This once important little link line was constructed in 1887 allowing trains to move goods westwards from the manufacturing areas towards Bolton and Liverpool. The gradient was so steep that goods trains always required a banking engine from Bury. As a young boy I can recall seeing the engine working the incline. The goods train came up the line from the left of the photo. The line to the right led to Radcliffe Central Station where for a while there was train service to Bolton going left on the photo.

For railway buffs it was 43880 an 0-6-0 clapped out 4F Fowler design with permanently leaking cylinders. KH