Historical Liverpool to Scotland through service via Ormskirk

[frodshamfella]

So it 1964 the electric was still very much in use as far as Ormskirk, surely it must have been talked about to take it up to Preston then ?

 

[krus_aragon]

So it 1964 the electric was still very much in use as far as Ormskirk, surely it must have been talked about to take it up to Preston then ?

Perhaps. Almost all of those services have through carriages continuing beyond Preston; switch to Electric (EMU) and you lose the through service. Plus, in addition to those fourteen northbound services there were forty-odd that terminated at Ormskirk (and a handful that went via Preston Road to Rochdale, Wigan or Manchester Victoria). There are five Ormskirk-Preston stoppers filling in the gaps, but the level of provision north of Ormskirk is significantly less than that south of Ormskirk. It might nr have been thought worth considering.

 

[Bevan Price]

I don't know if any called at Ormskirk. I think there were three or perhaps four trains per day in the 60s - except in the summer holiday period, when, in steam days of course, there could be any number of reliefs, and/or, I suspect the workings were sometimes kept as separate, longer trains. If someone has an old timetable, it would confirm or otherwise.

In steam days (well, 50s and 60s) I think Newton Heath/Polmadie Patriots, Jubilees and Scots were the main power. But Clans also were put on them. And Brits. I presume the Liverpool Exchange portions were generally considered the 'secondary' train, I suspect they used Black 5s normally. Bank Hall had some Jubilees, but I think these were for the Liverpool Exchange - York - Newcastles.



The final steam-hauled train on 03.08.68 was most definitely part of a Glasgow+Edinburgh to Manchester+Liverpool.
This train left Glasgow Central at around 17.30 or so (from memory) and it also acted as a kind of commuter service to Carstairs and Lockerbie. (I caught it once or twice from Carstairs.) A detail that I don't know is whether there were through carriages from each origin to each destination, or whether, eg the Glasgow carriages just went to Manchester, and the Edinburgh carriages just went to Liverpool. On the final steam journey, I think the Liverpool portion was just four carriages. I can't be sure, but I suspect the Manchester portion was six, possibly with a buffet or restaurant.

By the mid to late 1960s, trains were typically about 11 coaches north of Preston. If a portion had 7 coaches, it served both Glasgow & Edinburgh. If it had only 4 coaches, it served EITHER Glasgow or Edinburgh. As you say, Black 5s were the most common locos on the Liverpool / Preston portions, often from Bank Hall, but later from Aintree or Lostock Hall. Classes 25, 40 or 47 started to appear as steam was withdrawn, and I believe that class 50 were also used (but did not see any myself). Jubilees, Patriots, Britannias and Clans also appeared - mainly on trains that did not split at Preston.

Other steam classes used on other services from Liverpool Exchange until the 1960s included 75xxx 4-6-0s, 46400 / 78000 2MT 2-6-0s, and ex-LMSR 2-6-4 tanks . Some Class 2P 4-4-0s were also in use until the late 1950s . I don't know if Stanier Pacifics were officially cleared for Preston / Liverpool, but I did hear tales that at least one Duchess was alleged to have reached Liverpool Exchange. Steam locos did tend to wander from home depots and appear in unexpected locations. My trips over this route included runs behind Black 5s from depots such as Carstairs & Bournville, in addition to more local depots .....

 

[frodshamfella]

Perhaps. Almost all of those services have through carriages continuing beyond Preston; switch to Electric (EMU) and you lose the through service. Plus, in addition to those fourteen northbound services there were forty-odd that terminated at Ormskirk (and a handful that went via Preston Road to Rochdale, Wigan or Manchester Victoria). There are five Ormskirk-Preston stoppers filling in the gaps, but the level of provision north of Ormskirk is significantly less than that south of Ormskirk. It might nr have been thought worth considering.

Ok thank you. I think today the electric up to Ormskirk would be worth having for sure. Lots of housing there. Plus of course restore link with the Southport line.

I have to say I recently learnt that on the Liverpool to Southport line it was electric up to Crossens. I can't believe that went , again really useful today.

 

[frodshamfella]

Would there have been direct services up to Barrow and Windermere via Ormskirk? Indeed how about Blackpool services which route would they have taken ?

Thank you.

