They Must Not Touch! - Episode 40, Day 72 - Liverpool to Blackpool South

[@testchannelabc123qqq]

Vicki's childlike wonder and off the wall comments (as in the stinger clip here) make the videos even more awesome than they otherwise would be. Never change!

[@ianmcclavin]

Richard Jenkins A Pacer in love with a Merseyrail electric unit though - good job those buffers are in the way, or the offspring could go through life as something of a pariah if they were to get it together!!

[@hugobouma]

@@HampsteadOwl You must be fun at parties.

[@ed_menno]

'unique as the tower and spire are at the same end of the building'. vicki neither had a script nor did the editing, perhaps you should spend 3 months doing this day in day out and have us scrutinise your every word? @@HampsteadOwl

[@michaelmoreton5042]

I have just realised why you 2 work so well together. G is interested in "The project" the trains, the tracks, the timetables, the history. V is interested in the places, the people. G has a sense of accomplishment, V has a sense of wonder.

[@KasabianFan44]

There is an even bigger British Rail logo at Gatwick Airport station; it's on the roof and it's so big you can clearly see it from a landing plane!

[@dan_tr4pd00r]

I think I might be the only person in the 3-way Venn diagram of (association) football fan,railway enthusiast, and never set foot on the UK. Thanks for making me feel special, Geoff.

[@davidalt92]

"You don't do football, you support Norwich" Thank You For That Geoff, from an Ipswich fan

[@goochtek]

Vicki explores was very in-spire-ing!

[@harrytodhunter5078]

Ba-dum-tsssh

[@MostlyLoveOfMusic]

Yes I love football just as much as I love trains and the railway network Geoff

[@sallyhodgetts3869]

dgmcl3284 agreed

[@anarcho-pingu]

furthered

[@johng9399]

Paul Ince After a spell as player-coach of Swindon Town, he retired from playing while player-manager of Macclesfield Town in 2007. He went on to manage Milton Keynes Dons (twice), Blackburn Rovers, Notts County and, after an almost-two-year break, Blackpool.

[@bradleyclarke6800]

Same

[@AaronD_]

agreee

[@EuroDC1990]

Once again Vicki proves very wise indeed. You see, once long ago at Kirkby a Merseyrail train did indeed fall in love with a Northern sprinter. Soon enough one thing led to another and a child was born, the dreaded Merseyrail-Northern hybrid pacer. So hated was their new child that Northern decided to abandon his child and an affair with a Spanish company resulted in more children on the way. Angered by what she saw, poor Merseyrail decided she could not bare to see Northern again, even if he was the father of her child. She took out a restraining order and as such the two can never meet unless supervised. Which is why to this day they will, on occasion meet for discussion at Chester, supervised by ATW but invariably leave the station in different directions.

[@crazysharkgaming8947]

Virgin Trains West Coast help with supervision at Chester aswell.

[@EuroDC1990]

CrazyShark Gaming Whilst their presence is less common you are of course correct. In fact, Merseyrail prefers the supervision of Virgin as she feels ATW is biased towards Northern as a fellow member of the Arriva family. ATW of course denies any such bias.

[@meltrain]

The ironic thing is that until April 2016, Northern and MerseyRail had the same parent companies. So, it would have been insest anyways.

[@harrytodhunter5078]

Fanfiction? Pls no

[@boldford]

Whilst there may be some very small truth in the layout because of inter-company rivalry, the real story is it means two trains can approach each other on what would have been a single line/single platform without the need for any special signalling/operating requirements. I.e. they are two separate pieces of railway.

[@Nanonic001]

All of the love for the signal box lady! 10:26

[@MontytheHorse]

Nanonic001 Yup, never seen a blue haired signaller before. :-)

[@chiefstain]

@@MontytheHorse You'll notice Geoff cheers up after this sight !!

[@calumgraham5274]

Football and rail go nicely together though Geoff. I try to use the train to go to games all around Scotland as much as possible.

[@mboothy]

Yep apart from St Johnstone and maybe Dundee the Premiership clubs are all within walking distance of a station. I'm guessing Stark's Park is the closest the railway gets to a football ground!

[@DJenerate]

Yup, it's really easy to get to West Brom matches at least if you live near the line. It's easier for me to get a tram though, but it goes to the same station anyway!

[@penaltygallery]

Michael Booth I took the train to watch St Johnstone a couple years ago, only half hour walk from the station

[@arthurgordon6072]

@@mboothy Isn't Arbroath pretty near the station?

[@Mortimer50145]

Love Vicki's story of unrequited love between trains - and Geoff's "she's absolutely barking" look :-)

[@cordularaecke]

13:39 Priceless! You both are just adorable! Go Vicki and Geoff!

[@GryphLane]

"You don't do football - you support Norwich!" How very true, Geoff 😂

[@ffionthomas590]

I love nothing more than travelling around the country on trains to watch Norwich City, and given our geographical location that often involves a lot of hours on trains! Good choice of club Vicki. OTBC

[@robertwilloughby8050]

The sad thing is, the crack L&Y expresses from Liverpool Exchange to Manchester Victoria used to go though Kirkby, then the legendary LMS/BR Liverpool Exchange - Newcastle Central "Cracks". Only when Liverpool Exchange closed in 1977 was the connection between the two halves of Kirkby station severed.

[@simonfitch1120]

They must not touch, or "never the train shall meet". Can't believe you didn't say that.

[@harrygibson1883]

The bars and arrows on the roof of Gatwick airport station could be bigger? Though can only see from the sky….

[@emmaellis7257]

My husband and I live in Florence Al USA. I love watching your videos and he loves Manchester untied football. I made him watch your video of the Old Trafford station with me and he loved it. Old Trafford is also the name of our WiFi network because not many people in Alabama know what Old Trafford is!

[@libman2006]

Before Dr Beeching came along Blackpool South wasn't the end of the line, the line continued north for about another mile to what was Blackpool Central but is now Central Car Park. With 14 platforms, when Blackpool Central closed in 1964 is was the station with the highest number of platforms to close and Blackpool South was also much larger with 4 platforms and extensive sidings.

[@patstreet896]

Yes, sometimes trains make additional stops but other times they don't stop at all! Recently, we changed at Kirkcaldy for Dalgety Bay to find that as the train was running about 6 minutes late Scotrail decided that it would go non stop to Inverkeithing missing out Kinghorn, Burntisland , Aberdour & Dalgety Bay. However, we were advised to take the train to Inverkeithing & catch the next train back to Dalgety Bay. So we were only 15 minutes late not 30!

[@bensonwr]

Loving it. This has become a regular watch for my wife and I . More video of Vicky knitting please

[@84Knuckles]

The thing with trains and the British public, is that it's such a cliché to complain about "the bloody trains" that as soon as something goes wrong or a slight delay happens, its portrayed as a terrible inconvenience to the travel and typical of the railways failures. When in reality all transport systems suffer delays etc.

[@jonobennett]

It's true. I was once on a German train that was late.

[@JBS319]

We call it "soccer" (short for association football) here in the States because the name "football" was already taken by a variation of rugby that has diverged further and further from rugby as time got on. If you take the train from New York to Washington, you will pass by two "soccer" stadia: Red Bull Arena (home of the New York Red Bulls) and Talen Energy Stadium (home of the Philadelphia Union).

[@richardscales754]

Railway fan and football fan here! Football/railway segue fact: The football stadium in Scotland which is furthest from a railway station is the stadium of Forfar Athletic, which is called... wait for it... Station Park.

[@risvegliato]

Never really explored the rail network in Lancashire, very interesting. Will put this on my 'to explore' list.

[@trfccurt07]

Football and Railway go hand in hand. Many happy memories travelling across the north and beyond on the rails, following Tranmere Rovers!

[@sooncroc]

Geoff ! You are a star. As an Ipswich Town supporter, I loved your comment about norwich and football,with a big laugh. Thanks

[@fujivillan]

I'm a massive train lover. I use trains all the time to work and stuff. And I'm also a massive Aston Villa fan, have been since I was 7. So yes you can be an rail and football enthusiast.

