Just wondering if anyone has any photographs of either of the two Parkgate Station's that existed; I have only ever found one other than the ones on Subbrit, but looking for as many as I can.

Also, any information or even better, first hand descriptions of what the station was like would be grand.

Thanks!

The two photo's on the Subbrit site are the one's that appear in "The Hooton to West Kirby Branch Line" by the Merseyside Railway History Group. As Subbrit gave no credits, I suspect they were just "wizzed". Something subbrit bangs on about if you do it to them! However I digress.

I've never seen any other photos of Parkgate Station. A bit thin on the ground. Maybe Wirral Archives can help ??

Thanks Pinz for that info, I was hoping you would notice this thread lol, I have seen them moaning on other forums when people have embedded their Urban Exploration images so I know exactly what you mean.

I think I had a quick read of that book in Moreton library a few months ago whilst waiting to see the CAB, so I must pop down sometime and see if I can loan it out.

Did you yourself ever visit Parkgate station?

Thanks once again

No, sad to say I never visited Parkgate Station. Thurstaston Station was my favourite haunt as a lad. You could blag your way into the signal box depending on which signalman was on duty. Fascinating !

From "Railway Stations of Wirral":

Wow, that is ace Uptoncx, many thanks! I am assuming this photo is the second station, do you know if that is correct or not?

Heh, I love the area by Thrustaston station Pinz, so peaceful when the kids are in school! Its a shame the house was demolished, good that they kept the platforms at least though!!

Also, does anyone know if I am correct in assuming the first station by the scout hut car park, and the second one was by the stationmasters house?

I am thinking that this is the location of the first station:

Yes, it's the second station. You may be interested in the following, also from the "Railway Stations of Wirral":

A view at Parkgate of the platform for Hooton bound trains taken from a train en route to West Kirby. The buildings were a modification of the LNWR standard timber modular design with a tiled roof and red brick chimneys, contrasting with their more usual slate and blue or yellow brick styles. Two unusual features were the signal box, which was incorporated into the building on the West Kirby side, presenting a "bay window" appearance projecting from the last panel; and the provision of a passenger subway between the platforms. This latter feature was normally only found at more "urban" locations. This station is located on the "new" alignment to West Kirby following the extension of the line in 1886. No photographs of the original station have been traced but it is presumed to have been in similar architectural style to it's neighbours at Neston and Hadlow Road. The site of the former station was developed as a goods yard and remained in use until closure of the line. Vehicles using this yard can just be sighted beyond the signal in this view. The principal user of the yard in it's latter days was a local waste oil contractor for tanker traffic.

The pic. above is Parkgate station on the Hooton to West Kirby line. This pic. (also from "Railway Stations of Wirral") is Neston & Parkgate, on the Bidston to Wrexham line. On the Hooton to West Kirby line, there was also a station at Neston, but on the Bidston to Wrexham line, there was only the shared station. I've got a feeling that the old Neston & Parkgate station is at Neston & is now called just that.

The Neston station on the Bidston line was called "Neston North". The one on the Hooton line was "Neston South" as far as I recall. Any 1960's ish OS sheet will clarify.

Sometime after the Hooton-West Kirby line closed, the "North" was dropped from the remaining/current station.

I don't know why they called the single car train a "Motor Train". It was driven by a small (Sentinal I think) steam engine. You can just see the top of the chimney. Protruding from the roof.

Good work uptoncx !

I've got a photo of the old neston south station put can't figure out how to attach it as it keeps telling me its too big(i'm pretty useless at all this computer jiggery pokery)

go to
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
browse for pic tick the 600 box then resize then download pic to
a folder or desktop on your pc

Thanks for info on how to shrink the picture,this is neston south after the track was taken up,it was knocked down long ago

where was this, am i thinkin it was just near the Cricket Club?

The other side of Station Road

Clicky then click grid reference

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...hscl=1&where1=parkgate&encType=1

Looking North.

I know where you mean now, the other station was at the top of Station Road/Mellock lane.

Any one got any pics of the other station?

Well i've just looked at this link an i have to say the person who has took the modern photo is wrong.

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/n/neston_south/index.shtml

Where the person has took this photo is down the wrong end of Station Road, on the old photo it shows a bridge which is now Mellock Lane.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...hscl=1&where1=parkgate&encType=1

As you see Station Road you will see at the junction of Mellock Lane a red patch on the tarmac, this is where the old station was.

Youv'e lost me there Philw, the subbrit link you give is for Neston South Station and your livemaps link is for Parkgate Station. They are at opposite ends of Station Road.

Ahh . got it - Neston South is not as far as Mellock Lane, it is inbetween Bridge Street and Stanley Close which is where the modern gridge is, but there has always been a bridge there, as it says on subbrit, the pillars are original ones.

sorry digging never checked the link,

I can't seem to get the place i want via google or msn, if you google Mellock Lane you will see Station Road. Right where it says Station Road that was where the station was not where it was photographed on the site below.

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/n/neston_south/index.shtml

Gotcha - where Staion Close is.

Got to admit, I always thought it is where the lines crossed. So what is the bridge by the station on both the old photo's. That looks too close to be the lines crossing one, and the curve of the line is in the wrong direction.

Curious!

The station masters house (red brick building) is still there

Mellock Lane was a bridge - here is 1970 after lines ripped up.

Thats the bottom of Station road, under the bridge to the left is one of the enterances to Neston Park, their is another enterance (well small path) near where the train station used to be, you will see on the old photo

On the pic below is a green arrow, thats where the person took the photo. The Red arrow is the small path leading to Stanney Fields.

