Route History

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
St. Helens Corporation route survey (continued)

Timetable No. 2, June 1948.

Main changes since 1947:

Withdrawn: 24, 40, 107, 108

Additional / revised:
3A. Ackers Lane - Blackbrook (Ship Inn)
38. Widnes Library - Notre Dame School (Prescot Road)
(Joint with Widnes)
72. St. Helens - Toll Bar - Lea Green Colliery $$
93. St. Helens - Prescot rerouted via St. James's Rd.
94. St. Helens - Haresfinch - Eccleston - Prescot $$
95. Dentons Green - Prescot (Rye Hey Factory) $$
96. Sutton Manor - Prescot (Rye Hey Factory) $$
97. Moss Bank Brow - St. Helens - Grange Park.
109. Marshalls Cross (Mill Lane) - Bold Colliery.
114. St. Helens - Melling (BICC Factory) via East Lancs Rd.
116 (former 114) LMS Station - Rugby Ground
117. St. Helens - Greyhound Track (Park Rd.)
140 (replaced 40). St. Helens - Warrington
(Joint with Crosville & Warrington)
323. Wigan - Billinge - Crank - Rainford $$
(Joint with Ribble, Wigan)


Timetable No. 3 , July 1949.

Workpeoples services were not included in this issue. Otherwise, there were few changes from the 1948 timetable. However, one significant change was the introduction of two new variants of the Warrington - Southport service - the first of many such changes in the next few years. These were:
339 Warrington - St. Helens - Southport via Barrow Nook & Blowick.
349. Warrington - St. Helens - Southport via Bickerstaffe Lane Ends & Blowick.
An increased summer service operated from 25th June to 25th September 1949, with through buses every 30 mins over the full route for parts of each day.

(To be continued.........The 1950s, including the end of the trolleybuses......)

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Route History
That sounds good - a 30 minute Warrington - St Helens - Ormskirk - Southport service. Shocking when you think how infrequent the middle section (St Helens - Ormskirk) is these days.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
St. Helens Corporation Bus Services in the 1950s.

No timetable booklets were issued between July 1949 and February 1952, but there were a number of amendment leaflets. Some were just for changes in times or frequencies, but others were for significant route changes.

23 April 1950.

3A /5A Ackers Lane - Blackbrook (3A) or Parr Library (5A) withdrawn, replaced by equivalent journeys on 3 or 5.
73 /74. Clinkham Wood terminus moved from Ennerdale Avenue to Victoria Avenue.
73X. St. Helens - Clinkham Wood; replaced some journeys on 73A, but with terminus at Wythburn Crescent instead of Ambleside Place.

55. St. Helens - Carr Mill; extended from Cross Roads to Kirkstone Avenue.
93. St. Helens - Haresfinch - Eccleston - Prescot.
Most journeys rerouted in Prescot via St. Helens Road instead of St. James Road.
93A. One trip each way via St. James Road.
94. Eccleston Park (Old Lane) - Prexcot Cross Lane - withdrawn.
(This appears to have started sometime between July 1949 and April 1950, but I have no other information.)
97. Moss Bank - Grange Park; extended to Prescot (Cross Lane)

24 June 1950.

20 / 21. Eccleston - St. Helens - Sutton Manor.
24. Sutton Manor - Lea Green - St. Helens - Clinkham Wood.
Some journeys on these services were linked across Sutton Manor, changing route numbers from 20 or 21 to 24 & vice versa at Sutton Manor. 24 replaced the previous 73 & 74.
22. Extended from Eccleston Broadway to Carmelite.

So there were now:
20. Eccleston (Stuart Road) - Knowsley Rd. - Sutton Manor (Walkers Lane)
21. Eccleston (Griffin Inn) - Knowsley Rd. - Sutton Manor (Walkers Lane)
22. Eccleston (Carmelite) - Dentons Green - Sutton Manor (Walkers Lane)
23. St. Helens (Victoria Square) - Sutton Manor (Forest Rd.)
(All ran via Marshalls Cross Rd. Mill Lane, Sutton Leach)
24. Sutton Manor (Walkers Lane) - Sutton Heath - Clinkham Wood (Victoria Avenue)

25 and 26 were extended from St. Helens to Clinkham Wood, becoming:
25. Clinkham Wood (Wythburn Crescent) - St. Helens - Bold (Bridge Road)
(via Robins Lane, New St. & Mill Lane, Clock Face Rd.)
26. Clinkham Road (Ambleside Place) - St. Helens - Clock Face (Crawford St.)
(via Robins Lane, Gerards Lane, Sutton Leach)

27. Ravenhead (Factory Row) - St. Helens - Sutton (Berrys Lane) (New)
(via Gaskell St., Sutton Rd., )

3 December 1950.

21 rerouted via Dentons Green & New St.
22 rerouted via New St.
25 & 26 rerouted from Robins Lane via Ellamsbridge Rd., St. Helens Junction, Reginald Rd.

