the motorman turned off the cocks on supply-pipe and reservoir, and pulled up the hose with a loud "sssh—ack" as the air in the hose escaped. The Wirral line was operated on the third rail system but the Mersey Railway system was on fourth rail, so the new trains were fitted with negative contact shoes and a contactor which was automatically operated according to the system. This was considered to be a cheaper option than installing a fourth rail throughout the new Wirral electrified area. There was a 50-foot gap in the conductor rails at each end of the Birkenhead Park station: the only such changing point on any British Railway. The new service was inaugurated on 13 March 1938, with trains running through to Liverpool through the former Mersey Railway route, now also, of course part of the LMS. Trains ran every 15 minutes, enhanced to 10 minutes at the busiest times. The Seacombe branch passenger service was now exclusively operated by steam trains of the London and North Eastern Railway (as successor since 1923 to the Great Central Railway). Through coaches from New Brighton to London had been inaugurated in 1923, one journey in each direction being made. When the New Brighton line was electrified, the London service continued at first, and was the only steam hauled passenger service on the New Brighton line. The coaches ran via West Kirby to Hooton, where they were attached to a main line train. The engine power was customarily a class 3F 0-6-0. After 1948 On 1 January 1948 most of the railways of Great Britain were taken into national ownership under British Railways. In the 1950s usage of the Seacombe branch declined steeply: both the goods traffic and passenger traffic diminished. The passenger service was withdrawn after the close of service on Sunday 3 January 1960. The branch was closed to all traffic on 17 June 1963. Some years later its route was used for the approach road to the Kingsway Tunnel that opened in 1971. Bidston West to North curve closed officially on 28 November 1983, but the dominant traffic had been iron ore trains which ceased in 1980. Topography Birkenhead Park; Mersey Railway station; opened 2 January 1888; still open; Bidston East Junction; Bidston West Junction; Bidston; opened 2 July 1866; closed 8 July 1870; reopened 1 August 1872; still open; Bidston Dee Junction; Leasowe Crossing; opened 8