Yaxham station before reopening by the Mid Norfolk Railway
A BR sign near Isfield station on the closed line between Uckfield and Lewes
Last week of tube services on the Epping Onger line at Onger
The wonderful listed station of Louth in Lincolnshirewhen only open to goods traffic 1979
Louth Crossing gates still in use -not bad for the one train a week in 1979
Louth Level Crossing gates
Remains of the overgrown Louth passenger station -this site is now surrounded by modern houses and whilst the track is long gone the station building remains
New Holland Pier station April 1975 Closed on opening of the Humber bridge which did away with the car ferry crossing to Grimsby. The centre track was used for coal wagons to supply the coal fired paddle steamers which provided the ferry service
The all wooden construction complete with a coal fire in the ticket office and signal box. The pier still remains as it is used for a pipeline to discharge into offshore vessels
The old station East signal box (one of the original 3) use to control Bishop Auckland station in 1977 the station was still lit by gas and had NER lamps, LNER brooms and dustbins and was more like a working (actually very little worked as it had not been maintained) museum
The old Gunnislake station with an NSE 108 unit
The Eastern triangle at Bishop Auckland station 1977
2B74-Plymouth Gunnislake service at Gunnislake in 1972 when the old buildings were still intact
Wadebridge with a Lea Valley Railway Club (the forerunner of Hertfordshire Railtours) with the Royal Duchy Railtour on 06 May 1978
01 May 1975 4 days before the Maiden Newton to Bridport line closed this is the poster at Bridport-it was no great surprise as BR had ensured that connections were not made at Maiden Newton with either services to Bristol or Weymouth.
A rainy final week on the Bridport Line. The services used to run beyond to West Bay but that line had closed many years previous.
End of the line at Bridport Dorset
Old Exmouth station
Amazing how many of the 1970's branch closures all had the same look about them -run down and unmaintained -this is the end of the line at Sudbury complete with closure notices on the platform -BUT this is one that got away and is still clinging on today, all be it with the standard minimalist modernist station - now promoted as the Essex and South Suffolk Community Railway called the Gainsborough Line formally known as the Lovejoy Line after a TV series filmed in the locality
Bedford St Johns when this was the terminus of services from Bletchley - only the peak hour services went to Bedford Midland station. The line survives but the location of St Johns station has moved and the signal box is now just a memory
Barnstaple town just prior to the bridge over the river Taw being dismantled -the station still survives as cafe I think. The signal box did house a museum for the Bideford and Instow Railway but both of these have now closed.
Instow after the lifting of the track the previous year and before the now defunct Bideford and Instow preservation society took over and relaid a short line
The remains at Bideford station, alas closed again now after the failed attempt to reopen a short length
The boarded up building at Bideford 1988
Looking towards Bideford at Torrington station 1986
The new owners converted it to the Puffing Billy pub and it still survives this day but only with a short length of track -there is a scheme to try and reopen the Bideford Torrington stretch but as this is now the popular Tarka Trail it is doubtful.
The service from Broad Street to Richmond was a late casualty of the redevelopment of the area around London Liverpool Street -the amazing thing here is that Dalston Jution which closed when Braod Street closed is to be reopend as part of the new East Londo extension by TfL Overground.
The very rundown Broad street -where it was claimed that there were more rats than commuters!
A busy Broad Stree with the then NatWest tower what is now called Tower 42. Note the bars on the drop windows -this was to prevent train users decapitating themselves by leaning out of the window - and yes it did happen twice before the bars were fitted
London Broad Street - The epitome of a modern railway -I wonder why they closed it? The tower in the background was then the National Westminster Tower -now know as Tower 42.
Broad Street Rush hour at 16.30 on a Monday evening -with only one train an hour the commuters deserted for other means of travel.
The final week of services at Broad street and the cranes have moved ion to rebuild London Liverpool Street
Another sad loss which should never have happen was the loss of the Derwent Valley Light Railway (note the missing Light in the station name)-OK it ran from York to no where... a place called Dunnington but as it was so close to the NRM it could well have served as a demonstration route using the National collection. This is 1977 when at weekends a local steam hauled service was tried to tempt visitors to York -the scheme failed to raise the required funds and although this line was never a preserved line (it was an independent goods railway) it did try.
I had worked at this station on relief and yes it was a quite station with Smitham and Coulsdon South nearby there never was much of a need for a Coulsdon North -now buried under an industrial unit.
Well it has gone now -this is a pre electrification picture, strange how even electrification could not save the Woolwich North terminal -soon to be another part of the DLR cross Thames route
Now this strangley was quite a busy place as it served a residential area of Tunbridge. Right upto the final month the station was still gas lit and had an open ticket office which was busy most of the day -but lets face it how many people went from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge each day? It was mainly used for berthing stock and after closure, empty stock movements double due to the closure-so thats alright then. Now part of the Spa Valley line which hjope to get into Eridge later this year.
