Manchester Liverpool Road railway station
Liverpool Road | |
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goods yard | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Former Liverpool Road Railway Station and Station Masters House |
Designated | 18 December 1963 |
Reference no. | 1291477 |
Liverpool Road is a former
The station closed to passenger services on 4 May 1844,
The station, a Grade I listed building, is now part of the Science and Industry Museum.
Early history
As a consequence of opposition from the proprietors of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, it had been intended to terminate the railway on the Salford side of the Irwell. A last minute agreement brought about a change in plan. The river would be spanned by a two arched stone bridge, incorporating a cart road for the use of the Navigation company. The real problem was how to cross Water Street. The levels would not permit an arched bridge to the dimensions demanded by the Manchester Highway Commissioners. The only alternative was a flat span across a distance judged to be too wide. William Fairbairn, in the quest to perfect fireproof mill flooring, had developed a parabolic 'T' section girder that could span such a distance. Thus, the Water Street bridge might be said to be the first modern girder bridge.
The station itself comprised a slightly curved brick viaduct that terminated in the slope that led up from Water Street to
Provision for the passengers was something of an afterthought. An existing house on the corner of Liverpool Road and Water Street was purchased for the use of the 'Station Agent'. A brick structure was erected next to it, incorporating elaborate door and window surrounds, the whole being finished in stucco rendering, scored to imitate stonework. The most curious feature was the positioning of a sundial over the first class entrance.
Passenger services
The railway only carried
The passengers proceeded upstairs to the waiting room, and licensed "outdoor porters" took charge of their luggage, being paid a set scale of fees. "Indoor porters" took charge of the luggage on the station platform and strapped it to the carriage roofs. The ringing of the station bell then announced that the passengers could go through the door on to the platform and board the train. The bell was also rung as a warning of departure, but the actual signal was given by the guard's trumpet or horn. The original bell is still exhibited in the station building. The planning of railway stations was clearly not so advanced at this time as supporting pillars of the building prevented certain carriage doors from opening fully.
Growth
The station buildings were extended in 1831 by the construction of a simple two-road carriage shed on top of a range of rooms along Liverpool Road. These were intended as shops but, due to the insalubrious surroundings, were only used as offices. Beyond this range was a gate and a ramp leading to viaduct level. This was used to load and unload gentlemen's carriages, which were conveyed on flat wagons, a popular form of travel for those who could afford it.
The
Goods yard
Passenger services ended with the opening of an extension of the L&M line from Ordsall Lane to Hunt's Bank. All passenger services were then transferred to the new Victoria Station from 4 May 1844.[10]
Liverpool Road, which was turned into a
Closure
When the station and warehouses were abandoned in 1975 by
The station building and adjacent historic railway warehouses now form part of
Mainline connection
Throughout its history, Liverpool Road station had retained a working rail connection to the operational mainline, allowing heritage trains to be run directly from the
See also
References
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 153
- ^ "About us". Science and Industry Museum. 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ a b Former Liverpool Road Railway Station and Station Master's House, Heritage Gateway, retrieved 7 January 2010
- ^ https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2016/09/21/house-of-train-liverpool-road-station-manchester-uk/ House of Train (Liverpool Road Station, Manchester, UK)
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 152
- ^ "First in the world: the making of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway". Science and Industry Museum.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 45.
- ^ Ferneyhough 1980, p. 132
- ^ Holt 1978, p. 109
- ^ Ferneyhough 1980, pp. 103–105
- ^ Holt 1978, p. 240
- The Independent on Sunday. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ^ Kirby, Dean (17 May 2014). "Steam trains will no longer run to historic Liverpool Road station at MOSI under 'Ordsall Chord' plan". Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ Charlotte, Cox (26 March 2015). "Manchester's Piccadilly and Victoria stations to be linked by rail as £85m Ordsall Chord gets go-ahead". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
Bibliography
- OL 11956311M.
- Ferneyhough, Frank (1980), Liverpool & Manchester Railway 1830-1980, Book Club Associates
- Holt, Geoffrey O. (1978), A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain - Volume 10- The North West, David & Charles, ISBN 0-7153-7521-0
External links
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Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
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Ordsall Lane | London and North Western Railway Liverpool and Manchester Railway |
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