The Old Preston Junction Railway (now Preston Junction Nature Reserve)

[LewisS]

Hi guys and girls,

I've finally got round to getting a report for you all. My apologies for the pictures as I'm very much a novice at photography.

First off I'll start with the history of this railway junction. Most will be lifted from wiki with a sprinkling of my memories from when I was a kid growing up in Lostock Hall.

I began this report at the site of the old Todd Lane Junction station. When I first moved to Lostock Hall in 1988, the track had already gone and all that remained in this area was the old bridge with four arches, if memory serves correctly, two of which for the line and the other two were built into the banking and the old station platform.

Todd Lane Junction, previously called Preston Junction until 1952, was a railway station between Preston and Bamber Bridge which closed in 1968. The station was immediately to the north of a triangular junction between lines from Preston, East Lancashire via Bamber Bridge, and Ormskirk via Lostock Hall. The station served as an interchange between the lines. The line from Preston to Bamber Bridge via Todd Lane remained open for passenger trains until 1972. After that the line was retained to serve Lostock Hall Gas Works. The line was closed in 1977 and the trackbed is now a public footpath and cycleway.

This line also connected with the engine and goods yards on the road between Preston and Leyland, which in their heyday were considered amongst the largest yards of their type in Europe.



This is the view that you're now met with when you enter the nature reserve on Todd Lane North. Even though you see all the greenery I can still vividly picture the old station and the track bed. A great place to play and scare each other as kids with a story of a phantom ticket collector who would collect your head if you didnt have a valid ticket. Kids are sick.

This particular railway linked up to Bamber Bridge behind the football ground and also the line that now runs through Lostock Hall on Watkin Lane at two different points. I have however chosen to go towards Preston City Centre.



As you can see the track bed is now considerably thinner than it was. Down the side of the old trackbed now runs a stream that was put in for cosmetics.

Just a bit further down from the station is the Lostock Hall Gas Works. Plans are currently under way to create a link from the nearby busy Leyland Road through the Gas Works to Watering Pool Lane where this bridge passes over.



This is the view down from the bridge. No cars can get down here yet but it won't be long due to the housing estates that are being built around here. Pass over the bridge and you'll see a path that leads down to the road so you can get a good look of this old beauty.



I took a few photos of this bridge and tried experimenting. I'm only using my HTC Desire HD mobile to take these pictures by the way. As I get into this I will invest in decent equipment.



Sepia experiment



Black and white experiment with the wife in the background.



Vintage Cold experiment



The underneath of the bridge. As you can see time has been reasonably kind to this structure and the good people of South Ribble Borough Council have finally put a light up underneath.



As you move over the Gas Works bridge you come to this shaded stretch of the old line. A nice walk and also it has the old sidings that you can walk along if you so choose.





A view to the sidings that nature has reclaimed.

Further down you come to the end of the sidings which still runs parallel to the old trackbed. Over the other side of the sidings wall you come to an old Urbex favourite. Vernon Carus!!!



A further trip down the old trackbed reveals a road to enter the Vernons Carus site.



I didn't venture down as the old railway was my concern today. Vernons can wait for another day although I'd better hurry up. If you want to walk down to Avenham the easy way then you can take Old Tram Road.



Covered well and truly by trees I believe this was just an old road and had no revelance to the old train line. It was at this point that me and the wife were boiling hot and we decided to call this journey over. Our next journey down the walk will take in the rest of the route to Preston Station and will see us go over the old railway bridge on Avenham Park.

I hope you've enjoyed this first report and any criticism won't be taken with me being a smacked arse.