Birkenhead Hamilton Square

[LNW-GW Joint]

The refurbishment process has now removed all the wall cladding from P1/2, revealing the original (1886) attractive Mersey Railway red-and-white patterned brickwork behind.
The brickwork is similar to that lining the un-clad walls on the little used P2 at James St.
As well as the brickwork, it has revealed the advertising panels which must have been simply left in place in the 1970s when the station was last upgraded and the cladding applied.
The 40-year-old posters are difficult to read on the move from a train, but there is one for a circus!
No doubt all this will be hidden behind new clinical white plastic panels before the station reopens next March

 

[burns20]

Saw these yesterday. Tge old tiling spelling Hamilton Square is also visible, you'd think it could be done up tube style with new tiles instead of white and grey to match the listed buildings of Hamilton Square itself

 

[Green Lane]

Tried photographing the posters the other day for later reading. Just got a blurred reflection of the train interior though. I've seen the circus one, also there's a Liverpool Echo one there somewhere. There are some names of entertainment acts of the day there somewhere - not managed to read them yet. Some of the posters do appear to be badly ripped.

Also, during this job you can really see the difference between the original brick walls of platforms 1&2 and the newer concrete of platform 3.

 

[Hophead]

Just out of interest....

London Underground trains crawl through closed stations (or always used to, anyway). Do Merseyrail trains do the same, or do they run at linespeed?

 

[Bevan Price]

Just out of interest....

London Underground trains crawl through closed stations (or always used to, anyway). Do Merseyrail trains do the same, or do they run at linespeed?

On my trips, they have generally passed through stations at about 15 mph.

As for "Green Lane's" problem with photography, you can minimise (but not eliminate) internal reflections by putting the camera almost touching the window glass, and perpendicular to the window. If your camera permits adjustments, select the highest available ISO setting, and use a fastish shutter speed to lessen motion blur (it might take a few attempts to get things right.)

 

[D1009]

Just out of interest....

London Underground trains crawl through closed stations (or always used to, anyway). Do Merseyrail trains do the same, or do they run at linespeed?

I believe the LU signalling system was based on trains calling at all stations, so a station closed requires either trains to stop or run through at walking pace. If work is going on, you can't have trains going along tube lines quickly because of the effect of the wind. Having said that I had a recent journey through Bond Street on the Jubilee line which was much faster than I have been used to, and I presume this is due to the automatic train operation being extended to more lines.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

On my trips, they have generally passed through stations at about 15 mph.

I was on a late-running Chester train last week which was sent non-stop from Liverpool Central to Hooton.
We drifted through the underground stations as you say at about 15mph, but stopped at Birkenhead Central briefly.
This is normally a crew change point but I didn't see any staff movement.
The train took 15 minutes to Hooton instead of the booked 30, and was my first non-stop run between Rock Ferry and Hooton since the 60s.

 

[507 001]

I was on a late-running Chester train last week which was sent non-stop from Liverpool Central to Hooton.

We drifted through the underground stations as you say at about 15mph, but stopped at Birkenhead Central briefly.

This is normally a crew change point but I didn't see any staff movement.

The train took 15 minutes to Hooton instead of the booked 30, and was my first non-stop run between Rock Ferry and Hooton since the 60s.

Sounds like fun!

 

[Green Lane]

On my trips, they have generally passed through stations at about 15 mph.

As for "Green Lane's" problem with photography, you can minimise (but not eliminate) internal reflections by putting the camera almost touching the window glass, and perpendicular to the window. If your camera permits adjustments, select the highest available ISO setting, and use a fastish shutter speed to lessen motion blur (it might take a few attempts to get things right.)

Thanks for the photo tips. I will try this next time I go through.

On weekdays, I normally get the bus to work in Liverpool as it is slightly more convenient and quicker for me, but I do like to get on the trains most weekends and make best use of my annual season ticket. So I may get a chance to try again this weekend.

 

[Bertie the bus]

The circus poster doesn't have a year but does have a date - Sunday 9 December (at 19:30 in case anybody has a time machine and fancies going). Therefore, presumably it's from either 1973 or 1979.

 

[Mojo]

I believe the LU signalling system was based on trains calling at all stations, so a station closed requires either trains to stop or run through at walking pace.

The principle behind conventional signalling on the Underground is that should a train pass a signal at danger and get tripped then it will stop within the overlap and not hit the train in front. This is unlike on the national network where the overlap is typically a fixed distance.

If work is going on, you can't have trains going along tube lines quickly because of the effect of the wind. Having said that I had a recent journey through Bond Street on the Jubilee line which was much faster than I have been used to, and I presume this is due to the automatic train operation being extended to more lines.

