Port sunlight re-modelling

[Siphon208]

Just wondered whether any local buffs can shed some light on this?

 

I found an old pic of a 47 pulling some flats from the siding to Port Sunlight works, just wanted to know when this was? looks like it was taken from the signal box. The former fast lines are gone, the overbridge is in place. There was another one of the broken rails which have been removed to put the concrete platform in.

 

Also, someone at Bromborough station asked me when the fast lines were lifted from Platforms 1 and 2? do any photos exist of this at lifting?

 

Regards, 

 

Dean

[beast66606]

Prompted by Dean as I seem to have missed this posting

 

The picture of the 47 is indeed taken from the box, the Rock Ferry end and shows a train leaving the sidings with No.25 disk off, and the starter off (No.7) - points 32 would also be reversed to permit this move. It's unusual to me as it shows iron bar, I don't recall seeing that leave in the several years I spent visiting the box - and working it more often than not. It was usual Prestwins (or Prestflos not sure which)  - it could be that this is the front of Target 18 as it was known and the brake van and maybe some wagons have been put into one siding while the engine and bolsters have run forward, set back, collected the Levers traffic and are now departing for Ellesmere Port yard.

 

Regarding the fast lines.

 

The down fast (towards Birkenhead) was taken out of use (OOU) between Hooton North and Rock Ferry with effect from (WEF) 4 November 1967 when Birkenhead Woodside shut, the old Up Fast then became the Up Goods. The down fast would have been lifted through Port Sunlight very quickly to allow the construction of the platform (Port Sunlight only had platforms on the Up Fast and Down Slow).

 

This situation lasted until December 1973 (the only change was the abolition of Spital box in 1972) when Hooton North and the Up Goods were taken OOU.

 

I remember the OOU Up Goods was still in position through Bebington in 1974 but was lifted around 1975 when Bebington box also met it's end. I would guess lifting of the Up Goods was all done around the same time, possibly at Port Sunlight the area passing the sidings (where the 47 is leaving) would be lifted and altered as the box used to control some of the connections inside Levers, once the Up Goods was shut these levers were made spare and the simple connection pictured was put in place.

 

I've seen the odd photo around Port Sunlight during the 1967-1973 period but none of Bromborough.

 

 

Port Sunlight signal box diagram from ca 1902 - November 1967

 

 

 

[Siphon208]

Thanks for your reply!

I cant recall the original post that I found this pic in- there were a few others, including one of broken rails at the end of what is now the "Up" platform. It was an old RM post. If I can find it, I will put the pics back up.

[Signaller69]

Interesting photos.

 

I pass through Port Sunlight quite often on trips to Liverpool, only saw a train in the sidings there once, back in the mid/late 1980s which was a class 31 on PCA tanks (Purple ones iirc). By that time the sidings had a point at the Rock Ferry end to form a run round loop, and a facing crossover added for Down trains to cross straight into the sidings. The "BR" sidings are still in situ but very overgrown now, though I think all the track has been removed from the old Lever premises.

 

Returning to the photo I would suggest it is mid to late 70s judging by the unfitted bogie bolsters (not sure when these were withdrawn); it is hard to tell if the 47 has Domino headcodes or roller blinds but I suspect the former as no trace of lettering can be seen.

[beast66606]

Here's a 40 passing the Up Home with the Levers yard visible on the right - ca 1978. I have the details somewhere but not to hand.

 

The connection to the down main was taken away 1985 around the time the colour lights (May 85) were provided and the box closed in November 1986 when Rock Ferry took over its functions.

[Signaller69]

Here's a 40 passing the Up Home with the Levers yard visible on the right - ca 1978. I have the details somewhere but not to hand.

 

The connection to the down main was taken away 1985 around the time the colour lights (May 85) were provided and the box closed in November 1986 when Rock Ferry took over its functions.

Great stuff! Any idea when Port Sunlight sidings went OOU? Come to that, when did freight stop running on the Birkenhead - Hooton line generally?

[beast66606]

Great stuff! Any idea when Port Sunlight sidings went OOU? Come to that, when did freight stop running on the Birkenhead - Hooton line generally?