 

[krus_aragon]

Would there have been direct services up to Barrow and Windermere via Ormskirk? Indeed how about Blackpool services which route would they have taken ?

Thank you.

I see no through carriages from Liverpool Exchange / Ormskirk to Barrow or Windermere, but bear in mind that this is a winter timetable. There is a through service from Windermere to Liverpool Exchange (SX), the 08:10, arriving 10:33. This joins with a Blackpool Central train and calls at Burscough Jn and Ormskirk south of Preston.

Northbound, after Preston, through trains to Blackpool Central typically call at Kirkham and Wesham, Lytham, Ansdell and Fairhaven, St Annes-on-the-sea, and Squire's Gate, whereas the through train to Blackpool North called at Kirkham and Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde and Layton. I'll leave it to someone with more local route knowledge to interpret that.

 

[Springs Branch]

The list of 1963 trains in post #28 shows:

• the 17.00 with Through Carriages (TC) Liverpool to Windermere via Ormskirk,
• the 17.45 with TC to Millom (SX) or Bootle (SO) which called at Barrow-in-Furness on the way. Until the early 1960s this train had run through from Liverpool to Workington via the Cumbrian Coast.

Interesting the 16.40 train in the 1963 list (TC to Blackpool & Skipton) was shown in the 1960 timetable as calling at Midge Hall station to split. The front portion went on to Preston & Blackpool while the rear portion was coupled to a light engine sent from Lostock Hall shed, which took the rear portion to Skipton via Blackburn, Burnley and Colne (skipping Preston). Presumably Midge Hall was chosen as the closest spot to Lostock Hall shed.

Right through to the late 1960s, BR timetables used the old-fashioned term "Through Carriages" to indicate what was in fact just a conventional direct train.

For me, "Through Carriages" always pulls up a Victorian image of a couple of four-wheel coaches being shunted on and off other trains at some intermediate station. But for much of the 1960s a train from Liverpool Exchange to Preston with Through Carriages to Blackpool North was just a boring 3-car DMU from Liverpool to Blackpool.

According to the LMR timetables of the era, through trains Liverpool Exchange/Ormskirk/Blackpool North finished on Saturday 6th September 1969. After this a couple of daily Liverpool Exchange - Glasgow/Edinburgh trains (diesel-hauled by this stage and not stopping at Ormskirk) remained until the new timetable starting on 4 May 1970 when all Liverpool/Scottish trains transferred to Lime Street.

 

[krus_aragon]

The list of 1963 trains in post #28 shows:

• the 17.00 with Through Carriages (TC) Liverpool to Windermere via Ormskirk

Sorry, missed that one this morning.

 

[frodshamfella]

I see no through carriages from Liverpool Exchange / Ormskirk to Barrow or Windermere, but bear in mind that this is a winter timetable. There is a through service from Windermere to Liverpool Exchange (SX), the 08:10, arriving 10:33. This joins with a Blackpool Central train and calls at Burscough Jn and Ormskirk south of Preston.

Northbound, after Preston, through trains to Blackpool Central typically call at Kirkham and Wesham, Lytham, Ansdell and Fairhaven, St Annes-on-the-sea, and Squire's Gate, whereas the through train to Blackpool North called at Kirkham and Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde and Layton. I'll leave it to someone with more local route knowledge to interpret that.

Thank you for info.

 

[Elecman]

I suspect that if Chris Green had been responsible for this part of the world in his BR career, it would have been done - and cheaply. The organisational issues now are extending the Merseyrail electric service outside their designated area, which they will doubtless not pay for and there is no national funds source to do so. Similarly the various proposals I've seen for this, both here and local politicians, all seem to get carried away beyond such a small scale project. They want to extend the Preston service to Southport rather than connect to the existing service; they want to project the electrics all the way to Southport as well; they want to turn Burscough Bridge station into a mini Clapham Junction, etc.

His brother Alex was Area Manager at Preston

 

[GrimShady]

Can the coming 802s even use 125 capability Liverpool - Glasgow without tilt?

 

[edwin_m]

Can the coming 802s even use 125 capability Liverpool - Glasgow without tilt?

Not at present, WCML is 110mph maximum for non-tilt stock. IIRC there was a short faster section near Motherwell but I think it's been downgraded and was never attainable anyway. That's probably why TPE aren't using 802s on the Manchester-Scotland and I presume not the Liverpool-Scotland either. There are probably sections that could be upgraded without much work, but nobody has needed to do it badly enough to spend money finding out.

