24th June 2007

Branch Line Society
Merseyrail Electric Railtour

EMU's Used 508122 & 508139

Route:
1Z57 : Rock Ferry to Southport
1Z58 : Southport to Liverpool Central LL

EMU's Used Route
508122+508139 Rock Ferry - Birkenhead Central - Hamilton Square - James Street - Mersey Tunnel Transit - Liverpool Central Deep Level Platform - James Street - Hamilton Square - Birkenhead Central - Birkenhead Central Sig.717
508139+508122 Birkenhead Central Sig.717 - Birkenhead Carriage Sidings (No.1 Siding)
508122+508139 Birkenhead Carriage Sidings (No.1 Siding) - Rock Ferry
508139+508122 Rock Ferry - Birkenhead Central - Hamilton Square - James Street (1)
508122+508139 James Street - Hamilton Square - Birkenhead North - Bidston - Meols - West Kirby Siding No.2
508139+508122 West Kirby Siding No.2 - Bidston - Bidston Siding (former Up Siding)
508122+508139 Bidston Siding - (crossover Up to Down) - Bidston
508139+508122 Bidston - (crossover Down to Up) - Bidston East Jn - (via 'Up & Down Through Siding' then 'Arr & Dep Line') - (Birkenhead North Depot) - Birkenhead North (2)
508122+508139 Birkenhead North - (via 'Arr & Dep Line' then 'Up & Down Through Siding') - Bidston East Jn (crossover Up to Down) - Wallasey Village - New Brighton Wall Siding
508139+508122 New Brighton Wall Siding - Bidston East Jn - Birkenhead North - James Street - (via Stock Interchange Line) - Paradise Jn - (remain on 'Down Line') - Liverpool Central (3)
508122+508139 Liverpool Central - Moorfields - Sandhills - Hall Road (4) - Formby - Birkdale - Southport
508139+508122 Southport - Southport Carriage Sidings No.9
508122+508139 Southport Carriage Sidings No.9 - Southport
508139+508122 Southport - Birkdale - Formby - Waterloo - Sandhills - Sandhills Reversing Siding
508122+508139 Sandhills Reversing Siding - Sandhills - Walton Jn - Aintree - Ormskirk
508139+508122 Ormskirk - Aintree - Walton Jn - Sandhills - Sandhills Reversing Siding
508122+508139 Sandhills Reversing Siding - Sandhills - via Kirkdale Carriage Sidings (via South RR Line) - Walton Jn - Fazakerley - Kirkby
508139+508122 Kirkby - Fazakerley - Walton Jn - Sandhills - Liverpool Central
508122+508139 Liverpool Central - (crossover Up to Down) - Paradise Jn - (via Stock Interchange Line) - James Street - Hamilton Square - Birkenhead Central - Rock Ferry - Hooton - Ellesmere Port (end of third rail)
508139+508122 Ellesmere Port (end of third rail) - Hooton Bay Platform 1
508122+508139 Hooton Bay Platform 1 - Chester - (end of third rail)
508139+508122 (end of third rail) - Chester - Hooton - Rock Ferry - James Street - Liverpool Central Deep Level Platform

Notes :
(1) The plan to reverse in James Street Stabling Siding was refused due to condition of track.
(2) Due to a track circuit failure, the train could not run through Birkenhead North [P1] to reverse on main lines at the Liverpool end of the station, so had to reverse in platform 1 & run back through Birkenhead North Depot & therefore gain a bonus crossover at Bidston East Jn. (The driver did apologise for "the inconvenience caused", over the P.A.)
(3) The train could not run into Liverpool Central Reversing Siding as the engineering blockade on the Hunts Cross line included this siding.
(4) The plan to run into Hall Road 'Wallside Siding', (with a reversal back to Hall Road, followed by another reversal), was refused due to condition of track.

Source : Alan Sheppard (on the train throughout)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Sheppard)

