DMU Operations: London Midland Region
Blackpool South - Kirkham & Wesham
The coast line from Blackpool South to Kirkham & Wesham seemed to be ran as a Blackpool South - Colne service in the early days of DMUs but by the mid-1970s it became a Blackpool South to Kirkham & Wesham Paytrain service normally operated by two-car DMUs. A few of the services worked through to Preston or Manchester.
Circa early 1980s it reverted again to a Blackpool South - Colne service.
Sample Timetable
From 1 May 1975
This measured 3 7/8" x 8 1/4" when folded.
Images
11th August 1976
M50967 has just arrived at Blackpool South with the 13.22 from Kirkham on 11 August 1976. The passenger doors have window bars, probably from its time allocated to Carlisle Kingmoor in 1970. Tom Burnham.
4th September 1976
A Class 108 power twin with M52054 closest seen at Kirkham on 4 September 1976. John Horne Collection.
Unknown date
A Class 105 power-twin seen at Kirkham with Blackpool on the destination blind, date unknown. A Class 104 can be seen in the distance. Stuart Mackay Collection.
19th February 1977
A Cravens DMU sits in Ansdell & Fairhaven railway station on Saturday 19 February 1977. The closest vehicles appears to be E56424, which spent three months on loan to Newton Heath from Finsbury Park in early 1977. Ian 10B.
19th February 1977
A Cravens DMU entering St Annes-on-the-Sea railway station (view south). Saturday 19 February 1977. Ian 10B.
8th April 1977
A two-car unit in blue livery with destination reading 'Kirkham' is caught on camera from Burlington Road bridge, Blackpool. It has had its 2-digit headcode box removed but remains unrefurbished. Graeme Phillips Collection.
13th July 1978
A Class 108 DMU on a Blackpool South - Kirkham service approaching Squires Gate Lane railway bridge, Thursday 13 July 1978. Ian 10B.
5th September 1978
Rainy day at Kirkham & Wesham on Tuesday 05 September 1978. The Cravens Class 105 DMU, with M56129 closest, was working the Blackpool South - Kirkham shuttle service. Ian 10B.
24th February 1979
British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 50967 + 56250, approaching St. Annes-on-the-Sea. The DMU was working a Blackpool South - Kirkham train, Saturday 24 February 1979 The photograph is taken from St. Annes signal box, looking north. Ian 10B.
24th February 1979
A Class 108 dmu departing St. Annes for Kirkham. View from the Crescent bridge looking south. Saturday 24 February 1979. Ian 10B.
28th May 1979
British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 & 51932 passing St. Annes signal box on a Blackpool South - Kirkham train, Tuesday 28 May 1979. Ian 10B.
29th May 1979
British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932, St. Leonard's Road, St, Annes-on-the-Sea. The DMU was working a Kirkham - Blackpool South train, Tuesday 29 May 1979 Ian 10B.
29th May 1979
British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932 passing the site of the former Burlington Road station, Blackpool S.S. The DMU was working a Blackpool South- Kirkham train on Tuesday 29 May 1979. View north from the footbridge. Blackpool Pleasure Beach station which opened on 13 April 1987 is now at this location. Ian 10B.
29th May 1979
British Rail Class 108 Derby Lightweight DMU 52054 + 51932, approaching Watson Road bridge, Blackpool S.S. The DMU was working a Kirkham - Blackpool South train on Tuesday 29 May 1979. Ian 10B.
29th May 1979
A Class 108 2-car DMU 52054 + 51932 working a Kirkham & Wesham to Blackpool South service passing St. Thomas' Road, St. Annes-on-the-Sea. View looking north, Tuesday 29 May 1979. Ian 10B.
9th July 1979
In refurbished white with blue stripe livery, a Class 108 two-car DMU formed of DMBS M50974 & DTCL M56257 was stood at end of the Coast Line at a sad-looking Blackpool South on a rather dull July 9th 1979. The tail lamp on the platform marked the limit of travel, the unit would form the 19.28 departure back to Kirkham. The former booking hall on Waterloo Road bridge was in use as a model railway shop with a large exhibition layout. The wooden buildings at platform level had survived the massive rationalisation that Blackpool South underwent during the period 1964-1970. Martyn Hilbert.
9th July 1979
With the tail lamp on the platform marking the limit of travel on the East side of the remaining island platform, A two-car Class 108 formed of DTCL M56257 & DMBS M50974 had arrived at Blackpool South with the 18.58 from Kirkham, and with the tail lamp in place, was ready for working back along the Coast Line at 19.28 on the evening of July 9th 1979. The land to the left of the DMU was the site of through running lines and the Marton Direct Line from Kirkham, once a busy railway in the days when the terminus at Blackpool Central handled prodigious amounts of excursion traffic, right up until it closed in 1964. Martyn Hilbert.
28th August 1979
A Class 104 with a Blackpool South - Kirkham service approaching St Annes-on-the-Sea railway station, Tuesday 28 August 1979. View taken from St. Annes Signal Box. Ian 10B.
19th September 1979
Normally used on Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North services, one of the three-Car Newton Heath allocated Class 104 sets complete with its white bodyside stripe, was working the Kirkham to Blackpool South shuttle service on September 19th 1979. M50474 arrives from Kirkham along a route that was still double track into the magnificent station at St-Annes-On-The-Sea. Martyn Hilbert.
28th June 1980
Having arrived at Kirkham & Wesham with the 18.01 from Blackpool South, an ex Eastern Region Class 105 Power/Trailer two-car set formed of Driving Motor Brake Second M50385 & Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory M56118, was stood in the Upside platform awaiting the return with the 18.58 to Blackpool South on June 28th 1980. These were the days when the majority of services on the Coast Line were formed of units shuttling back and forth between Kirkham and Blackpool South. Although the station at Kirkham had lost its iron & glass platform canopy, the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway buildings in the companies favourite yellow brick style, were still in use. Martyn Hilbert.