Northbound Platform

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Northbound Platform

Also worth noting is the platform itself. Whilst the Manchester bound platform is built exclusively from pre-formed concrete components, the Preston bound platform retains much of its earlier stone-built construction. The 1900 map also seems to indicate that the south end of the platform which now ends almost level with that on the other side of the lines, originally ran all the way to the road bridge seen in the photo opposite. This is confirmed by the photograph below (taken from a longer shot of the station).

The metal footbridge in the contemporary shot (above) was added in the 1980s to keep pedestrians off the L&Y road bridge, which is barely wide enough for two cars to pass.

The current shelter on the Preston platform replaced brick-built accommodation in the 1980s. That building can be seen in the colour photograph at the head of this page, and replaced an earlier structure, which can be seen on the 1900 OS maps.

Although this photograph's main subject is the group of buildings on the other side of the lines, it does give some detail of the sparse buildings which were on the northbound platform.

The building nearest the camera on the right lacks a roof, being an open-air urinal. Behind that is the basic waiting room which was still extant in the early 80s. From memory, that had two rooms, with the main one accessible from the front door, and a smaller room accessed via a door on the left of the main waiting area.

This is the water tower which was immediately to the north of the main footbridge which spanned the main lines and goods yard. This shot and the previous one were taken from the elevated position provided by that bridge.

B&W photographs on this page by Eric Blakey courtesy of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society

A second picture of the water tower, with the footbridge and urinal block just visible.

The Platform edge, visible, but not very clear in this photo, is of stone-built construction, with stone slab tops. Much of this remains today.

To the right of this picture were the three sidings which were originally for coal traffic, but were used later for the Cook & Nuttalls "empties".

Imagine standing on the bridge in the picture above, looking northwards over the water tower. From the same position today, you would see just a pair of tracks curving gently past the signal box. 40 years ago, the scene would have been very different. On the far right you might have seen a line of wagons in the exchange sidings for Cook & Nuttalls, with the rail entrance to the paper mill just beyond the signal box. To the left would be the three former coal sidings is occupied by empties from the same place. In the middle of the scene would be the main lines, with the Horwich branch sweeping away to the right, and the entrance to the Goods Yard. Blackrod was still a busy place then.

Despite many years "spotting" at Blackrod, I have almost no photographs to document my time there. This is one of the few that I do have, showing a class 47 diesel, probably on parcels or passenger working. Other than the rolling stock, there is little to distinguish this from the scene today.

My skill as a photographer has also progressed little!

Almost all of the published photographs of Blackrod Station concentrate on the Bolton and Horwich platforms along with the goods yard and L&Y booking office. The northbound platform is therefore much neglected in this respect. This photograph, taken at the very end of the steam era in 1968, shows a brick-built structure which seems to have replaced an earlier building which is shown on maps from around 1900.

Photo : Bernard Mills 1968