310 Bus Route – Liverpool to Maghull – in the days of Ribble

I picked up a copy of a book published in 2001 called ‘Glory Days – Transport in Liverpool’ not so long ago mainly due to my interest in local railways but on page 93 I saw a 310 Ribble bus with the destination ‘Park Lane Lodge’ on it.

Photo credit Arnold Richardson/Photobus

A query to a local bus expert confirmed that the photo was indeed taken in Maghull outside Northway Primary School at the junction of Dodds Lane and Moss Lane Lane. The bus used to terminate (having come from Liverpool) in Ribble days at the junction of Park Lane and Parkbourn.

The photo is undated but the bus is noted as being a 1959 example of a Leyland Atlantean, so the shot must be from the 1960’s. Behind the bus in the far background looks to be the roofs of houses on the Lathom Avenue Estate and nearer to the bus is Northway Primary School.

My thanks to Kevin Duggan for his help with this posting

Click on the photo to enlarge it

Greens Lane Downholland

The road surface outside Lavender Barns (just into West Lancs & therefore just outside Lydiate) is in a terrible state. Two parts of it have been patch repaired more times than is sensible and in places is more patch than original road surface. It’s really bad for cyclists I might add as you have to weave around the ruts and patches especially after rain. This what it looked like last Sunday:-

Greens Lane Downholland looking towards Lydiate.

The photo is looking towards Lydiate and indeed the boundary (where it becomes Eagar Lane) is just out of shot around the corner.

I’ve raised the matter with Lancashire County Council hoping that they’ll resurface this short section of the lane rather then keep patching it.

Maghull – Foot and Cyclepath to Maghull North Station

I keep on pressing for the promised footpath/cyclepath from Park Lane to the now far from new station to be opened up ASAP. Indeed, I’ve recently raised the matter with both Merseytravel and Sefton Council.

I went to have a look at where the path runs (from the far end of the station car park) towards Park Lane a few days ago and you can clearly see it together with the signs:-

The path was actually laid out back when the Ashworth South site was going to be a new prison so why on earth the present housing developer needs to restrict access to the Station via it beats me. Sefton Highways tell me it’s down to Persimmon Homes to say when the path becomes accessible and from that I’m guessing it forms a part of the site which will be adopted at some point by the Council along with roads and pavements.

I’ll keep on banging the drum………

Lydiate – Coppull Road Tree

News reaches me that Sefton Council is likely to remove a street tree in Coppull Road due to it leaning over and obstructing the pavement.

Now as a life-long tree-hugger this worries me but having looked at the tree I have to admit that something needs doing and removal looks to be the only safe way forward – with a replacement tree being provided too of course.

Lydiate & Great Altcar – Stenciled slogans on country lanes?

If you’ve walked, cycled or driven along lanes such as Pygons Hill Lane in Lydiate or Acres Lane in Great Altcar you may have, like me, noticed these slogans and wondered what they mean. They are not all the same but this one is in Pygons Hill Lane:-

Is this one of those situations where most folk out there know exactly what this means and I’m just in the dark?

And here’s another one in Longdale Lane, Lunt:-

When asked Sefton Council Highways Dept. had no idea.

Merseyrail – How to couple two 507/508 Units – A question I’m always being asked:-)

A Merseyrail train passes the former Maghull Signal Box @1990. The last track plan from the box is now on display as part of the Frank Hornby Trust’s exhibition area within Meadows Leisure Center – Copyright Noted HSG

For all of you out there who have pondered on how to join/couple two Class 507/508 Merseyrail EMU’s here’s an instructional video which will answer your queries:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOY3lFO8XMg

A Merseyrail train at Bootle Oriel Road Station

Of course you will, having digested this useful information, have to start to ponder all over again soon as Merseyrail is updating its fleet to Stadler 777 EMU’s in the near future.