The history of the stations around Aintree. And the railways role in handeling the thousand that visit the Grand National race. Also the long vanished Aintree iron, the vast grid iron marshalling yard
Brilliant history of the system in and around Aintree.and at the grand old age of 56 I've finally found out what the Aintree Iron was......thank u very much ,thank you very very very much , I'm a happy man. 😀..spent most weekends of my youth in the late 70's travelling the merseyrail network on my trusty merseyrover ticket .. unlimited travel within merseyside boundaries from 6pm friday night till midnight sunday for the princely sum of 50p (Child fare) oh the memories . Thanks again Mitch. (Ex Huyton-ite)
Used to walk the dog round the old lines, though had to dodge the occasional freight. Can't walk there now very overgrown. Not much evidence of the Aintree iron left now
Great video. In the 60's & 70's I lived off Park Lane. Used to take my young son for a walk down the trackbed of the CLC Southport Extension Railway towards the Old Roan. Occasionally there would be a class 40 working into the Metal Box factory.
Thanks for the comments. I used to walk my dog along the the North Mersey branch. One particular walk a class 37 came rumbling up behind us near to the giro
Used to go train spotting in Aintree shed on Sundays in the early sixties. Plenty of engine's to cop but very few namers. Nobody ever chased us out of the shed and no H&S, those were the days, happy times as well.
Thanks. Although railway worker's called it the Aintree Iron, Mike McCartney denied that was what was referenced in the song. He could just have misled everyone though
Thanks for these videos! I used to live in Helsby Road in the 1970's and would play in the disused Aintree engine shed over the, as was then, Back Field. Great nostalgia
Thanks. Been in the old shed myself a few times & walked round the the old lines when the tracks were still there. Including one time I jumped out my skin as a big diesel came up from behind. One Sunday
Further down the line is a station called orrel park, my Nana's house used to look onto the railway just before you'd get to the station. I always remember as a kid hearing her single glazed windows rattle as the trains went through, but of course she was used to it so never really noticed. She did tell me about how in the olden days the trains would come "thundering" through at all hours, which I guess would have been the freight trains too. I never knew all this history about Aintree station though, but I do remember my mum driving past there when I was younger and me being amazed at this bright new building at Aintree station, along with a car park and bus station. For years I've gone under that bridge near the kfc and never known that used to be part of the railway! So thank you for this video, it was really enjoyable to watch.
Thank you. Glad it brought back memories. Yes they would have been freight. There was another frieght line. The Langton Dock branch. It ran parallel to Lynwood Rd not far from orrell park
I just love this. I used to get off (and on) at Orrel Park to get to The Black Bull back in the 1970's. Great production and the comments and memories. Right proper.
Fantastic History Lesson,what a great station we have now thanks to all the Planning, I was able to build a wall with Waste bricks from the engine sheds, yes it's still standing in rice lane
@@Merseywail All steam when I used to go there my family moved away in summer of 1968. Even got a few cab rides used to sit by the turntable or on the banking watch the same line you mention. Happy happy days
Excellent video and very informative..I remember the big signal box at Aintree Station. If I remember correctly there was a signal manufacturering depot on signal works road not far from Aintree Station.
An outstanding piece, well done. Just on the the North Mersey branch from Bootle to Aintree - it has not been used for many years and is generally overgrown to the extent that it would be difficult to use without significant expenditure. The Sectional Appendix, records the operational details of all Network Rail lines and is incorporated into Track Access Agreements with train operators. Currently, the North Mersey branch is recorded as being restricted solely to “engineering trains” i.e. run for maintenance and renewals purposes. Since the line has not actually seen traffic for several years, Network Rail has decided to propose that its status is changed to “out of use”. This means that the branch will still be in Network Rail’s operational property portfolio and not available for disposal/sale. This provides protection for any potential future rail uses that may arise. Such an approach is believed to be consistent with the policies of key stakeholders. The installation of new electrical supply kit (as seen on your video to the right of the junction) was to allow safer isolation of the electrical supply to the third rail system, by means of remote isolation. Network Rail were also upgrading some of the power cables to make them more resilient to the increased power demands on the supply system that new trains, soon to be online and currently parked at Crewe /Kirkdale for Merseyrail, will generate. As part of this work, they also removed a small section of track in the Aintree station sidings (as in your video) to allow the running of new cables from the supply sub-station directly to the third rail network. The works have also involved vegetation removal along part of the North Mersey branch, as far as Network Rail's road access point off Deltic Way. A great vid - thank you for your efforts. I live just by the old Langton Dock branch - would love to have seen more photos of that when it was in full operation - ironically what the Dock needs now more than ever to move freight but cannot see it ever being recommissioned.