[@rodneymarshall3688]

Football and railways, two of my biggest passions. Probably because as a teenager trains took me around the country to watch matches.

[@SM-Flyers]

Tea and knitting are always spellbinding viewing!!!

[@hbbspotter3998]

i am from blackpool so one of my favoret videos so far

[@puffin7285]

I am a die hard football fan, support Aston Villa. Wouldn't call myself a train fan... I am here because I watched your London canals video for londist and KZbin just recommended other videos and I just enjoy your enthusiasm for things that seem not so exciting. Blowing bin bags for example

[@andyfolland4032]

I am a die hard Football fan and as big a fan of Railways across the UK and Europe too!! Proves there are some people out there who are mad on Football and railways ;-) and yes I remember Paul Ince too, a great midfielder. He used to manage and is now a pundit on BBC Final score just for your information Geoff!!

[@gobears6487]

Ormskirk church is very interesting, but it seems it needs a little TLC 🙂 Thanks for exploring, Vicki! Plus: loved the cool bird houses at Lytham, 12:30 in, curious if anyone knows about them...

[@keithspillett7312]

Due to engineering works at earl's court this weekend, Piccadilly line trains were doing a Westhoughton, and serving the four intermediate stations between Acton Town and Hammersmith.

[@scarey1985]

volunteer at Talyllyn Railway and 22 years Man United season ticket holder. Paul Ince was my hero as a kid.

[@conorjm11]

Considering I have binged up to this episode in a week, I would say I am as much of a railway fan as I am a football fan, as talking and writing about sport/football is my job!

[@seaWolfASV]

On Kirkby (my adopted station, yay!), the track used to be doubled and the station was originally on the Northern side of the bridge. The line between Fazakerley and Rainford was singled in the 70s, ahead of Merseyrail reconfiguring the station to how it looks now for electrics starting in '77. There has been talk for a while of a new station being built a bit further up the Wigan line that could allow both sets of trains to meet at the same platform once more! Which might make Vicki's story have a happier ending!

[@stephenreardon2698]

I can recommend the walk between Hoscar, Lancashire's least used station, and Parbold. There are a choice of routes including passing through Newburgh, which is one of the county's most beautiful villages as well as being the original name given to Parbold station. Another route takes you along Leeds-Liverpool canal

[@peterdobson5726]

In what world in Newburgh a nice village 😂😂

[@mikeschaffel6958]

its the Parbold Pong, it usually comes from the fields just after they've been fertilized, or the Sewage works at Hoscar. The Land fill has been shut for years now, although when it was open that really did stink.

[@Blubatt]

Ormskirk! Glad you gave a section of the video to it. The station has quite a bit of history too.

[@S404_44]

There were through "main line" (i.e. not what today is Merseyrail) trains from Ormskirk and Kirkby to an old terminus called Liverpool Exchange. It closed when the local lines were connected with the local lines to Liverpool Central station through the Northern Line tunnel in 1977.

[@folksinger2100]

Parbold Pong - this is because of the Hoscar Moss sewage works, it also may have something to do with Hoscar being the least used station in Lancashire!!!!

[@ianmcclavin]

"Can we go to the pier?" Well, you had THREE to choose from at Blackpool Vicki, unlike Brighton, which could only manage to keep one out of two! I often wonder if the demise of the West Pier at Brighton was started off by the weakening of the structure when I played on the bouncy castle on that pier as a kid for a few hours!!

[@Loudtable]

There are millions of us who love both railways and football (Manchester United, not that a single person cares) As soon as I saw Ince, and before you said it, I immediately thought of Paul. Every time I pass or hear about Sheringham, I immediately think of Teddy. 90% of my football travels happen by railway, hence my obsession with All the Stations and your (Geoff's) videos.

