Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Abandonded train station @ Singleton Avenue

Hello,

Aparently there is an abandonded train station underground where singleton avenue meets woodchurch road. From what I heard it was built (Not as an underground t/s) and never used for whatever reason, so they concreted over it.

There is also an underground stream that runs under the road, perhaps this has something to do with it?

Does anybody know anythign about it?

Hmmm i never heard of that but there is a strange looking building there at the junction of singleton / Woody Road. It looks like an old sub station but maybe it was built for something else originally ???

where are we looking here?



Map of Singleton Avenue / Woodchurch Road Junction

The strange looking building is/was an electricity sub-station. I was taken in there as a child by my grandfather. At that time, it housed mercury vapour rectifiers (scary) to convert the incoming ac to dc for distribution to the local houses.
More info. in my post "Power supplies" on page 2 of the main Wirral History
Never heard about an underground station.

The substation is exactly that, a substation. I do not know where exactly but from memory I remember thinking it was by the substation, dad says under the traffic lights at the top of singleton ave.

Its all abit hearsay but it was my dad who told me about it and it was ment to be a continuation from the main line, fully built and then they scrapped the idea so filled it with concrete.

I remember reading in, I think it was "Railway Stations of Wirral" where it said there was a provision somewhere for an extension to existing lines as they'd uncovered a couple of railway markers but I can't think for the life of me where it said they were, I think it was around the Borough Rd area of Birkenhead actually so probably irrelevant.

Could it be the oddly shaped vacant plot at the bottom of Singleton Av where it meets Borough rd?

I can't find the reference, but I know I've seen it, to plans for a rail line (can't remember if it said underground) from Central to Parkgate, but was pre-empted by the Hooton/Parkgate line.
As I remember, the lot at the junction of Singleton Ave./Borough Rd. which now appears to be vacant, was an undertakers when I was a child.
There's clear evidence, as said by Newboy, that the substation is still there; you can see the equipment quite clearly here.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...hx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

The Borough Road/Singleton Avenue Junction had Martins Bank (became Barclays) on one corner and the Post Office on the other with a building like a car show room beside it. The undertakers is further round on Borough road next to the (what was) Technical College

I am sure the underground station is a mis-interpretation of sub-station.

There was a well half way up Singleton Avenue which I think was covered with one of the trees eventually.

The trams passed the bottom and top of Singleton Avenue along Borough Road and along Woodchurch Road.

I have a copy of "The Mersey Railway" by G.W.Parkin. On p.13 under "Proposed Extensions not Implemented" it reads " ....A turnout south of Upton Station was to connect with the Mersey Line at Birkenhead Central. The Wirral Company had no funds to execute these works and it was the M.S. & L. (later to become the Great Central) which finally joined up with the Wirral at Bidston, but not to Birkenhead Central. Standing on the B'head Cen.down platform, a discerning eye can detect how the building line of the original station buildings has been set back to permit the proposed line to sweep round and eventually take up alignment under Borough Road. Certain occupants of this building today need no reminding of this particular piece of railway history, for they work in triangular offices ! "

Hope the above throws a bit of light on the subject.

re: sub-station at the top of Singleton Ave. Chris recalls the mercury arc rectifiers (Frankenstein models). They must have gone by the mid '50's as I recall gazing into the building and looking at a pair of big rotary coverters. These did the same AC to DC conversion but were slightly more modern technology. I also remember a bit in B'head news saying the Singleton Ave. area was the last bit of B'head to be changed from DC to AC. At a guess this would be 1958/9 ish.

The trams went along Borough Road, passing the bottom of Singleton Ave., thence along to Prenton Rd West. The terminus was at the top of Prenton Rd.W. near to the junction with Storeton Road. The trams never traversed Woodchurch Rd.

A while back, Chris re-produced a track plan showing the actual tram routes.

good topic very interesting

Isnt it jason, isnt it just

There are really old streets underground manchester dont you know. they have shops and everything and are deserted.
I`d make a new topic about them but this is `wirral` history

interesting

Oh, go on; I've done Stockport