THERE are a lot of planning applications going through at the moment with regard to the alteration or replacement of bridges across railway lines that are going to be electrified.

This may be your last chance to take photographs of routes before infrastructure appears.

When I gave a talk a while ago to the Ormskirk Historic Society about the lost passenger railways of St Helens, I included that stretch from Rainford Junction to Ormskirk They are now particularly keen to learn more about a branch line from Ormskirk to Lathom House, of which I knew nothing.

It seems the Army Remount Depot introduced a specially constructed branch line to Lathom House at the beginning of the First World War.

It was completed by February 1915 and ran from Ormskirk Station, across Engine Lane and Slate Lane, alongside Firswood Road, across Spa Lane, through Samples Farm and into the Lathom estate to the depot.

This branch line was mainly used to ship horses to the depot, and after the war had ended it was last used to store unwanted railway wagons until after 1920 when the line was taken up.

They know some maps of the route existed and are particularly anxious to obtain a copy. Please contact me if you can help with any information.