Network rail archive

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 10:41 am

Hi Phill.I'm afraid the early railway line you identify (which intrigued me, I haven't come across it before) cannot have passed through the arch you identify. That arch did not exist at the time of the map showing the railway, and was only constructed during the second subsequent widening of the station, which took place in 1891. The map showing the strange railway shows the situation prior to 1874.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 10:47 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: And the mystery map. I have to admit I can't work this one out If it is any kind of tracks they seem to start and end rather abruptly. Could it have been some kind of overhead railway (nothing fancy, just trolleys on rails) for transporting goods from the canal to the various businesses in the arches? The extra bit of line from the right-hand end could have been laid to help reach the arches in the centre which didn't appear to have an open entrance.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 11:02 am

Yes your right Jim.You can see the older and newer part of the arches when down there. The older part being stone construction and the newer extension is brick.There are plenty of arches along the stone section where some tram/cable way could have crossed This arch looks to be heading in the same direction as the above map. There's an interesting metal object like a beam or girder in the far arch on this shot.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 11:21 am

The rails don't cross Neville Street, though. You can superimpose this 1850s map on your arches map, using the Waterloo swimming bath and Sandford Street as guidance (large version also attached for easier viewing).

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 11:43 am

Yes I edited my post Tasa, they cross Little Neville Street and not Neville Street don't they?

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 11:52 am

That's right - my guess is that if you walked into some of those car park arches to the right as you walk from Neville Street to Granary Wharf, there should be openings (even if bricked up) in the walls to show where the rails went through.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 12:01 pm

Tasa wrote: That's right - my guess is that if you walked into some of those car park arches to the right as you walk from Neville Street to Granary Wharf, there should be openings (even if bricked up) in the walls to show where the rails went through. Those arches would be great to photograph as they were wouldn't they? I love the sound of lamp rooms, artillery and gun carriage store, and beer and wine cask stores.I have visions of a one legged character like this hobbling about the place in days of old (without the Swedish accent though)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYFgnT8IkcoWhat a crack pot

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 12:15 pm

Ha ha - I love that film!I was in Liverpool between Christmas and New Year, and followed the route of the Overhead Railway from Dingle back to the Pier Head. This is where the Dingle Tunnel emerged, and underneath in the cliff face, you can see the entrances to stores which were used for pretty much the same purpose as the Dark Arches. Legend has it that they were built by prisoners in the Napoleonic Wars.http://snipurl.com/22eqcc5

Post by **cnosni** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 12:35 pm

Pleased to see a genuinely interesting thread.

liits · Post by **liits** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 12:50 pm

The thing that interested me was the mill goit and where it went. It's a pity that the map didn't continue further, the detail was superb.A very much bigger version is here...http://tinyurl.com/7yhpbx5If anybody wants a copy of the original drawing, I've managed to "extract" one from the site but it's a very, very large file.Having had anoter look at the overlay I've realized that it may not be as accurate as I intended.I may have to go back and have another go.