The LMS New Brighton-Euston service 1923-1939

[Mogz]

I would love to know more about this short-lived service.

Does anyone have any information about it?

Timetables? Route etc?

It is mentioned, and there is even a tiny bit of black and white footage of a train departing, in the Merseyside Memories No.7 DVD “Steam on the Wirral”.

I understand that the service ran from New Brighton to West Kirby, then down the west coast of the Wirral to Hooton, before going on to Chester and Crewe. That’s about all I know about it!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Djgr]

I would love to know more about this short-lived service.

Does anyone have any information about it?

Timetables? Route etc?

It is mentioned, and there is even a tiny bit of black and white footage of a train departing, in the Merseyside Memories No.7 DVD “Steam on the Wirral”.

I understand that the service ran from New Brighton to West Kirby, then down the west coast of the Wirral to Hooton, before going on to Chester and Crewe. That’s about all I know about it!

Thanks in advance!

Presumably this would have had to reverse at Hooton?

 

[Taunton]

It was once a day, rather a leisurely service leaving New Brighton after breakfast. It didn't stop at all the stations on The Wirral, and was latterly hauled by one of the Stanier 2-6-2T tank locos from Birkenhead North shed, which were also the main power on the suburban services before the 1938 electrification. When we moved to The Wirral in the 1960s a neighbour told me about once going on it. I think it may just have been a couple of coaches, attached to a Birkenhead Woodside service at Hooton. It was the only passenger service that transferred between the two routes which ended at West Kirby, although local freight services did so.

 

[eldomtom2]

I've looked at the LMS 1934 timetable on Timetable World and think I've got it worked out. In 1934, the through carriages ran Monday-Saturday, travelling New Brighton-West Kirby-Hooton-Chester-Crewe-Euston. They stopped at every station between Moreton and Hooton.
Times (excluding most intermediate stations) for the full journey were:

Southbound:
New Brighton depart 9:57
West Kirby arrive 10:24
Hooton arrive 11:00
Hooton depart 11:08
Chester arrive 11:24
Chester depart 11:27
Crewe arrive 11:55
Crewe depart 12:10
Euston arrive 15:10

Northbound:
Euston depart 17:20
Crewe arrive 20:25
Crewe depart 20:36
Chester arrive 21:03
Chester depart 21:10
Hooton arrive 21:22
Hooton depart 21:30
West Kirby arrive 22:03
New Brighton arrive 22:26

 

[Bevan Price]

From LMSR 1928 timetable

New Brighon 09:58
All stations except Bidston & Leasowe to Hoylake, then
West Kirkby (Joint) 10:28
All stations except -Kirby Park to
Hooton arr 11:00
Attach to 10:50 from Birkenhead Woodside
Hooton arr 11:05, dep. 11:08
Chester arr 11:22 dep. 11:25
Crewe arr 11:53
Attach to 11:10 from Liverpool Lime St
Crewe arr 11:58 dep 12:09
Stafford 12:40/12:45
London Euston 15:10

-----------------------------------------------------
London Euston 17:20 to Blackpool Central
Rugby 18:52/18:56
Stafford 19:52/19:55
Crewe 20:25/20:36
Chester 21:03/21:10
Hooton 21:22/21:24
Detach New Brighton portion
All stations to West Kirby Joint 22:03
Stations except Leasowe & Bidston
New Brighton arr 22:39
---------------------------------------------------
The 1939 timetable shows the same trains still running with very similar times.

In 1928, there were also other through trains between New Brighton, West Kirby (Joint), Hooton & Chester.

 

[Mogz]

Wow! Many thanks!

So small stations (the likes of Caldy and Thurstaston) were served with through coaches to London before WW2?

Learned something there! I’d have assumed they only stopped at Hooton and Chester before heading South.

I’m going to have to explore Timetable World - sounds like a mine of information. Thanks again, both!

 

[Taunton]

Contrary to expectation, the service on the obscure Birkenhead Joint Railway twig from Hooton to West Kirby was more commonly worked by GWR locos, quite often an 0-4-2T tank loco and a single coach. It got much of its use from schools traffic. The through train was likely just two, or even one, coaches, attached to other services.

Curiously, the train is only shown in the otherwise very comprehensive full LMS 1939 timetable by footnotes on the relevant sections; here: