Station Name: AINTREE RACECOURSE[Source:
Paul Wright]
On 8 November 1912 a Race Day special of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway stands at Aintree Racecourse station. The picture is looking east and the train is standing on what would have normally been the westbound track of the North Mersey branch. The eastbound track can be seen running along the platform which was constructed from a timber facing backfilled with cinders. The eastbound track was raised up through the station site so it could run along the platform. On race days the eastbound line was taken out of use and the westbound became bi-directional. Trains would have arrived almost in convoy all of them heading west. They would then have gone onto the Aintree Gridiron for servicing. After the Grand National was over they would pick up passengers from the station heading east.
Photo from John Mann collection 1893 1:2,500 OS map
1908 1:2,500 OS map
1958 1:2,500 OS map
Looking south along Warbreck Moor in the early 20th Century towards Aintree Racecourse station. The single platform of the station was to the left of the bridge on the east side of the road. Access ramps and steps led up to the station from both sides of the Warbreck Moor.
Photo from John Mann collection Aintree Racecourse station looking west on 22 October 1963. Heading east along the platform is Stanier 5MT (Black 5) locomotive number 44822. Photo courtesy of David Bryant and John Bannon from their Steam on Merseyside & Beyond book. Looking east at Aintree Racecourse station in 1965 as an ex LMS 8F locomotive heads west with a goods service. The station's single platform that had a railway line running along it, for eastbound traffic, can be seen to the left. One of the rails from the eastbound line can be made out in the picture running along the platform. When the station was in use, which was only ever on race days, the westbound line became bi-directional.
Photo by Jon Hughes On 10th of March 1985 a Class 45 locomotive number 45 006 can be seen heading west through Aintree Racecourse station on an engineers train. The train was travelling along the site of the station's single platform. To the right of the train the wooden supports from the platform can be seen. By 1985 the line had been singled and the former eastbound track (the one that ran along the platform) had become bi-directional. When the station was open the eastbound track was covered up to the top of the rail with cinders which formed the platform.
Photo by Martin Brown Aintree Racecourse station looking east from the Warbreck Moor bridge in January 2011. The station had only a single platform which was located to the left of the path. The metal fence marks the rear of the platform. The platform was unusual in that it was actually the eastbound track of the North Mersey Branch raised up above the level of the westbound. The track was then topped off with cinders so that it could be used as a platform. It was not used as a running line when the station was open for excursions.
Photo by Paul Wright Click on thumbnail to enlarge
Home Page
|