A HEARTY pat on the back for our excellent transport museum --but why is the district’s railway, mining and canal history so overlooked?

The sentiment comes from Don Worthington of Sutton Leach who adds: “Without our railway and mining industry, our town would probably have remained a village.”

Just over 12 months ago was the 175th anniversary of the opening of St Helens Railway main line, says Don of Leach Lane.

"An important date in the town’s history which should not have gone unrecognised.”

Don adds: “With the number of pits and the amount of coal being produced, our canal --the first working canal in the country-- could not cope.

”So it became dependent on a railway system.

“The goods warehouse at Shaw Street would have made an ideal site to house the canal, coal and rail history.

But it was unceremoniously demolished to make way for development.”

January last year marked the 175th anniversary of the opening of St Helens Railway main line (the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway).

“Surely an important date in our town’s history which should not have gone unrecognised.”

Don, of Leach Lane, digs further into history.

The railway eventually ran, from its joining with the East Lancashire Railway at Rainford Junction, south to Carr Mill with the line branching through Blackbrook to Sutton Oak.

The line ran behind Carr Mill Station.

The track continued through the Central Shaw Street Station.

Onward it went to the site of the first station in Warrington Old Road, the second being in Raven Street, close to the Raven Hotel.

The long-lost line crossed Peasley Cross Lane to continute to Runcorn Gap, Widnes, before travelling east to Sankey Bridges, Warrington, and west to Garston Dock, built by St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway.

The railway could boast the world’s first ever railway over-bridge , visible from St Helens Junction station.

A number of its locos were locally built, by Edward Borrows and James Cross at their Providence Foundry at St Helens Junction.

The firm built the first Fairlee 0-4-40 for the Neath and Brecon railway and also much of the glass-making equipment and infrastructure for Cowley Hill Works.

The rail company served two dozen pits, the local glass industry, copper, chemical and engineering work.

There were 24 stations or halts along its 31 miles.

“All that remains is a decimated track bed in parts,” says Don, “plus the overbridge and the company’s loco works and engineering shed, with company initials and the date 1859 etched in stone over its door.

Both are sadly suffering from years of neglect and vandalism.”

Had this building been anywhere else in the country, says Don, it would now be a listed building with a preservation order.

The overbridge would be a world heritage site.

“Maybe there is still time to redress this,” adds Don, “if enough intererst could be created within the local council chamber and elsewhere.”

His next statement seems a bit of a tall order.

Could not the track be reopened to complement Saints new stadium at Peasley Cross?

“The track is still there, so the feasibility is still a possibility.”

BUT in pressing for council action, he adds: “Oops -- did I just see pigs flying past!”