Haven't seen John Fogg for a long time, about 20 years, I will have to dig him out and nudge him.

Another nice pic Neston lad. The sad bit is that i can remember Neston station as it Is (was) in the picture, the pic ture must have been taken just before it was knocked down as the new pipe can be seen on the left, i feel sure the station was still there in 1970 but it must have gone very soon after that !.
I also have somewhere a picture of my good self taken a little further down the track by the overhead bridge just as the last steam hauled ore train passed over on it's way to Summers steel work.

Now i come to think of it one of my friends Grandfathers was the station master at Parkgate, dont know his name as the Grandfather was on his mothers side, i would have a guess this would have been in the 1930's (ish) i must remember to ask him next time i see my friend.

As i post this i seem to remember that someone told me that there where three railway tank's that where removed from their trucks at parkgate station and put onto plinths, when the track was pulled up they where transported by road and re-plinthed in the Neston North goods yard. I fell sure they where still in the goods yard in the late 1970's.

After a rummage !.

1956, Moorside lane bridge can be seen in the distance.



Burton Road Neston, speaks for itself i think.



I posted this in another thread. Was the person who took this very old picture standing under the bridge being dismantled in the previous picture ?.

The picture of the bridge being lifted out made me smile, as I got up early one Sunday morning, to take a video of the new cycleway bridge being lifted in - the circle is close. I'll post it on YouTube next week.

Was the company who used the station called Lobitos Oilfields ?.

Picked this up at a postcard fair in chester on sat,moorside lane that the bridge runs over (in the pic from historybook)

I think i am correct in saying that a group of people tried to buy the track bed from B.R so they could keep the track open, i also know that at least one individual also tried to but the track bed from Neston to Parkgate, and also some of the fixtures and fittings from the station at Parkgate, i think in all cases the B.R board said no, which 60 years later seems very sad !.

Anyone know about any of the attempts ?.

I think somebody put the idea forward to buy the track but it didn't get off the rails.

Oh b*gg*r, that sounds like a joke but it was meant to be serious.

Just came across this cracking picture of neston south station in its hayday about 1956

A great photograph ! Bags of atmosphere. Is that the Station Master's veg. patch behind the fence? Together with every man's must-have.... a shed !!

Yes i presume its the station masters veg patch,you can just imagine him in there on a nice summers day in his shirt sleeves with his station masters hat on waiting for the next train to come along

In ref to the photo of Neston South station after closure, i would estimate the picture was taken around 1967-69.As you can see the trackbed has been filled vertualy to platform level, mellock lane road overbridge is behind the photographer, beyond the bridge is neston rock cutting which i believe at that time was infilled with rubbish which was dug out when the wirral footpath was formed, the bridge under mellock lane was also demolished and the site leveled for housing.This is a very intersting photo, i do not think there are many of the line after closure. i have been researching this line for many years if anyone needs any info please drop me a line.

I have seen only seen one picture of the line after closure that i can think of, taken between the bridge in bridge street and the church lane one in about 1963-65 ish i would think as the track is still there, it was not taken of the railway realy a bit just happend to be in the picture. Sadly i can't remember at the moment who has the picture, i will have to have a think !.

My grandad sam jellicoe worked as a porter at neston south before it closed then he went on to work at summers steel works

I know it's been a good while since this thread was started but at last i found where i put this Bill/poster

Just seen your post mentioning Sam Jellicoe, was he (and you) any relation of jack Jellicoe who served on the battleship "Warspite" during the first world war ?, i think i am right in saying he was at the battle of jutland !.

Thanks Historybook

Admiral Sir John Jellicoe commanded the British fleet at Jutland.

Despite the same name this one is a different person, he was a very good friend of my grandfathers, sadly Jack died in a motorcycle accedent before i was born.

Just stumbled over this topic again, and remembered that I had a photo of one of the old 'Hawkseye' totems for the station. The owner told me he dug it out of the undergrowth many years after the station had been closed and demolished.

Must have just been thrown there by the demolition men...

Billy: You have a PM.

Bet that sign is soon tarted up & on someone's wall!

Parkgate station ??. One of my late fathers pictures.

I found these bit's of paperwork !.



And a copy of the reply.



And a bit of transition between railway and Wirral Way !.

I remember it well, I was just a kid when the track was being removed. I remember they used a steam engine to pull the track up in front of the engine as it reversed toward Willaston, bit by bit. The station/line is now Station Road Neston and the houses are actually built on the old track. If you look to the top right of the picture you can make out the turret of St Mary and St Helens church in Neston centre. The bridge at the end of the line behind the train is still there and carries the Bidston to Wrexham?, line. Just to the right of the bridge, on the other side, was the Coach and Horses public house, that must have been beside the old siding yard many years ago, I vaguely recall seeing tracks there circa 1960'ish and it was "Benbows" yard for a long time, a local builder, before Servite House was builkt on the site.
Great picture, wish I'd had a camera when I was young.

Hi all

Does anyone have any idea what year the station and/or bridge was demolished? What happened to the subway? Was it filled in?

I can't see that Parkgate Hawkeye as I am not a paid up member...its probably worth about £600-£1,000 now.

It has its own Wikipedia Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkgate_railway_station

A few more photos/details of Parkgate Station I've found over the years:

Nice pics Billy, thanks.
Your picture of the crowds is very similar to the one on the disused station website. Possibly taken on the same day.
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/p/parkgate/index.shtml