Location Booked Actual
Rock Ferry 09.08d [P4] 09.08 [P3]
Birkenhead Central 09/11 [P1] 09/12½
Hamilton Square 09/16 [P1] 09/14
James Street 09/18 [P1] 09/16½
Moorfields LL/WL 09/19 09/19
Liverpool Lime Street LL/WL 09/20 09/20
Liverpool Central LL/WL 09.22a ~ 09.24d 09.22 ~ 09.23½
James Street 09/25½ [P3] 09/25
Hamilton Square 09/27½ [P2] 09/28
Birkenhead Central 09/29 [P2] 09/30
Birkenhead Central Sig.717 09.30 ~ 09.34 09.30½ ~ 09.31
Birkenhead Central CS 09.36 ~ 09.43 09.33 ~ 09.43½
Rock Ferry 09.48a ~ 09.55d [P3] 09.49 ~ 09.56½ [P4]
Birkenhead Central 09/58 [P1] 10/01
Hamilton Square 10/00 [P1] 10/02
James Street 10.03a [P2] 10.13d 10.05½ ~ 10.13
Hamilton Square 10/15 [P3] 10/17½
Birkenhead North 10/23 [P3] 10/22½
Bidston East Jn 10/24 10/24
Bidston 10/25 [P2] 10/24½
West Kirby Siding No.2 10.42 ~ 10.46 10.40½ ~ 10.46
West Kirby Sig.597 ??*?? ~ 10*48 ?
Bidston 10/57 [P1] 10/57
Bidston Stabling Siding 10.59 ~ 11.03 10.59½ ~ 11.03½
Bidston 11.05 ~ 11.09 [P2] 11.05 ~ 11.17½
Bidston East Jn 11/10 11/20
Birkenhead North EMUD 11.13 ~ 11.15 11.25 ~ 11.26½
Birkenhead North 11/17 [P1] 11.28 ~ DIV
Birkenhead North Sig.564 11.18 ~ 11.22 DIV
Birkenhead North 11/23 [P3] 11.29½ [P1]
Birkenhead North EMUD DIV 11/31
Bidston East Jn 11/24½ 11.35 ~ 11.37
New Brighton Wall Siding 11.32 ~ 11.37 11.46 ~ 11.49
Bidston East Jn 11/43 11/55
Birkenhead North 11/44 [P2] 11/56
Hamilton Square 11/48½ [P1] 12/00½
James Street 11/50½ [P2] 12/04
Paradise Jn 11/57 12.06 ~ 12.13
Liverpool Central HL/NL 12/02 [P1] 12.15 [P2]
Liverpool Central Reversing Siding 12.03 ~ 12.15 DIV
Liverpool Central HL/NL 12/15½ [P1] 12.19 [P2]
Moorfields HL/NL 12/17 [P2] 12/21
Sandhills 12/20 [P2] 12/25
Waterloo 12/30 12/32
Hall Road 12/35 12/34½
Formby 12/41 12/39½
Birkdale 12/53 12/50
Southport 12.57a ~ 13.02d [P2] 12.54½ ~ 13.12 [P3]
Southport Carriage Sidings (sdg.9) 13.07 ~ 13.15 13.13½ ~ 13.15½
Southport 13.20a ~ 13.53d [P3] 13.17 ~ 13.53
Birkdale 13/56 13.57½ ~ 13.58
Formby 14/05½ 14/05
Hall Road 14/12½ 14/10
Waterloo 14/19 14/15
Sandhills 14/34 [P1] 14/25½
Sandhills Reversing Siding 14.35 ~ 14.40 14.26½ ~ 14.36½
Sandhills 14/41 [P2] 14.37½ ~ 14.39½
Kirkdale 14/43 14/40½
Walton Jn 14/44½ 14/41½
Ormskirk 14.56 ~ 15.02 14p54 ~ 15p02
Walton Jn 15/22 15/13½
Kirkdale 15/23 15/19
Sandhills 15/25 [P1] 15/23½
Sandhills Reversing Siding 15.26 ~ 15.37 15.24½ ~ 15.25½
Sandhills 15/38 [P2] 15.34 ~ 15.35½
Kirkdale Carriage Sidings (South RR) 15.41 ~ 15.44 15/42
Walton Jn 15/49 15/46
Kirkby 15.59 ~ 16.04 15p55½ ~ 16p02½
Walton Jn 16/12½ 16/12
Kirkdale 16/15½ 16/15
Sandhills Jn ? 16.17 ~ 16.21½
Sandhills 16/25 [P1] 16/22½
Moorfields HL/NL 16/27½ 16.26½ ~ 16.28
Liverpool Central HL/NL 16.30 ~ 16.34 [P1] 16.30 ~ 16.33½
Paradise Jn 16/36 16/35½
James Street 16/40 [P2] 16.38½ ~ 16.39½
Hamilton Square 16/42 [P2] 16/42
Birkenhead Central 16/43½ [P2] 16/44
Rock Ferry 16/51 [P1] 16/47½
Hooton 17/02 [P2] 17/02
Ellesmere Port 17.11a ~ 17.16d 17p09½ ~ 17p17
Hooton 17.22a ~ 17.32d [P1] 17p25 ~ 17p32½
Chester North Jn 17/44½ 17/45½
Chester West Jn ? 17.46 ~ 17.48
Chester 17.48a ~ [P7b] 17/49½
Chester ? [P7a] 17p50½ ~ 18p01½
Chester ~ 17.59d [P7b] 18/03
Chester North Jn 18/00½ 18/05
Hooton 18/09 [P3] 18.14a ~ 18.15d
Rock Ferry 18.20a ~ 18.23d [P2] ?
Birkenhead Central 18/29 [P1] ?
Hamilton Square 18/31 [P1] ?
James Street 18/34 [P1] ?
Moorfields LL/WL 18/35 ?
Liverpool Lime Street LL/WL 18/36 ?
Liverpool Central LL/WL 18.38a ?


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