Along the Whiston Incline - Part 2

[Lancastrian]

This is the length of track that was used for the trials, it was taken from the footbridge crossing the track.

A plaque relating to the trials.

Across the road from the station entrance is the Commercial Hotel.

09 -Hotel Plaque.jpg (27.51 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

Rainhill Trials Museum. The Exhibition is housed in a BR MK 1 coach that was in its original livery on delivery. It sits on its own rails in the grounds of Rainhill Library and was specially converted and connected to the library with a permanent link entrance. The carriage is now painted in a pseudo Liverpool and Manchester yellow livery.

To see the full article ‘The Whiston Incline with many more photographs please go to my web site LINK
The full article ‘The Whiston Incline’ with many more photographs please go to my web site is



The full article is HERE

[glencairn]

Thank you, Lancastrian.
Interesting information and pictures of our railway heritage.

Glencairn

[centenary]

The plaque says the track is straight and level so any reason it's called the Whiston 'incline'?

I remember watching the anniversary of the trials on BBC tv with all the locos resplendent. Was it around 1979?

[Lancastrian]

The track from Liverpool to Manchester was already built and locomotives needed to be able to climb the Whiston Incline on the way via Whiston and Rainhill. Originally, it was thought that steam locomotives would not be able to climb the Whiston incline without the assistance of rope haulage and work began on the construction of a line-side winding engine. The success of the Rocket at the Rainhill Trials eliminated the need for this winding engine and another that was planned at Sutton, so they were never completed. Whilst the actual trials were held on the track shown, the Rocket had no problems with the incline.

Yes it was the 150 years anniversary 1979, I was in a Whiston school field level with track and as close as you get and it was free.

See part 1

[Bufferstop]

Whiston incline quoted as being. 1. in 98. Prior to Rocket most locos had trouble pulling themselves along, so 1 in 98 was regarded as an incline to be overcome. Found it on here!

[Lancastrian]

A railway station for Whiston was planned and work started in the days of the steam locomotives, however shortly after initial work it was cancelled because it was realised that the heavy steam locomotives would have major issues getting started again after stopping at the station going towards Manchester because of the steep incline. Unfortunately I can't find the date of this, however it was finally resolved when the Pacers came into service and British Rail opened Whiston Railway Station in October 1990,

[Bufferstop]

That picture is deceptive, I just checked the gradient of Hatton Bank which definitely looks steep, it's 1 in 105 which is slightly shallower, the old first generation DMUs struggled to restart if they were checked on the bank. Fortunately they'd been replaced by Sprinters by the time they deemed it a great place too build a station, 2 car sets struggled a bit, 3 or more and they could cope. Thanks to Chris Green's insistence in NSE days that his new trains should have similar power to the electric Networkers, he got Turbos which as well as being better engines had no unpowered cars, you were (and still are) left in no doubt that they are Turbos you can hear them for miles on a cold clear morning.

[Bigmet]

...The success of the Rocket at the Rainhill Trials eliminated the need for this winding engine and another that was planned at Sutton, so they were never completed. Whilst the actual trials were held on the track shown, the Rocket had no problems with the incline...

What it must have been like for the competitors as pioneers, right out on the 'bleeding edge' of this technological development. None of the instrumentation and precision tool kits we now take for granted, all you had was your accrued experience, and observation, understanding, and then adjust, modify, alter, repair, as required, with the hand made tools available.