The line closed on 5th December 1966. Bacup engine shed originally stood in the place that you can now see the cattle docks on the right in
the picture above. When the Facit line was being extended into Bacup the station was remodelled and the shed moved to its new site. Which
was on the line to Rochdale about half a mile up New Line.The platform was also remodelled at the same time and was made into a covered
platform with a track on either side with offices facing onto Rockliffe Road.The goods yard was situated behind what was Inda Mill.
The engine sheds were situated on New Line. Amongst many others there were three main passenger engines stationed at Bacup.These
being 601 Odin, 603 Clio and 618 Titan. They were built at Bury in 1867 and later altered to Tender Engines. Also seen at Bacup was the
Aspinall which were seen on the Bacup to Bury lines until around 1956.Also at Bacup were the Standard 2T 84013 and in June of 1934 were
Nos. 10721/37/66 and 10806/58/59/63. These would all work to Bury and Rochdale.The track leading of to the left was to Rochdale whilst to
the right the line to Rawtenstall.
A report in April 1912 gave the following figures for the railways of the Kingdom. All told, there were 1,070 fatalities during the year and the
number of persons injured was 8.345. But these figures include the employees of the companies and the considerable number of persons who
trespass on the railways. Taking passengers only, the number killed was 106, and the non fatal accidents 2,725, which was a decrease upon
the previous year. But the accidents to railway servants showed an upward tendency and reached the formidable totals of 390 fatalities and
5,311 cases of injury. As is usually the case, most of the victims of these accidents were shunters, goods guards, or brakemen. In addition
there were 574 deaths including suicides and 309 cases of injury among other persons than passengers and railway employees.
On the 25th September 1852 the local newspaper announced “ It is expected that the line of
railway from Newchurch to Bacup will open shortly for traffic in a few days. Already the services
of the greater portion of the navvies employed on the work have been dispensed with, and the
inhabitants of the district do not regret the departure of these rough colonists, who in their
occasional bacchanalian hilarity disturbed the peace and alarmed the quiet inhabitants of the
district”. The line from Rawtenstall to Waterfoot or Newchurch has it was known at the time had
been opend t0 passengers since the 27th March 1852. Faced with the obstruction of the "
Thrutch Gorge" or better known today by the name of "The Glen" it was another four years
before passenger trains began running from Waterfoot to Bacup, this took place on 1st October
1852. On the day of opening many persons travelled along the line, which was described as a
most romantic one the fare being two pence meant that many could afford to travle on the new
line and it was recorded that four hundred persons travelled from Newchurch to Bacup and back
two days later on Sunday 3rd October. Several months followed before goods trains began
running through to Bacup this taking place in February 1853.
By 1865 it had become apparent that the single line was just not enough commercial travellers complained that Bacup was just a terminus that
they could not continue on to other places such as Rochdale, Burnley or Todmorden from Bacup to continue thier business without having to go
back on themselves. That it was quicker to walk over the hills to get to these places and cheaper, as at this time the fare to Manchester was 1s
10d, and so it was decided to open another line from Bacup to Rochdale, the line opened on 1st
December 1881.The Facit to Bacup line was known locally as the " New Line " hence the name of
the road we know today.
By March 1878 the company of Messrs Dransfield and Thompson had won the contract to install a
second track from Waterfoot to Bacup which of course meant the need to excavate another tunnel
at the Thrutch and at Stubylee the tunnel at Stubylee was approximately 144 yards long. The line
opened in 1880 with travell from Bacup to Bury taking approximately 32 to 34 minutes and a
minute or two longer was added for journeys from Bury to Bacup to compensate for the gradients.
Trains made a shorter trip to Ramsbottom every evening returning at 6.37pm.There was also a
through train from Bolton to Bacup each day leaving Bolton at 9.00am and due into Bacup at
9.48am,travelling via Radcliffe but with no corresponding service in the reverse direction.. On
Sundays there were four steam trains in each direction Bacup, Bury through to Manchester and
Manchester, Bury through to Bacup. Trains for Bacup from Rochdale usually departed from the
platform on the down side at the east end of Rochdale station.
Travelling through to Wardelworth, from there the line became single. Passing over the viaduct at Healey Dell the train arrived at the one
platformed station of Broadley then onto Whitworth which had a platform on the east side of the line and a goods yard on the opposite side.
