Underground Liverpool

[Jericho]

Hi Jona,

What do you think of Jim Moore's book Underground Liverpool? I think my favourite picture in that book is the one of the Breeze Hill underground service reservoir. It looks like a flooded cathedral. Probably the reality is less stunning. I'd love to see it.

[oritelad]

thats been waste ground for so long now i would of loved to see it in its day any pics i got told there was a breeze hill fair on top

[Kev Keegan]

@Jona - What do the vent shafts hide?

[oritelad]

thats not a vent shaft btw theres never been anythink under there the line going into that tunnel is the fright only line that is the canada dock branch it is sopose to be geting opened to passangers again by merseyrail

[snappel]

How do you know? I might be a vent shaft for an air-raid shelter for all you know...

[theninesisters]

thats not a vent shaft btw theres never been anythink under there the line going into that tunnel is the fright only line that is the canada dock branch it is sopose to be geting opened to passangers again by merseyrail

Wavertree is one of the highest points in Liverpool so there is a good chance that this is some sort of ventilation shaft or the like. Why it's there I've simply no idea. It wouldn't have been for a pulley system like the Moorish Arch, there's no noticible gradient from Edge Hill Station to here but I'm going to pour over my maps again tonight and see what it could have been. It is fairly unusual because it is situated between the goods line and the passenger line and I would suspect it goes straight down rather than branching under the tracks, with the amount of coal shifted everyday.

[Kev Keegan]

Straight down where ?!! These places are fascinating, never knew the extent of these things before.

[snappel]

Could it not be access to the point motors or signalling kit?

[theninesisters]

Could it not be access to the point motors or signalling kit?

That's just it, there's nothing around that part of the line apart from one red light for when trains wait just before coming out of the tunnel. As it's a straight run from the Tech Park Station to Edge Hill station, there's just nothing around there that I can see that would justify such a large opening.

[skgogosfan]

Did you get those zoom shots Jona? I was thinking maybe it's an entrance to an air raid shelter for railway workers. That area was a hive of activity and sidings 50 years ago,supposedly Edge Hill was the largest marshalling yard in England which means it would have been a fair distance to public air raid shelters and also a main target for bombers,hence the need for a special one for the workers. That's just a guess though. If so,however,it's probably a handy store for NR equipment/junk etc today.

Dave.