For a while things moved off to Blackpool Waterloo Road (now known as Blackpool South.) But wasnt for long…
An Ivatt which has just arrived with its train at Blackpool South in 1967. Source: Flickr.
Blackpool South on May 3rd 1970. This was the final day of through London services from here. Soon the remaining tracks and loops would be taken out and the station reduced to one platform. The former Preston direct platforms are at right. Source: Twitter (Note: This Twitter account has been deleted thus an archived image is used here.)
Blackpool South during its evisceration period. Early 1980s. Source: Pinterest.
Blackpool South on 13 April 1983. Most of the station has been demolished. The former direct line to Preston can be seen curving away to the left in the distance. Source: RMWeb (Note: The post on RMWeb seems to have had the image deleted thus an archived one is used here.)
The once mighty Blackpool Central/South rail system reduced to a fantastic bus stop style jamboree! Source: Wikipedia.
The former Blackpool Central station site. Now the obligatory car park! Source: Google Streets.
The entire former rail alignment between Central and South is now one massive car park! British Railway’s Modernisation Plans were ever so successful because the motor car got all the benefit lol!
Epsom Downs
A once mighty fine rail terminus now relegated to a corner shop thingy nearly half a mile away from its original entrance at the bottom end of a housing estate. Its so weird walking through this estate, one thinks, gosh is there really a railway station down here? There is, but its not what is expected!
It has to be one of the best jokes in terms of our rail system’s modernisation. A fantastic example of the UK’s rail upgrade efforts. Its the perfect image of Britain’s tinpot railways!
The original station entrance was right by the main roadway. Source: Twitter.
The next image below in fact looks right at the very spot the above station building once stood!
This quite inconspicuous modern housing estate is in fact the entrance to Epsom Downs station – nearly half a mile walk along the estate’s roads! Shocking when the station once stood right here! Source: Google Streets.
What is worse is there’s no signs denoting which road should be taken through the estate. Its a matter of guessing.
Told you it looked like a corner shop in the middle of a housing estate! Source: Google Streets.
The railway station with a housing estate on top of it! (That is, if you cant find it!) Welcome to La La Land! Source: Twitter.
Twas a once mighty fine terminus! The current station’s sited roughly two hundred yards north of where this photograph is viewed from (the photograph was taken about where this house is!) Source: Twitter.
Just for a bit of prosperity – or a laugh maybe! Class 405 driver leans out of his window and changes the headcode on his train at the old Epsom Downs station. Source: Twitter.
And that’s it!
Pic source: Pinterest