 

Last train was 1993 which was the Washwood Heath - Birkenhead North domestic coal.

 

The sidings stopped being used for Levers soap products around 1985 but a Purfleet - Port Sunlight edible oil train ran spasmodically for a couple of years after. I never photographed it but I did signal it from Rock Ferry a few times. It arrived very late at night.

[Signaller69]

Last train was 1993 which was the Washwood Heath - Birkenhead North domestic coal.

 

The sidings stopped being used for Levers soap products around 1985 but a Purfleet - Port Sunlight edible oil train ran spasmodically for a couple of years after. I never photographed it but I did signal it from Rock Ferry a few times. It arrived very late at night.

Thanks for the info. Thinking of my sighting it must have been 1984/5 then, as it would have been in the afternoon while I was on Coast & Peaks rover, 1984 or 85 (I forget which) was the first year I used the route.

[Steamport Southport]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the centenary when they had the Jinty and Prairie top and tailing tours of the Lever Brothers system. 7298/4566.

 

1988 I think it was.

 

 

 

Jason

[Siphon208]

Thanks for the info. Thinking of my sighting it must have been 1984/5 then, as it would have been in the afternoon while I was on Coast & Peaks rover, 1984 or 85 (I forget which) was the first year I used the route.

 

I used to work near the factory where the edible oil terminal was- the tanks were often seen on the track alongside Stadium road. I can vividly remember Class 47 'Total Energy' being parked up here, awaiting its return trip.

[beast66606]

I used to work near the factory where the edible oil terminal was- the tanks were often seen on the track alongside Stadium road. I can vividly remember Class 47 'Total Energy' being parked up here, awaiting its return trip.

 

And the crushed tanks parked at the end of the sidings ... when they weren't vented correctly.

[Signaller69]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the centenary when they had the Jinty and Prairie top and tailing tours of the Lever Brothers system. 7298/4566.

 

1988 I think it was.

 

 

 

Jason

Just looked it up, some photos by Flyingsignalman of this parish here, very interesting:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66334-levers-centenary-weekend-1988/

[beast66606]

Just looked it up, some photos by Flyingsignalman of this parish here, very interesting:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66334-levers-centenary-weekend-1988/

 

I was with him when we rode on the train

[Siphon208]

I believe from the original post, that this is 47199. I haven't been able to source the other pics, they are in the RM Web archive, and I don't have clearance to access them!

Dean

[Siphon208]

Last train was 1993 which was the Washwood Heath - Birkenhead North domestic coal.

 

The sidings stopped being used for Levers soap products around 1985 but a Purfleet - Port Sunlight edible oil train ran spasmodically for a couple of years after. I never photographed it but I did signal it from Rock Ferry a few times. It arrived very late at night.

 

Emember seeing the first train arrive- I worked at what was Viota- literally around the corner- I saw this parked up alongside Stadium Road. The trains used to arrive in the early hours, to avoids disruption to Merseyrail services. The trains only ran for a short time, as Van den Berghs decommissioned the plant the trains were serving. It had cost an awful lot of money to re-instate the spur from Port Sunlight, and was taken away just as quickly. the trackbed is very overgrown near to what was the run-round end, and redevelopment has removed all trace of the roadside tracks!

 

47379 "Total Energy"

[Steamport Southport]

Apparently the Oakwood book has been reissued after being out of print for years.

 

http://stenlake.co.uk/book_publishing/?page_id=131&ref=1133&section=New%20Books

 

 

The Industrial Railways of Port Sunlight and Bromborough Port

 

This is the third and very much revised edition of the book originally published in 1980, a long time ago apparently� anyway the book has been re-formatted into a new and larger size, departing from a long Oakwood tradition of publishing only in A5, at the author’s request so that illustrations, especially maps, are easier to look at. The book now has 22 chapters, up five from the 1980 edition, and the maps have been redrawn. Subjects include the Storeton Tramway and a little about Price’s Tramway but the main focus of the book is about Lever Bros. Factory railways at Port Sunlight in Cheshire.

 

 

No connection. Just posting in case anyone is interested.

 

 

 

Jason