Birkenhead Railways : A Photographic History

The railways of Birkenhead have not been well covered in print to date but this photographic album looks to redress that imbalance. The Birkenhead Railway, the main line to this port town situated in the north-west corner of the Wirral peninsula, on the west bank of the Mersey and facing across the river to Liverpool, was operated jointly by the London & North Western and Great Western railways from 1860, and then by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway and the GWR after the 1923 Grouping. This joint ownership thus produced a great variety in locomotives, rolling stock and company styles in a comparatively small area, greatly increasing its interest. However, being somewhat out on a limb, Birkenhead did not receive the photographic coverage that many other railway centres enjoyed. The members of the Merseyside Railway History Group have scoured many archives and sources to put together this album of pictures, drawing on the work of numerous photographers (some known and some unknown) to provide a comprehensive review of the railways in the Birkenhead area from the 19th century to the present day, including many previously unpublished pictures, which together illustrate the distinctive selection of lines and systems that served the area. Our journey begins at Mollington, on the Joint line from Chester to Birkenhead Woodside, and covers the various stations, goods yards, engine sheds and industrial locations passed on the way. We then visit the goods line to Birkenhead Docks, followed by the extensive railway system which accessed them, showing the goods depots and wharves that were served and some of the ships. Finally we study the third rail electric network within the Birkenhead boundary, including the Mersey Railway main line between Rockferry and Hamilton Square, and the branch to Birkenhead Park, along with the Wirral Railway between Birkenhead Park and Birkenhead North. This volume follows on from a previous book, The Railways of Chester, compiled by the Merseyside Railway History Group and published in 2015 (Bridge Books).

Birkenhead Railways : A Photographic History - Sample Images