25A. St. Helens - Clinkham Wood (Wythburn Crescent) (New.)

(To be continued)

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
St. Helens Corporation.
Timetable No. 4, February 1952.

The beginning of the end for trolleybuses. The routes to Moss Bank, Dentons Green, Ackers Lane and St. Helens Junction were all converted to motor buses. A batch of 25 London style 3RT AEC Regents joined the 15 bought in 1950.

Trolleybus Routes:
1 St. Helens - Atherton.
2 St. Helens - Ashton
3. St. Helens - Haydock Rams Head
3A. St. Helens - Blackbrook (Ship Inn)
4. St. Helens - Parr (Derbyshire Hill Road)
4A. St. Helens - Parr (Boardmans Lane)
7/8. St. Helens - Rainhill / Prescot circulars.
9. St. Helens - Toll Bar (no advertised journeys)
10. St. Helens - Nutgrove
11. St. Helens - Portico.
(There were just a handful of short workings on 10 & 11.)


Motor bus services.
Main services (mostly daily):-

5. St. Helens Junction - St. Helens - Eccleston (Stuart Rd.)
5A. St. Helens Junction - St. Helens - Eccleston (Griffin Inn)
5B. St. Helens Junction - St. Helens - Eccleston (Carmelite)
(All via Knowsley Rd.)
5C. St. Helens - Eccleston (Bleak Hill Post Office) circular
(Out via Knowsley Rd., return via Dentons Green)
5D. St. Helens - Ackers Lane.
6. St. Helens Junction - St. Helens - Dentons Green.

6C. St. Helens - Eccleston (Bleak Hill Post Office) circular.
(Out via Dentons Green, return via Knowsley Rd.)

20. Moss Bank (Lorton Avenue) - Sutton Manor via Marshalls Cross, Sutton Leach.
20A. Moss Bank (Lorton Ave.) - Sutton Manor via New St., Clock Face Rd.
20B. Moss Bank (Lorton Ave.) - St. Helens
24. Clinkham Wood (Ambleside Place) - Sutton Heath - Sutton Manor.
25. Clinkham Wood (Ambleside Place) - Bold (Bridge Road)
25A. Clinkham Wood (Wythburn Crescent) - St. Helens
26. Clinkham Wood (Ambleside Place) - Clock Face (Crawford Street)
27. Ravenhead - Sutton (Berrys Lane)
35. St. Helens - Widnes (Town Hall) via Sutton Leach, Sutton Manor
37. St. Helens - Widnes (Town Hall) via St. Helens Junction (infrequent)
(Joint with Widnes)
39. Liverpool - St. Helens - Tydesley / Manchester.
(Operated by LUT)
47. St. Helens - Rainford (Bridge Inn)
48. St. Helens - Rainford (Eagle & Child)
49. St. Helens - Rainford (Bottle & Glass)
50. St. Helens - Windle Smithy.
52. St. Helens - Crank - Rainford Junction.
53. St. Helens - Rainford Junction (direct)
(47 to 53 all joint with Ribble & LUT, but all operated by St. Helens, effectively as short workings of 329)
55. St. Helens - Carr Mill (Kirkstone Avenue)
65. Burtonwood - Earlestown.
67. St. Helens - Burtonwood - Earlestown.
(Both operated by LUT)
89. St. Helens - Speke.
(Joint with Crosville, Ribble)
93. St. Helens - Haresfinch - Eccleston - Prescot
(93A via St. James Rd.; 95 to Rye Hey Factory)
97. Moss Bank Brow - Prescot (Cross Lane)
98. St. Helens - Sutton Heath - Grange Park.
99. St. Helens - Kings Moss
100. St. Helens - Kings Moss - Prescot (SSuO)
140, St. Helens - Warrington.
(Joint with Crosville, Warrington)
317. Wigan - Billinge - St. Helens - Liverpool (SO)
(Joint with Ribble)
317. St. Helens - Liverpool (South John Street).
320. Wigan - Ashton - St. Helens - Liverpool.
(Joint with LUT, Ribble, Wigan)
323. Wigan - Billinge - Rainford Junction. (Infrequent)
(Joint with Ribble, Wigan)
329. Warrington - St. Helens / Rainford.
339. Warrington - Southport via Barrow Nook, Scarisbrick.
349. Warrington - Southport via Bickerstaffe Lane Ends, Scarisbrick.
(Joint with LUT, Ribble)
342. Billinge - Orrell Station - Wigan
352. St. Helens - Billinge - Wigan (direct)
362. St. Helens - Billinge - Orrell Station - Wigan
(Joint with Ribble, Wigan)


