I was at Exchange for the last evening on Friday 29 April 1977. I decided not to go on the special train as I did not think I would be able to see anything. That proved right as it was a Liverpool - Euston set of air conditioned Mk2 stock (nearly all Mk2f I think) so very brightly lit. The only time Exchange saw any air conditioned stock. The station was quite busy with enthusiasts, as well as plenty of staff, and I soon realised that it was "open house" in No.2 Box! So I paid it my only visit and what a fascinating and complex frame it was. The time flew by very fast. The last Wigan line DMUs came and went, and the EMUs to and from Ormskirk and Southport were still running the usual evening timetable that was quite busy to the end. Sometime after 9.30 pm the ECS for the special arrived, top and tailed. I don't know whether it had come from Edge Hill via Wigan and Kirkby, or come round the Bootle Branch and reversed at Bootle Junction - I expect the former. Then a friendly inspector was willing to guide those who wished, on to visit No.1 Box. I joined a small party of these people, and witnessed the end from that box. Sometime after the last incoming services had arrived, the special, which was to Lime Street only via Wigan, left, about half full of passengers as I recall, hauled by 47441 (D1557). Both boxes used up their entire stocks of detonators under this train, it was very impressive! After it had gone, the Class 25 which had hauled the ECS in, followed out light fairly soon behind the special.
There were still either two or three empty EMUs in the station, waiting to return to Kirkdale depot, and these left as soon as they could be got away. The engineers were very keen to start the first stage of the weekend's huge job of changing the route, (including transferring the signalling in the Sandhills area from Exchange No.1 to James Street panel), breaching the Exchange lines and sluing them to connect with the new route down to Moorfields, as soon as possible - a little bit too soon in fact. The EMUs left, one after the other, as quickly as they reasonably could, but the last one was still on No.1 Box's track circuits, and had not yet reached Sandhills, when the signalling power went off, and perhaps the traction current too. The telephones still worked and there were a very few anxious moments until telephone confirmation was received that the last EMU out had safely reached Kirkdale. The visitors carefully made their way back to the station, with all signals now out and a strong smell of gunpowder!
I saw the special at Lime Street - I think it had arrived some time before I got there. Then I walked home, to Wavertree.
John Prytherch.