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Most faded grandeur (trivia)

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70014IronDuke

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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.
Didn't it have avoiding goods lines too, on the west side? I spent a couple of hourse at Stockton in 62 or 63 one Saturday afternoon, and seem to remember the Q6s and J27s trundling down lines that side.
 
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themiller

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Didn't it have avoiding goods lines too, on the west side? I spent a couple of hourse at Stockton in 62 or 63 one Saturday afternoon, and seem to remember the Q6s and J27s trundling down lines that side.
Yes, that’s right. Freight was normally in the hands of Q6s, and 9Fs until replaced by diesels.
 

47271

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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.
Good one yes, and being one end of the world's first railway gives it extra grandeur to have faded away.

As an aside, why do Grand Central stop at Eaglescliffe rather than Stockton? Stockton is a proper place, there's nothing at Eaglescliffe?
 

47271

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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.
I had legitimate cause to enter the offices, by that time abandoned, in the mid 1990s. I clearly remember looking out of a second floor window down the length of the station platforms and under the immense roof. Very grimy and faded, and shortly to be transformed to what we have today.
 

themiller

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As an aside, why do Grand Central stop at Eaglescliffe rather than Stockton? Stockton is a proper place, there's nothing at Eaglescliffe?
As the answer to this question is off topic (and I don’t know the answer!), you could start a new thread in the appropriate place.
 

47271

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As the answer to this question is off topic (and I don’t know the answer!), you could start a new thread in the appropriate place.
I might well do when it comes back into my head again!
 

lord rathmore

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I nominate Chinley. Photos from the 50's often show 4 trains at a time in the station, with its extensive facilities. Now it's just a bus shelter surrounded by empty space, and you even have to get to it througha modern housing estate. Faded indeed, sad sight now.
 

Dr_Paul

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I agree with others here about the pre-refurbishment St Pancras: dark and gloomy with not much happening. Mind you, there was the stuffed cow in one of the alcoves under the station along Pancras Road, which must have been a unique feature in any British railway station.
 

Mikey C

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A bit of a cheat as the old station is still there (for the heritage railway) but for the NR passenger the modern station at Sheringham is somewhat basic, albeit improved a bit now!

Bicester Town/Village has been on an interesting journey, from 2 through tracks and platforms, to closure, to reopening as a very basic single platform station, to now being a modern 2 platform through station again!
 

Quakers Yard

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Pontypridd's great island platform (once the longest in the world) is a shadow of what it once was, with several portions disused and a great big bridge ramp parked on the northern end.

Agreed. Still got many of its original features and would be great if more of its buildings were in use. And the signal box.

The waiting room used to be the buffet until the 80s. You can clearly see where the serving area from the kitchen was...the latter now the excess fares ticket office.

There were also outside mens toilets at the south side of the big platform. Look closely in the flagstones and you can see where they were bolted into the ground.

The old station masters office by the grand stairs on the platform one of the now disused buildings...the one to the right of the first exit. The ticket checks used to be done there until the very last train at night. The old guy in there once got me a taxi after I'd missed the last Merthyr train owing to the one from the Rhondda being late.

The entrance at street level also had an adjoining pub and shops plus a subway further down the Broadway.

When in its prime that station must have been awesome. Even when deserted you can sense just how busy it once was. The recent improvements including a new platform 1 adds to the place having a sort of visual history that most valleys stations don't quite retain. Faded grandeur indeed.
 
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stantheman

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What is Blackpool N like these days , how many platforms are in use ?
Are all the carriage sidings still there ?
 

chefchenko

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Perth has my vote , the Dundee platforms are generally ok but the HML platforms and bays are very sad, no doubt some day it will get done , but if it’s left too much longer I fear it maybe too late to save, and the weeds will have done to much damage to brickwork
 

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47271

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Perth has my vote , the Dundee platforms are generally ok but the HML platforms and bays are very sad, no doubt some day it will get done , but if it’s left too much longer I fear it maybe too late to save, and the weeds will have done to much damage to brickwork
The second photo illustrates how hideous that overall roof is in relation to the original main building. The Tite ornamental tower is completely blotted out as well as the frontage ruined.

