Liverpools Overhead Railway

[a chesters]

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for a query about the overhead railway of Liverpool, but place my trust in the moderator to say.

As a young boy, aged about 8, i lived in Liverpool, and have this recollection of an overhead railway somewhere in the city. I seem to remember travelling under it, and hearing greaks and groans from the structure. As this was in the early 1950's, and as said, I was only about 8, my memory is subject to foggy parts, particularly from so long ago.

If any one can say whether my memory is correct, or say that it is not, I would like to know, purely to to put what is left of my mind at rest.

Thanks in advance, even if it is in the negative.

A Chesters

Moderator comment: Moved from Common room to Lancashire board

[Ringoroses]

Hi,

Yes you're right. It was down near the Pier Head.


A quick google brings up a ton of information and images about it, including this quite pleasing little intro film which links into a site dedicated to it

http://www.liverpooloverheadrailway.com/

regards
Ann

[a chesters]

Ann

Thank you very much for that, and so quick too

Whilst at this stage it has not dragged any more memories out of the depths, at least I was not wrong about there being an overhead railway. The GCI film is most interesting.

I wonder if the site will include a map of the route later on?
When in Liverpool I lived near Newsham Park, so I do not think we would have used it as a normal means of transport.

Again, many thanks

A Chesters

in Australia  (wet in Sydney)

[Ringoroses]

Hi again,

And some more info
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/liverpool_overhead_railway/index1.shtml


Wiki has some interesting links too, near the bottom of the page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_Overhead_Railway


Just put it into google (or whatever search engine you use), you'll find loads of info about it.

Regards
Ann

[ainslie]

The LOR ran from The Dingle near the southern end of Liverpool Docks to Seaforth, beyond Bootle.  At the Dingle terminus the station was, curiously, underground  and the train emerged from a tunnel onto a viaduct.  The rest of the journey was at high level.  At the northern end there were connections to the Liverpool - Southport electric line.
There were stations every half mile or so mostly named after the larger docks.  Passengers could see most of the ships moored up in the docks, though the bulk were workers who saw too much of it every day!
The carriages were basic with wooden slatted seats.  Trains ran every few minutes and cost a few pence.
Too little was spent on maintenance and after much war-time emergency repair work there were no funds for the major reconstruction needed in the 1950s when it was closed down and demolished.
There are few visible signs of the LOR today, but I believe one of its coaches is at the Liverpool Museum, and as said earlier, there are books and videos available.

A

[Plummiegirl]

If you can get hold of the Lost Treasures series by Mark Ollie.  He does actually visit the Liverpool Archives warehouse and you can see the last surviving train.

There were I believe 2 series of Lost Treasures so not too sure which series it was in.

Shame he never made any more.  Was a fantastic series.  Does occassionally pop up again on the History/Blighty/Yesterday channels on a Sunday lunchtime.   Has not been on for quite a while, so is probably due a showing again soon.

[wyndham]

There are, as already mentioned, books on the LOR, the main one being 

The Liverpool Overhead Railway  1893 - 1956   by  C. E. Box, published by the author in 1962.  As fas as I can recall it has subsequently been reprinted.

Other ones are

Liverpool Overhead Railway  by  P. Bolger and published by the Bluecoat Press in 1997.

Portrait of the Liverpool Overhead Railway  by A. Jarvis and published by Ian Allan in 1996.

All the books do appear, at times, as secondhand and a starting point would be Abe Books if you are interested in researching the railway further.

[heywood]

I have a vague memory of a school trip and travelling on the overhead railway. We also saw the Empress of Canada  ship and in my mind it was overturned somehow. It's all very vague    but I am now going to see if my memory is right.
I have no idea though why we went there.

Just watched the Pathe news and the ship had been on it's side  - I thought I had seen the bottom of the ship. It was 1954 when it was winched upright but had been overturned for 14 months I think it says. I would have been 7 at the most- a strange type of  school trip.

[a chesters]

Thanks to all of you for the information. Being in Australia, I will have to hope that the local second hand shops might have some of the books mentioned. I do not think any of the now 16 free to air channels have ever broadcast the Lost Treasures, so I might have to stir things up there.

Thank you ainslie for giving the route, as this means that if I did travel on it, it would have been a special trip.

I am pleased to see heywood make the same comments about his memory, as it relieves me of thinking I could have been loosing mine. At least you have a definite memory to tie onto. I do not, other than the general feeling that it was there.

Again, many thanks to all of you

A Chesters