Atlantic Dock Junction

[Mickey]

I came across this location by chance just before Christmas and gave it some thought because I have always liked these quirky strange railway locations that use to be dotted around the country up until the 1970s. Atlantic Dock Junction was in former LNWR/LMS territory in the Liverpool area and was basically a junction located in between two tunnels (three tunnels in fact) that was controlled by a small signal box located in a deep cutting in a built up residential area at street level. The box during it's lifetime appeared to have suffered a small number of mishaps including partially being demolished by a run away goods train breaking loose and running back into the box and being destroyed by fire in 1976 although that wasn't quite the end of Atlantic Dock Junction box as a new 'temporary box' using the original brick lower half of the box along with the 19 lever stirrup lever frame was rebuilt with a new top half although the rebuilt box was to eventually be damaged again in a arson attack in 1980 and finally closed a short time after.

Below looking south west towards Canada docks through the 427 yards long Canada Docks tunnel along the Goods lines these lines were eventually lifted in the early 1980s. The 'main line' continued off to the right (off picture) around a curve and through the 288 yards long Oriel road tunnel and on towards Edge Hill via Anfield.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/feat ... _1971c.jpg

Below looking north west with Atlantic Dock Junction as it was in 1930 looking towards Kirkdale with the 276 yards long Westminster No.2 tunnel seen in the background.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/feat ... n_1930.jpg

Below Atlantic Dock Junction as seen from looking down into the cutting from street level in 1971. The box as seen here was destroyed by fire in August 1976 but the lower brick structure was retained along with the original 19 lever stirrup lever frame and a new upper wooden structure was added although the rebuilt box suffered another fire in an arson in attack April 1980 so B.R.(LMR) decided to officially close the box in July 1980 and replace it with a ground frame which was also abolished after a couple of years when the line to Canada Dock was closed in 1982 and the junction was plain lined.

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/feat ... 8.1971.jpg

[StevieG]

I think, mickey, that that might be the location of which I once saw photos long ago, where (presumably to physically fit the lines and junction into this location's confined space) the junction's facing points were actually a few feet in rear of those suspended Home signals for them.
So there may have been a Local Instruction to drivers to stop well back from the signals if neither of them were 'Off'.

[Mickey]

An interesting place Stevie and I can't help noticing the 'traps' angled towards the box just beyond the home signal coming out from the tunnel mouth although in reality I don't suppose there was anywhere else that they could have gone as the junction was just beyond the box.

Here are some more photographs and some posts regarding Atlantic Dock Junction possibly in the aftermath of the 1980 fire-

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... -junction/