 

[GrimShady]

Not at present, WCML is 110mph maximum for non-tilt stock. IIRC there was a short faster section near Motherwell but I think it's been downgraded and was never attainable anyway. That's probably why TPE aren't using 802s on the Manchester-Scotland and I presume not the Liverpool-Scotland either. There are probably sections that could be upgraded without much work, but nobody has needed to do it badly enough to spend money finding out.

Any idea what the will be using Scotland to Liverpool?

 

[swt_passenger]

Any idea what the will be using Scotland to Liverpool?

Class 397 EMUs, but this isn’t the forum to be discussing current plans.

 

[GrimShady]

Class 397 EMUs, but this isn’t the forum to be discussing current plans.

I found the appropriate thread, thanks for the info anyway.

 

[L+Y]

Sunday and some "summer only" Scottish services called at Ormskirk; a few had also called at Burscough Jn.
The final Scottish service from Glasgow / Edinburgh to Liverpool Exchange ran on Sunday 3 May 1970, worked from Preston by D314 (Class 40), with me as one of the passengers.

I think the Ormskirk and Burscough calls were removed from northbound trains in 1966, but they continued to call at Ormskirk southbound until the end.

Were there any occasions post-1970 when engineering diversions or railtours saw passenger trains running through Ormskirk? Although the Liverpool-bound track was severed with a buffer stop, I recall the other track (the former track towards Preston) was retained as an "emergency" through connection until at least the late 1980s.

There were diversions through Ormskirk without doubt on October 1st 1972, when Warrington Power Box was commissioned: I have photos of trains crawling through Ormskirk on this date. I believe six DMUs and a class 50 on mk1s came through.

Yes, it was singled in the 1980s I believe. The second platforms are all still in place and visible albeit pretty overgrown these days. No track left though there are if I recall rightly still some sleepers with chairs near the WCML junction.

Rufford has also retained its second platform in use, though trains do not regularly pass there even in the new hourly timetable, passing on the WCML or the short double track section north of the branch proper - I wonder when the last time a train did pass there was? I guess it might be used in the hourly timetable in the event of serious delays.

The Ormskirk line was singled at the end of June 1970 between Ormskirk and Midge Hall, and north of Midge Hall in 1983. You're right about sleepers and chairs near Farington Curve Junction.

Trains pass on the WCML, there's no double track on the branchline at all.

The last times trains passed at Rufford station was last year actually, when the BLS "Cat and Dock" charter came down in between the service trains.

https://plumbloco.smugmug.com/Trains/BLS-Cat-Dock-tour-15th-June-2017/i-qvzQtSt/A

Winter 1963/64 timetable through services, weekdays:
06:00 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Blackpool Central) arriving 06:56, callling at Sandhills, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
08:36 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Blackpool North and Fleetwood) arriving 09:31, callling at Sandhills, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
09:50 Liverpool Exchange to Preston SO arriving 10:38, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn (also SX arriving 10:36 from 20th April 1964)
11:05 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Blackpool Central) arriving 12:01, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
12:35 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Blackpool Central) arriving 13:34, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
13:10 Liverpool Exchange to Preston SO (TC to Blackpool Central ) arriving 14:02, callling at Maghull, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
15:15 Liverpool Exchange to Preston SX arriving 12:01, callling at Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Todd Lane Jn
16:03 Liverpool Exchange to Preston arriving 17:00, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms, Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Rufford, Croston, Lostock Hall, Todd Lane Jn
16:35 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Glasgow Central (+RC) and Edinburgh Princes St) arriving 17:14, no intermediate stops
16:40 Liverpool Exchange to Preston SX (TC to Blackpool Central and Skipton) arriving 17:23, calling at Burscough Jn
17:00 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Fleetwood and Windermere (SX) ) arriving 17:49, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms (pick up), Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn, Croston
17:45 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Millom and Bootle (SO) ) arriving 18:31, callling at Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn
19:40 Liverpool Exchange to Preston arriving 17:49, callling at Aintree Sefton Arms (SO), Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn
21:00 Liverpool Exchange to Preston (TC to Blackpool Central ) arriving 17:49, callling at Ormskirk, Burcourgh Jn

There are seventeen through services in the other direction which call at Ormskirk, as well as six from and eight toward Liverpool on a Sunday. Post if you want the details of those services.

