Thanks for posting this. If I had a pound for every time I sent a train or even light engine down there, or took one back, I'd have my own Loco now haha. I used to work Poulton No 3 and the two crossings as a GPR after 1980-81. Later, I took the vacancy at Poulton until 1988. I've walked the branch sometimes, unless the 25 Target, or Rtn Oil train gave me a lift. The gates at Hilly Laid, were normally worked by the Crossing Keeper, based in her house [the at left side]. But when she was on leave or sick, it was usually myself who did the gates. There was a little cabin to the right. I used to call it the Horse Box. At Thornton [Station]] Box, the cabin was to right and before the platform. One Saturday night, they were replacing a length of track, ballast and all. About halfway through, some posh bloke came over in a flashy dressing gown over his PJs, whining about the noise. I ignored him at first, then when he looked a bit rowdy, I grabbed the fire poker, and went to the door, after he'd tried to get inside. Just then a large platelayer must have noticed and came to the cabin staps. The posh bloke saw him and left immediately. Our P-way friends come in large sizes. haha.
Used the line the last year it was open to get to Hodgson school, from Thornton. After that had to go by bike over Amounderness way. Wouldn't fancy that these days. Cheers for posting.
I used to walk between thornton and poulton down the old line. People used to walk their dogs there too, stopped it getting too overgrown. It should be a footpath but it's now fenced off and as such has become so overgrown with brambles and trees you probably couldn't get through without a McChoppie or a chainsaw. It's going to be expensive to clear so thanks idiots for fencing it off and making me walk down busy roads choking on traffic fumes aggravating my asthma and poisoning me. It should be a footpath to fleetwood because the only other way to get there by walking is to walk alongside dual carriageways inhaling traffic fumes wheezing and coughing.
Driven over this line sooooo many times, looking down from Amounderness Way, or crossing at Thornton. Only remember seeing a few ICI trains during the 90's, so great to see this video, THANKS FOR SHARING !!! P.S. Don't quote me on this, but although the line is disconnected at Poulton, as far as I know there is a silver lining for the old branch, in that the signalling system is still in place for the Manchester Box (so only got physical track connections to re-establish.)
That house on the right at 3:48 was my parents. I lived there at the time this was recorded. It was only built about two years earlier by my dad :) I used to wave at the ICI trains as they passed twice a day. I had forgotten just how HUGE our back garden was LOL
At 1.21 the points were set for Burnt Naze, and then they seemed to open and close again: was that a glitch in the recording? The track through the former junction has been relaid for high-speed running, so a new connection to/from the Fleetwood branch would be unlikely. Apart from a new bay-platform at Poulton, the only possible chance of reconnecting the 'branch' in some way could involve relaying the long-gone side of the 'triangle' that once gave Blackpool a direct rail-link with Fleetwood, with some kind of 'single-lead' layout that would require traffic from Preston to reverse onto the new curve. Again, the cost of new points and the associated resignalling would, I think, be prohibitive. The overgrown bit of trackbed I mentioned didn't seem to have been built-over when I passed it on the train, a few years ago now, but I was unable to see all of it. The video shows that long stretches of the single-track line were awaiting the installation of C.W.R. and others already had it, along with concrete sleepers: as a freight-only line with limited traffic and probably a limited future, why would they have been spending serious money on it, instead of just doing running-repairs ? It's sad to think that this was an early main line, with Blackpool-via-Layton added as a branch.
The trains used to go at about 5mph screeching along the rusty rails, we'd hear it coming and run into the bushes. Was always tempted to grab onto the back but too afraid of getting in trouble as we weren't supposed to be there.
Just announced today Gov are going to pay for yet another feasibility study (last one late 1990s \ early 2000s) on re opening the line to Fleetwood. But there's no way the line will get right into the town now and the closest it will get is roughly 700m from the site of the old Wyre Dock station. They'll also have to re instate the junction at Poulton which Network Rail recently cut out if they want a seemless journey. Local rail group has plans for a separate platform at Poulton which would need passengers to get off one train and wait on the main Poulton platform for a connection. Cannot see locals and visitors being chuffed at that. The area needs a full functioning line because the roads around here are choca (its one main single carriageway road in and the same one out although a by pass is progressing) and they are building more and more houses.
They should reinstate that line for the Trams and reconnect Thornton, Cleveleys and Fleetwood to the rail network and take some of the strain of our busy gridlocked roads.
@@donnaelizabethcampbell5559 I agree but it would be difficult to get the trams onto the trackbed from Copse Rd without some tight curves which railed vehicles tend not to like. They could extend from the ferry terminal along Dock Rd up Amounderness Way to near the 3 Lights pub and run a corridor by the side of the road upto where the old trackbed bears off behind the caravan site but, you have a massive dip at the ASDA roundabout to work around.
I don't know why they fenced it off and left it to become so overgrown, it used to be a nice walk in the clean fresh air instead of walking alongside dual carriageways clogged with traffic wheezing and choking on air you can cut with a knife.
Not 1994 !! The actual date was on Saturday 15th February 1992 !!! Top 'n' tail locos were 20081+20016 leading and 47489 'Crewe Diesel Depot' rear. Route : London Euston - Bickershaw Colliery - Burn Naze - Morecambe - Heysham Harbour - London Euston. WCML electric loco 90019 'Penny Black' London Euston - Wigan NW, Carnforth - London Euston. I was on that railtour !! :-)
