Blackpool lines- decline and fall

[52290]

Glass Bridge or Factory Lane for me. One person at a time was sent to the EL line to give us the numbers of engines on that line - you could see both the main line and EL line from the embankment at Factory Lane.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Apr 2022 ==


There were many more in the mid/late 1950s. I suspect there were quite a few non regular timetabled specials such as Wakes Weeks excursions and Glasgow Fairs. But sorry can't be more precise - I was only in my mid teens.

I too spent some time at Factory Lane in the 1950's. We solved the problem of identifying locos on the EL line by using a telescope. IIRC the Preston area Wakes Weeks were the same as the Glasgow fortnight. We certainly saw locos from NE sheds, such as West Hartlepool, working through to Blackpool.

 

[Gloster]

At somewhere like Blackpool South Signal Box it is unlikely that the layout of the sidings would be shown. Normally only the area covered by block signalling would be covered: any trap points or exit signals from the sidings would be on the diagram, but beyond that it is not the responsibility of the signalman. However, there were always exceptions. As said, a new diagram will have been provided at some point after the withdrawal of block working of the Marton line as it must have been shown in the box as long as AB was in use.

 

[tbwbear]

Some Blackpool South portions of Euston services remained steam hauled from / to Preston until "the end" (3 August 1968).

Yes, the history of the Blackpool South to Euston services over the "decline and fall" period in question is worth a quick look.

Looking at the 4-year period between the first "all-electric" (Crewe to Euston) timetable (18th April 1966) and the transfer of services to Blackpool North (4th May 1970)....


The services below are as listed in the 66/67 public timetable and ran over the 4 year period - roughly in the same timings -

My sources are LMR 66/67 & 69/70 timetables plus additional notes from the excellent "Prestonstation.org" website - "Preston Station arrivals / departures" for 66/67 listed under "odds and ends / document archive" http://www.prestonstation.org.uk/docarchive.html


The weekday timings were (with departure times from Blackpool South / Preston arr and dep / arrival at Euston and reverse)....

UP

0610- (0652/0700) - 1100 (1A22) No Catering

0800- (0834/0837) - 1200 (1A30) Restaurant Car from Blackpool South

1155- (1227-1236) - 1600 (1A45) Restaurant Car from Blackpool South / Merged with Windermere portion or extra vehicles from Preston / vehicles added at rear

1820- (1854-1903) - 2245 (1A80) No Catering / BGs from Blackpool North to Euston added at rear at Preston

DOWN

0905 (1229-1244) - 1320 (1L18) Detatched from rear of Windermere train at Preston - Restaurant Car to Windermere

1305 (1632-1636) - 1714 (1P62) Restaurant Car to Blackpool South

1705 (2032-2045) - 2122 (1L79) Detached from rear of Carlisle train at Preston - Restaurant Car to Blackpool South

1905 (2300-2308) - 2347 (1P51) No Catering / BGs detached from front at Preston



I got my 66/67 LMR timetable secondhand and the original owner has highlighted the steam diagrams on it - not sure if this is accurate, but no reason to doubt -

Steam diagrams were - 1244-1320 (Preston to Blackpool South) / 2045-2122 (Preston to Blackpool South)
It seems the 0610 ex-Blackpool had been a steam diagram at the beginning of the schedule but is shown as dieselised during the year. Obviously, those are only the diagrams (maybe) and whatever happened in real life could have been very different.


I think, in the up direction the locomotive ( diagrammed for diesel from 1966) from Blackpool hauled all 4 trains to Crewe, with vehicles added to the rear of two of the trains at Preston.

In the down direction the (diesel) locomotives from Crewe hauled the front portions of the trains to Windermere (0905) or Carlisle (1705), and it would seem that steam was then diagrammed from Preston for the rear portions of those two to Blackpool.

In the case of the 1305, the diesel locomotive from Crewe would have hauled throughout to Blackpool.

In the case of the 1905, it is less clear, with BGs being removed from the front at Preston, what exactly happened.



Not sure how all those coaching diagrams worked - ????

It would seem Blackpool South hosted 3 sets overnight ?

Looking at the services in order in the down direction from Euston -

1) The portion without restaurant off the 0905 Down returned as the 1820 Up ?
2) It would seem that the 1305 from Euston was the return working of the 0800 up from Blackpool ? (1200-1305 turnaround at Euston) and stabled overnight at Blackpool South
3) The portion "with restaurant" off the 1705 stabled overnight at Blackpool South and formed the portion "with restaurant" at 1155 - the next morning (assuming also a 1600-1705 turnaround at Euston)
4) Perhaps the 1905 from Euston (no catering) stabled overnight at Blackpool South and went back as the 0610 the next morning ?

Could we assume that 2) and 3) would have been out-and-back duties for Blackpool South-based restaurant car crews ? one early breakfast/lunch turn / one late lunch/dinner one ?