[@LeeRender1980]

A slightly painful morning that was I recall for you at Westhoughton. And glad you liked the Kirkby and Ormskirk branches and 'the shuffles' between the two systems. Done Ormskirk many times myself and, yes a nice idyllic little branch. Roll on the fun and games at Blackpool North......

[@davidpeasley]

I, too, love both proper football (and Aussie Rules, and American too) and trains. Living in Columbia South Carolina (like you having lived in Charleston), we get exactly ONE outbound train destined for Washington DC and one outbound train destined for Miami. In the middle of the night no less. Sigh ... cheers to you lot!

[@espowari]

As the rare American watching this series, I love EPL, and trains. Hoping to go to a match next time I'm over!

[@Thegoldenemerald]

Dont call it soccer if you go to a arsenal game from Southampton reference the blue train to waterloo as a class 450 a white 1 as a 444 Dont forget laccazette is shit wenger retired and Edward nketia is beast(despite not playing) and arsenal Dont play champions league football cuz there shit.Unai emery is unexpieranced in English football also a shit manager abamiyang has pace but is shit like the whole of arsenal

[@RatelHBadger]

I think i might fall into that 3:30 venn diagram... I grew up right next to a railway line, and the only sport available at my school for a long time (only 100 students) was football... isn't New Zealand wonderful!!!

[@RatelHBadger]

Fun fact: Ryan Nelson (former New Zealand skipper) used to play for Blackburn Rovers 11:30. He is exactly the same height as me.... and is almost exactly 10 years older! Its a shame he comes from Christchurch though... Well, not a shame, Christchurch is a lovely city... its just not Wellington.

[@kara0kech1ck]

I'll happily admit to enjoying football and trains. Great videos. Keep them coming!

[@jakeavis4170]

3:12 I love football and trains just as much as each other!

[@robnorth480]

I've ticked around about 1200 railway stations (fairamountofthestations) the majority visited while ticking off 1300 UK football grounds (quiteafewofthegrounds). There, the two go together!

[@cpfcfly1]

I support Crystal Palace home and away and just like what must be the majority of our fans we get the train to every match. Some clubs have fans who take the coach more, but trains are definitely easier for home games with 3 stations around our ground, and easy by train from London to any away game.

[@graftygreen6235]

Hi Johnny, As a Crystal Palace fan myself we also need to celebrate that one of our football club owners also owns the Royal Scot locomotive.

[@nblanch2]

Enjoyed the video (along with all the others) as Ormskirk-Liverpool Moorfields/Liverpool Central is my local line. The lines are split at both Kirkby and Ormskirk due to the electrification of the Merseyrail branches. Many years ago, when Liverpool Exchange station was in existence, there were main line express services to Newcastle, Leeds and Scotland, using both Kirkby and Ormskirk lines. All this changed when the Beeching axe fell and the Merseyrail plan came into existence. Liverpool Exchange closed, the link tunnel was built to Liverpool Central and came into operation in May 1977, along with the Wirral Line loop tunnel. The 'Parbold Pong' is due to the Hoscar Moss sewerage works, which processes sewerage for the whole area, including Ormskirk and Skelmersdale. Yes, the Ormskirk Branch Line is a rather picturesque, country line, although the service is not frequent enough (there is talk about increasing it though). And yes, I am a train and football fan, so we do exist!

[@waresy81]

I'm a football fan and thoroughly enjoying your rail journeys

[@jules1801]

Footy fan and train fan here too. Great videos. 🙂🙂

[@mikehills8260]

I'm a member of the intersection of railways, castles and Fulham FC. Loving this, albeit 3 years too late!

[@johnwebster3224]

You would not believe that the Liverpool - Newcastle trains used to speed through Kirkby - and one used to miss Wigan, using the Pemberton Loop Line!

[@haydncostin]

Awesome, my adopted and home-town station Parbold gets a 'Tick' ! Btw the Parbold pong isn't because of landfill but a rather large Sewage Works between there and Hoscar. Not as bad now I hope as I remember it back in the day, when I could see it out of my bedroom window. Loving the videos G&V, always make me chuckle.

