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Posted By: derekdwc info on these railway lines - 8th Mar 2011 12:10pm
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?

Attached picture rail track [1600x1200].JPG
Attached picture railtrack2 [1600x1200].JPG
Posted By: camtrix321 Re: info on these railway lines - 8th Mar 2011 2:12pm
Remembering as a kid these lines ended up in the old CO-OP coal wharf which is now G Majors skip yard
Posted By: bazzoh Re: info on these railway lines - 8th Mar 2011 4:05pm
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
Posted By: Sallybear Re: info on these railway lines - 8th Mar 2011 5:01pm
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.
Posted By: bazzoh Re: info on these railway lines - 11th Mar 2011 11:55pm
see if this works!
[Linked Image]
Posted By: chriskay Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 11:10am
Originally Posted by Sallybear
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.


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).

Attached picture Railway lines.jpg
Posted By: derekdwc Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 11:18am
thanks nice map
What year was it?
Anyone know what year Dock Station became Birkenhead North?


Description: off 1888 map (the one Mark posted
Attached picture Beaufort rd.jpg
Attached picture old docks stn.jpg
Posted By: bazzoh Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 12:23pm
the map i posted is dated 1913 but am not sure when the name change took place
Posted By: chriskay Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 2:20pm
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

Attached picture 2011-03-12 14-15-34_0157.jpg
Posted By: Geekus Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 7:14pm
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.
Posted By: chriskay Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 9:40pm
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.
Posted By: Geekus Re: info on these railway lines - 12th Mar 2011 11:36pm
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?
Posted By: TRANCENTRAL Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 5:26pm
just been down to corpy rd today and the old track is being cleared anyone know why? put some more up in a bit smile

Attached picture 1.jpg
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 5:49pm
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.
Posted By: Touchstone Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 5:55pm
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.
Posted By: TRANCENTRAL Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 5:56pm
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
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.
Thankyou for the info mate nice one happy
Posted By: TRANCENTRAL Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 6:27pm
the sign

Attached picture 2.jpg
Posted By: Anonymous Re: info on these railway lines - 22nd Mar 2011 6:35pm
Trams, Rails and Dock Station.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: KeithS Re: info on these railway lines - 24th Mar 2011 9:18pm
Originally Posted by geekus
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?


According to T.B Maunds book "The Wirral Railway and its predecessors" Birkenhead Docks station was renamed Birkenhead North by the LMS on the 1st of May 1926.
Posted By: blackadder Re: info on these railway lines - 28th Mar 2011 8:30pm
Hi

Might be able to help here. I have a contact in Network Rail. I asked a while back, whether there was any intention of reopening the Dock Branch from the Rock Ferry end. She said that this hasd probably been considered too expensive, as sections of the track were no longer in place, and the most viable option was to re-open from the Bidston end.

Dean
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