Saturdays. The rolling stock was "Third Class Only". Of the nine trains five continued past Rainford Junction, all stations to St Helens. Eight trains called on Sundays, plying between Ormskirk and Rainford Junction only. The Down service was similar. As was often the case with such local services, these trains acquired a nickname - "The Skem Dodger".^[5]

All local trains plying between Ormskirk and St Helens called at Rainford Junction, entailing a reverse. None used the 'direct line' between Bushey Lane Junction^[6] and Randle Junction^[7] which formed the third side of the triangle shown on the route diagram. That stretch was the preserve of goods trains, diversions and occasional specials.^[8]

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Hey's Crossing Halt Line and station closed		Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Skelmersdale Branch		Skelmersdale Line and station closed

References

1. Route mileages via railwaycodes.org.uk
2. Smith & Turner 2012, Map 45
3. Bradshaw 1922, p. 485
4. Pixton 1996, pp 87-90 & 101
5. Pixton 1996, p. 91
6. Pixton 1996, p. 92
7. Pixton 1996, p. 98
8. Pixton 1996, p. 102

• Bradshaw (1986), Bradshaw's July 1922 Railway Guide (reprint), Guild Publishing London
• Pixton, Bob (1996), The Archive Photographs Series Widnes and St Helens Railways, The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 0 7524 0751 1
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012), Railway Atlas Then and Now, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 978 0 7110 3695 6

External links

• A detailed history via Disused Stations UK
• The station on an old O.S. Map via npemaps