Things Ancient and Modern

A final look at York, particularly the old station site, the LNER Museum and the development of the NRM, but excluding the former goods shed.

Of the original station within the city wall, I can only find this picture of it during its final demolition:
Old York railway station

© Copyright hayley green and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The building behind with the interesting roofline is the LNER's HQ building - converted some time ago to a hotel:
Cedar Court Grand

© Copyright Andrew Abbott and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This photo shows the two arches cut in the city wall to allow the railway into the city station:
George Stephenson House

© Copyright DS Pugh and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Former railway museum, York

© Copyright Chris Allen and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Interior view (1958):
York Railway Museum (BR North Eastern Region), Interior

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1961:
York (North) Locomotive Depot, scene in Yard

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Sadly, the only interior view of the shed prior to conversion to the NRM is from 1970, and we only see diesels:
North York shed

© Copyright Roger Cornfoot and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From August 1975, shortly before opening:
York Railway Museum

© Copyright Simon Johnston and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Interior in April 1976, not long after opening:
National Railway Museum, York 1976: coaching stock

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Interior in 1988, before the main hall was rebuilt due to 'concrete cancer' in the original structure. There were still two turntables at that time:
D8000 in York railway museum

© Copyright John Firth and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

After the rebuild:
York.

© Copyright Ron Hann and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

A look around Worcester, first the loco depot in 1947:
Railway panorama from Rainbow Hill, Worcester

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In 1959:
Worcester Locomotive Depot.

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And in 1963:
Worcester Locomotive Depot, panorama from Tunnel Hill

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Worcester Shrub Hill station still has a good array of semaphore signals - from 1959:
'Down' Midland Parcels train entering Worcester (Shrub Hill) Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 2011:
Worcester - semaphores at Shrub Hill

© Copyright Dave Bevis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

Prompted by the views of Worcester shed from last week, a few shots of other sheds:

From 1946:
Saltley Locomotive Depot: inside one of the three roundhouses

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Saltley Locomotive Depot, 1948: elevated view of ash-plant

© Copyright Walter Dendy, deceased and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The shed is long gone - it seems road transport has taken over the area it was on:
TNT Depot

© Copyright N Chadwick and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Over to Wales, in 1946:
Danygraig Locomotive Depot, with ex-Powlesland & Mason dock tank

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The same area from 2006 - clearly the same building:
Gower Chemicals

© Copyright Steve Rigg and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And up to Yorkshire in 1949 at Sheffield:
Darnall Locomotive Depot

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The engine shed was to the south side of the railway main line and is seen here from the west. It's possible that the building in the distance on the left, beyond the coaling tower, is the one visible to the left in the next picture, taken in 2011, looking towards the west:
Train approaching Darnall Station

© Copyright Graham Hogg and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

A look at several aspects of Shrewsbury.

We start with a picture from 1957:
Stopping train from Chester entering Shrewsbury

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Three years later:
7818 'Granville Manor' on the Cambrian Coast Express at Shrewsbury, 1960

© Copyright Alan Murray-Rust and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And in 1962:
Stanier 'Princess Coronation' Pacific at Shrewsbury

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

(Shrewsbury was the junction for a number of lines both GWR and joint with other railways - hence the wide spread of locos.)

From 1965 - a DMU now visible indicating the new order of things:
Stopping train at Shrewsbury Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Some 20 years later:
Freight Train, Shrewsbury Station, 1985

© Copyright Rob Newman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

and passenger:
Class 47 Entering Shrewsbury, 1985

© Copyright Rob Newman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Behind the train is the huge 'Seven Bridge Junction' signal box, now thought to be the largest mechanical box, at least in Europe.

This is the earliest photo of the exterior of the station:
Shrewsbury station, 1990

© Copyright Robin Webster and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

On to 1998:
Class 153 at Shrewsbury, 1998

© Copyright Rob Newman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A view from 2008:
Signal off for Wrexham

© Copyright Stephen Craven and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Unusual mix of trad semaphore and colour light signals.

There were several other stations in Shrewsbury, the oddest of which was the terminus of the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Light Railway. It had its terminus built on the site of what had been the Abbey's Refectory - views of the station remains:
Abbey Rail Station

© Copyright Mr M Evison and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Shrewsbury Abbey railway station (site)

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

I'm looking at a smaller junction station today - Keighley in West Yorkshire, with the attraction of the preserved K&WVR as well as the former Midland Main Line from Leeds to Skipton and beyond. Curiously this seems to be one station Dr Brooksbank missed out on! The Worth Valley branch had closed to passengers on the 30th December 1961. The Preservation Society was formed in March 1962, and it was they who organised the last special BR train on the branch in June 1962. There were considerable and lengthy negotiations between the Society and BR, and eventually they were able to start running trains in 1968.

