Garstang and Knot-End Railway

Garstang and Knot-End Railway

Company type	Private company
Industry	Railway
Founded	1864
Founder	Wilson F. France and local landowners
Fate	Acquired by Knott End Railway Company in 1908
Headquarters	Garstang , England, United Kingdom
Area served	Fylde region, Lancashire, England
Products	Passenger and freight railway services

The Garstang and Knot-End Railway operated as a rail connection between Garstang and Pilling, traversing the Fylde region of Lancashire, England. Established by local farming stakeholders to enhance the productivity of underutilized land, the line was initially planned to extend all the way to Knott End, but financial constraints prevented completion. It commenced operations in 1870. Later, in 1898, the Knott End Railway (KER) received authorization through the Knott End Railway Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. ccxliv) to carry the route onward to Knott End; this extension opened in 1908. The two entities maintained a close relationship, with KER eventually acquiring the original company. Despite this, KER struggled financially, with local creditors stepping in to purchase rolling stock to keep services running.

Salt mining near Preesall emerged as a significant industry from 1890 onward, with the railway playing a crucial role in transporting large quantities of salt outward and bringing coal inward for energy needs. Passenger train operations ceased in 1930, and the entire line was closed by 1965.

Authorisation

During the mid-1800s, much of the land west of Garstang within Lancashire's Fylde was predominantly undeveloped mossland. A coalition of local landowners, spearheaded by Wilson F. France, Squire of Rawcliffe, advocated for a branch railway in 1863 to enhance transportation for agricultural products. The proposed route aimed to link Knott End—located opposite Fleetwood on the estuary of the River Wyre—via Pilling, with Garstang station on the London and North Western Railway main line connecting Preston and Lancaster.

A prospectus issued in December 1863 named six directors: John Russell, Julian Augustus Tarner, Henry Gardner, Colonel James Bourne, Richard Bennett, and James Overend. It emphasized improved market access for agricultural produce throughout industrial Lancashire and connections extending toward Yorkshire, Humberside, and Newcastle upon Tyne. Plans included developing a harbour at Knott End intended to rival Fleetwood’s port facilities. Although opposed by both the London and North Western Railway and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, promoters stressed that their project was "a simple and unpretending line" focused on serving local traffic. Parliament granted authorization for the Garstang and Knot End Railway on 30 June 1864 via the Garstang and Knot End Railway Act 1864 (27 & 28 Vict. c. cxlix), allowing for £60,000 in capital to construct an line.

Construction and opening

Financial challenges arose immediately for the company; although £60,000 of share capital had been authorized under the Garstang and Knot End Railway Act 1864, subscription levels were insufficient. By December 1867, only earthworks for the first half-mile had been completed, resulting in abandonment of plans beyond Pilling. Parliament extended construction deadlines through the Garstang and Knot End Railway Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. xvi) and again in 1869; this latter act also approved an additional £40,000 in share capital. Progress remained slow but by 1870 completion of the line to Pilling appeared achievable. An LNWR locomotive was leased to conduct track tests.

Lacking funds to purchase its own engine, services were operated using a hired 0-4-2 saddle tank locomotive named Hebe. Four passenger carriages were obtained by debenture holders who established the Garstang Rolling Stock Company on 12 October 1870.

The track infrastructure consisted of 48 lb rails mounted on longitudinal sleepers, with certain sections utilizing heavier 56 lb bridge rails.

On 5 December 1870, service commenced from Garstang & Catterall Junction to Pilling, incorporating intermediate stops at Garstang Town and Nateby stations. The total expenditure on construction reached £150,000. A commemorative dinner took place at Garstang’s Royal Oak Hotel on 14 December.

Operation

Initially, the service featured nine daily trains in each direction between Garstang Junction and Garstang Town, with two or three extending to Pilling on market days. After 1875, this frequency was scaled back to three trains each way along the entire route. Early on, passengers were permitted to board or disembark at any point along the line; goods wagons were frequently left at convenient locations for unloading and collected later, sometimes with as many as five wagons positioned at the front of trains.

The trains operated as mixed services, carrying both passengers and freight, without any spare rolling stock available. When the locomotive Hebe required maintenance in March 1872, train operations halted for two days. The company fell behind on lease payments for Hebe, which led to its repossession by the owners. Following this, only infrequent goods trains ran using horse-drawn traction; passenger services were discontinued on 11 March 1872, and goods transport ended two weeks afterward.

In 1875, debenture holders acquired a new 0-4-0T locomotive named Union, allowing goods services to resume on 23 February and passenger services on 17 May. Later that year, another engine called Farmer's Friend was purchased—familiarly known as the Pilling Pig due to the distinctive squealing whistle—a nickname that became associated with both subsequent locomotives and the railway itself. The following year saw the addition of a 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive also named Farmer's Friend.

Receivership

Financial troubles led the railway into receivership in 1878. Nonetheless, conditions gradually improved, enabling the company to begin paying interest to debenture holders by 1890; by 1894, all debts had been fully settled.

Knott End Railway

Efforts to extend the line to Knott End revived in 1894. The Knott End Railway Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. ccxliv) authorized construction of a 4½-mile extension from Pilling to Knott End. Similar to its predecessor, the Knott End Railway (KER) faced challenges raising funds and took a decade to complete this extension.