It depends on the signalling system obviously, but locations like the Jubilee line run on moving block so there is not the same issue. Other lines like the Victoria line still have traditional blocks, but trains can pass through at 30kph (or at least so the signs on the station closed boards say).

 

[merlodlliw]

The circus poster doesn't have a year but does have a date - Sunday 9 December (at 19:30 in case anybody has a time machine and fancies going). Therefore, presumably it's from either 1973 or 1979.

My guess is the Circus was at New Brighton.

 

[Green Lane]

There's an article on this topic here:-
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/watch-hamilton-square-station-refurbishment-8136696

EDIT: Indeed the video on that page confirms the circus as New Brighton.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's an article on this topic here:-
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/watch-hamilton-square-station-refurbishment-8136696
EDIT: Indeed the video on that page confirms the circus as New Brighton.

Excellent record.
The circus poster is the only one I can see with a date - 1950.

 

[syorksdeano]

The 40-year-old posters are difficult to read on the move from a train, but there is one for a circus!

Nice to see that Everton used to advertise their matches

It's a shame that they are going to be removed or covered with shiny plastic. Wonder how many other stations hold hidden gems like that

 

[Taunton]

The circus poster doesn't have a year but does have a date - Sunday 9 December (at 19:30 in case anybody has a time machine and fancies going). Therefore, presumably it's from either 1973 or 1979.

The circus poster has pre-decimal prices so is before 1971. What this shows is that at the last modernisation, when the "brown plastic" facings etc were installed, along with the major refurbishment and adding the third platform, done around 1977, these areas were presumably already covered over by advertisement hoardings (I recall very large wall-mounted frames), which were just removed and the new lining installed over the top of these advertisements pasted onto the brick underneath.

 

[D1009]

Excellent record.
The circus poster is the only one I can see with a date - 1950.

That appears to suggest that more has been uncovered than was covered when the loop was built in the mid 1970s.

 

[satisnek]

Is the distinctive 'brown plastic' style of the extensive 1970s works going to be retained at any of the Liverpool/Birkenhead underground stations or simply expunged from history? I just think it would be a shame if this was the case. Let's face it, if we were talking 1870s instead of 1970s then there would be a 'sympathetic restoration' of the station to as close to original condition as practically possible.

 

[W-on-Sea]

The poster that promotes a concert to raise money for the Hungarian Relief Fund surely dates from 1956?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think it's now too late for photography.
The posters have now been mostly erased by whatever they are doing to the walls.
One or two still show through, also the old Hamilton Square totem, but the time-warp moment seems to have passed.

 

[Green Lane]

I think it's now too late for photography.
The posters have now been mostly erased by whatever they are doing to the walls.
One or two still show through, also the old Hamilton Square totem, but the time-warp moment seems to have passed.

Fortunately, the posters can be seen on this Flickr album by merseyrailelectrics.

 

[jamesst]

Is the distinctive 'brown plastic' style of the extensive 1970s works going to be retained at any of the Liverpool/Birkenhead underground stations or simply expunged from history? I just think it would be a shame if this was the case. Let's face it, if we were talking 1870s instead of 1970s then there would be a 'sympathetic restoration' of the station to as close to original condition as practically possible.

All going,it's very non fire resistant apparently

 

[Taunton]

All going,it's very non fire resistant apparently

After many years of having ciggy ends stubbed against it (before smoking was finally banned) that seems surprising.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'd have liked to have been at the brass band concerts - several top class bands there!

 

[gottago]

All going,it's very non fire resistant apparently

Surely it would have gone ages ago if that was the case?

 

[Ploughman]

I can remember going down into Central before it opened (was it 1977?).
Hated the look of the Brown even then.

 

[satisnek]

All going,it's very non fire resistant apparently

Ah well, thanks for the info!

Who knows, in the 2070s Moorfields station or one of the 'Loop' platforms will be restored in this colour scheme to celebrate its centenary. Don't think I'll be around to see it, though....

 

[507 001]

Ah well, thanks for the info!



Who knows, in the 2070s Moorfields station or one of the 'Loop' platforms will be restored in this colour scheme to celebrate its centenary. Don't think I'll be around to see it, though....

I bloody well hope not!

 

[jamesst]

I bloody well hope not!

Couldn't agree more,i think its horrible

 

[Requeststop]

The poster that promotes a concert to raise money for the Hungarian Relief Fund surely dates from 1956?

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was from 22 October through to 3/4 November Approx. So the concert could have been late '56 onwards. Any monies raised would have been for refugees who fled Hungary after the Soviet repression of the revolution, many of whom came to Britain.

Back on topic. It seems a shame that no effort has been made to keep the posters in place or even to attempt to restore them. It seems to me that nearly 60 years on, whilst not directly rail related, their location would make them of some significant interest to todays passengers.