Workpeoples & other infrequent / irregular services:

5X. St. Helens (Tontine St.) - Eccleston (Stuart Rd.)
20C. St. Helens - Sutton Manor Colliery via Marshalls Cross
28. St. Helens - Clock Face Colliery via Marshalls Cross
29. Finger Post - Clock Face Colliery via Gaskell St., St.Helens Junction.
29A. Finger Post - Bold Colliery.
30. Finger Post - Sutton Manor Colliry via St. Helens Junction.
31. St. Helens - Sutton Leach Research Factory
36. St. Helens - Widnes (Everite Facrory, Derby Rd.)
38. Widnes Library - Notre Dame School
41. St. Helens - Burtonwood - Sankey - Warrington
43. St. Helens - Sankey (B.R.D.)
44. St. Helens - Sankey (Tinkers Hall)
45. St. Helens - Sankey (B.R.D.)
46. St. Helens - Burtonwood Motor Engineering.
(41, 45 via Peasley Cross, St. Helens Junction; 43, 44, 46 via Parr.)
51. Rainford (Wheatsheaf) - St. Helens Colliery.
54. Carr Mill - Holy Cross School
71. Clinkham Wood - Holy Cross School.
72. St. Helens - Lea Green Colliery.
75. Far Moor - St. Helens Colliery - Lea Green Colliery
76. Billinge - Lea Green Colliery.
77. St. Helens - Finger Post - Lea Green Colliery.
W7 (Wigan) or 90 (St. Helens) - Cronton Colliery.
91. St. Helens - Prescot Cable Works via Rainhill.
91A. St. Helens - Prescot Cable Works via Elephant Lane, Eltonhead Rd & Rainhill
92. St. Helens - Prescot Cable Works via Portico
96. Sutton Manor - Prescot (Rye Hey Factory) via Rainhill.
101. St. Helens - Rye Hey Factory via Portico.
102. St. Helens - Rye Hey Factory via Rainhill.
103. St. Helens - Rye Hey Factory via Elephant Lane, Eltonhead Rd., Rainhill.
105. St. Helens - Bold Colliery via Parr
106. St. Helens - Clock Face Colliery via Parr
107. St. Helens - Bold Iron Works via Peasley Cross, St. Helens Junction
108. St. Helens - Bold Colliery via Peasley Cross, St. Helens Junction
109. St. Helens - Bold Colliery via Marshalls Cross, Sutton Leach, Gerards Lane, St. Helens Jn
110. St. Helens - Kirkby Trading Estate
111. St. Helens - Napier Factory.
112. St. Helens - Stopgate Lane
113. St. Helens - Littlewoods Factory.
114. St. Helens - Melling (B.I.C.C.)
115/116. St. Helens - Rugby League ground (Knowsley Rd.).
117. St. Helens - Greyhound Track (Park Rd.)
W3. Liverpool (Pier Head) - Bold Colliery
W5. Bootle (Stanley St.) - Bold Colliery
(operated by Ribble)


Timetable No. 5, June 1952.
Not many changes since previous timetable, apart from some changes to Clinkham Wood services:

23. Clinkham Wood (Wythburn Crescent) - Sutton Manor via Marshalls Cross, Sutton Leach.
25A. Clinkham Wood (Wythburn Crescent) - Sutton Manor via New St & Clock Face Rd.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
Warrington to St. Helens route variations .

Until 1953, the route from Warrington (Arpley Station) was via Sankey Bridges, Hood Lane (Great Sankey) and Cow Lane to Burtonwood. Burtonwood Road now occupies the site of Cow Lane, but with some realignment. Because of the expansion of Burtonwood air base, Cow Lane was closed to traffic on 9th March 1953. It only reopened throughout (as Burtonwood Road) after the air base was closed, and the M62 built across part of the airport site. This led to a series of changes to the routes between Warrington & Burtonwood.

From 9th March 1953.

329. Warrington - Rainford.
339/349. Warrington - Southport.
Route via Sankey Bridges, Great Sankey, Bold Heath, Clock Face, Marshalls Cross, St. Helens, then as previously. These effectively duplicated service 140.
The workpeoples services 40, 41, 42 & 43 were also diverted via Bold Heath

Plus:
344. Warrington - St. Helens via Winwick Road, Mill Lane, Causey Bridges, Alder Lane, Fir Tree Lane, Lumber Lane, Phipps Lane to Burtonwood, then via Parr to St. Helens. (Mostly every 90 mins.) The Causey Bridges route used the minor road now known as Old Alder Lane, as the railway bridge near the Fiddle Inn did not then exist.

From 28th September 1953.