Operating two separate companies proved inefficient; therefore, on 1 July 1908, the Knott End Railway Company acquired the original Garstang and Knot End Company. Passenger services over the entire route commenced on 1 August 1908. The acquisition cost £44,690; construction of the new line amounted to £19,065; and transferring rolling stock—including one locomotive, eight passenger coaches, six wagons, and three brake vans—totaled £110,000. Including other expenses, total investment for the full 11-mile route reached £179,991. By 1913, annual passenger figures had climbed to 91,918. In 1920, passenger operations employed a steam railmotor borrowed from the London and North Western Railway until its withdrawal.

Personal view in 1908

Before the Knott End extension opened, T. R. Perkins observed notable freight activity on the line, including military supplies destined for a nearby artillery camp. Income over six months amounted to £2,117 against expenditures of £1,208. The rolling stock inventory included two locomotives, six passenger coaches (two recently acquired from the Mersey Railway), and 41 goods wagons. The four older carriages were among Britain’s earliest "corridor coaches," characterized by low bodies with end-platform access and central gangways but lacking automatic braking systems.

Perkins described the locomotive "Farmer's Friend," which local residents had purchased by forming "The Garstang Engine Company." They leased it to the railway for fourteen years at a rate of 10% return on cost before it was bought outright by the railway. This engine remained in service until replaced by "New Century" in 1900. Similarly, "Hope" was leased but never purchased; instead, when that lease expired, a more powerful engine named "Jubilee Queen" was acquired. "New Century," bought three years later, was a comparable but more expensive model.

Traffic following the extension's completion

The Knott End extension facilitated the transportation of moss litter, a material commonly utilized as animal bedding. In 1909, the volume carried was 55 tons, which surged dramatically to 6,854 tons by 1916 before diminishing due to competition from road haulage. Similarly, beer shipments experienced a rapid decline after reaching 356 tons in 1909.

Salt traffic played a crucial role in enhancing the branch line's economic viability. The United Alkali Company set up a substantial facility near Preesall, moving 55 tons of salt by rail in 1909. In April 1912, the company inaugurated a 1½-mile branch siding close to Knott End. Salt tonnage escalated to 7,916 in 1913 and then soared to 53,416 tons by 1920. The alkali plant also demanded large quantities of coal: 9,244 tons in 1911 and increasing to 24,135 tons in 1920. Since the works operated their own mineral railway and river wharf, some recorded tonnages may represent only short rail journeys rather than full utilization of the Garstang line.

Salt production at Preesall

Significant salt reserves discovered near Preesall in 1872 led to industrial extraction beginning in 1885 by Fleetwood Salt Company. This company subsequently merged into Salt Union Limited in 1888 and then became part of United Alkali Ltd in 1890. Initially, salt was extracted as brine and conveyed through a ten-inch steel pipeline to a purification facility at Burn Naze starting in 1889. Around 1891, operations shifted to dry mining until technical difficulties forced the mine's closure in 1930.

Railway grouping

The Railways Act 1921 mandated compulsory consolidation during 1922–23, resulting in the formation of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The Knott End Railway was incorporated as LMS’s smallest component. Four steam locomotives and one railmotor were absorbed into LMS’s fleet. Holders of 4% debenture stock received equivalent LMS shares yielding 3%, reflecting a less optimistic commercial outlook. Ordinary shares and outstanding debenture interest were cancelled.

In the final full year before grouping (1922), the line transported 77,579 passengers and handled 69,535 tons of freight, generating £12,815 in revenue against £11,583 in expenses.

The Moss Litter Works situated near Cogie Hill crossing ceased operations sometime after 1925.

Line closure

Passenger train services ended on 31 March 1930. Freight operations continued until the segment between Knott End and Pilling closed on 13 November 1950; subsequently, the section from Pilling to Garstang Town closed on 31 July 1963. The remaining portion operated until its final closure on 16 August 1965. A stretch near Knott End has since been converted into a footpath, with several former crossing keeper cottages now serving as private homes.

Locomotives

• 1870: Black, Hawthorn 0-4-2ST Hebe
• 1874: Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST Union
• 1875: Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Farmer's Friend (also known as "Pilling Pig")
• 1885: Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Hope
• 1897: Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Jubilee Queen
• 1900: Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST New Century
• 1908: Manning Wardle 0-6-0T Knott End
• 1909: Manning Wardle 2-6-0T Blackpool (fitted with Isaacson's patent valve gear)

Station list

• ; inaugurated on 26 June 1840 under the name Garstang; renamed Garstang & Catterall in 1881; also referred to as Garstang Junction; ceased operations on 3 February 1969
• ; commenced service on 5 December 1870; experienced several closures and reopenings; renamed Garstang Town in 1924; permanently closed on 31 March 1930
• ; opened on 5 December 1870; name changed to Nateby in 1902; closed on 31 March 1930
• ; functioned intermittently from 1870 until its closure in 1930
• ; operated sporadically between 1870 and closure in 1930
• ; began service in October 1923; shut down in March 1930
• ; started operations in December 1870; early references occasionally called it Stakepool; closed in March 1930
• ; opened in July 1921; closed in March 1930
• ; commenced operation in August 1908; ceased service in March 1930
• ; began service in August 1908; closed in March 1930

External links

• Goods & Not So Goods—Garstang & Knott End Railway