Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Woodside Station

Just start a topic, Billy. We're all keen to see what you have!

Late '40s, my schoolmate Brian used to live in the only house in Rose Brae. His Dad was the gate keeper at Graysons, I think.

There was a frightening drop from his house windows to the bottom of the dock!

Bri

Interesting pictures Billy. Thanks. It would be great to see any pics. you have of Rock Ferry Station and Mollington St. M.P.D.

Keep them coming !

Thanks for the comments!

There aren't any more of Woodside, so I'll post some of others that my mate took in the sixties.

Here's where they'll go:- I've found an existing topic for Mollington St on Wiki:

Mollington Street Sheds

so I'll put the pictures of the sheds on there. As the other photos are a bit more scattered in their locations, I think it's best that I put them on another existing topic:

The railways of Wirral, 1830s to present day.

I'll put them up in batches of 3 (to stretch them out a bit!!): the first ones will go on in short while, and the others will probably follow in dribs and drabs - there aren't that many, but what there are, I hope will be of interest.


Cheers,
Billy.

Where would the superb wrought iron gates shown here

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/b/birkenhead_woodside/index.shtml

have been sited in Woodside station?

Great recycling!

The gates were at the bus station side of the station, and were at the road entrance,somewhere near the present entrance to the office blocks.

Bob.

Thanks for that.
I don't remember seeing them, but, of course they wouldn't have looked so fine in the old days!

Bri

I was talking to my dad today and he was telling me about this place and how he would go on the steam trains etc. I went for a look on my way to the shops later on and took a couple of photos on my mobile. I am just wondering where did the tunnel emerge at the other end?. I presume it must be somewhere near the Queensway entrance. Was it buried under concrete when the flyovers and connecting roads where built?. I assume it joined up with the existing line somewhere near the Mollington street sheds where the rock retail park is now.

Doh! I have just done a bit more research and found out. Its only right where I'm going tomorrow!. Sorry for wasting your bandwidth.

As it's my picture, I can post it here !

Does anyone know how they came to be here ?

Well done with all this, I find it all very interesting.

The rail tunnel from Woodside Station emerged alongside the old Town Station at the junction of Tunnel Road and Grange Lane in Birkenhead, not far from the Queensway road tunnel entrance. The line then continued in the direction of Rock Ferry and to all parts of the country. In its heyday, it was an important main line route between Birkenhead and London. A second line at this point went via another tunnel across the town to the docks. Further down at Chester Street, there was a branch line to the Cammell Laird shipyards.

Yes, Yoller, there used to be a direct service between Woodside & London Paddington, via Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Banbury & Oxford. I made the trip a couple of times. It took about 7 hours! Any sane person wanting to go to London would go over to Lime St. & do the trip into Euston in 4 hours.
As for the rail system in Birkenhead, this map gives an idea of the number of tracks. Town Station is at the top edge, with the start of the Haymarket tunnel just to the left. I've marked the site of the Rock retail park.

Remember the carriage roof boards: 'Paddington Birmingham Shrewsbury Chester Birkenhead, for Liverpool'?
Definitely the long way round timewise!

Great pictures. I have a very dim memory of meeting my grandmother there in the late 1950s. She probably came from Birmingham.

Thanks for all the information Guys. I am going to try and overlay that map on google earth.