Pilling railway station

Pilling railway station served the villages of Pilling and Stake Pool in Lancashire, England.

Pilling
General information
LocationBorough of Wyre
England
Coordinates53.9224°N 2.8946°W / 53.9224; -2.8946
Grid referenceSD413477
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGarstang and Knot-End Railway
Pre-groupingKnott End Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
5 December 1870Opened
11 March 1872Closed
17 May 1875Reopened
31 March 1930Closed
Garstang & Knot-End Rly
 Knott End-on-Sea
Preesall salt mines
Preesall
 Carr Lane
 Pilling
 Garstang Road Halt
 Cockerham Cross Halt
 Cogie Hill
 Nateby
 Garstang Town
 Garstang and Catterall
Left arrow LNWR (former L&PJR) Right arrow

Under the Garstang and Knot-End Railway

The station opened on 5 December 1870 as the terminus of the Garstang and Knot-End Railway when it opened the 7 miles 1 chain (11.3 km) long line from Garstang.[lower-alpha 1][1][2][3]

The station was located on the southern edge of Stake Pool village to the east of the road running south (now Bradshaw Lane), and was sometimes called Stake Pool station by the local press.[lower-alpha 2] Although called Pilling station, it was about 1,500 yards (1,400 m) from Pilling village across country, or about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) by road.[4]

The line was a single track, and a passing loop, which appeared to cross the adjacent road on the level, was provided at the station to enable the locomotive to run round the train. At this time there was one platform to the south of the running line and a small building between the platform and the road.[4] A small goods yard was to the south and east of the station. Able to accommodate most types of goods including live stock, it was equipped with a half-ton crane.[5] The initial service was for four trains in each direction.[6]

Under the Knott End Railway

The railway company was bought out by the Knott End Railway and the line was extended to Knott End on 30 July 1908, at which time a second platform was built, so that the platforms were either side of the passing loop, the goods yard was extended and a goods shed provided. A substantially larger station building was constructed immediately south of the southern platform.[3][7]

In 1922, the service had increased to six trains each way, with an extra train on Fridays to and from Knott End. There were no services on Sundays.[8]

LMS and closure

The station closed to passengers on 31 March 1930.[2] Despite being closed, the station was still available for goods and parcels, by 1938 the crane had been upgraded to 1 ton capacity.[9] The line and station closed for freight on 31 July 1963.[10] In 1981, it was reported that the station goods yard was now a small industrial estate and the former station house had become a private dwelling.[lower-alpha 3][11]

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Cockerham Cross Halt   Garstang and Knot-End Railway
1870 – 1908		   Terminus
Cockerham Cross Halt   Knott End Railway
Garstang and Knot-End Railway
1908 – 1921
Amalgamated		   Preesall
Cockerham Cross Halt   Knott End Railway
Garstang and Knot-End Railway
1921 – 1923
   Carr Lane
New station
Garstang Road Halt
New station		   London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Knott End Railway
1923 – 1930
Grouping		   Carr Lane

References

Notes
  1. Railways in the United Kingdom are, for historical reasons, measured in miles and chains. A chain is 22 yards (20 m) long, there are 80 chains to the mile.
  2. See for example "District News:Garstang". Preston Chronicle. 2 October 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. Online mapping with street view shows the same situation in 2020

Citations
  1. "Engineer's Line Reference KEL Knott End Line". Railway Codes. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  2. Quick 2022, p. 362.
  3. Grant 2017, p. 214.
  4. "Pilling Station on OS 25 inch map Lancashire XXXVIII.16 (Pilling)". National Library of Scotland. 1893. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  5. The Railway Clearing House 1970, p. 433.
  6. "Garstang and Knot End Railway". Lancaster Gazette. 31 December 1870. p. 5. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Pilling Station on OS 25 inch map Lancashire XXXVIII.16 (Pilling)". National Library of Scotland. 1912. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  8. Bradshaw 1985, p. 590.
  9. The Railway Clearing House 1938, p. 467.
  10. Hurst 1992, p. 22 (ref 1098).
  11. Marshall 1981, p. 154.

Bibliography

Further reading
  • Rush, R.W.; Price, M.R.C. (1964). The Garstang & Knott End Railway. Oakwood Press.
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