DMU Operations: London Midland Region
Manchester Central - Chester Northgate
This former CLC route was an alternaative to Manchester Exchange - Chester General. Services would be normally be operated by Class 104s or Class 108s.
After the Chester Northgate to New Brighton and Wrexham services ended in September 1968 the hourly Manchester services were the only trains to use Northgate. A new junction at Mickle Trafford allowed the services to be diverted to Chester General and Northgate closed on 6 October 1969.[1]
Sample Timetables
12th September 1960 to 11th June 1961
This measured 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" when folded.
18th June to 9th September 1962
This measured 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" when folded.
9th September 1963 to 14th June 1964
This measured 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" when folded.
13th July, 1964 until further notice
This version was a smaller booklet.
Images
circa Summer 1959
A Class 108 seen at Chester Northgate just after arrival from Manchester Central via the CLC. This is most likely summer 1959; Northgate station still has an overall roof over platform 2, (and a steam train for Shotton or Wrexham is in it), and this was removed early in 1960. David Faircloth.
circa 1966
BRC&W and Derby Lightweight (blue square series) DMUs in Chester Northgate station circa 1966. From here the former normally operated Manchester services, the latter New Brighton / Wrexham services. David Faircloth.
circa 1967
A BRC&W DMU in Chester Northgate station with a Manchester Central service circa 1967. David Faircloth.
circa 1967
A train arriving into Chester Northgate from Manchester Central circa 1967/8. It is formed of a two-car Derby Lightweight (blue square) and a two-car BRC&W DMU (with one vehicle still in green). David Faircloth.
circa late 1960s
Met-Camm and (blue square) Derby Lightweight DMUs in Manchester Central station. Date unknown but the mix of blue (Note the BR logos are on the cab doors) and green liveries suggests mid to late 1960s, the station closed in May 1969. DMU services from here went to Chester and Liverpool (were there others?). Stuart Mackay Collection.
May 1969
A two-car BRC&W DMU waits to depart Manchester Central with a Chester Northgate service in May 1969. Edgehillsignallman@Flickr.
4th May 1969
Class 108 set with DTCL M56498 in green with a blue DMBS on a Chester - Manchester working at Mouldsworth, 4/May/1969. Note that while equipped with a 4-character headcode display, it is showing the 2-character DMU route code, a fairly common occurrence. Robert Chilton.
References
- ⋏ "Chester Northgate", Disused stations website accessed 15 August 2022