Now this was a curiosity, the line from Aberdeen to Inverness passed through Elgin, two trains a day reverse at Elgin into the old Lossiemouth branch platforms to collect mail and parcels. The train from Aberdeen was shown as going to Elgin only but did form an Elgin Inverness service later in the day.
Elign the old Lossiemouth branch platform
Roseisle station on the Burghead branch with a train of imported East Anglian grain bound for Dufftown distillery in 1977
The original Keith Town station -not the rebuilt one by the Keith and Dufftown railway -I'd just missed the Burghead train to Duftown -the blinking thing left Keith Junction early!
I think this is Pinwherry station on the G&SWR -where I managed to leave my wide angle lens in the signal box and had to return the following day to collect it - note the low platforms, if you got of the train here you needed a parachute!
Another picture out of focus - my cheap Pentacon Camera didn't have much sophistication in those days!
A lovely quiet day but how strange that the waiting room was open but the ticket office shut -The last week of Tiverton Junction station
Another sad demise was that of Morecambe station and yet we have another soul less minimalist replacement. Spot the stuffed owl as a pigeon deterrent in the rafters. This station had an unusual claim to fame as the last location of a Nestle 6d chocolate vending machine although out of use for many years - I wonder if any survive?
The once a week through train from Heysham to Stockport via Denton waits for departure time at Morecambe
A 1972 very poor picture of the ruined St Ives station in Cambridgeshire -now a guided cuss tramway to Cambridge runs on this old line.
Toddington as was after the line closed -now happily part of the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway
Gloucester Eastgate the buildings were still in use as railway offices and I had to go there for an interview - I thought well this will be a quiet station to work at! I made some daft comment at the interview about using a closed station and strangely enough I did not get the job as senior clerk to the area manager.
Sadly another poor picture of St Ives in Cambs
Remains of Lossiemouth station
Roseisle station on the Burghead branch
At least this was not demolished but the town lost a lot of character when the modern station opened. The usual events perempted the opening of the new station -the old station car park was resurfaced and the interior of the station repainted -just as they always did prior to a Beeching closure
And now you have a 2 track platform which cannot take a decent length train! Looking at the signalling diagram you would never guess that most of the levers were white or missing!
Summerseat Viaduct East Lancashire with Oliver Cromwell passing above
Signalman Mike Heyman at Cowley Bridge Junction SB 1985
Inverness train at Keith Junction - note lack of destination blind and headlights
Old DC lines service to Bury departing Manchester Victoria 1981
The all wooden sigfnalbox on New Holland Pier before colosure on opening of the Humber Bridge 1975
Class 26 approaching Invershin on the 1045 Inverness to Thurso service July 1980
Denver Junction signal box on the Ely to King's Lynn line for the branch to Stoke Ferry closed to passengers in 1935?
The first class150 DMU to visit Skegness, on the return journey to Grantham passes East Ville signalbox November 1986
A late arrival on the Boston to Grimsby route was Bellwater Junction. Replacing a smaller cabin by the name of Bellwater Bank, the box was provided to control the junction with a new cut-off line which allowed direct running between Lincoln and Skegness taken in 1986 this was the last outpost of the GNR somersault signals on BR.
Before the Wires went up at Ely in 1983 with a King's Lynn to King's Cross service
The Taw Tourer Rail tour of 1996 returning to Waterloo derails on the line up to Exeter Central from Exeter St Davids. Needless to say with a whole load of train buffs it was pretty exciting stuff to be derailed
Denver Junction from the cab of the DMU railtour to Stoke Ferry 1977
Sandy station between St Neots and Huntingdon in 1972 complete with gas lighting and open fires in the island platform waiting room!
Not only has the colour faded from this scan of an old slide but the gas lamp and sign have now long gone. Sandy station in 1972
Now I know there is a shortage of rolling stock but....Passengers hang out over the sides of the brake vans on a Branch Line Society Tour of lines around Ipswich Docks in the 1980's exact date to be confirmed
Time for a drink -The Vale of Rheidol Line in1981 when still in BR ownership
Waiting dearture time for Devils Bridge -The Vale of Rheidol railway in 1981 at Aberystwyth
Inside Sandown signalbox Isle of Wight 1980
15.30 Norwood Yard to Acton ML passes through Selhurst station -it was a rare sight to see class 52's on this working in 1974
Through a broken windon in the old goods offices at Saltburn station in 1978 looking at the trainshed that once covered the entrance to the Zetland Hotel
Saltburn station and the Zetland hotel 1978
A working gas lamp on the disused platform at Saltburn station 1978
Histon station on the Guided bus way between St Ives and Cambridge shortly after the sand traffic has finished in 1984?
