Part of the original station - the excursion platforms toilet block - still exists and is in use. Don't know if North has any toilets!

Blackpool North (the town's main station today) was the one slated to close but the Corporation cast their greedy eye on the railway estate of Central that lay just behind the promenade and came to a cheap deal with BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) to swap the two stations around.  Those 54 services terminated short at Blackpool South for nigh on 7 years which was clearly unsustainable with only two working platforms. I think the last London Euston express moved to the North station in 1972. Today, the line to Blackpool South is just a withered single track siding with a train service to match.

All the others aren't a tatty car/coach park and a general carbuncle on the town that it hosts.

One must remember that this was a self inflicted wound as Central was not on Beeching's list for closure.

1: Irrespective of the nameplate on the wall, I thought it is called 'Severn Bridge Junction' signalbox.

With the greatest respect ET - and I speak as one intimately involved in railways - although that doesn't pay my mortgage. There is a perception amongst the paying public that many times their needs are low down the heap compared to keeping the big machine moving.

I think the Railway needs to address this and take on board that the customer is first - and wants/requires running trains. We all know that the railway would run seamlessly without passengers - ask me, I am a duty line manager on mine. But the system needs to reassess its messaging and realign its risk assessment/health and safety (established procedures) versus the comfort and basic needs of passengers.

It strikes me that there are not enough big voices in the management team to take command of the situation and say "just do that, and do it now!", and are prepared to accept as part of their remit (£££) that there might be a backlash, or criticism, in the future analysis.

I feel it is not so much 'risk' adverse as 'decision' adverse.

I assume (always risky!) the nT are nanoteslas (magnetic flux density) that I am familiar with, but what is 'Dst' ?

And until recently had a working signalbox as did Blackpool North.

4: London pre 1914, post 1900 with the network of Yerkes's LUER.

Yesterday afternoon was a broken fishplate at Acton Main Line on the Up Main. Today was signalling issues as mentioned above. Delay Repay claims being submitted for each half of my return. Glad I no longer commute.

No. 1: Starcross

4 is Aylesbury and Oxford to Marylebone (and Paddington) via Princes Risborough

1: Paddington

No. 4 - BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Class 24

Not forgetting this hero immortalised on Maidenhead Station,  ...

And in Prague.

“Luděk Kovář, Wikimedia Commons, license CC-BY-SA”

2: Volk's Electric Railway