Apparently the canopies over the car park in the old north bays by P7 are being 'refurbished' this week. Made just about safe from falling glass more like.
 

HSP 2

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Are the old carriage sidings / sheds still in use? Any photos please.
 

47271

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Are the old carriage sidings / sheds still in use? Any photos please.
At Perth? I don't have any photos, but the carriage sheds off from P3 are a shining light overlooked so far in this thread, sorry. They were completely rebuilt to no direct passenger benefit a few years ago, but are now generally full of discarded unrefurbished Scotrail HSTs nearly as decrepit as the station itself.
 

HSP 2

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IIRC some of the lines had two sets of buffers on them, to stop stock from the north and south getting mixed up. A bit like boys and girls schools.
Perth also had a very good collection of departmental stock.
In the old days Scot Rail was always fun to bash, most sheds you could ask to go round and get a yes. A few it was sorry but no you can't but most of them would give you a list of locos on shed at the time.
 

Scouseinmanc

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What is Blackpool N like these days , how many platforms are in use ?
Are all the carriage sidings still there ?
A shadow of its fomer self. The 1898 (rebulid) twin sheds with arched roofs, housing 6 platforms, were closed & demolished in 1974 (replaced a brutalist concrete Wilko building, currently awaiting demolition ironically). The excursion platform building was then converted into the existing concourse & the number of excursion platforms reduced from 10 to the current 6. Looking at Google Maps it appears that all the carriage sidings have now become car parking.
 

RichJF

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East Grinstead?

Important railway junction with three lines (Three Bridges, Tunbridge Wells/Eastbourne, Brighton) & an impressive split-level station of 6 platforms & numerous sidings/goods facilities.
All demolished/closed between 1955 - 1967 to leave a two platform station with an hourly service to London on 3 car Thumpers.
Just to add insult to injury, a certain Mr Beeching had a 1st class season ticket to London from East Grinstead.

East_Grinstead_station_(aerial_view).jpg
British-Rail-DEMU-1302-East-Grinstead-1978-Rail.jpg

Thankfully we've got our 12 car Electrostars now
 

trebor79

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I think Perth wins it so far. Places like East Grinstead, Broad Street etc don't count in my book as they have been demolished.

Now, I just need to find an excuse to visit Perth...
 

CEN60

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At Perth? I don't have any photos, but the carriage sheds off from P3 are a shining light overlooked so far in this thread, sorry. They were completely rebuilt to no direct passenger benefit a few years ago, but are now generally full of discarded unrefurbished Scotrail HSTs nearly as decrepit as the station itself.

The sheds you speak of are well used - especially now the yard at Muirton has been canned (possibly now going to Cadder?)
upload_2020-1-29_8-58-50.png
 

CEN60

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Why did the yard at Muirton get canned? Plenty of space there!

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stantheman

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At Perth? I don't have any photos, but the carriage sheds off from P3 are a shining light overlooked so far in this thread, sorry. They were completely rebuilt to no direct passenger benefit a few years ago, but are now generally full of discarded unrefurbished Scotrail HSTs nearly as decrepit as the station itself.
And there used to be a fuelling bay at the north end . Long since disused I think .
 

stantheman

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A shadow of its fomer self. The 1898 (rebulid) twin sheds with arched roofs, housing 6 platforms, were closed & demolished in 1974 (replaced a brutalist concrete Wilko building, currently awaiting demolition ironically). The excursion platform building was then converted into the existing concourse & the number of excursion platforms reduced from 10 to the current 6. Looking at Google Maps it appears that all the carriage sidings have now become car parking.
6 excursion platforms , how many excursions actually use the station nowadays ....unless you mean day to day plstforms
 

mcmad

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Its the single bay platform at the North end between platforms 4 & 7 at the top of the picture.
 
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