Many thanks. The North mersey keeps popping up in reopening plans, but never gets anywhere. Reopening now would be a major task. Tree clearance would be required for starters. There are very few historical photos of the langton dock branch unfortunately. This is one line I would like to do a video on. If I can get enough to do it justice I would. Reopening would be very difficult if not impossible. Large sections have now been built on
One of the guys I used to work with on The Railway back in the early 90s was an ex Aintree shed guy, he started there as a young lad. He brought some Black and White photos in one day that had been taken at the shed, on one of them there is a bunch of lads, all posing in front of this steam engine. He pointed out himself and the guy who was stood next to him, was a very young Billy J Kramer who started at Aintree shed as an engine cleaner.
He made the right decision to change career. He was also a pupil at St George of England school, the same one I , my sister & brothers went to. Teachers liked to mention that from time to time
A great video. Thanks. I have fond memories of working at Courtaulds and going to the Grand National as a kid. Many school friends lived on Park Lane. The Scaffold further immortalised the 'Aintree Iron'. Walshy.
Cheers Frank. Although I have often heard ex rail men talk about the Aintree iron, Mike McCartney says that wasn't the meaning in the song. Although he has never revealed what it actually is
@@Merseywail There was a pressing iron run by gas having a flexible gas tube and lighted burner inside - no kidding. H&S? One was made by a company called Aintree. The _Aintree Iron._ The song _Thank You Very Much_ was mentioning normal things around us. As kids the writers of the song would be familiar with the Aintree Iron. An Indian Gas iron. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IJOyx1nW48M.html
@@johnburns4017 thanks for that. I've no idea what it's meaning in the song actually is. But I used to know ex railway men, (sadly passed) who referred to the grid iron as the Aintree iron. Though it's likely it was adopted from what you described
@@johnburns4017 he has denied it was about the grid iron. But he has also never confirmed what it's a reference to. At least to my knowledge. It would be nice to have confirmation after all these years
This video is amazing! I live on Warbreck Moor and use Aintree station to get to the City Centre and Ormskirk. I love seeing old photos of steam locos passing through and the MPD where the new housing estate is now! Could you do a video on Old Roan station?
Really thorough and concise and I like the leisurely pace. I had a late friend who lived around here and we often used to go for long walks around what had been Aintree Central, the Gridiron and Walton Triangle. He knew the bit around Aintree Central as ‘The Back Field’. Sometimes we’d go along the line which crossed Warbreck Moor. It was still active in the 80s but not used much. The whole area must have been really busy through most of the 60s, but as a small kid I’d not have been out that way much, though I do recall the North Liverpool Extension Line still being used by steam trains at Broadway and Walton Triangle. It was a bit of a shame the Merseyrail network was never completed as originally conceived. I no longer live on Merseyside, but that whole area always seemed full of ghosts. It was difficult to believe it had once been such a hive of activity. If it wasn’t for the old photos and videos like yours, I’d begin to think I’d dreamed it all. Nice detail about the bridge to Courtaulds. I only discovered what that was for quite recently but it always intrigued me because it looks quite modern.