329, 339 and 349 remained the same, but at reduced frequency, being replaced by new services via Burtonwood.

309/319. Warrington - Southport.
344. Warrington - St. Helens
Via Sankey Bridges, Bold Heath, Clock Face Rd., Gorsey Lane, Burtonwood, Parr.
The frequencies were uneven. Burtonwood & Marshalls Cross each had buses at intervals of 30/90/30/90 minutes.


From 29th June 1955.

Following the opening of the new railway bridge on Alder Lane, near the Fiddle Inn, services between Warrington and Burtonwood followed what is now the current 329 route, except that the Warrington terminus was Arpley Bus Station.

309. Warrington - St. Helens - Bickerstaffe Lane Ends - Ormskirk - Southport.
319. Warrington - St. Helens - Barrow Nook - Ormskirk - Southport.
329. Warrington - St. Helens - Rainford.
344. Warrington - St. Helens.

140 continued to run via Bold Heath & Marshalls Cross.

[enrag2000]

RE: Route History

(27/01/2013 20:47)Bevan Price Wrote:  From 29th June 1955.

Following the opening of the new railway bridge on Alder Lane, near the Fiddle Inn, services between Warrington and Burtonwood followed what is now the current 329 route, except that the Warrington terminus was Arpley Bus Station.

309. Warrington - St. Helens - Bickerstaffe Lane Ends - Ormskirk - Southport.
319. Warrington - St. Helens - Barrow Nook - Ormskirk - Southport.
329. Warrington - St. Helens - Rainford.
344. Warrington - St. Helens.

140 continued to run via Bold Heath & Marshalls Cross.

These services continued virtually unchanged for many years but the summer extra Southport service (half-hourly instead of hourly) was withdrawn around 1970. This had been worked by extending the hourly 329 Rainford journeys which required two extra buses, normally one from St Helens Corp and one from Ribble, although in some years one operator worked both the duties in order to balance out the joint service mileage quotas.

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History
St. Helens Corporation routes (continued, 1952 to 1959)

Changes through the 1950s were mostly slight and gradual. Workpeoples services slowly declined as collieries and factories started to close, whilst a few new routes were introduced to serve new housing developments.

December 1952.
22. St. Helens - Hewitt Avenue. New, extended in June 1953 to become
22. Eccleston (Dodd Avenue) - St. Helens - Sutton (Lancots Lane/Sutton Rd.)

From July 1954.
27A Moss Bank - St. Helens - Sutton (Peckers Hill Rd.) New.

From 25 June 1955.
90. St. Helens - Kirkby via Whiston, Prescot & Knowsley.

From November 1955.
4. St. Helens - Parr. Most trolleybuses replaced by motor buses, route linked to 5C and 6C to become.
15. Parr - St. Helens - Knowsley Road - Eccleston - Dentons Green - St. Helens - Parr
16. Parr - St. Helens - Dentons Green - Eccleston - Knowsley Road - St. Helens - Parr
A few peak hour trolleybus workings continued to Boardmans Lane or Parr until Nov. 1956.

From November 1956,
1 St. Helens - Atherton
3 St. Helens - Haydock.
Both converted from trolleybuses to motor buses; SLT share transferred to LUT.
3. Hard Lane - Dentons Green - Kirkland St. - St. Helens - Haydock.
3A. Hard Lane - Blackbrook (Ship Inn)
Former trolleybus routes extended to the newish Hard Lane Estate

From June 1957.
The last trolleybus route (7/8) was converted to motor buses, using a batch of 16 MCW-bodied AEC Regents 5s.

From 3 November 1957.

96. Moss Bank - At. Helens - Portico - Prescot (Shaw Lane).
New, replaced most 20B journeys between Moss Bank & St. Helens; replaced journeys on 8 between St. Helens & Prescot, with conseuential changes to the 7/8 circular route).
9. St. Helens - Rainhill - Prescot - short workings in each direction, not completing the circle back to St. Helens.
97. Moss Bank Brow - St. Helens - Prescot.
Prescot terminus moved from Cross Lane to Thomas Drive.

From January 1959.
Start of a decline, with frequency reductions on several services. 27A split into two halves:
21. St. Helens - Moss Bank (Victoria Avenue),
27A. Sutton - St. Helens.
(Later extended to Eccleston, Gillars Green Drive from June 1963)

(To be continued - 1960 to 1974)

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Route History
The 27A ran Gillars Green to St Helens Junction right up to deregulation. It was later brought back by Merseybus but this was short lived.

[Jack]

RE: Route History
Why was it the 27A and not just the 27?

[Bevan Price]

RE: Route History

(05/02/2013 14:02)sumner Wrote:  Why was it the 27A and not just the 27?

Because 27 was Ravenhead - Sutton until it was withdrawn.