as title but ones with gates in the middle, i recall one in rock ferry but dont know why as there was nothing big and long that went through there.
i guess this was before the motorway was built.

Any idea or pics of any more.
ta

pace

I dont live far from it i'll try and pop round and take one

[quote=pacef8]as title but ones with gates in the middle, i recall one in rock ferry but dont know why as there was nothing big and long that went through there.
i guess this was before the motorway was built.

Any idea or pics of any more.
ta

pace


If your talking about the one by Victoria park, that was gated to allow large manufactured goods to go through that couldn't go around. I was only talking to Jimbob the other day about it, he'll tell you more, but i think there was a locomotive manufacturer up that way years ago.

they were for railway vehicles being moved by road i think

yeah it was to allow oversized vehicles to go through i have memorys as a kid seeing it been used one

The one at Bedford Drive, Bedford Avenue and Bebington Road was used quite regularly, I alwys presumed the big stuff was going to Cammel Lairds (boilers etc), this was the days before the New Ferry Bypass.

They used to go round in advance unbolting all sorts of road signs etc, I think the gate posts on the roundabout had to come down sometimes, it was great to watch.

I saw a low loader delivering something to Lairds once (not sure if it was a big propellor}
Took up quite a bit of road width and had police cars in front and behind it

The road that was cut through the rounderbout at the junction of Bedford Avenue and Bedford Drive was done in the 1950s. Not for anything going to Cammell Lairds. it was for large loads going to birkenhead docks that where to high to pass under the railway bridge on New chester Road at the bottom of Chester Street. In 1953/ 1954 there was the start of big order for large locamotives {railway engines} that where built some where in the mid-lands? and had to get to the docks to be loaded onto ships and taken to Africa. In those days there was no m53. m56 so the only main trunk road was the A41 {new chester road} and the stumbling block was the bridge like i have said at the bottom of chester street by waterloo place. I watched many a railway engine on the back of very large lorry's driving up Bedford Road from New Chester Road and on through the middle of that rounderbout. Later there was also other large loads went that was to the docks. would like to point out that in those days Cammell Lairds was still building its own Boilers, Gear boxes and complete engines for the ships that it was building.Hence the boilershop, the gear room and the engine shop {the good days of 10,000 men employed

After the 2nd world war and well into the 1950s a lot of the bus drivers where X army. the set of gates on that rounderbout where hit by a bus. Yes the driver of the bus was Xarmy {did he think he was still driving a Tank?} bert1 has more detail on this incerdent

The Bridge by the Shakespeare Pub which was the railway into/out of Cammel Lairds.

In the late 60s and early 70s, there was large loads going DOWN Bedford Avenue which is why I always assumed Cammel Lairds. The loads weren't tall but big and heavy. Think I might have seen a propellor go down there once, no idea where it would have come from, I thought all props came from Stone Manganese, I suppose they would have the same problem with that bridge in the opposite direction.

What was the point in that roundabout anyway with the gate?? Its like the holy donut (st james church) whats the point in putting a church on a roundabout.. (yes i know its not one anymore but still

The loads which passed through the gates at Victoria Park were mainly large diesel locomotives, which I think came from Vulcan Foundry at Newton Le Willows.These were taken to Birkenhead Docks for loading by means of the large crane on the West Float by Beaufort Road / Corporation Road junction.
The actual route was from New Chester Road ,up Rock Lane West to Old Chester Road , then right past Byrne Ave baths, left up Bedford Avenue through the roundabout Bedford Drive, Borough Road. Not sure after this.

the rounderbout was there first as a normal rounderbout. thge road with the gates was done later when the large high loads at to have a alternate rout so as to miss the low bridge at chester street.
As far as St James Church been built on a rounderbout, check the date the church was built and the maps of the same era and you will see that a lot of the roads where only tracks prior to the church been built.

Liverpool and Birkenhead docks were certainly most important handlers of export locos from Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, and Beyer-Peacock, Gorton, Manchester. Larger loading gauges abroad meant factory-to-ship delivery had to be by road, partly dismantled, as the loco would not fit under our bridges or past our platforms.
You would often see Edward Box's heavy loads vehicles on the East Lancs Road into Liverpool.
I lived opposite Port Sunlight station until the mid '60s and strange rail carriages built by Metro-Cammell, Birmingham, would be seen trundling past. Sometimes temporary bogies would be fitted for the journey to the docks.
Those really were 'the good old days' of full employment when we were railway builders to the world. Only reasonable because we did invent them, courtesy of Mr Brassey and others!!!
Bri

You wouldn't catch me standing under one of those, in the region of 100 tons, possibly as high as 150 tons - imagine stacking 100 cars on top of each other, incredible weight.

Thanks Bri for sharing memories AND pictures.

wow thats a great piece of research, many thanks for that, you must of been around when the port sunlight fire station was in operation as well.

good health

pace.


As an extra item i believe the rail engine for the new welsh snowdon line comes from india

I left Wirral in the mid '60s and don't actually remember the fire station, but it was/is? behind the library/visitor centre.
Bri

I suppose once you've loaded 4 of 'em and climbed up and down that ladder you don't worry too much about 'Health & Safety'!!

Bri

I used to often play in Victoria Park as a child in the late 50s and early 60s. I recall seeing the large loads pass through the gates in the roundabout at the bottom of Bedford Road. A lot of the very big loads were moved by Pickford's Scammell trucks. I was fascinated enough to join the Scammell Truck club as a young lad which entitled you to a great badge which I have long since lost!

The loads looked similar to the one in the photo here carried on a flatbed from the Vulcan Foundry:

http://www.enuii.org/vulcan_foundry/photographs/colour.htm

This site has some wonderful shots of Scammells through the years:

http://www.heavy-haulage-history.de/pages/main/meilen1929b_e.html

Here are 2 sites of haulage:

http://www.chrisbennett.co.uk/history.htm

http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/funpics/pageww/pageww.htm

While I was searching for pics - I came across a photo of a steam lorry belonging to Criddles of Liverpool who used to operate around Birkenhead. I recall standing at Central Station in the late 50s and seeing one pass:

http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/00-app1/rt-combk.htm

Some of the trains/engines also arrived by rail from various locations. I used to live in Argyle Street South opposite the old coal yard. Once, I saw carriages destined for the Royal Thai family stabled in the coal yard!

Here is another interesting link about haulage around Merseyside as well as other fascinating details - scroll down the page and download the PDF of his Dad's memories:

http://www.wildies.org.uk/

I find it hard now to believe how busy Birkenhead was when I was a child - 100's coal lorries passing into the coal yard, the traffic jams every day and night into the tunnel - controlled at Central Station by one police officer!, the 24hour rivetting at Cammell Lairds, 100 plus steam engines at Mollington Street engine sheds and the coking plant. Then if you went to the docks it got busier - I loved going on the top deck of the 10 or 11 or 12 especially if it was a yellow Wallasey bus - looking at all the ships and activity!

Cheers

Colin