Above Carbis Bay on the St Ives to St Erth line with the GW 150 livery 108 DMU in 1986
The closed Hartfield station on the Three Bridges to East Grinstead Railway was being used as a childrens nursery in 1977
Crowborough Signal box 1981 before the Uckfield line was resignalled.
The ghosts of Uckfield past Arriving at Uckfield old station in 1981
Amazing -this is St Albans Abbey terminus of the branch from Watford, with just four trains M-F and 6 on Saturdays- minus everything except lamposts in 1980
Anyone for Horncastle Egg? This was a staple mass produced product during WW2 with the factory next to the station it was a daily train load of powdered egg to London. The sad looking emains of the branch terminus in 1975
On the Heart of Wales Line in 1978
Hexham coal drops in 1975 while waiting two hours for the branch service to Alston from Haltwhiste
The Epping -Onger railway at Blake Hall 1974
The wonderful Bardney station on the freight only line from Lincoln to Horncastle in 1977 -the line was kept open for sugar beet traffic. Freight continued to operate to Horncastle, via Woodhall Junction, until April 5th, 1971, when Bardney became the terminus of the line. The very last passenger train to visit Bardney was in the form of a rail tour on January 21st, 1981.
Last week of the Eridge Tunbridge Wells West services
Stranrear Harbour station for the Irish Ferry 1977
Alan Dinmore at Klye of Lochalsh in 1979
Lichfield City before the wires
Falls of Morar on the Kyle of Lochalsh line
Malton before the train shed was demolished 1978
Crianlarich Viaduct with a Glasgow service passing over it in 1983
Collecting the mails off the train at Sudbury in Suffolk 1988
Alongside the river Looe near Looe 1987
Western China Clay Railtour arrives at Exeter St Davids
Haltwhistle with a train waiting to go to Alston
Clachnaharry swingbridge over the Caledonian canal just outside Inverness 1988
Summer Saturday at Skegness 1995
East Ville signal box on the Skegness branch 1995
Ammanford Colliery Line 1985
Coventry 1977
Crianlarich Junction with the lower line to the timber siding which is all that is left of the old line to Calendar.
Saltburn station 1977
Heysham for the Isle of Man ferry service 1981
Weymouth station prior to modernisation
The class 140 001 experimental railbus -needless to say the style did not catch on in 1980
The British Leyland Rail Bus on trail. This vehicle is now on the North Norfolk Railway.
Train Ferry service at Harwich 1974
Gas turbine prototype APT-E arrives at St Pancras on trial
One of only 7 4PEP units near Hampton Court
Brand new class 58001 (nicknamed the bone) at Doncaster works, it failed the next day...whoops!
Driver in the APT -E not a lot of space and the windows were too small
Wolverhampton Low Level 1977
Forsinard in the snow on the far North Line to Thurso 1979
Inter-City Euston all corporate image Nov 1990
The long closed and now vanished signal box between Ely and Manea in 1988
Downham Market station before the wires 1985
Stoke Ferry
King's Lynn station before the wires 1985
The view from the control cabin on Selby swingbridge
Last train to Torrington
Mid Suffolk Light Railway
A rare view of a connex livery service arriving at Charing Cross 02 Aug 2003
Mersey Rail Electric date unknown as scanned in from a print
Last days at the old St Pancras station on 18 August 2003
Barnstaple Town 1978 -demise of a North Devon interchange for the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
The failed Dalesman Railtour on the Appleby West branch
Rainy day at North Berwick prior to electrification
Gatwick Express with class 73 and Mk2 coaches arrives at Victoria 1994
The Anglia Railways class 47 at Colchester in 2004
The photographer caught in a class 52 at NORWICH in 2004
The sad demise of the old joint line platforms (GN&GE) at March in 2006
Last days of the DMU's on the Harwich branch taken through the waiting room window at Manningtree
The Derwent Valley Light Railway at Dunnington with a train just arrived from York (Layerthorpe) 1977
Achnasheen with the BR observation coach on the rear -we were waiting for the train from Kyle to pass us in 1977
Girvan with an old Stranraer DMU in 1978?
Gourock station 1977
The author taking the token at Crediton off the driver of the Barnstaple to Waterloo service in 1984
Dunragit on the Ayr-Stranrear Line in 1979
Glenwilly on the Ayr to Stranrear Line 1979
A class 45 peak on a Container train Passing Irwell Bridge sidings signal box at Manchester Victoria in 1981
Sad demise of a once proud station at Broad Street one week before demolition
Underground car park at Bishopgate opposite Broad Street station 1979
Err... Dudlley via Ivanhoe Class 150-1 at Exeter St Davids...say no more about route learning for Central Trains!