Approaching the station in 1968 on one of the early K&WVR trains:
Keighley, from a K&WVR train, 1968

© Copyright Robin Webster and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And in 1972:
Keighley Station 1972

© Copyright Gordon Spicer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The earliest photo of the main line platforms available on the Geograph website is this one from 1984:
Keighley station

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
'First generation' DMUs were still in use at this time, and they continued in use for some years with changes in livery. From 1992:
Keighley station

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Eventually the Main Line was electrified as far as Skipton, and here is a view from 2003:
Keighley station

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Back to the Preservation Society's side of the station. This turntable was installed in 1989 and was formerly at Garsdale:
Railway Turntable

© Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This signal box was previously at Esholt Junction:
Keighley Station

© Copyright HENRY CLARK and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Curiously the signal box diagram for Esholt Junction is now on display at St Albans South box! The K&WVR protect all their signal box windows with roller shutters when not un use due to their urban location, hence the appearance of this box.

The K&WVR Platform 4 is full of delightful detail - from 2008:
Platform clock, Keighley station

© Copyright michael ely and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A more general view from 2013:
Keighley railway station, K & WVR platforms

© Copyright John Slater and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Since the above two photos were taken the whole canopy has undergone a major restoration - unfortunately there's no photo showing the end result. The K&WVR hope eventually to restore a canopy to their platform 3 as well.

Can't keep away from signal boxes:
Disused Signal Box

© Copyright Stephen Armstrong and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This box was removed to Irlam Station in 2019 where it was restored and now forms part of a signalling-related museum alongside the refurbished station building. Regret there is as yet no photo of it in the new location.

John

QUOTE (hoonsou @ 29 Mar 2021, 23:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Interesting John, but what a shame they had to go to the expense of shutters to protect the windows of the Keighley signal box and then there's the ratbags nicking lead? from the other one. The work that's gone in to all that is a credit to all involved.
The lead was nicked some while ago from the Keighley box despite it being in an NR compound; the lead wasn't part of the original MR design, by the way! The small K&WVR buildings at Damems station are likewise protected by shutters as is the isolated box at the passing loop south of Damems.

At St Albans South we had to bear in mind that every one of the 144 panes had been smashed while our box lay derelict. Thus we were concerned that we might suffer after reopening and have to resort to shutters as well. But since restoring the box in 2008 we've had just two broken windows; one probably due to vandalism with a catapult or air weapon, the other from ballast thrown up from a regrettable 'one under'. We use laminated glass in our windows - not obvious, and has the property of being the same thickness as the original Midland Railway glass, so maintaining the appearance. We have the advantage of being next to both the station (the Keighley box was the other side of a road bridge) and four busy railway tracks as well, so hopefully we'll remain without the need for shutters.
St Albans South signal box museum

© Copyright Chris Brown and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Regards,
John

Let's have a look at another early preserved railway - in this case the 'Bluebell Line' at Sheffield Park. First image from Ben Brooksbank:
Bluebell Railway train at Sheffield Park in 1961

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A view of the station buildings:
Sheffield Park station in early days of Bluebell Railway

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1963:
Steaming North

© Copyright Peter Jeffery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Aveling-Porter 2-2-0T at Sheffield Park, Bluebell Railway, 1964

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Sheffield Park Station, 1975

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1985:
Costumed school outing at Sheffield Park Railway Station

© Copyright nick macneill and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1998:
Sheffield Park Railway Station

© Copyright nick macneill and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 2005:
Passing Trains

© Copyright Peter Jeffery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Appears to be the LNER Dynometer car, although the photographer makes no mention of it.

One of the newer buildings that has been erected here:
Sheffield Park engine shed Bluebell Railway

© Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 2011 - another new build:
Bluebell Railway: new carriage shed at Sheffield Park

© Copyright Gareth James and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Finally, from 2018, a view roughly similar to the first photo:
Sheffield Park Station

© Copyright Peter Jeffery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

Decided to look at a spot where I did quite a bit of trainspotting in my youth - the 'Great Eastern' main line from Liverpool Street to the east as it passes through Stratford.
We start off with one of Ben Brooksbank's delightful pictures from 1948 - ten years before I started trainspotting here:
Stratford: typical scene with a Goods and an empty stock train

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Up Express, also in 1948:
Up 'East Anglian' passing Stratford, 1948

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1955:
Up Southend train passing Stratford Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From 1958:
The Down 'Broadsman' passes Stratford Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
I'm not one of the three lads visible in the photo - I preferred the Down Electric platform for various reasons - that's the one behind the train.

From 1959, one of several short goods trains Ben Brooksbank photographed:
Trip goods coming off the line from Temple Mills at Stratford Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Smoke of a different sort from 1980:
Stratford Station

© Copyright Martin Addison and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A Central line train in 1987:
The Central Line at Stratford

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Also from 1987, an early Docklands Light Railway:
The Docklands Light Railway at Stratford

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

One of the very few views of the local electric trains:
Stratford.

© Copyright Ron Hann and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A view of newer trains:
Stratford main line Station, 1998

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

By 2008 the number of lines at Stratford had been reduced:
Stratford Regional Station in transformation, 2008

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The construction works visible in the photo above were the start of major works for the 2012 Olympics, which included major changes to the station as well:
Norwich train entering Stratford Station

© Copyright Stephen Craven and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

It's interesting that there are virtually no pictures of main line trains once the steam locos departed!

