North Mersey Branch is to be reopened for ballast trains working  at
Ormskirk.

On  2-Aug-2005, exjims@aol.com wrote:


> North Mersey Branch is to be reopened for ballast trains working  at
> Ormskirk.


Surely not.  Reinstatement of the North Mersey Branch will require
demolition of some property, and reconstruction of the bridge over the
A565 at Seaforth (by where Seaforth Sands Station stood in the days of
the Liverpool Overhead Railway).

Now the line from Marsh Lane Junction to Aintree Sefton Arms junction
possibly could be reinstated. The track was still in situ when I last
saw it 2/3 years back.

Malcolm

Taken from Nortn West Gen list -

EWS light engines to operate between Bootle Jct and Aintree (Sefton
Arms) 1000-1400 hrs on Mon 01/08 to Fri 06/08 & Mon 09/08 to Wed
11/08.This is in preparation from the running of enginerers trains over
the branch between Fri 12th to Tuesday 16th of August when the line is
blocked between Maghull and Ormskirk for relaying.

Yesterday's looc was 66194.

On  3-Aug-2005, "Bucket 25"  wrote:


> Taken from Norton West Gen list -
>
> EWS light engines to operate between Bootle Jct and Aintree (Sefton
> Arms) 1000-1400 hrs on Mon 01/08 to Fri 06/08 & Mon 09/08 to Wed
> 11/08.This is in preparation from the running of enginerers trains
> over
> the branch between Fri 12th to Tuesday 16th of August when the line is
> blocked between Maghull and Ormskirk for relaying.
>
> Yesterday's looc was 66194.


This is not the North Mersey Branch.

Traveling from Aintree SA to Bootle Junction the North Mersey Branch
left this line at Linacre Road Junction. After Linacre Road Junction it
passed over the Liverpool - Southport Line just south of Seaforth and
Litherland station.  It then ran parallel to the Liverpool Overhead
Railway for a short while before ending at North Mersey Goods Station. 
There was a connection with the Liverpool Overhead Railway to enable
electric trains to run from Dingle to Aintree mainly on Grand National
Day.

The line between Bootle Junction and Aintree Sefton Arms was also
electrified having a regular service from Liverpool Exchange via Ford to
Aintree.  This ceased in the mid 1950's.  The line left the Liverpool -
Southport line at the now removed Marsh Lane junction (North of Marsh
Lane Station) where it curved slightly to the left before rising and
turning right towards Aintree over the top of the Liverpool - Southport
line to reach Linacre Road Junction. There were separate platforms
mainly for this service at Bootle (Oriel Road) and Marsh Lane & Strand
Road (now called Bootle New Strand) stations. Also stations at Linacre
Road and Ford only served by this line.  Marsh Lane station suffered
serious damage during the second world war and the platform used by
these trains traveling from Liverpool was never reinstated. It was still
possible for them to call there by using the Southport bound platform
and rejoining this line shortly after at Marsh Lane Junction. I have no
record of this happening in practice.

From time to time it has been proposed that this line is reopened as
part of the MerseyRail network.



Malcolm
spamsalad@itsonlyme.org.uk - To reply change spam to ham.

Did these workings actually happen and if so does anyone know how much
work had to be done to make the line fit for use?

Its eleven years since I had any esponsibility there, but even from a
property manager's viewpoint it was patently clear that the trackwork
needed considerable work then for any use.

itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:

> On  3-Aug-2005, "Bucket 25"  wrote:
>>EWS light engines to operate between Bootle Jct and Aintree (Sefton
>>Arms) 
> 
> This is not the North Mersey Branch.


....although it is named as such in Quail.

On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 09:03:44 GMT, itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:



>This is not the North Mersey Branch.
>

It may not have been in your past, but, perhaps the present staff know
it as such.

"Alec Smith"  wrote in message 
news:2og1f1h1br9e5vh6c1abr81vu7vgj4sif8@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 09:03:44 GMT, itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:
>
>
>>This is not the North Mersey Branch.
>>
> It may not have been in your past, but, perhaps the present staff know
> it as such.


Might as well be called it as it is hardly going to be confused with a line 
that closed,
and which in many parts has now been filled in.

The signalbox which controls the are concerned (Sandhills IECC) ,it is just 
referred to as 'The Aintree single line'.

Today's loco was again 66194,but a CWR train did operate over the route 
about three weekends ago.

AJF.

On  3-Aug-2005, Alec Smith  wrote:


> >This is not the North Mersey Branch.
> >
> It may not have been in your past, but, perhaps the present staff know
> it as such.


