Next time you're in the area, take a look at the wall at the top of Rest Hill Rd. where it meets Mount Rd. Some of the old sleeper blocks from the Storeton Tramway were used to repair it at some time. They are the ones with 3 or 4 holes in. The holes would have had wooden pegs in, into which the iron spike would be hammered to hold the rail.
Last edited by diggingdeeper; 19th Jun 200910:38pm. Reason: Topic name changed for indexing
where the path starts, the rails are still sticking out from the edge of the road as they are still under the tarmac. the rail sections were bought second-hand from the liverpool-manchester railway and were the first rails used when this first passenger railway opened in 1830. go dig up the road guys, there be history in dem thar hills
needed to change this for years. so now i have. ha
As a child, I remember when you could see the rails crossing Rest Hill road. Subsequent layers of tarmac covered them, but I guess they're still there.
The stub end of a rail was still sticking out from the edge of the tarmac in the mid/late 70's. It was the ancient "Fish Belly" type rail. As rentaclown quite rightly said, 2nd hand from the L'pool-Manchester line.
Always had it in the back of my mind to nip up one night with a hacksaw to "rescue" a small piece. Never did though.
MMmmm... vandalism, theft, going equipped ??? Wot ME ??????
Cool, I love when you can see things like that. Two other examples of little bits of history:
1. On the Strand in Liverpool opposite the Balic Fleet pub there are some metal plates still attached to the wall - these are all that remains of the metal supports of the over head railway.
2. A bit further afield - on the way into Newcastle, on the A69 just before its junction with the A1 is part Hadrians wall and a bus-stop that appears to of been made out parts of said Roman Wall!
ther are loads of lor remnants built into dock walls like near malmaison. the rails are no longer visible, think they been buried and the council wont be too pleased if i take a pick axe to it. took airwolf dog for a walk there today
needed to change this for years. so now i have. ha
Are those pics from Storeton Woods? I think so. If they are where I remember, it's where the track turned eastward & passed through the Great Cutting to the North quarry. There's virtually no trace of the cutting now, but if you know where it was, you can just make it out. Of course, the quarry & cutting were filled with the spoil from the Mersey Tunnel around 1930. Just at the point where the preserved tracks are, there's an oak tree which I used to climb as a boy & sit at the top, listening to the trains labouring up Storeton Bank on the Bidston - Wrexham line.