John

Today's offering is at Cholsey, on the GWR main line; there was a branch to Wallingford which was closed in 1959, but retained for goods traffic until 1981 and then taken over by a Preservation Society. So an interesting collection of possibilities.

We start with one of Ben Brooksbank's photos - from 1959 so presumably one of the last trains to run:
Wallingford branch auto-train at Cholsey & Moulsford Station

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In 1968 the Great Western Society ran trains on the branch - here it is approaching Cholsey station:
Auto-train on the Wallingford branch (3) - 1968

© Copyright Martin Tester and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The first Preservation Society train ran in 1985 from a temporary Wallingford platform, in 1988 the first train leaves the new Wallingford station and 1994 the first preserved train entered the Cholsey Bay platform. At that time the trains were 'topped and tailed' as there was no run-round loop available. That has now been installed.

Curiously this photo is dated 1991:
A steam train arrives at Cholsey Railway Station

© Copyright nick macneill and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
So I wonder if this was a one-off?

The station building is interesting - at platform level we have, from 2008:
Missing from Platform 3

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

On platform 2:
Platform 2

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Note the canopy is missing.

The station entrance - the railway is running on an embankment, hence the two stories to the building:
Welcome to Cholsey

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

An interesting contrast from 2009:
New and old

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Steam hasn't completely left the main line - taken in 2009 as well:
Flying through the station

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A smaller loco on the branch:
Going to the front

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

More recently the main line has been electrified - in the early stages in 2016:
Pylon on the Station

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Four months after the above picture:
Waiting on the Platform

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

October 2017 - a new express electric train:
On its way

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

And one of the new local electrics:
Leaving the station

© Copyright Bill Nicholls and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

John

Sorry there was nothing last weekend - things kept needing my attention!
Different tack this time - I'm taking a look at the remains of the Richmond (North Yorkshire) branch. This was opened in 1846 and closed in March 1969.

Attached to this branch was the Catterick Camp Military Railway, which branched off at Catterick - the Camp was sent up in WW1, the location possibly being suggested by Lord Baden Powell. The line was built from 1914 onwards and after aiding the building of the camp was used to transport men into and out of the camp. The Camp line closed in February 1970, so not long after the Richmond branch closed. Both lines were rapidly demolished and this was achieved by late 1970.

The Richmond branch started from the East Coast main line at Dalton Junction, renamed Eryholme Junction in 1901. This was a desolate place:
Main Line : from Cowper House Bridge

© Copyright Hugh Mortimer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The station and junction were in the distance, just beyond the far end of the train.

About a mile away was this location:
Road heading north west, Dalton Gates

© Copyright JThomas and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The slight 'hump' in the middle distance is where the branch crossed this minor road by a level crossing, hence the 'Gates'.

Not much further west is this stretch of trackbed still in existence:
Richmond Branch Line Trackbed, North Cowton

© Copyright mark harrington and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Moulton station was the first on the branch after the junction:
Moulton railway station (site)

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
More about this station (and the branch) at http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/moulton/index.shtml

The next station was near Scorton:
Former Station House, Scorton

© Copyright Tony Simms and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Ben Brooksbank got the station building at Catterick Bridge in 1988:
Catterick Bridge station (remains), 1988

© Copyright Ben Brooksbank and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

But there is now nothing left of the former station:
Catterick Bridge railway station (site), Yorkshire

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The cottage to the right is one of several railway cottages that do still survive. More pictures of the station at http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/catte...dge/index.shtml

The Military Railway had Brompton Road station - having branched off the Richmond branch after the Catterick Bridge Station but with a junction that faced away from that station:
Brompton Road 2nd railway station (site), Yorkshire

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

One of the very few remains of the Military Railway:
Catterick Bridge

© Copyright Martin Norman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Now used for carrying utilities across the river.

About halfway between Catterick Bridge and Richmond is this rather attractive crossing keeper's house:
Railway House

© Copyright Hugh Mortimer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Just before Richmond the railway crossed the Swale; it now finds use as part of a town-related walk:
Former railway bridge over the River Swale

© Copyright Gareth James and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

We arrive in Richmond - some views of the station.
Richmond (Yorkshire) railway station (site)

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Former railway station, Richmond

© Copyright Gareth James and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Curiously the oldest internal views of the station on the Geograph website are my own from 2005!
Richmond Station in 2005 (1)

© Copyright John Webb and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Richmond Station in 2005 (2)

© Copyright John Webb and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

As it is after refurbishment:
The restaurant and café-bar inside The Station

© Copyright Andrew Whale and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Beyond the cafe are several small craft businesses, including a micro-brewery.

Several other ex-railway buildings survive, although the only view I can give you is this one:
The River Swale

© Copyright Peter Jeffery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The roof of the former engine shed is visible on the right centre of the photo; it is now used as offices.

John