Fascinating. I've got the 1969 WTT, which is similar: again, please post if anybody wants details.

By the mid to late 1960s, trains were typically about 11 coaches north of Preston. If a portion had 7 coaches, it served both Glasgow & Edinburgh. If it had only 4 coaches, it served EITHER Glasgow or Edinburgh. As you say, Black 5s were the most common locos on the Liverpool / Preston portions, often from Bank Hall, but later from Aintree or Lostock Hall. Classes 25, 40 or 47 started to appear as steam was withdrawn, and I believe that class 50 were also used (but did not see any myself). Jubilees, Patriots, Britannias and Clans also appeared - mainly on trains that did not split at Preston.

Other steam classes used on other services from Liverpool Exchange until the 1960s included 75xxx 4-6-0s, 46400 / 78000 2MT 2-6-0s, and ex-LMSR 2-6-4 tanks . Some Class 2P 4-4-0s were also in use until the late 1950s . I don't know if Stanier Pacifics were officially cleared for Preston / Liverpool, but I did hear tales that at least one Duchess was alleged to have reached Liverpool Exchange. Steam locos did tend to wander from home depots and appear in unexpected locations. My trips over this route included runs behind Black 5s from depots such as Carstairs & Bournville, in addition to more local depots .....

I believe class 40s started to appear as early as 1962, and classes 24, 25, 47 and 50 were all common up until the line was severed. It's my local line, so I've built up quite a photo collection and amassed a lot of information on the line. In the last year, class 50s dominated the Scottish trains, though I believe the 21.25 from Preston through to Exchange (a Scottish portion working) was almost exclusively a class 25.

As for Stanier Pacifics, I've photos of 46208 Princess Helena Victoria passing Ormskirk and Burscough on 30th June 1962 with the 09.43 for Glasgow, and I'm virtually certain there were others.

According to the LMR timetables of the era, through trains Liverpool Exchange/Ormskirk/Blackpool North finished on Saturday 6th September 1969. After this a couple of daily Liverpool Exchange - Glasgow/Edinburgh trains (diesel-hauled by this stage and not stopping at Ormskirk) remained until the new timetable starting on 4 May 1970 when all Liverpool/Scottish trains transferred to Lime Street.

That's right, although I'd thought it was October 1969. Certainly at that point everything but the Scottish train, the regular Saturday Aintree-WCML track train, and any other remaining freight was truncated at Ormskirk. Incidentally, the track train (I believe usually worked T&T by two class 40s!) was the very last train to use the through, double tracked, line through Ormskirk station on the morning of Saturday 27th June 1970. Severing and singling work began the following day.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Trains pass on the WCML, there's no double track on the branchline at all.

The last times trains passed at Rufford station was last year actually, when the BLS "Cat and Dock" charter came down in between the service trains.

Cheers. I like the Regional Railways style window sticker in those photos!

I knew there was no double track on the branch (it's very much one of my old haunts), but the line towards Lostock Hall is doubled, isn't it?

That's right, although I'd thought it was October 1969. Certainly at that point everything but the Scottish train, the regular Saturday Aintree-WCML track train, and any other remaining freight was truncated at Ormskirk. Incidentally, the track train (I believe usually worked T&T by two class 40s!) was the very last train to use the through, double tracked, line through Ormskirk station on the morning of Saturday 27th June 1970. Severing and singling work began the following day.

So did nothing ever use the "bypass" line (along the disused platform at Ormskirk) that was left in place for many years?

 

[Springs Branch]

......... So did nothing ever use the "bypass" line (along the disused platform at Ormskirk) that was left in place for many years?

In its later years before closure, Horwich Works used to overhaul EMUs - including the Class 502s from Merseyside.

Does anyone know what route was used to transfer the Merseyrail units between Hall Road or Southport and Horwich?

I never saw any of these movements coming through Wigan (which isn't to say they didn't go that way). In fact the only time I saw one personally was near Blackrod, with the train (Class 502 dragged by Class 40 plus barrier wagon) approaching from the Chorley direction.

I assumed at the time this would have worked via the Ormskirk by-pass line and reversed around Preston, but it seems the "emergency" track at Ormskirk was used very rarely or never, so my assumption was probably incorrect.