Maybe.  I note from another posting that Quail show the line as the
North Mersey Branch.

From 1961 - 1963 I worked in the control office at Aintree, and later at
Liverpool Central.  At that time the branch only comprised the now
removed section of line between Linacre Road Junction and North Mersey
Goods Station.  The rest of the line described in this thread was not
then known or referred to as part of the branch.

Malcolm

On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 14:13:06 GMT, itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:



>
>From 1961 - 1963 I worked in the control office at Aintree, and later at
>Liverpool Central.  At that time the branch only comprised the now
>removed section of line between Linacre Road Junction and North Mersey
>Goods Station.  The rest of the line described in this thread was not
>then known or referred to as part of the branch.


Thanks, Malcolm, just keep the memories flowing, we never stop
learning.

itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:

> On  3-Aug-2005, "Bucket 25"  wrote:
>
> > Taken from Norton West Gen list -
> >
> > EWS light engines to operate between Bootle Jct and Aintree (Sefton
> > Arms) 1000-1400 hrs on Mon 01/08 to Fri 06/08 & Mon 09/08 to Wed
> > 11/08.This is in preparation from the running of enginerers trains
> > over
> > the branch between Fri 12th to Tuesday 16th of August when the line is
> > blocked between Maghull and Ormskirk for relaying.
> >
> > Yesterday's looc was 66194.
>
> This is not the North Mersey Branch.
>
> Traveling from Aintree SA to Bootle Junction the North Mersey Branch
> left this line at Linacre Road Junction. After Linacre Road Junction it
> passed over the Liverpool - Southport Line just south of Seaforth and
> Litherland station.  It then ran parallel to the Liverpool Overhead
> Railway for a short while before ending at North Mersey Goods Station.
> There was a connection with the Liverpool Overhead Railway to enable
> electric trains to run from Dingle to Aintree mainly on Grand National
> Day.
>
> The line between Bootle Junction and Aintree Sefton Arms was also
> electrified having a regular service from Liverpool Exchange via Ford to
> Aintree.  This ceased in the mid 1950's.  The line left the Liverpool -
> Southport line at the now removed Marsh Lane junction (North of Marsh
> Lane Station) where it curved slightly to the left before rising and
> turning right towards Aintree over the top of the Liverpool - Southport
> line to reach Linacre Road Junction. There were separate platforms
> mainly for this service at Bootle (Oriel Road) and Marsh Lane & Strand
> Road (now called Bootle New Strand) stations. Also stations at Linacre
> Road and Ford only served by this line.  Marsh Lane station suffered
> serious damage during the second world war and the platform used by
> these trains traveling from Liverpool was never reinstated. It was still
> possible for them to call there by using the Southport bound platform
> and rejoining this line shortly after at Marsh Lane Junction. I have no
> record of this happening in practice.
>
> From time to time it has been proposed that this line is reopened as
> part of the MerseyRail network.
>
>
>
> Malcolm
> spamsalad@itsonlyme.org.uk - To reply change spam to ham.


Some further info :-

The reprint of the Midland Railway System Maps - the company's own
Quail - shows this line starting from Fazakerley Jn going to North
Mersey & Alexandra Dock Station. It has connecting curves from Aintree
joing at Sefton Jn and at Linarce Road to the Southport Line. The
branch is clearly marked as being the "Aintree & Bootle Branch" of the
L&Y.

As Malcom has said there were 2 stations on the Branch before Aintree
but after the line passed over the Liverpool North Extension of the CLC
and under the L&Y line to Ormskirk (still in use today) there was
another station call "Anitree Race Course" before Fazakerley Jn. This
station was presumably only used on race days as it is shown as being
"Non Advertised" in the public timetables.

It is also of interest that Greville's book on the "Chronology of the
Railways of Lancashire" shows the line as being "North Mersey Branch"
opening to goods in August 1867 and to passengers in 1906. Other
sources give the passenger opening date for the Branch as 1st June 1906
and passenger closure from 2nd April 1951. I have no information as to
when the section from Aintree to Fazakerley finally closed.

Regards

itsonlyme@not-this.com wrote:

> On  3-Aug-2005, Alec Smith  wrote:
>
> > >This is not the North Mersey Branch.
> > >
> > It may not have been in your past, but, perhaps the present staff know
> > it as such.
>
> Maybe.  I note from another posting that Quail show the line as the
> North Mersey Branch.
>

If we follow this on, should the "Northern" and "Wirral" lines be
called so?