The Connah's Quay & Chester railway Part 2 - Sealand station to Blacon station.

[@bennettj99]

Another brilliant video, filled with much nostalgia. During the 1950’s the preferred mode of transport was the Blacon to Northgate Station. As a young schoolboy, my sister and I travelled to school on that route. Used to love those train journeys. Like you say, if Beeching had found another career, then Blacon station could flourish today. Thanks for sharing

[@douglasclayton7367]

Thank you for that. A very nostalgic journey for me. I was born in 2 Station cottage at Saughall in 1954 and lived there for 23 years. My dad was a signalman and worked all the boxes on that line and the Dee Marsh to Bidston line.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Hi Douglas, thanks for your kind comments. Alas you can't access the cottages anymore. Private access only. I presume the only box still left today would be Dee Marsh and Mickle Trafford.

[@douglasclayton7367]

@@PASTFINDERexploring I think you are probably right there. In the school holidays, dad would take me with him to work. I spent many happy hours with my dad in Sealand, Dee Marsh and Shotwick, where the iron ore came in to the Steelworks from Bidston. He also did Mickle Trafford and Capenhurst boxes. Saughall box was just across from our house. I have a picture of me as a young child with Saughall box in the background.

[@efcz623]

Secondman on that line a couple of times around 86/87, memories are a bit sketchy. With a bit of forward thinking it could have been made profitable, if they had closed Northgate and the triangle and built a new small station in its place. A lot of new housing has gone up around it and Blacon is a large estate would be popular now with the way the traffic is in Chester. Also possible to have run freightliners from Birkenhead dock new terminal this way, if infrastructure was still there, shame. Great vids, cheers.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I'm sure you're right, there would be a large catchment for passengers today. Typical story with the railways though, short term thinking.

[@philipbunnell4635]

Worked along that line before it was shut to the railway. I was a shunter and a guard at Dee Marsh sidings. We took airoplane wings and other rail traffic into the RAF station at sealand. There was a small signalbox at sealand which also turned you with your train into the south part of the raf camp and a ground frame which the guard operated to get into the north part of the camp, Unbelievable how much traffic came across the line from Mickle Trafford to the steelworks. Coal (slack) for the coke ovens, limestone for number three melting shop, two trains of oil for the fireing of the ovens at the melting shop, and numerous mixed trains too and from the steelworks. The last trains to go over the line were the coils coming from ravenscraig steelworks when the heavy end stopped producing steel and basically became a finishing plant. One thing that I forgot was the heavy end of the steelplant was taken away by rail after being cut up .... train after train the guts of a plant that once was. I knew mr stewart and mr clayton. Could write a book on Dee Marsh.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thank you for your memories of the line Phillip. All things change and who could have thought back then that in 2023, nothing would remain?

[@billyshears5257]

Fantastic video. So much effort. Lovely to watch. Thank you.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thanks Billy, you're very welcome

[@funkychicken49]

I found that quite emotional viewing. I remember as a child we used to stand on the bridge next to RAF Sealand married quarters watching the trains go under. Those were good times and children were safe to roam. Thankyou for sharing.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thank you Lynn. There's very little of the air base left now, not to mention the railway. Everything changes, sometimes not for the better.

[@jonty4664]

Catching up 👍🏻🚂

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Great stuff Jonty. Thank you for watching.

[@peterobbo316]

A great video, thanks for posting. The pipeline is foul water, nothing to do with Pluto. The original Pluto line was taken over and extended and became the GPSS. (Government Pipeline Storage System) and it runs nowhere near there.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thanks Pete.

[@stevebeckwith5523]

Excellent video with great use of past/present stills. Fascinating historical antidotes.

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

HI Steve, thanks for your comments. I love doing the then and now photo's when you can find the actual location!

[@anthonymoore6009]

To see that Class 31 so recently highlights the travesty and failings of transport policy in this country. Another very informative film

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thanks

[@ianstephenstewart7335]

My mum and dad both worked at Saughall station thats where they met? My dad worked on the Railway for 51 years the last 15 years in the power box at Chester. He had 3 days sick in all them years he loved his job and the Railways it was in his blood

[@simon-rl6wd]

pretty sure you are right about there being a depot behind blacon station. before the redevelopment there was an access road on saughall road. saughall road runs parallel to the track on that side. there are still a few railway cottages along saughall road. as a child i was fascinated at what was down there. it was already overgrown with bushes by that point. later, i used to jog from blacon to connahs quay station. then along the dee to ferry lane. some fascinatings buildings and a swing bridge just a short way from the station. i often wondered what that pipe was for in the middle of farmland. used to play on the other section of pipe at the bottom field from sheeley road and the back of bishops middle school (now police station)

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Hi Si. Seen the swing bridge, shame it's now static. Pipe at the back of Police station is the same pipe as that which crosses the former railway.

[@stevejones4190]

Just a little bit of info for you the loco it's a class 31 in what was called Dutch livery it was used a lot on Departmental stock both loco's and wagon's if I remember right it was brought in around the 90,s. The diamond shaped plate under the second man's window indicates that the loco is allocated to Bescot Depot just outside Birmingham .

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thanks Steve. Yup, I used to drive 33s & 73s in same livery.

[@digitalbuddies1711]

I am very interested in your description of the pluto pipeline as the pipe could have continued to Blacon Camp and Hawarden Airport

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Hi. It's not definitive that the pipeline is part of PLUTO. There is literally no reference to it anywhere except one which stated that it was likely to be. I know that a pipeline forming part of the PLUTO network definitely did run from Stanlow refinery southwards, branching off in several places, eventually reaching the south coast. The geography of this part fits the bill. It reemerges from the ground behind the police station in Blacon. You can see it from the canal.

[@digitalbuddies1711]

Hi Sorry took a closer look and there is water running through and a small manhole up near it on bank. I think it's sewer pipe which takes waste from Saughall to Sealand.

[@paulcarden8119]

As far as I'm aware you are right about the Pluto pipe line

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

Thank Paul, I couldn't find much info. There's a pipe from Stanlow to Bristol I know of. I wonder if this is the one.

[@digitalbuddies1711]

Hi l took a closer look at this pipeline today and found a smelly manhole up on the bank was also able to listen to the pipe on the other side of the bank and hear water inside . If l am not mistaken l think rather than it being a pluto pipe it's the sewer pipe which takes waste from Saughall to the treatment works on Sealand Road. Sorry to be the bringer of a less exciting prospect.

[@simoncroft9792]

Before the Dragon bridge there was probably the only ‘hump backed’ bridge on a dual carriageway! With modern traffic speeds it was very dodgy. Any obstacle on the far side would be invisible….

[@PASTFINDERexploring]

I've seen a picture of it, looked iffy.