There was a regular trickle of Merseyrail EMUs going for attention at Horwich (from a distance, you could usually see one stabled outside the works) and several plausible routes to get there from the Merseyside depots. Does anyone know how they actually got there - was it ever via Ormskirk?

 

[frodshamfella]

Now the route from Ormskirk to Preston will become hourly ...will it need a passing place ? Does one still exist ?

 

[30907]

Now the route from Ormskirk to Preston will become hourly ...will it need a passing place ? Does one still exist ?

No, they pass near Farington.
Yes, Rufford.

 

[nw1]

Always amazes me just how bitty and random services used to be. The planning effort of working out a whole day of seemingly randomly timed services rather than just planning a standard hour must have been immense.

Not sure it's the case on this particular line, but on cases where you had (say) a two-hourly service, you'd probably want to ensure that the services covered the work and school peaks. This would probably involve adding a bit of irregularity into the timetable to facilitate this; it would be of little use for school traffic if you had a gap between 1500 and 1700, and little use for work traffic if you had a gap between 1630 and 1830.

Even on an hourly service you'd probably want to add a little bit of tweaking in the peaks, e.g. departures at say 1702 and 1802 are going to be annoying for people who finish work at 1700 and can't get to the station in 2 minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even on an hourly service you'd probably want to add a little bit of tweaking in the peaks, e.g. departures at say 1702 and 1802 are going to be annoying for people who finish work at 1700 and can't get to the station in 2 minutes.

The ideal is to tweak the whole service for that purpose, which you can often do on a branch line by tweaking layover times at each end subject to paths. Though with an hourly service you'll never please everyone, departures from the big city near to xx00 are not likely to be popular. If you get the arrival time to about xx30 and the departure to about xx45 you've probably got the best balance for all day, as most office and retail workers start somewhere around 0900 (it also suits 0800 though not 0830), but finishes tend to be split between 1700 and 1730.

The trouble with little tweaks is that you lose your memorable service, which is a key reason for doing clockface timetables.

 

[edwin_m]

With many Northern timetables, in an otherwise hourly service there are two trains closer together around 1730 but then a long gap afterwards.

 

[L+Y]

So did nothing ever use the "bypass" line (along the disused platform at Ormskirk) that was left in place for many years?

There were certainly passenger diversions in October 1972, but these had to be escorted at walking pace through by a man with a flag, such was the state of the trackwork after over two years of disuse. I believe there was at least one diverted Freightliner and another diverted Lime Street express between 1971 and 1973, but no photos. Otherwise... see below.

In its later years before closure, Horwich Works used to overhaul EMUs - including the Class 502s from Merseyside.

Does anyone know what route was used to transfer the Merseyrail units between Hall Road or Southport and Horwich?

I never saw any of these movements coming through Wigan (which isn't to say they didn't go that way). In fact the only time I saw one personally was near Blackrod, with the train (Class 502 dragged by Class 40 plus barrier wagon) approaching from the Chorley direction.

I assumed at the time this would have worked via the Ormskirk by-pass line and reversed around Preston, but it seems the "emergency" track at Ormskirk was used very rarely or never, so my assumption was probably incorrect.

There was a regular trickle of Merseyrail EMUs going for attention at Horwich (from a distance, you could usually see one stabled outside the works) and several plausible routes to get there from the Merseyside depots. Does anyone know how they actually got there - was it ever via Ormskirk?

I've heard references to the Ormskirk loop being used for stock transfer moves myself, but I've never seen any photographic evidence of such: so it's all "circumstantial".

The 502 fleet was of course based at Hall Road prior to Kirkdale depot opening in 1977, but trains certainly seem to have run south from Hall Road rather than using the then-extant Southport avoiding line that allowed through running from Birkdale to Meols Cop and beyond. Here's a photo of an EMU returning from overhaul in 1976, running north from Waterloo station towards Hall Road.

The route to Horwich seemingly involved a reversal at Preston, as would tally with your recollection- see this 1977 photo, interestingly with a 503 in the consist too (this is prior to the tunnels being opened, so I wonder if the date is wrong?). You can just make out the locomotive at the front of the train, seemingly a 40, plus the barrier wagons and brakevans.