[@markstramtrainbuscapades1729]

The Liverpool-Wigan via Kirkby line saw it's service split when the line on the Liverpool-Kirkby side was electrified, same with Ormskirk.

[@ryandarbyshire5046]

At 6:12 when you said you were guessing that the tracks once went through, they did the trains went through Kirkby from Liverpool to Wigan I think and the other platform was next to where the pacer was.

[@86Dillan]

Geoff, Massive Everton fan and Train geek - it happens. I always love taking the train to the football as well.

[@Inglesdivertidocomshai]

Preston!!! Brings back so many memories

[@barvdw]

Southport Station's canopy has a distinct French feel to it. Lots of Triangular canopies, there, like Rodez, Marseille, Troyes... I like 'm.

[@jamesbutler6253]

I visit more football matches than railway stations, and I attend more matches than I take trains, however I take more photos of stations, trains and railway infrastructure than I do of football matches :)

[@simonj8074]

My University Town (Ormskirk), and the place I used to visit most weekends as a kid (Croston). Another top video.

[@Jasonm25870]

Southport Station, the monstrous carbuncle of the north.

[@WhiteTiger333]

I wonder how long the clock has been on the Ormskirk. :) According to the clock, you filmed at high noon. But your train leaves at 3:51, so that can't be right! Yes, lovely countryside. You captured some lovely plantings along the stations, too.

[@johnmcgarvey41]

Station when doors close at the start is actually bank hall. My nearest station along side kirkdale. I’m in between them so there about equal. Bank hall doesn’t have disabled access and the ticketing hall is a tip and usually closed.

[@folksinger2100]

Rather interesting 'they must not touch' at Ormskirk and Kirby. I understand at the time it was a cunning plan to get extra money by cutting the through routes and creating 2 branch lines terminating at one station making the route, Branch Lines so getting a subsidy for four branch lines. Interestingly at Ormskirk when it was a through station the electric trains terminated in a bay platform. The shot passing over the Southport line - at Burscough Bridge - is where a suggested new bi-level interchange station could be built with lifts connecting the platforms and routes in the 2014 MerseyRail Strategy plan. It is also suggested that the curves be reinstated. The curves earthworks still exist and are to the west - on the other side of your shot - in other words they are still visible and 'shovel ready'.

[@leomcgrath7924]

Love football and railways in equal measure!

[@scottmcginn2169]

Great Video, I had one nan used to live in Kirkby and one used to live in Rufford, and spent many a weekend in Ormskirk, and lived not far from Aintree. Like my own history show.

[@meirahfischer3036]

Memories I grew up in Manchester and my grandparents lived on the seafront at St Annes On Sea.

[@jonathanbrett-warren2031]

Another amazing trip! Really enjoying these videos. What a wonderful way to earn a crust.

[@herschell64]

Good to see a proper look at Kirkby Station, I'll be on that platform on the 2nd October

[@ThatDonChannel]

Sure, you couldn't wait until the 18th to go to Preston, when I was there...and, apparently like Vicki, I couldn't find anything to do there in an hour either, although there is a halfway decent frozen yogurt shop about a block away. Ever hear the story of why I chose Preston as one of my Kickstarter "sponsor" stations? Actually, I did find something to in Preston; board a train to Manchester. Seriously, Preston isn't even mentioned in the Lonely Planet guidebook for Great Britain.

[@etipne]

Don Del Grande umm.....There are 5 parks shortlisted for The World Park Award

[@matthewfield2958]

If you're referring to the Rail Logo, i think the one at Milton Keynes Central is the largest.

[@john1703]

I imagine tha Salwick station is only used at rush-hour by workers to and from the nearby factory.

[@peel_acres]

Die-hard football (Liverpool and Scarborough Athletic) and train fan here!

[@ninjagoggles]

you, Geoff, are one of the luckiest humans in the world, insofar as mz magical Vickie has aligned herself with you.