Glad it rekindled memories. I often spent time around there too. It became more difficult as decline set in. The loss & building over the loco shed area has transformed it beyond recognition. Even though the North Mersey track is still in place its virtually impossible now. If it ever were to reopen they will have a difficult task
Excellent video - thanks for putting it together! Fascinating stuff. I’m really interested in the old railway lines and stations in the Aintree area. Only the other week I walked around those container units to see if I could see any evidence of Aintree Central (couldn’t see any) and saw a rusty single line of track on the North Mersey Branch is still there. I didn’t realise it had 4 lines there at one point! Your video has answered a lot of my questions too in particular what that bridge over the A59 was used for! 👍🏻
Never seen a pic of anything going over that bridge. There is a small possibility that freight may return to the North Mersey in connection with the expanding docks. Hope its not all pie in the sky
@@Merseywail If Peel Ports projections of required rail movements are to be realised the current infrastructure is going to be hopelessly inadequate. I have my fingers crossed for redoubling of the Kirby-Wigan and Ormskirk-Preston lines and muse over what connections and line improvements might be realistic over the Ditton and Chat Moss routes.
@@fenlinescouser3898 I 100% agree with you. I now live 3 minutes walk away from the rimrose valley country park. Peel ports and highways England want to bulldoze a motorway right through it. Reopening the old rail line's should be the way to go, not another motorway
@@Merseywail Used to live in that area as a kid and spend a lot of time playing on the open ground way before the park was created. For some years prior to the park's creation the area was utilised as a municipal tip before being soiled over and greened. I do wonder how sound the ground is for road construction not least because underlying the said tip the conditions were very boggy with Rimrose Brook running straight through the middle. I do remember that when the current plan was announced there was vociferous local opposition which I hope continues! Should it go ahead traffic conditions Linacre Lane to the port and at Switch Island are going to be horrendous. Oh and thanks for the interesting posting, I apologise for drifting off topic.
Really enjoyed that with lots of fantastic information and old photos 👍🏻 Shame the other lines got pulled up as they might of made a very different Mersey rail network 🤔
Thank you for covering British Enka, my Grandad used to work there years ago, I could find very little information on this and its great to see it on the old map. Also its nice to see an actual picture of the turntable my dad told me about when I was a kid, thank you, finally I get to see it, read all the books I could find and nothing
Thanks. There hasn't been much published on liverpool railways. Apart from the many on the liverpool and Manchester railway. Though two books that do have good coverage & are worth getting are. Shedside on Merseyside. And Steam on Merseyside and beyond.
I have only been to Aintree once but as I got off the train the next unit to come in going to Liverpool center was 507021 "Red Rum" I wonder what the odds for that are. Thanks for an interesting video.
Great, at last I know now where that big complex electrified junction was at 8:19. I've often seen pictures of it but it was never clear where it actually was. And now I also know where the "Aintree iron" was that was in the song by the Scaffold ( I think, not sure now ) back in the 60's. Weren't they from somewhere in Merseyside? I remember them on "crackerjack" back in the late 60's. I'm from down south and I was only brought to the north when my parents moved in 1971 and I only started travelling to Liverpool and Merseyside in early 1989, and I remember wandering around the Wirral docks areas and seeing the last of the old Wirral dock rail lines just after they'd gone out of use. Have you done any videos about them too?
Yes the scaffold were from Liverpool. Although there is some dispute over the reference in the song. I have often heard ex rail staff call it the Aintree iron. I haven't ventured onto the Wirral side of the Mersey in my videos yet. But I will be doing so soon
@@Merseywail There's not much left of the Wirral dock lines. I can remember when I first crossed the Mersey in early 1989 and most of the network was still there but out of use. But then they started ripping it out and now there's just a few odd isolated sections left here and there, a lot of it buried under piles of rubble or else heavily overgrown. And there's an old railway building there near Hamilton square station in Birkenhead which is now used for something else and all the tracks to it have long gone. There is a fairly new street tramway in Birkenhead which uses a Hong Kong tram but I'm not sure if that's still in use now as I've not been there for years now.
@@majorpygge-phartt2643 no there isn't much left of the Wirral Dock lines. The wirral tramway is still there though its been closed due to Covid the past year. It runs from the Taylor St museum to Woodside & now has a selection of restored trams as well as the Hong Kong pair. The museum is on two levels with vintage buses on the upper and trams lower. Am a member there & am awaiting its reopening
I live off Wango lane ,when i first moved up there i would take the dog around the back of Aintree racecourse,,canal turn. there was all large space next to the Kirkby line with lots of what looked like Railway building all demolished. was this some sort of goods yard back in the day ?
