martinsh
Established Member
Well I was on that train, but I'm not in the picture. Kept wondering where my friend had got to - he got on at Ashburys on the way back, and so claims to be the last person to ever board a class 506 in normal service !
-
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!
Last-day line farewells by normal service train
- Thread starter Calthrop
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
steamybrian
Established Member
I travelled on the last train between Addiscombe- Elmers End and Selsdon- Woodside
Last down train Tunbridge Wells Central- Eridge and penultimate up train
West Croydon-Wimbledon via Mitcham
Broad Street- Dalston Junction
On London Underground.... last trains between Epping- Ongar, Shoreditch and Aldwych branches
was on the penultimate train between Horsham-Guildford via Cranleigh
Many last days such as
Cambridge- St. Ives
Hunstanton-Kings Lynn
Sheffield Victoria- Manchester via Woodhead
Appledore- New Romney
Uckfield- Lewes
Barnstaple- Ilfracombe
Birmingham Snow Hill (old station)- Wolverhampton Low Level
Oxford- Bletchley
Last down train Tunbridge Wells Central- Eridge and penultimate up train
West Croydon-Wimbledon via Mitcham
Broad Street- Dalston Junction
On London Underground.... last trains between Epping- Ongar, Shoreditch and Aldwych branches
was on the penultimate train between Horsham-Guildford via Cranleigh
Many last days such as
Cambridge- St. Ives
Hunstanton-Kings Lynn
Sheffield Victoria- Manchester via Woodhead
Appledore- New Romney
Uckfield- Lewes
Barnstaple- Ilfracombe
Birmingham Snow Hill (old station)- Wolverhampton Low Level
Oxford- Bletchley
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
I travelled mid-afternoon on the "last day" Stratford to Tottenham Hale train , formed of a 2 car Cravens DMU. I was the only passenger.
After much persuasion the conductor-guard issued a priv single - about 10p.....(presume he did not want the hassle of having to pay his takings in)
After much persuasion the conductor-guard issued a priv single - about 10p.....(presume he did not want the hassle of having to pay his takings in)
What a list - the network we ought to have. None of those should have closed !
Possibly the same day I drove over to North Woolwich mid-evening to see the last diesel leave before the electric service began the next week. That was a Cravens as well, could be the same one.
From lineside just beyond the station, it seemed shadowy figures were on the track in front, in the dark. Departure, and the reason became clear, a huge fusillade of detonators, which must have startled the nearby residents. There was inevitably one loony with his arm out of a droplight as far as he could manage.
Reminiscent of Taunton shed on New Years Eve, when all the date-expired detonators, conveniently expiring at the end of the year, were put down on the outlet track and run over by a loco at midnight.
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
Quite - Broad Street was effectively a corpse , and the money raised for development really paid for the refurb of Liverpool Street , and Epping to Ongar was not really a major contributer to the London economy.
Well, yes you might have a point with Broad Street station. But don't forget, the post was talking about Broad Street - Dalston Junction, a route which clearly shouldn't have closed, because it's in the middle of London that has several trains an hour today.
And yes, New Romney, absolutely. I grew up in Ashford and visit regularly, and it would be wonderful to still be able to catch the train to the Romney coast !
Midland Metro ? How much money have we had to waste to put back a route and a station that was already there - getting rid of Snow Hill alone was a folly, they had to put it back ten years after demolition, and instead of having a beautiful cathedral station befitting of Birmingham's status as a major city, we've ended with a dull 1980's concrete box.
I'm not saying there weren't reasons for the mistakes of the past - just that they were mistakes. As an example, I had good reasons for moving to Reading in the early noughties - it was still a mistake !
Last edited:
DerekC
Established Member
A bit off-topic but a "last train" I could have taken and didn't was in about 1964 or 65. I spotted a demolition train with a Class 37 on the front at Talyllyn Junction on the Brecon and Merthyr. Got chatting to the guard and he offered us a ride in the van to Merthyr (or anywhere else on the way). How I wish I could have accepted! But I had a couple of young Boy Scouts with me who I had to get back to camp, and if we had gone even as far as Torpantau it would have been a very long walk back!!
I was on the last Manchester to Rochdale (via Oldham) train and was given the letter shown in the attachment. I remember there also being a relief train running about 10 minutes ahead of the last service to convey those whose only interest was in getting home after merrymaking in Manchester.
It was quite an unusual experience with charges being detonated on the track as we passed through Oldham Mumps.
Also remember a couple running onto the platform and just missing it. I can imagine them asking the dispatcher when the next service was and him telling them in about 3 years!
It was quite an unusual experience with charges being detonated on the track as we passed through Oldham Mumps.
Also remember a couple running onto the platform and just missing it. I can imagine them asking the dispatcher when the next service was and him telling them in about 3 years!
Attachments
Last edited:
I was young so it’s a bit of a hazy memory, and it wasn’t the last train over the line, but in 84 or 85 we had a day trip to London on the last day of through Lowestoft to London working & I remember the driver giving a few of us a cab ride in the 37 as he ran round the carriages after arriving back at Lowestoft.
- Status