This second article about the line between Knott End and Garstang completes the full length of the line. I am very grateful to a number of people for permission given to publish their photographs as part of the article. You will see their pictures referenced throughout.
http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/02/08/the-garstang-and-knott-end-railway-part-2/I hope that I will get round to publishing one further article about the motive power and rolling stock on the line.
The featured image for this article is a Garstang & Knot End Railway cast iron Trespass Sign dated December 1899. GW Railwayana Auctions described it as "A Grade 1 cast iron sign that hasn't appeared for sale or publicly before and the most significant cast iron find of this century. The sign was acquired by the vendor in the 1960's and was from Cogie Hill Halt which was on the section between Pilling and Garstang Town which closed in July 1963. Nicely restored measures 24in x 15in." It sold in November 2019 for £3,800.
Pilling Station was the most westerly point on the Garstang and Knott End Railway from the completion of the first phase of its construction in 1870 until the eventual construction of the line through to Knott End in 1908. It was actually placed in the hamlet of Stakepool around a mile from Pilling itself.
As noted in the previous article about the line, locomotives had to cross into the road junction at the West end of the station site in order to run round their trains. The station site was approximately as drawn on the adapted OS Map extract.
