Liverpool To Ormskirk Railway Bridge - Liverpool, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 25.317 W 002° 59.650
30U E 500387 N 5919210
This railway bridge was built in 1849 to carry the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway over the Stanley Dock Link of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
Waymark Code: WMPKEE
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/13/2015
Views: 1
The Canal History
The Leeds Liverpool Canal which at 127 miles long is the longest canal in Northern England. It was built between Leeds and Liverpool to carry bulk cargoes such as coal, stone and limestone between 1770 and 1816.
In 1848 the docks of Liverpool were extended and Albert Dock was built with warehouses next to the wharves to allow easy transshipment between boats and warehouses.
The Stanley Dock Branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal was built at the same time to give the canal boats access to this facility. It is a 1/4 mile long with 4 locks to descend 44 feet from the level of the main line of the canal.
The Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
At the same time that the Leeds Liverppol Canal was being extended, the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway was also being developed. At this point it crosses the canal and actually straddles lock number 3.
"The railway ran from a junction with the Liverpool and Bury Railway near Walton northwards via Ormskirk to a west-facing junction with the Blackburn & Preston Railway just east of Lostock Hall. Documents from 1847 signed by Joseph Locke, Sturges Meek and Mackenzie, Brassey & Stephenson show elevations, plans and sections for bridges on line. A direct route to Preston from Lostock Hall was opened on 2 September 1850 and a branch line from Ormskirk to Rainford Junction via Skelmersdale on 1 March 1858.
From May 1859, it became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway system, following the ELR's absorption by that company. Under L&YR ownership, it became the company's main line from Liverpool to Preston & East Lancashire and carried through express trains to Blackpool and Scotland via Blackburn, Hellifield and the Settle-Carlisle Line as well as significant quantities of freight to the docks in Liverpool. From 1891, it was linked directly to the West Coast Main Line by a new connection near Farington built as part of the work to upgrade that part of the route to four tracks. The southern end of the route was subsequently electrified by the L&YR in stages between 1906 (as far as Aintree) and 1913 (through to Ormskirk).
Today the line still operates, though through services between Liverpool & Preston/East Lancashire were withdrawn in 1969/70. The section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forms part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern Rail's Ormskirk Branch Line."
link
At this point the bridge forms part of a high level viaduct. The arch over the canal is wider than the other arches including the ones that are over the canal tow path.