Passage: Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the course of the River Tame and the Huddersfield canal, on undulating land in the foothills of the Pennines. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. The road from Oldham, to the pennine passes: the Snake pass and Woodhead, bridges the river at this point. Stalybridge was the junction of three early railway companies. The Ashton, Stalybridge and Liverpool Junction Railway Company was formed on 19 July 1844 and the railway was connected to Stalybridge on 5 October 1846. On 9 July 1847 the company was acquired by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. On 1 August 1849 the Manchester, Stockport and Leeds Railway connected Stalybridge to Huddersfield and later to Stockport. This line later became part of the London and North Western Railway.
 Link Information: - Manchester and Leeds Railway, 4 July 1836 – 9 July 1847
- Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway, 23 August 1831 – 18 July 1846
- Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway, 30 June 1845 – 27 July 1846, now the Penistone Line.
- Liverpool and Bury Railway, 31 July 1845 – 27 July 1846
- Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company, 1 July 1839 – 3 August 1846 (joint LNWR from 28 July 1849)
- Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour Company, 3 July 1835 – 1 July 1839
- West Riding Union Railway, 18 August 1846 – 17 November 1846
- West Yorkshire Railway, 1845 – 18 August 1846
- Leeds and West Riding Junction Railway, ? – 18 August 1846
- Ashton, Stalybridge and Liverpool Junction Railway, 19 July 1844 – 9 July 1847
- Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole Railway, 31 July 1845 – 9 July 1847
- Manchester and Southport Railway, 22 July 1847 – 3 July 1854 (joint ELR)
- Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway, 2 July 1847 – 14 June 1855
- Blackburn Railway, 24 July 1851 – 12 July 1858 (joint ELR)
- Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway, 9 July 1847 – 24 July 1851
- Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton Railway, 30 June 1845 – 9 July 1847
- Blackburn, Clitheroe and North Western Junction Railway, 27 July 1846 – 9 July 1847
- Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Goole Railway, 7 August 1846 – 2 August 1858 (acquired northern half of line)
- East Lancashire Railway, 21 July 1845 – 13 May 1859
- Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway, 4 July 1844 – 21 July 1845
- Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and Colne Extension Railway, 30 June 1845 – 21 July 1845
- Blackburn and Preston Railway, 6 June 1844 – 3 August 1846
- Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway, 18 August 1846 – October 1846
- Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway, 27 July 1846 – 17 June 1866 (joint LNWR)
- Preston and Longridge Railway, 14 July 1836 – 23 June 1856
- Blackpool and Lytham Railway, 17 May 1861 – 29 June 1871 (joint LNWR)
- Lancashire Union Railway, 25 July 1864 – 16 July 1883 (joint LNWR)
- North Union Railway, 22 May 1834 – 26 July 1889 (joint LNWR)
- Wigan Branch Railway, 29 May 1830 – 22 May 1834
- Preston and Wigan Railway, 22 April 1831 – 22 May 1834
- Bolton and Preston Railway, 15 June 1837 – 10 May 1844
- Bury and Tottington District Railway, 2 August 1877 – 24 July 1888
- West Lancashire Railway, 14 August 1871 – 15 July 1897
- Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway, 7 August 1884 – 15 July 1897 Question: How many acquisitions did Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway make in total?
Output: Answer: 34