8D ASSOCIATION

The 8D Association is dedicated to promoting the history of the railways of South Lancashire, Merseyside and North Cheshire.

LNWR Liverpool Lime St to Speke Junction
Stations and Signal Boxes

The Association is looking for pre 1980 images of the stations and signal boxes on this line, the earlier the better. If you have any, we would be delighted to see them and with permission, may include them on this particular section. Please use the ‘contact’ facility on ths website. Thank You.

Stations.

This section covers the eight stations that have been or still in operation on this line. However one of these stations has been rebuilt completely and renamed on the site of one of the original station sites, so in theory there has only been seven stations in existence. Fortunately, five still are open with two completely closed.

Liverpool Lime Street

Opened in 1836 and enlarged in 1845 – 51 the station is still a grand terminus today. The station in its heyday had 12 platforms and two turntables but was cut back eventually to 9 platforms. In 2018 significant improvement work was carried out including reinstatement of platforms, revised trackwork and signalling which was completed late 2019. The station has now 10 platforms with five under each train shed roof. Majority of trains that head south tend to depart from the south train shed which is featured here. For further images, please see Liverpool and Manchester Railway section on this website.

BR ‘Coronation’ class 8P No 46240 ‘City of Coventry’ stands at the head of 1A37, an afternoon ‘relief’ train to London Euston on the old Platform 8 (nowadays, Platform 9) of Liverpool Lime St Station. Also of interest is the pile of mailbags in the foreground as well as the various cars to the right which is now Platform 7 & 8! Saturday, 16th June 1963.

Photograph: John Corkill.

(To see more of John’s images, see: ‘The Lads from Liverpool’ Book with Peter Hanson, published by Silver Link Publishing)

The improved South train shed as taken in December 2018. To the left, Class 156, No 156488 is on platform nine with a train for Manchester Oxford Road and on the right is the new platform eight with Class 350, No 350223 with a Birmingham New Street train. At this stage, the improvement work within the station was still ongoing and finally completed 8 months later.

Edge Hill

This station originally opened in August 1836 and is now one of the oldest railway stations in the country after it replaced the original station which opened in September 1830 with the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It has remained largely unchanged with the exception of the removal of the station canopies. The station only started serving lines to the south when the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway opened the section of line between Edge Hill and Speke in 1864 before being absorbed by the LNWR.

(To see further images of the station, see also the Liverpool & Manchester section).

In a RAF 100th Anniversary livery, Northern Class 156, No 156480 departs platform three, Edge Hill Station with 2O90 11.56hrs Liverpool Lime St to Manchester Oxford Road train via Wavertree Junction and the CLC line. 21st October 2019.

Wavertree

This station was opened 1st September 1870 by the LNWR and located near to Wellington Road. In 1891 the line was qualrupled and subsequently the station was rebuilt with access to the station was between the two bridges that supported the lines. The station was closed by British Railways on 5th August 1958 and nothing remains of the station at track level.

(for further information, please click on this link )

If you have any images of this station, we would be most interested in viewing and putting them on this page for others to see.

Sefton Park

Opened by the LNWR on 1st June 1892 near to Smithdown Road and built on the embankment to the four lines. It got its name from the nearby large public park of Sefton Park. The station was closed on 2nd May 1960 by British Railways were nothing remains at track level although the booking office remains and used as business premises.

(for further information, please click on this link )

If you have any images of this station, we would be most interested in viewing and putting them on this page for others to see.

Mossley Hill

This one of two stations opened by the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway when the line first opened on 15th February 1864. In July same year, SH & RG was taken into LNWR ownership and 1891 when the line was qualrupled, the station was rebuilt. It is located on Rose Lane were the road crosses the railway and it had originally been named as Mossley Hill for Aigburth. In the mid 1960’s, the station was rebuilt and ‘for Aigburth’ was dropped from the name in May 1974. The station remains open and is served by trains for Liverpool Lime St and Manchester Oxford Road via the CLC route.

A January 2013 view of the street level entrance of the 1960’s design station. Since this image was taken the building and interior has been updated.

Photograph by Terry Callaghan.

Passing through Mossley Hill Station on the up slow line, Class 60, No 60095 on 7P75 08.10hrs Liverpool Bulk Terminal to Fidlers Ferry Power Station mgr. The main station building can be seen above the footbridge in the background with brick built shelters for waiting passengers. These shelters got demolished and replaced by bus like shelters! 5th October 1996.

