A WARM WELCOME TO THE 8A RAIL WEBSITE

The 8A RAIL website was set up many years ago to promote the rail area of Liverpool, Merseyside and North Cheshire which tends to be overlooked by rail enthusiasts and photographers compared with other parts of the country. I am never sure why this has been the case but there is considerable passenger and freight traffic that originate’s, finishes and passes through the area along with a great variety of different TOC’s / FOC’s, locomotive classes and diesel / electric multiple units, probably more than most area’s outside of London. Add to this, there are some excellent viewing and photographic locations too, although with the progress of time, especially since 2015 some locations have been lost to the long overdue electrification of the Liverpool and Manchester line but still does not detract from what is on offer in the area covered . 

In April 2018, my first book was published entitled 'Merseyside Traction'  which gives a broad pictorial overview over the last 20 years of the various motive power, liveries and locations within the Merseytravel transport area. Please click on this link - Merseyside Traction  for further information and availablility. Also it is available at some book sellers and online. such as Amazon, WH Smith etc.

Following on from the above, my second book was released in July 2019, with on this occasion, the subject was preserved steam and the book is entitled 'The Llangollen Railway in the late Twentieth Century' . This covers the period from 1985 to 2003 when the railway rose from the ashes to one of the best preserved lines in the United Kingdom, showing the progress of the railway featuring many ex BR locomotives in the magnificent Dee Valley. Again, please click this link for further information - ​'The Llangollen Railway in the late Twentieth Century' . In October 2021, my third and final book was published entitled 'The East Lancashire Railway in the 1990's' which highlights this excellent preserved railway during the four seasons of the year, covering the many steam and diesel locomotives that visited the railway during that period. For further information, please click on this link - ELR in the 1990's .

---

THE AREA

The 8A RAIL area boundaries stretches from Southport, Ormskirk, St Helens, Newton le Willows (WCML), Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn, Northwich, Helsby, Hooton and the Wirral. Within this area there are numerous mainlines including WCML, the L&M line and CLC line’s to Manchester, LNWR London line to Crewe, Frodsham / Helsby  line , as well as the Low Level line between Widnes and Warrington. Added to that, you have also the self contained Merseyrail 3rd rail system, so you are not short of motive  traction and livery variety.

INFORMATION

Please note ALL information on 8A RAIL is provided in good faith and as a general guide only. All trains as you may appreciate are subject to alteration or even cancellation therefore no guarantee is made that any train services will operate due to numerous outside factors. Finally, when observing and photographing trains, please remember to obtain permission to gain access to private property and do not trespass on the railway as you will be putting your life and other people's life's in danger.

If you require further assistance or you may have useful information to assist this website, please do not hesitate to contact the website owner via the e/mail link at the top of this page.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Within the 8A RAIL website, there are sections covering both Passenger and Freight trains, mainly via “links” to the various TOC’s that operate in the area along with other public / private information websites. There is also Freight Timetable section covering a few “hotspots” with in the 8A RAIL boundaries which will be updated once / twice a year, along with a photographic guide to some of the mainlines. 

There is also a Photo Gallery which has a selection of current images covering various Merseyside and North Cheshire locations were photographing mainly freight and occasional passenger trains is possible. To view other images from my extensive collection, I have two “flickr” image sites, one covering the last  few years simply called 8A Rail and the other, under the name of the 8A Collection, covering many preserved steam images from the UK from 1980 to the present day. There is also a third “flickr” site which is dedicated to my other photographic activities covering non rail related subjects entitled Dougs Life.  To access the photo sites, just click on the title names which will take you to another page.

IMAGES

All images copyright of Doug Birmingham (8A Rail).    
Website updated: December 2021

---

INDEX

FREIGHT DIRECTORY

PHOTO LOCATIONS

PASSENGER TOC's

LOCAL HISTORY