Blackpool South after closure of Central

[robertcwp]

I recently acquired this image:

 

43033_BlackpoolSouth_1967 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

No doubt as to the location or the approximate date, given that the visible stock is blue/grey. Blackpool Central closed in 1964 but the London trains continued running to South via Lytham until 1970 and the direct 'Marton Line' from Kirkham to South remained in use until 1966.

 

The caption and comments for this image suggest that a new signalbox was built in 1965.

 

My question is: does anyone know what the layout was at Blackpool South to the north of the Waterloo Road bridge in the years following closure of Central up until after the through services were withdrawn? Were there still facilities for servicing and turning engines whilst steam was still in use? Did any carriage sidings remain?

 

Later, it all became very run down and much of the station was demolished. It's now just one platform and a single track siding all the way from Kirkham.

[MarkC]

I have been looking for a photo of that box for a while - I remember wandering over the old formation from the station and visiting it back in the early 70s - most odd, there being no track passing it! At the time, the Lytham route was still double tracked, and the direct route was indeed gone.

 

Apropos of nothing in particular, at least one service to South, iirc late afternoon, used a Class 124 Trans-Pennine DMU set. Does anyone have any details of the diagram that would have been on?

[Swindon 123]

There is a photo of the box, looking more like an island, here on Flickr.  https://flic.kr/p/q59CTp

Also one here, which also has a glimpse of the box diagram showing the track layout.  http://terrysrailwaypics.me.uk/page247.html

 

No details of the diagram for the 124 that worked to Blackpool South, but a photo with some info on where it went after the working can be found here.  https://flic.kr/p/e8C9oU

 

Some interesting photos of the lines into and around Blackpool here. https://www.flickr.com/groups/blackpool_north__blackpool_south_lines_past__present/

 

Well worth a look at.

 

Paul J.

[MarkC]

There is a photo of the box, looking more like an island, here on Flickr.  https://flic.kr/p/q59CTp

Also one here, which also has a glimpse of the box diagram showing the track layout.  http://terrysrailwaypics.me.uk/page247.html

 

No details of the diagram for the 124 that worked to Blackpool South, but a photo with some info on where it went after the working can be found here.  https://flic.kr/p/e8C9oU

 

Some interesting photos of the lines into and around Blackpool here. https://www.flickr.com/groups/blackpool_north__blackpool_south_lines_past__present/

 

Well worth a look at.

 

Paul J.

Thanks, Paul

[robertcwp]

Thanks for the replies so far. I would be interested in seeing the track diagram for South box from its early days in the mid-1960s. By the time of the photo linked above, it had been rationalised heavily.

[PenrithBeacon]

...

 

My question is: does anyone know what the layout was at Blackpool South to the north of the Waterloo Road bridge in the years following closure of Central up until after the through services were withdrawn? Were there still facilities for servicing and turning engines whilst steam was still in use? Did any carriage sidings remain?

 

Later, it all became very run down and much of the station was demolished. It's now just one platform and a single track siding all the way from Kirkham.

In 1968 a loco turntable and watering facilities still existed and was used in the August. There's a film of it in one of the B&R videos. I think it was as single track even then.

[Swindon 123]

In 1968 a loco turntable and watering facilities still existed and was used in the August. There's a film of it in one of the B&R videos. I think it was as single track even then.

Yes there was. There is reference to it in the now defunct website for Lostock Hall shed that used to exist, Lostock Hall supplying the locos for the workings in steam days. According to the site on arrival with the 20.50 from Preston at Blackpool South, the ECS was taken to Bloomfield Road carriage sidings for stabling, and the loco turned on the turntable there, before returning LE to Preston to act a Station Pilot. Some of this is eluded to in  the only bit of the Lostock Hall website that has been archived here, http://archive.is/SLjUB

 

There is a previous page to the one archived, which is unfortunately not archived on line, which has photos of the last steam services to run to Blackpool South and on the Bloomfield Road turntable, and a bit more detail on the workings. I did download it years back and have it now saved in PDF format. If anyone would like a copy, please PM me.

 

Paul J.

[keefer]

any of these any use? small GIFs of (undated) diagrams from http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/lmsdiagrams.htm

 

http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/lmsr/M726.gif (South No.1 & 2 boxes)

http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/lmsr/M727.gif (South No.3 box)

 

there's also a 1971-2 1:10000 OS map at old-maps: https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/331093/434277/10/101320

[30851]

Bringing an old question back from the dead!

 

Signal Box Org has posted a diagram which I think it is what Robert was looking for - https://signalbox.org/~SBdiagram.php?id= 1447   along with some questions/answers https://signalbox.org/the-blower/topic/blackpool-south/

 

Rob