What I think probably rules out the Ormskirk loop certainly for the 1970-73 period is that once the signalboxes at Sandhills were taken out in (I think) 1968, the Ormskirk/Wigan and Southport lines operated as two separate, parallel routes from Sandhills, with no junction until Liverpool Exchange station, meaning the loco on any stock transfer move would've had to have run round in Exchange station- an operational nuisance, you'd think, if not a nightmare: especially given the progressive platform reduction at Exchange in the 1970s. Even when the junction was moved back to Sandhills and the quadruple tracks taken out in 1973, there wouldn't have been a suitable run-round point. I wonder, therefore, if a Hall Road-Bootle Branch-Huyton-Wigan-Preston route was preferred for these workings rather than via Ormskirk loop. What might lend further credence to this is the fact that the train in the second photo is arriving in Preston on the fast lines: you'd think had it run up from Farington Curve Junction, it'd have been on the slows.

All circumstantial, as I say: I'd love to hear otherwise!

 

[Bevan Price]

There were certainly passenger diversions in October 1972, but these had to be escorted at walking pace through by a man with a flag, such was the state of the trackwork after over two years of disuse. I believe there was at least one diverted Freightliner and another diverted Lime Street express between 1971 and 1973, but no photos. Otherwise... see below.



I've heard references to the Ormskirk loop being used for stock transfer moves myself, but I've never seen any photographic evidence of such: so it's all "circumstantial".

The 502 fleet was of course based at Hall Road prior to Kirkdale depot opening in 1977, but trains certainly seem to have run south from Hall Road rather than using the then-extant Southport avoiding line that allowed through running from Birkdale to Meols Cop and beyond. Here's a photo of an EMU returning from overhaul in 1976, running north from Waterloo station towards Hall Road.

The route to Horwich seemingly involved a reversal at Preston, as would tally with your recollection- see this 1977 photo, interestingly with a 503 in the consist too (this is prior to the tunnels being opened, so I wonder if the date is wrong?). You can just make out the locomotive at the front of the train, seemingly a 40, plus the barrier wagons and brakevans.

What I think probably rules out the Ormskirk loop certainly for the 1970-73 period is that once the signalboxes at Sandhills were taken out in (I think) 1968, the Ormskirk/Wigan and Southport lines operated as two separate, parallel routes from Sandhills, with no junction until Liverpool Exchange station, meaning the loco on any stock transfer move would've had to have run round in Exchange station- an operational nuisance, you'd think, if not a nightmare: especially given the progressive platform reduction at Exchange in the 1970s. Even when the junction was moved back to Sandhills and the quadruple tracks taken out in 1973, there wouldn't have been a suitable run-round point. I wonder, therefore, if a Hall Road-Bootle Branch-Huyton-Wigan-Preston route was preferred for these workings rather than via Ormskirk loop. What might lend further credence to this is the fact that the train in the second photo is arriving in Preston on the fast lines: you'd think had it run up from Farington Curve Junction, it'd have been on the slows.

All circumstantial, as I say: I'd love to hear otherwise!

No real need for loco run-round at either Liverpool or Southport -- just detach the loco and let the unit run under its own power on the 3rd rail section....

 

[Taunton]

The Wirral 503s were prepared for the haul to Horwich at Birkenhead North, and then taken via the Birkenhead Dock lines, Hooton, Helsby and Warrington. They needed quite a bit of preparation. The doorsteps had to be removed to be in gauge, and also the collector shoes, although some bureaucracy meant they still had to be belled on as an Out of Gauge Load. The match wagons at either end were needed for them because they had no buffers or screw couplings at the end, only buckeyes. The Southport 502s did have standard fittings, so the match wagon would have been needed in the photograph above between the two types of unit. They were also hauled unbraked, as even if the loco was air brake fitted it seems the match wagons were not. There were also brake vans at either end of the formation. Until about 1967 an 8F was used, after that a Class 24 or 40. There was a photo of a steam-hauled set somewhere in Lancashire in a 1960s magazine. It will be apparent that being prepared like this they could not then shunt under electrical power.

Living on the Wirral lines at the time it was common to see a set prepared ready to go, or one in nice new paint just returned.

Both emu types got the same overhaul material, pale grey interior paint and the old Trojan upholstery, and thus felt notably similar inside. I think the same was done with the Bury and the Hadfield emus which also went to Horwich.