xotGD
Established Member
- Joined
- 4 Feb 2017
- Messages
- 6,078
I can recommend the book 'Salute to Snow Hill' by Derek Harrison. Includes a number of 'faded geandeur' type photos.
I happen to have a copy signed by the author
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Most faded grandeur (trivia)
- Thread starter trebor79
- Start date
- Status
I happen to have a copy signed by the author
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
One of my most liked stations from yeas ago was Man. Vic. lots of old railway atmosphere but it also had something else?
I went there last week to do about an hours spotting I though that I was in A bus depo. Its nice that they have kept some bits (not that many as far as I could see).
I went there last week to do about an hours spotting I though that I was in A bus depo. Its nice that they have kept some bits (not that many as far as I could see).
The advent of the RHT and a more enlightened appreciation of railway heritage in general means that there are not nearly as many stations retaining that slightly rundown,wistful and neglected feel. The unpainted parts of Crewe plus the abandoned portions are a reminder of former glories. Llandudno used to be another good example but has now had a tickle up so not so much. Preston always looks a bit grubby and Perth is probably much too big for what is needed now. Stoke on Trent is my offering to the mix as looking a little faded at the moment.
86247
Member
Got to say that the old man Vic was amazing only got there a few times but the place had that old steam era feel loved the place.crewe on the other hand is a right dump every time it rains it's like a sieve leaks everywhere. saying that it will always have a place in my heart as it was the very first big station I went to and I loved every second I was there.
37047
Member
- Joined
- 23 May 2018
- Messages
- 248
Perth was the first one that came to my mind. I'd add Felixstowe too although most of the 'grandeur' is no longer part of the station so a bit more than faded.
Raedwald
Member
Church Fenton, Lowestoft and Clifton Down all spring to mind
I'm thoroughly intrigued by this link and as I down my morning cup of tea in my study, the league table appears to be as follows:
Perth 6, Crewe 5, St Pancras / Manchester Vic / Ayr 3 (I like to imagine an Alan Freeman 'Pick of the pops' style background to all this in my head but I'll let you the readers do this for yourselves)
Of course, every subject tends to go off piste now and again with personal opinions so sometimes it's hard to know if someone agrees with the subject or not. Also, there is the matter in this particular subject of current faded grandeur versus faded grandeur of the past. Either way, Perth is top of the charts so far. Alright?
Perth 6, Crewe 5, St Pancras / Manchester Vic / Ayr 3 (I like to imagine an Alan Freeman 'Pick of the pops' style background to all this in my head but I'll let you the readers do this for yourselves)
Of course, every subject tends to go off piste now and again with personal opinions so sometimes it's hard to know if someone agrees with the subject or not. Also, there is the matter in this particular subject of current faded grandeur versus faded grandeur of the past. Either way, Perth is top of the charts so far. Alright?
I only realised quite recently that some of that rot is a leftover remnant of the crash and subsequent fire at Chester General - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_General_rail_crash
stantheman
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 338
What is Stranraer like now without ships ?
d9009alycidon
Member
"Bleak" about sums Stranraer up. Although there is still a lot of track and signalling in place at the pier, effectively the line from Dunragit is worked as a siding with Stranraer 'box switched out, there have been some calls to relocate the station nearer to the town centre and £6M was pledged by the Scottish Government to redevelop the waterfront, as is common with these projects, progress has been slow to full stop and nothing looks like happening soon
CEN60
Member
- Joined
- 17 Dec 2018
- Messages
- 267
Seconded - dreary damp - covered in pigeon cr@p - sad for such an astonishing building
The All the Stations video sums up the current state of Stranraer very well. It's genuinely a bit sad:
stantheman
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 338
And all that brown pain5 too
47271
Established Member
- Joined
- 28 Apr 2015
- Messages
- 2,983
Perth and Carlisle are pretty much one and the same original Tite design, but on a zero to ten scale of decreptitude Carlisle is probably a 4 versus Perth's 9.8. It's got it all.
One of the reasons that Perth is so grim is that it grew badly out of the original main building that now forms the island between P4 and P7. So the overall roof I suspect has always been horrible, grandeur isn't the word for it, and ruins the Tite frontage on P4. Then BR went and built that appalling travel centre building between P2 and P3, presumably in the 1960s. Certainly the buffet had an authentic 60s ambience to it, and I don't mean that in a good way, until a couple of years ago. We also need to give a special mention to the leaky canopies covering the car parking on the old north bay platforms by P7. And then there's the hideous footbridge housing the lifts blotting the horizon to the south, a new eyesore of the past few years. At the time of installation nobody bothered to remove the old lifts and bridge rotting away between P3 and P4 of course.
Amazingly there's a plaque by P3 saying that it won an Ian Allan restoration award in the 1980s. He must've forgotten to bring his specs when he was doing the judging. Or maybe they did it in the winter and so little light was coming in through the filthy overall roof that they couldn't see anything.
The whole place is a dump on a majestic scale, made special by the fact that nearly every part of it - offices, workshops, waiting rooms - are still fully functioning and the it's probably busier with trains now than it was at any time in its history.
So we have a hands down winner. If you've never been, you must go, and preferably at around 8am on a heavily overcast winter's morning. There's nowhere more dingy anywhere else in the world.