Facit station was a mile further on.Shawforth station was temporarily closed in 1917 the line descended to Britannia, which at 967 feet above
sea level was the highest point on the old L&Y R. Britannia Station was also closed in 1917 as a cost cutting measure but unlike Shawforth
which reopened Britannia remained closed. Passenger traffic to Rochdale from Bacup was stopped on 16th June 1947, affected initially by
the competition of the Rochdale Corporation electrified tramway which was extended to Bacup in 1911 and was known as the Bacup Light
Railway, being replaced by buses in about 1930.Apart from light engine movements between Bacup Locomotive shed the line after Facit
became disused. The whole line from Rochdale to Facit was finally closed in August 1967.The last train From Bacup To Rochdale shown
below was on 14 June 1947.On the Bacup to Bury line diesels were introduced in 1956 and there then was a train every 30 minutes each
way leaving Bury at twenty past and fifty past the hour and returning from Bacup on the even and half hour Journey time was reduced to 28
minutes from Bacup to Bury but was 34 minutes in the reverse direction.
On the 25th September 1852 the local newspaper announced “ It is expected that the line of
railway from Newchurch to Bacup will open shortly for traffic in a few days. Already the services
of the greater portion of the navvies employed on the work have been dispensed with, and the
inhabitants of the district do not regret the departure of these rough colonists, who in their
occasional bacchanalian hilarity disturbed the peace and alarmed the quiet inhabitants of the
district”. The line from Rawtenstall to Waterfoot or Newchurch has it was known at the time had
been opend t0 passengers since the 27th March 1852. Faced with the obstruction of the "
Thrutch Gorge" or better known today by the name of "The Glen" it was another four years
before passenger trains began running from Waterfoot to Bacup, this took place on 1st October
1852. On the day of opening many persons travelled along the line, which was described as a
most romantic one the fare being two pence meant that many could afford to travle on the new
line and it was recorded that four hundred persons travelled from Newchurch to Bacup and back
two days later on Sunday 3rd October. Several months followed before goods trains began
running through to Bacup this taking place in February 1853.
By 1865 it had become apparent that the single line was just not enough commercial travellers complained that Bacup was just a terminus that
they could not continue on to other places such as Rochdale, Burnley or Todmorden from Bacup to continue thier business without having to go
back on themselves. That it was quicker to walk over the hills to get to these places and cheaper, as at this time the fare to Manchester was 1s
10d, and so it was decided to open another line from Bacup to Rochdale, the line opened on 1st
December 1881.The Facit to Bacup line was known locally as the " New Line " hence the name of
the road we know today.
By March 1878 the company of Messrs Dransfield and Thompson had won the contract to install a
second track from Waterfoot to Bacup which of course meant the need to excavate another tunnel
at the Thrutch and at Stubylee the tunnel at Stubylee was approximately 144 yards long. The line
opened in 1880 with travell from Bacup to Bury taking approximately 32 to 34 minutes and a
minute or two longer was added for journeys from Bury to Bacup to compensate for the gradients.
Trains made a shorter trip to Ramsbottom every evening returning at 6.37pm.There was also a
through train from Bolton to Bacup each day leaving Bolton at 9.00am and due into Bacup at
9.48am,travelling via Radcliffe but with no corresponding service in the reverse direction.. On
Sundays there were four steam trains in each direction Bacup, Bury through to Manchester and
Manchester, Bury through to Bacup. Trains for Bacup from Rochdale usually departed from the
platform on the down side at the east end of Rochdale station.
Travelling through to Wardelworth, from there the line became single. Passing over the viaduct at Healey Dell the train arrived at the one
platformed station of Broadley then onto Whitworth which had a platform on the east side of the line and a goods yard on the opposite side.
Facit station was a mile further on.Shawforth station was temporarily closed in 1917 the line descended to Britannia, which at 967 feet above
sea level was the highest point on the old L&Y R. Britannia Station was also closed in 1917 as a cost cutting measure but unlike Shawforth
which reopened Britannia remained closed. Passenger traffic to Rochdale from Bacup was stopped on 16th June 1947, affected initially by
the competition of the Rochdale Corporation electrified tramway which was extended to Bacup in 1911 and was known as the Bacup Light
Railway, being replaced by buses in about 1930.Apart from light engine movements between Bacup Locomotive shed the line after Facit
became disused. The whole line from Rochdale to Facit was finally closed in August 1967.The last train From Bacup To Rochdale shown
below was on 14 June 1947.On the Bacup to Bury line diesels were introduced in 1956 and there then was a train every 30 minutes each
way leaving Bury at twenty past and fifty past the hour and returning from Bacup on the even and half hour Journey time was reduced to 28
minutes from Bacup to Bury but was 34 minutes in the reverse direction.