[@Cknnr17]

I’m one of those fans who loves trains and footie. Going the long way to Clapham junction via Willesden Junction to meet mates for a football game on Saturday

[@mattjones3148]

Even better Geoff, I'm a Doctor Who & railway loving, football fan...there's even less of those 😂

[@mattmerchant3524]

Huge football fan! I use the Tube and train services to get to football so it's always fun combining the two ;)

[@TLJM007]

A Tottenham Hotspur fan and a transport nerd - I think I fit into the narrow diagram.

[@betamax80]

I may have missed this, but I don't think you've mentioned how unusual Merseyrail is on having a 3rd rail electric system? It's the reason they currently still have the trains they do. I know there are 3rd rail southern services (peckham rye branch?) but it's all being slowly replaced with overhead lines I understand... perhaps not in the underground sections?

[@stevieinselby]

Pretty much all of the Southern region is electrified on third rail - everything out of London Bridge, Blackfriars, Waterloo and Victoria, as far as Windsor, Reading, Southampton and Weymouth. There are a couple of odd lines within that, like Hastings-Ashford and the Uckfield branch that are not electrified, but everything else in that region has third rail. I'm not aware of any plans to replace the third rail with overhead electrification.

[@robnorth480]

Vicki, when you visit Dunfermline be sure to have a look at Dunfermline Abbey.

[@CallingAllStations]

I've been known to take a train to a football match ;) I remember using Althorpe after going to a game at Scunthorpe Utd - a particularly desolate place in the middle of nowhere with fairly low usage if you've not already passed through there yet! It's right next to a very interesting bridge if I recall.. For some reason it was easier to go there than back into Scunthorpe...

[@MattCamelly]

I love the curved track after Meols Cop towards Southport

[@harrierjames7727]

I am absolutely one in the centre of that Venn diagram, Geoff! off the top of my head, Paul Ince managed both Blackburn rovers and MK Dons and Tom Ince has been playing at Liverpool, Blackpool, Derby County and now Huddersfield Town

[@harrierjames7727]

Kidderminster Harriers fan myself!!

[@clivehulbert6083]

Yes Geoff I am just obsessed as much with football as I am with railways, Having been to over 6,000 matches and probably 1,000. Stations

[@stevegoodier1241]

Bit of morbid history....My Grand father was a guard on the railways, in 1976 he was returning to Crewe from Scotland (i think) as the guard on duty, when the train pulled into Preston station sadly they found he had died of a heart attack in the guards compartment...he was also the guard on the royal train a few times. Regards Steve

[@keithhutson5930]

Mersey rail is going to electriefi the Ormskirk to Preston line

[@VisitingPiddlyStations]

Us who work the Southport line call Parbold... Poobold

[@johnwebster3224]

It was known as Perbert when I worked there in the late '50's,

[@thetrouserpressguy603]

When I were a lad, the train used to go straight through Kirkby all the way to Liverpool Exchange.

[@superbladeash]

Love trains and football myself. Huge Sheffield united fan and have ambitions to be a driver.

[@josephcoffey9258]

Omg. Thank you for visiting ormskirk. By the way, they never made it every half an hour but they are still planning it and it's the 1st of October. However, they have been saying that they will improve the line frequency for 10 years or so. But they might connect the mersyrail line and the northern line to connect a train to Skelmersdale. Northern rail also want to electrify their lines thought Thanks again for visiting my home town of Ormskirk. Thank youuuuuuu!!!

[@roberthorwood4276]

Geoff, I must admit I really don't understand that bit about the track going through under the bridge but the tracks can't meet/touch ???I can be a bit dense some times, but that really was a non-sequiture , as was Viki'#s having a spir and tower at the same end of the church ?? how can that be ??

[@EinkOLED]

Preston station is like York station after a major fire.

[@RowanCaldwell2002]

Paul Ince managed Blackpool and his son Tom started his career there, and has since played for Derby before joining Huddersfield this summer when they made the Premiership

[@chriswilson444]

I'd be in the middle of your football/trains Venn diagram, in fact I'm watching this video on my train to Preston to watch Leeds United play away there, to see what I can expect from the station... cheers!