One of the reasons that Perth is so grim is that it grew badly out of the original main building that now forms the island between P4 and P7. So the overall roof I suspect has always been horrible, grandeur isn't the word for it, and ruins the Tite frontage on P4. Then BR went and built that appalling travel centre building between P2 and P3, presumably in the 1960s. Certainly the buffet had an authentic 60s ambience to it, and I don't mean that in a good way, until a couple of years ago. We also need to give a special mention to the leaky canopies covering the car parking on the old north bay platforms by P7. And then there's the hideous footbridge housing the lifts blotting the horizon to the south, a new eyesore of the past few years. At the time of installation nobody bothered to remove the old lifts and bridge rotting away between P3 and P4 of course.
Amazingly there's a plaque by P3 saying that it won an Ian Allan restoration award in the 1980s. He must've forgotten to bring his specs when he was doing the judging. Or maybe they did it in the winter and so little light was coming in through the filthy overall roof that they couldn't see anything.
The whole place is a dump on a majestic scale, made special by the fact that nearly every part of it - offices, workshops, waiting rooms - are still fully functioning and the it's probably busier with trains now than it was at any time in its history.
So we have a hands down winner. If you've never been, you must go, and preferably at around 8am on a heavily overcast winter's morning. There's nowhere more dingy anywhere else in the world.
daodao
Established Member
Some of the termini and other stations for Valley lines services are a shadow of their former selves: Merthyr Tudful, Pontypridd, Penarth, Ynys y Barri, Caerffili, Eglwys Newydd (Whitchurch) to name a few.
While Manchester Victoria now has far fewer platforms (with consequent problems in accommodating additional services), its frontage hasn't changed and the booking hall area, with the list of exotic destinations and L&Y map, has been retained.
The station with faded grandeur that I recall from many years ago was Yarmouth South Town in 1969, 1 year before it closed, when there was just a single platform for the shuttle service from Lowestoft and the rest was derelict.
While Manchester Victoria now has far fewer platforms (with consequent problems in accommodating additional services), its frontage hasn't changed and the booking hall area, with the list of exotic destinations and L&Y map, has been retained.
The station with faded grandeur that I recall from many years ago was Yarmouth South Town in 1969, 1 year before it closed, when there was just a single platform for the shuttle service from Lowestoft and the rest was derelict.
Last edited:
I see it's available for 17 pence (!) plus £2.80 postage from Amazon. Usual disclaimer.I can recommend the book 'Salute to Snow Hill' by Derek Harrison. Includes a number of 'faded geandeur' type photos.
I happen to have a copy signed by the author
eisenach
Member
Beautifully written ! Thank you ! It makes me want to pay a visit.
Journeyman
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2014
- Messages
- 6,295
I love Perth for all the reasons you describe. It's a huge place which never seems to have more than a handful of people in it, and between trains it's really quite spooky. So much of the rail network was like that in the 70s and 80s when I was a kid, and it's the atmosphere I fell in love with. It exists in very few places now.
I think Tunbridge Wells West in the years before it closed deserves an honourable mention for being huge, empty and somewhat crumbling - I've seen some wonderful photos of it, but sadly never got to visit before the site was redeveloped, although thankfully the original building survives. Broad Street was quite something too.
One of the few places I've seen recently with an all-pervasive, shabby, run-down feel of the sort that used to be common is Island Line. I took my son there recently, and he picked up on it straight away - the stations are a bit grotty, there's abandoned infrastructure all over the place, and the pier looks like it's about to fall into the sea.
stantheman
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 338
How about the following ,must say it’s some time since I visited them
Workington
Barrow in Furness
Coatbridge central , an absolute dump
Workington
Barrow in Furness
Coatbridge central , an absolute dump
themiller
Member
I must nominate Stockton-on-Tees which was my local station as a teenager. It had several north facing bay platforms as well as the two through platforms. It had all the facilities of a major station - an overall roof, a huge car-park, parcels office, direct trains to London and even a preserved four-wheeled carriage. It’s now been reduced to two through platforms with bus- shelters. All in all, a shadow of its former self.
Blimey! I just used street view to approach Stockton...I reckon quite a few people must give up, thinking “it can’t be down here, surely there is a big building?!”
One feature of St Pancras not mentioned is that during the 60s period, what had been the hotel was occupied by British Transport Hotels head offices, which younger colleagues may not know was not only responsible for the scores of railway hotels, some of them 5 star, but also the restaurant cars and station buffets.
There was nothing really to stop anyone going through the side entrance into the hallway and mounting the stairs that looked like a baronial hall, only very faded glory indeed. I have never forgotten it and I believe the restored hotel pays respect to the original decor.
There was nothing really to stop anyone going through the side entrance into the hallway and mounting the stairs that looked like a baronial hall, only very faded glory indeed. I have never forgotten it and I believe the restored hotel pays respect to the original decor.
Dr_Paul
Established Member
- Joined
- 3 Sep 2013
- Messages
- 1,358
I agree: some of the North London stations were magnificent buildings in their heydays. Broad Street was indeed a sorry place in its final years, most of it disused, half the roof gone, just one Richmond train that seemed to be hiding in a corner.
Dr_Paul
Established Member
- Joined
- 3 Sep 2013
- Messages
- 1,358
I also remember Yarmouth South Town in the late 1960s, a huge expanse of nothing with just one platform remaining.
'Snow falls in the buffet of Aldersgate station,/ Toiling and doomed from Moorgate Street puffs the train,/ For us of the steam and the gas-light, the lost generation,/ The new white cliffs of the City are built in vain.' (John Betjeman). Aldersgate is now Barbican, but has certainly lost any glory it had.
- Status