Railway based things to do around Liverpool?

[crispy1978]

My wife and I are going to Liverpool from 5-12 October.

I'm looking for a day or two to do something railway orientated.

Can anyone recommend anything? Whether it be a historical museum, model railway exhibition, heritage railway, etc - not particularly bothered so long as it's accessible by public transport. I aren't up for bashing the Merseyrail for a day though.

Any ideas gratefully appreciated and will be considered.

 

[Ash Bridge]

My wife and I are going to Liverpool from 5-12 October.

I'm looking for a day or two to do something railway orientated.

Can anyone recommend anything? Whether it be a historical museum, model railway exhibition, heritage railway, etc - not particularly bothered so long as it's accessible by public transport. I aren't up for bashing the Merseyrail for a day though.

Any ideas gratefully appreciated and will be considered.

How about sampling a Ferry Across the Mersey (as the sixties song title goes) or sampling one of Northerns new state of the art 25year old electrics to Manchester and back?

 

[crispy1978]

How about sampling a Ferry Across the Mersey (as the sixties song title goes) or sampling one of Northerns new state of the art 25year old electrics to Manchester and back?

The ferry isn't a bad idea - but the wife won't be up for unnecessary train travel as she determines it.

 

[Cletus]

The Merseyrail Saveaway ticket includes one (I think) free crossing.

On the Birkenhead side there's the Wirral Transport Museum or the U Boat Story. (never been in either though!)

 

[Ash Bridge]

The ferry isn't a bad idea - but the wife won't be up for unnecessary train travel as she determines it.

Why are all wives the same?

 

[Bevan Price]

No museum dealing only with rail transport. Lion (Liverpool & Manchester Railway loco, built 1838) and a coach from Liverpool Overhead Railway are on display at Museum of Liverpool (free entry)

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/collections/transport/lion.aspx


Unfortunately, you will just be too late for the Wigan Model Railway exhibition on 3/4 October 2015 (one of the biggest, and possibly the best exhibition in NW England.)

If trams are of interest, the Wirral Transport Museum is about 5 minutes walk from Birkenhead Hamilton Square station, and operates trams between the museum & Woodside Ferry on weekend afternoons. There is a small charge to ride on the trams, but entry to the small museum is free. Unfortunately you also miss the annual Wirral Tram & Bus Show on 4 October.

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/my-services/leisure-and-culture/arts-and-museums/wirral-transport-museum

 

[crispy1978]

Gutted re: the Wigan one - I'd have travelled early for that one, but our dogsitters only get back on the 4th from their own break. Otherwise I'd have really been up for that.

The other bits are possibles - thank you.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Merseyrail Saveaway ticket includes one (I think) free crossing.

On the Birkenhead side there's the Wirral Transport Museum or the U Boat Story. (never been in either though!)

As many crossings as you want, but you must break your journey, you cannot do a round trip back to the origin on the same boat.

 

[crispy1978]

We could ferry over one way and then train it back - the best of both worlds!

There doesn't seem to be much railway orientated in Liverpool which is disappointing!

 

[Bevan Price]

We could ferry over one way and then train it back - the best of both worlds!

There doesn't seem to be much railway orientated in Liverpool which is disappointing!

The nearest heritage railway activity to LIverpool is the narrow guage West Lancashire Railway at Hesketh Bank, which operates on Sundays until the end of October. On non-gala days there will probably be only one loco operating, and whilst accessible by public transport, that involves a longish (about 30 minutes) bus ride from Southport.

http://www.westlancs.org/

 

[northwichcat]

On the Birkenhead side there's the Wirral Transport Museum or the U Boat Story. (never been in either though!)

I saw the U Boat from the outside before it was cut up when it was part of the Historic warships museum which went out of business. I'm not surprised the museum went out of business. When I went they charged quite a bit to get in, despite one of the ships being closed for restoration and then you had to pay almost the same price again if you wanted to go on the U Boat. Virtually no-one paid extra to go on the U Boat which did look like something they'd found at the bottom of the sea and just dumped there without any real thought.

The transport museum have recently refurbished one of their trams: http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/13656680.Restored_tram_back_on_track_in_Wirral_this_weekend/
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No museum dealing only with rail transport. Lion (Liverpool & Manchester Railway loco, built 1838) and a coach from Liverpool Overhead Railway are on display at Museum of Liverpool (free entry)

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/collections/transport/lion.aspx

The Museum of Liverpool have some free talks which relate to some of their exhibits, which are bookable on the day at reception so if you get there early you have a better chance of being able to attend them.

 

[muddythefish]

Prepare for a step back in time.

You could ride on the Liverpool underground - which is more like a working museum than a modern metro system - or try the 30-year-old electric trains recently introduced on the Manchester route.

 

[Waldgrun]

Please be aware that the Mersey Ferries only operate as Ferries during the Rush Hours Monday to Friday from about 7.a.m to 9:30 a.m. then 5.pm. to 6:40 p.m.
Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. they run as RIVER EXPLORER cruise service at a cost of £10.00 a head!
See http://www.merseyferries.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx

 

[tony_mac]

The Saveaway is still valid to cross the river, but not for a round trip.
However, they no longer sell Saveaway tickets at the Ferry terminal (although James St station is pretty close).
If you go during the evening rush hour they only run to Seacombe which is some distance away from the nearest rail station. (Woodside is close to Hamilton Square).

I think there used to be a small railway museum at Rainhill, but I can't see if it's still open. I think that the Rainhill railway model club is based at the St Helens transport museum, but also don't know if they will be open for visits.
http://www.rainhillmrc.org.uk/

There is Hadlow Road railway station (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadlow_Road_railway_station) but I don't know if it's easy to get to by public transport.

 

[Bevan Price]

I think there used to be a small railway museum at Rainhill, but I can't see if it's still open. I think that the Rainhill railway model club is based at the St Helens transport museum, but also don't know if they will be open for visits.
http://www.rainhillmrc.org.uk/
.

Yes, it still exists. It is a coach adjacent to Rainhill Library, a few minutes walk from Rainhill Station. Scroll down this page for details:

http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/what-we-...ies/find-your-local-library/rainhill-library/

 

[crispy1978]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I'll have a sit down with the wife and see what she is willing to do of those!!