Canada Dock Branch freight trains

[c259]

Hi all,
I regularly cross a railway bridge over the Canada Dock branch which runs from Bootle to Wavertree in Merseyside and is used mainly for freight. Every time I cross the bridge on the bus, I take a look over to see if anything is there. Today, there was a heavy haul train waiting at a red light heading south-bound towards Wavertree.

What I wanted to know is after the freight trains get out of the Canada Dock branch between Edge Hill and Wavertree where are they likely to go from there? Would they go towards Edge Hill or make their way East towards Warrington/Wigan for the WCML?

Hope my question makes sense.
Thanks in advance.

Chris.

PS: I may have posted this in the wrong board, if so, I apologise.

 

[First class]

It is the 'Olive Mount Chord' to which you refer near Wavertree, recently re-opened.

Most will go to Warrington.

 

[c259]

Yes! That's the name of it. I knew what it was called just couldn't remember when I was typing the post.

Thank you for your answer

 

[Greeny]

Some of the coal trains go into Gullett Sidings to run round for Fiddlers Ferry via the Low level line (Ditton to Warrington) though most go via the Olive Mount Chord line and Huyton. Some others for Fiddlers are booked into Tuebrook Sidings to run round then go via Huyton. It's an odd set up as they can be booked three different ways to get from the Docks to Warrington.

G

 

[c259]

The freight train that I saw was on Saturday at about 12:15pm - if I was to stand at Broad Green, I may have a chance of seeing it, assuming that the train runs at that time every Saturday.

 

[Greeny]

Don’t count on it running at the same time every Saturday. Most of the time they run early but as you may guess, there is no consistency and the time varies. Also, depending on what engineering work is going East of Huyton or on the WCML, the trains may be diverted via Wavertree Junction and the Low Level. Nothing is easy is it ?.
G

 

[ukrob]

Hi all,
I regularly cross a railway bridge over the Canada Dock branch which runs from Bootle to Wavertree in Merseyside and is used mainly for freight. Every time I cross the bridge on the bus, I take a look over to see if anything is there. Today, there was a heavy haul train waiting at a red light heading south-bound towards Wavertree.

What I wanted to know is after the freight trains get out of the Canada Dock branch between Edge Hill and Wavertree where are they likely to go from there? Would they go towards Edge Hill or make their way East towards Warrington/Wigan for the WCML?

The vast majority will go in the Warrington direction when coming off the dock branch. The section of line from the dock branch towards Warrington (see diagram) only (re)opened early last year, until then all trains went through Wavertree Technology Park station and reversed in the sidings around Edge Hill. Some still do for a few reasons, the main one being to retain route knowledge for the drivers.

Sorry for the appalling diagram