Any thoughts ?


I have personal memories aged 6 in early 1970 of a shopping trip with my mother from St Annes to Preston.

Catching 1A45 (in 1970 -1154 ex-Blackpool South) to Preston (Short train with Class 50) / then watching the down 0905 ex-Euston divide at Preston (a Class 25 hauling the rear portion to Blackpool), going shopping and then catching the 1305 ex Euston back to St Annes (Class 50)

This wonderful photograph from 70023venus2009's flickr photosteam - captures 1A45 arriving at St Annes - maybe 6 or 7 vehicles ? - around about the same time as my own trip. This image must be from early 1970 - almost the end for Euston-bound services on the coast line, and right at the begining of my own enthusiasm for railways.

My sister and brother 1969

Posing in front of approaching 1A45 Blackpool South - Euston compised of all Mk1 stock and headed by a "Hoover"

www.flickr.com

 

[Springs Branch]

This wonderful photograph from 70023venus2009's flickr photosteam - captures 1A45 arriving at St Annes - maybe 6 or 7 vehicles ? - around about the same time as my own trip. This image must be from early 1970 - almost the end for Euston-bound services on the coast line, and right at the begining of my own enthusiasm for railways.

My sister and brother 1969

Posing in front of approaching 1A45 Blackpool South - Euston compised of all Mk1 stock and headed by a "Hoover"

www.flickr.com

Yes, a wonderfully evocative picture there, with many characteristic features of that era - concrete lamp posts, LMR maroon totem, porters' trolley off on the left, Class 50 with working headcode & no jumper cables added yet, no crowds of passengers milling about on the platform waiting for the London train, plus the background mist or haze that often seemed to be present in those times (at least in my memories).

 

[wilbers]

just spotted this, even though its from 2016. Blackpool Pleasure Beach, nearest train station Preston! You'd have thought the clue was in the name, and even if they forgot it had its own train station how did they forget Blackpool South as well.

Top 5 theme parks in the UK by train - National Rail

We think a train ride is pretty exciting, but if your kids are hoping for even more thrills, why not hop on the train toward one of the UK’s infamous theme parks? Here are some of the best theme parks in the UK - and how to get there by train! Start off with cheap

www.nationalrail.com

 

[30907]

just spotted this, even though its from 2016. Blackpool Pleasure Beach, nearest train station Preston! You'd have thought the clue was in the name, and even if they forgot it had its own train station how did they forget Blackpool South as well.

Top 5 theme parks in the UK by train - National Rail

We think a train ride is pretty exciting, but if your kids are hoping for even more thrills, why not hop on the train toward one of the UK’s infamous theme parks? Here are some of the best theme parks in the UK - and how to get there by train! Start off with cheap

www.nationalrail.com

Perhaps they thought the international clientele (note the uk and .com) might struggle with the local service?

 

[alistairlees]

This isn’t the National Rail website though, in case that’s what you are thinking.

 

[Albaman]

I went to St.Annes on family holidays in 1966 and 1967 and since, have had a particular interest in the railways in the Blackpool area. An excellent source of information on the railways around Blackpool in the 1950/60s is the books published by Foxline in the late 1990s which cover the three routes to Blackpool. The somewhat lengthy titles are :-

Scenes from the past : 26 Part Three
Journeys by Excursion Train from East Lancashire

Preston via Kirkham and the Marton Line to Blackpool Central.

Part 4 covers the coast line and part 5 the lines to Blackpool North and Fleetwood.

The author is Stuart Taylor and whilst the books are long out of print, I did google one of the titles earlier this morning and found a seller.

The books are highly recommended as they provide a great deal of information on the railway infrastructure at that time as well providing numerous observations by local enthusiasts and , like any good book on transport, an intersting social history.

 

[D6130]

I went to St.Annes on family holidays in 1966 and 1967 and since, have had a particular interest in the railways in the Blackpool area. An excellent source of information on the railways around Blackpool in the 1950/60s is the books published by Foxline in the late 1990s which cover the three routes to Blackpool. The somewhat lengthy titles are :-

Scenes from the past : 26 Part Three
Journeys by Excursion Train from East Lancashire

Preston via Kirkham and the Marton Line to Blackpool Central.

Part 4 covers the coast line and part 5 the lines to Blackpool North and Fleetwood.

The author is Stuart Taylor and whilst the books are long out of print, I did google one of the titles earlier this morning and found a seller.

The books are highly recommended as they provide a great deal of information on the railway infrastructure at that time as well providing numerous observations by local enthusiasts and , like any good book on transport, an intersting social history.

Highly-recommended.....and already mentioned in the "Excursion Trains from Closed Stations" thread.

 

[wilbers]

This isn’t the National Rail website though, in case that’s what you are thinking.

indeed I had missed the distinction that its not a part of the .co.uk website.