Seen here arriving at Platform 6 at Crewe, the train was not crowded, and we managed to get the first coach almost to ourselves.
As this extract from the 'sectional appendix' shows, trains take the Crewe - Manchester route as far as Sandbach station, where the Middlewich branch diverges at Sandbach North Junction. For about half a mile there are two tracks, one of which is signalled for working in both directions as far as 'Murgatroyd's Siding' which serves a large chemical works.
This is the view of the chemical plant from the train. The processes carried out here involve extracting chlorine gas from common salt (sodium chloride) which is extensively mined in the district. From chlorine, hydrochloric acid and other chemicals are produced. Once owned by Murgatroyd's (remember the old Triang bogie tanker?) it later passed into the BP empire, later becoming part of Hays Chemicals and now Albion Inorganic Chemicals.
A detail from the above picture showing the shunting loco, 08 436, which is stationed here. Rail traffic at present consists of Nitric and Hydrochloric acids; the tank wagons are collected by a trip (6K15/6F17) working from Warrington, famous among railfans for running through Crewe station around lunchtime two or three times weekly, and often being hauled by a Class 37 locomotive. This also brings locomotive fuel to Crewe depot, and the last we heard was running on Tuesdays and Fridays, passing Crewe about 13:00.
Soon after the chemical plant, a short branch runs off to the left to serve the British Salt factory. Salt traffic from here travelled to Dalry by rail until 2001, but the line is currently out of use. However, in 2003 there is a plan to bring in tank wagons of brine pumped from underneath the town of Northwich as part of a scheme to stop the town subsiding.
An iceberg? No, a stockpile of rock salt behind the British Salt factory. 'Wich' is an Old English word meaning 'salt' and a town name with this ending is a sure sign of an area in which this essential commodity can be found.
At the site of Middlewich station, closed in 1960, part of the platforms can just be discerned. There is a passing loop here, controlled from Greenbank signalbox some distance away on the Northwich - Chester line. The line from Sandbach to Northwich was built by the London and North Western Railway company, opening in 1867. The only other stations on the branch were Cledford Bridge Halt, closed in 1942, and Billinge Green between Middlewich and Northwich which was mainly used by fishermen, also long-closed.
As the diagram shows, the overall speed limit on this line is just 20 miles per hour for all trains, which gives it a real branch line feel, and one can enjoy standing at the open window of an HST or loco-hauled train in the spring sunshine.
The original line of 1867 curved to the right to reach Northwich station on the Cheshire Lines Committee's Chester - Manchester route. The rails on this eastbound curve look shiny - the curve is used sometimes by stone trains, particularly the Peak Forest -Bletchley RMC train and its return empties which are sometimes routed this way, particularly on the frequent occasions when engineering work is taking place in the Stockport area. It is also used as a a headshunt for the stone trains to Brunner Mond Lostock Works, which reverse at Northwich station.
The left side of the triangle, which diverted Crewe - Chester trains follow, was opened much later, in 1957, principally to allow oil trains to work through from the oil refineries in the Ellesmere Port area. Our train is passing on to the Manchester - Chester via Northwich line here.
This map of the Northwich area, courtesy of the Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map service, shows the junction with the Middlewich branch, and the rivers and canals which wander through the whole district.
Arrival at Chester, one hour 13 minutes after leaving Crewe; quite a contrast with the 20 minutes of so by the normal direct route, but a pleasant change for all that.
The Mid-Cheshire Rail Users' Association has been campaigning for years to return a regular passenger service to the line: visit their website for more information.