NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY :NOTICE BOARD

The Granada Telethons were charity fundraising programmes hosted by ITV in 1988, 1990 and 1992.  Various events were held in association with the Telethons, and the Granada Telethon Pullman was a train which ran on 19 July 1992, starting at Lime Street at 09:00 and ending at Manchester Victoria at 22:05.  The route covered much of the North West, including Southport, Blackpool, Morecambe, Blackburn and Rochdale, and the motive power was provided by two Class 31/4s in Regional Railways livery.  The 1992 Telethon is reported as having raised over £15 million for charities.



The Pullman arrived at Southport behind 31 410 Granada Telethon, with 31 439 waiting to take over the next leg of the journey.  The Excursion platform and track is getting overgrown, but the Steamport Museum is still open.  On the skyline the distinctive Gasholder (84.5m tall) is still standing, although it was demolished in 2009 after a life of only 40 years. 



The footbridge near St Lukes Station (closed in 1968) has been repainted, but the track to Steamport is still visible as 31 439 heads back towards Wigan, with 31 410 now on the rear. 



Steve McColl was the head of BR’s Inter CIty Special Trains Unit, and previously manager of Lime Street Station.  In 1995 he organised two steam hauled trains between Liverpool and Southport, featuring Dr Peter Beet’s 46441.  On 19 March the outward journey was via Wigan, returning on the electrified line through Bootle.  The train had just arrived at Southport, and the locomotive was moving to the rear, setting back the coaches into Chapel Street Station. This was probably the only occasion an Ivatt Class 2P had carried a Merseyside Express headboard!  



Without any turning facilities at Southport in 1995, 46441 was running tender first through Hillside for the return journey, the headboard on this leg being The Flying Gerbil.  Note the high intensity light on the tender – can anybody explain the purpose of the adjacent tall red box?  



The next four shots were all taken from the long footbridge overlooking Chapel Street Station.  The development of the Steamport site into the Shopping Park is apparent.   On 19 June 2013 2Z02 was the 10:03 Carlisle to Manchester (Piccadilly), comprising DRS 37 419 Carl Haviland and 975025 Inspection Saloon Caroline.  It reversed in the Station and returned via Wigan.



In 2014 UK Railtours visited Southport from Euston on 18 September with “The Natterjack” – the rare toad to be found in sandhills near Southport.   67 017 Arrow had come on at Wigan South Junction for the leg to Southport, having been on the rear since Euston, behind 90 029, which was replaced by 60 065 at Warrington. 



The passengers were no doubt glad to be able to stretch their legs at Southport, but photographing 60 065 was proving difficult for them.  It would be a long walk from Chapel Street to the footbridge, but the train was on time and they had three hours to explore Southport.  I didn’t wait for the departure! 



Nothing much had changed at Southport in the next seven years in respect of the platforms or track layout, but the purpose of my visit on 27 May 2021 was to see the new Class 769/4 Bi-mode Multiple Units in the Northern fleet, converted from Class 319s.  769 456 was working the 14:15 Southport to Alderley Edge.  This had been 319 456, one of the first two units to be converted.   Other operators of Class 769 units have been Transport for Wales and Great Western, but these have now been withdrawn and returned to their owners Porterbrook .  There is a possibility that two of the GW units may be converted for freight use.