West Allerton

This station was opened by the LMS on 2nd January 1939, located below Booker Avenue. It is just over 4 miles from Lime Street Station and half way between Mossley Hill and Allerton Stations. The original brick booking office remains in use although the platform wood built waiting rooms were replaced a few years ago with bus type shelters. It is served by Northern with trains to Liverpool Lime St and Manchester Oxford Road.

Taken circa 1959, a view of the station from the footbridge complete BR maroon totems and running in board, just prior to electrification.

Photograph courtesy of Phil Graham (from the Bill Martin Collection)

The road level booking office / building is of brick and wooden construction which gives access to the plaforms via a wrough iron footbridge. 28th Januaray 2013.

Photo by Terry Callaghan.

HST No 253038 consisting of Power Car number 43187 and 43146 pass through West Allerton Station on 12.00hrs LIverpool Lime Street to Plymouth train. In background, a Class 304 departs bound for LIme Street and shows the original wooden waiting shelters. 24th January 1987.

Allerton

Opened by the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway on 15th February 1864 and taken over by the LNWR in July of the same year. Located above Woolton Road, it was rebuilt in the 1950’s By British Railways in conjunction with the electrification of the Liverpool to Crewe section.The station had four platform faces with buildings of a similar style to the others reconstructed along the line. The station was in a fortunate location as it was next to South Liverpool FC football ground but on 30th July 2005 it was formally closed. However, Merseytravel had decided previously to construct an interchange station on the site and with taking the land of the football ground, a new station was contructed and named Liverpool South Parkway Station.

Taken from Allerton Junction Signal Box, BR ‘Crab’ No 42933 leads ‘Black 5’ No 45414 on a short passenger train consisting on what seems to be of pre 1920 vintage. In the background, you are able to see the original Allerton Station with the buildings intact, as well as South Liverpool FC ground to the left. 27th August 1954.

Photo by the late J.A.Peden.

Approaching Allerton Junction, Freightliner Class 66, No 66504 passes the station with 4K74 11.26hrs Seaforth CT to Crewe BH ‘liner’. As you are able to view, the station was simple in layout with a basic waiting shelter on platform 2&3 only. Acces to the platforms was via a subway and stairs. 4th March 2000

Just come off the CLC line at Allerton Junction, a Class 31/4 is on a Sheffield to Liverpool Lime Street train passes through the station which shows a slight air of neglect. Summer 1987.

Photo by Terry Callaghan.

Liverpool South Parkway

This station opened on the 11th June 2006 at a cost of approx £33 million on the site of the former Allerton station. Liverpool South Parkway was built as a major interchange station and constructed of renewable materials as well as being energy efficient. With the closure of Garston Station on the CLC Merseyrail line, it physically connect both the CLC line and LNWR line with the building of low level platforms giving the station 6 platforms in total. The station is also an interchange with local buses providong a direct link to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, along with a large car park providong a park and ride facility.

A general view of the station with an EMR Class 158, No 158858 waiting to depart for Nottingham and a Class 319, No 319367 on a Blackpool North train. 12th March 2016.

During late summer of 2018, Liverpool Lime Street Station was closed for reconstruction work, so Liverpool South Parkway became a temporary terminus for all trains. This included a temporary extending platform to accomodate Pendolino trains on Platform 4. In this view Class 350, No 350255 awaits to depart for Birmingham New St while Class 158, No 158783 just arrived from Nottingham. 2nd September 2018.

SIGNAL BOXES

This section will cover the signal boxes that have been on this line between Wavertree Junction and Allerton Junction. Currently this is work in progress while the information is gathered. In the meantime, we are interested in seeing images of the signal boxes on this line and would welcome them to be included on this section.

Allerton Junction

There has been two signal boxes at this location with the original one, a LNWR box was in existence until 1966 when the electricification took place of the line along with a revised junction created to join up with the CLC line. The new box was built in 1965 / 66 and became operational in September 1966. The box was closed September 2018 when all signalling was transferred to the Manchester Railway Operating Centre.

(The above information to be updated in due course)

An excellent image showing ex LMS ‘Princess Royal’ Class No 46200 ‘The Princess Royal’ on the Up ‘Merseyside Express’ is about to pass the original Allerton Junction signal box. This signal box was located by the bridge that goes over the CLC line and in this view between the train and the box, you are able to see the CLC Allerton Shed. 17th July 1958.

Photograph by the late J.A.Peden

The 1966 Allerton Junction Signal Box built just a few yards south of Allerton Station and located at the revised junction to connect with the CLC line to Hunts Cross. 2nd September 2018.