HEAPEY STATION
On the Chorley to Blackburn line, Heapey Station was often busy with both passenger and goods traffic. It was a popular dismounting point with ramblers making their way to White Coppice and the moors close by. Goods trains took produce from the farms, and also the mills at Wheelton and Withnell Fold. There was also two large factories in Heapey, namely the Royal Ordnance and Heapey Bleach Works. Both had their own line into the factories. See http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/Oubliette/Heapey.html about suspected storage of railway engines at the ROF.
I have been told that one dark wet night during the Second World war, the Railway Hotel across the road only had one customer all night - and that was the stationmaster who called in to buy matches so as to light the lamps on the platforms. The pub's total takings being a ha'penny for the night.
The line was closed in the late 1960's as a result of Dr Beeching and his cuts to the British rail network. The station buildings on the Chorley bound line (i.e. the left side platform in the picture above) survive today and have had extensions added to them. The remaining buildings have been demolished. The station is now a private residence, and a kennels/cattery.
The busy station in 1906. A Chorley bound train has just pulled in and passengers are alighting from the coaches.
The station hardly changed at all over the next fifty years
Heapey Station in the 1950's. Still a busy station at that time.
Mr. Makinson - the stationmaster for many years.
Heapey Station as it was in September 2001