Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request info on these railway lines

took these pics yesterday top of Beaufort rd by the roundabout and wondered where they went.
Presume they went to join up by the 4 bridges (where wikiwalk started Freeman st)
Going the other way?
1 Bidston stn?
2 Steel works?
3 Engine works (also top of Beaufort rd by the roundabout)
which seemed to be old Dock station on a map - Birkenhead North was also called Dock Station once.

Also, I remember the railway lines going across the 4 bridges and always seemed to me they went at a right angle to the track at Freeman st so if part of the same system how did the train get from one track to the other?
Any maps of dock railways please?

Remembering as a kid these lines ended up in the old CO-OP coal wharf which is now G Majors skip yard

they do (did) carry on and split up further up -you could access the depot or carry on round to the wallasey docks (going around the tip). At the other end, there was a junction that sent tracks behind the signalbox and over the 4 bridges - i do have a map somewhere but its not handy :-( am sure i've seen one on here though

I think they carry on all the way to where Green Lane station is, think they are what is on the bridge over Green Lane, if you look on Google Maps/ Earth you can follow them.

see if this works!

They do indeed go to Green Lane & then on to Rock Ferry. You can still see them from the Merseyrail train between Rock Ferry & Green Lane, on the river side. On this map, after crossing Green Lane, a line goes off to the left to Mollington St. sheds, then several lines go off to the right into Laird's & some carriage sidings. At the very top of the map, the remaining lines split; those on the right go to Town Station & Woodside, those to the left are the lines to the docks, through the Haymarket tunnel, recently re-visited by a team of intrepid explorers.(See the thread in Urban exploration).

thanks nice map
What year was it?
Anyone know what year Dock Station became Birkenhead North?

the map i posted is dated 1913 but am not sure when the name change took place

I have the same map as the one bazzoh posted. Mine is dated 1928 & it's now Birkenhead North. Other changes are the ownership of lines: Wirral to LMS & Great Central to LNER

The Birkenhead Docks station closed in April 1878, and was immediately replaced by Birkenhead North. The new station was a short distance away from the original.

When the original Docks station closed in 1878 & moved to what is now Birkenhead North, it was still called Docks station, as shown on the 1888 & 1913 maps. It changed to Birkenhead North some time between 1913 & 1928. I'm sure someone can pin the date down.

I don't have much info on trains or local transport, but feel sure you'll find the answer in one of T.B.Maund's books.

Perhaps the date range you suggest ties in with the re-organisation & 'grouping' of railways which took place following the First World War?

just been down to corpy rd today and the old track is being cleared anyone know why? put some more up in a bit

There is a rail apprenticeship program that seems to be running from the buildings in Beaufort Road. They have the apprentices out taking up the railway track. They did some about a month ago.

There were some plans to reopen the Birkenhead Dock line a few years ago but this seems to have been put on hold. Could have linked up nicely with a newly electrified Bidston-Wrexham line. I wonder with the Wirral Waters development if this line will finally come back into use again.