Crow Nest Junction

Crow Nest Junction is a railway junction in North West England. Here, the line which runs east from Hindley railway station divides in two. The northern route runs towards Bolton and the southern route runs towards Manchester Victoria.[1]

Routes

Northern route

Southern route

Signal box

Crow Nest Junction signal box stood by the Down Branch line alongside the road overbridge carrying the road between Higher Barn Farm and Lower Barn Farm on the outskirts of Hindley, Greater Manchester. The signal box was a London Midland Region of British Railways Type 15 design (of timber construction) which opened on 1 October 1972, fitted with a 25-lever London Midland Region Standard lever frame. It replaced an earlier box which was located in the 'vee' of the junction, as part stage C of the commissioning of Warrington power signal box. That box also previously controlled the now-closed line that connected the line from Hindley & Wigan northwards to the Bolton - Chorley & Preston main line south of Blackrod and that was formerly used by Wigan to Blackburn trains until January 1960.

The methods of signalling operation at Crow Nest Junction is the track circuit block system (TCB) to Warrington power signal box in the Hindley direction & the track circuit block system (TCB) to Manchester Piccadilly signalling control centre on both lines (via Lostock Junction & Bolton and via Atherton to Windsor Bridge Junction).

The signalling operation on the southern route (via Atherton) prior to 2013 was by the older method of the absolute block system (AB) as far as Walkden High Level signal box (a distance of around 7 miles).

On the southern route, Crow Nest Junction worked absolute block to the neighbouring signal box at Atherton Goods Yard (when open).

When Atherton Goods Yard signal box was switched out & unmanned, Crow Nest Junction worked AB straight through to Walkden High Level signal box.

The signal box at Crow Nest Junction (along with the signal boxes at Atherton Goods Yard & Walkden High Level) closed in March 2013 with control passing to Manchester Piccadilly signalling control centre.

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References
  1. Baker, S. K., Rail Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland, pp 60-61, Oxford Publishing Company, 1992, ISBN 0860935027


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