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Platforms at Stockport.

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plugwash

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Stockport currently has 6 active platforms.

The four through platforms 1-4 which have been there as long as I can remember, though I think the 1/2 island may have been reshaped when plaform 0 was built.

The modern through platform zero (which prior to opening displayed the number 1, presumablly in anticipation of a renumbering that never happened).

Platform 3A, a little used north-facing bay platform (IIRC it sees one passenger train a week in normal service, plus some empty stock movements and is also used during disruption and engineering works).

I'm sure it used to have more bay platforms, but my memory is fuzzy on how many more and when they closed. The shape of the roof suggests that the 1/2 island had a single south facing bay and a single north facing bay and that the 3/4 island had a double north facing bay. I think there was also a south facing bay on the 3/4 island where there is now a garden but I've no idea if it was single or double.

I recall it also used to have two bypass lines down the middle, which you can still see some evidence of today.

Can anyone remember how many bay platforms stockport had at it's peak?
 
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plugwash

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That map to me looks like it has a double bay on 3/4 northbound (where 3A is now), and single bays in the other 3 positions.
 

Grumpy Git

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I used it regularly in the late 1970's. I have a vague recollection of a south facing bay between 1 and 2?

Edit: Two single bays on the south side (not my photograph):

Stockport_Station.png
 
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Ken H

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That map to me looks like it has a double bay on 3/4 northbound (where 3A is now), and single bays in the other 3 positions.
Actually, I remember in the 80's the Stalybridge shuttle went from the north facing bay on the west island. The bay was 2 tracks wide but one track was missing. But thats memory.
 

jfollows

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From 1976, here are diagrams for the two Stockport signal boxes. The dashed lines show, I believe, what was removed at the time; the layout as shown (without the dashed lines) continued into the 1980s. [Essentially platform 2A remained for a few years, and it's one I remember, usually providing a berth for a random electric locomotive when used.]

Platform 2A was a single bay between platforms 1 & 2.
The south-facing bay between platforms 3&4 was removed, as was the single bay north-facing between platforms 1&2.
Platform 3A as today, but was originally a double bay.
1631718394374.png
1631718406555.png

That map to me looks like it has a double bay on 3/4 northbound (where 3A is now), and single bays in the other 3 positions.
Yes, this is what the 1976 diagrams I've posted show.

EDIT From the diagrams and from the photograph posted above, it's clear that the two south-facing single bays weren't that convenient in the sense that there was no simple access to them from the south. Mind you, there probably wasn't a need for services to terminate at Stockport from the south either, it's only today's congested railway when some Chester services have to.
 
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plugwash

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Actually, I remember in the 80's the Stalybridge shuttle went from the north facing bay on the west island. The bay was 2 tracks wide but one track was missing. But thats memory.
It still does! Just it only runs once a week nowadays.
 

Killingworth

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Actually, I remember in the 80's the Stalybridge shuttle went from the north facing bay on the west island. The bay was 2 tracks wide but one track was missing. But thats memory.
WP_20180505_15_24_30_Pro (2).jpg20210707_170009.jpg
Platform 3A used for stabling, the vacant space shown here.
 

jfollows

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3A was also used for Stockport-Altrincham EMU services, of which there were a couple, I suspect they stopped once electrification was extended to Hazel Grove where they went instead. So in 1980, for example, there was an 08:42 Stockport-Altrincham which was the return working of 08:00 Altrincham-Stockport.
 

Grumpy Git

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3A was also used for Stockport-Altrincham EMU services, of which there were a couple, I suspect they stopped once electrification was extended to Hazel Grove where they went instead. So in 1980, for example, there was an 08:42 Stockport-Altrincham which was the return working of 08:00 Altrincham-Stockport.
I assume that went via Castlefield?
 

Ianno87

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I recall Platform 2A being in use as recently as around 1997 or so. I specifically remember seeing a NWT 158 in it turned short off a Mid Cheshire service.

Pretty sure it didn't last long after that.
 

Cheshire Scot

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When I started to use Stockport in the mid/late 80's, the south end bay on 3/4 had been filled in and I am fairly sure likewise the north end on 1/2 . The south end bay on 1/2 was still in situ and saw occasional use during disruption - e.g. I saw a Cardiff service leave from there formed of a cl158, presumably terminated short and then shunted to the bay - trains from the south could not arrive into it, a south end (or north then south) shunt was required to access it. 3A was of course there and I am fairly sure the partner to it (4A) had gone by then. As noted the hourly Stalybridge used 3A, and over the years a number of other services have used it both planned and unplanned - in the early 2000's there was an evening Stockport to Wigan departed from 3A.

For many years 3A was the only platform is Stockport where a passenger train could reverse, a subsequent signalling alteration provided this facility on P1 for a train from/to the north, but anything from the south still needs to shunt to the other side to go back in passenger service.
The two centre roads were also still there early in 'my' era, and, just as there are still two lines outside platform 4 (the diagram shows these as down main and down goods - platforms 3 & 4 being down fast and down slow!), there were still two lines outside platform 1, one of which was sacrificed with platform zero built on the formation with trains using platform zero using the other (albeit with the track replaced).
 

LOL The Irony

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Platform 3A, a little used north-facing bay platform (IIRC it sees one passenger train a week in normal service, plus some empty stock movements and is also used during disruption and engineering works).
Aren't there still services from there to Blackpool or have they been taken over by the Hazel Grove trains?
 

MP393

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Aren't there still services from there to Blackpool or have they been taken over by the Hazel Grove trains?
Yes they’re all Hazel Groves now EDIT- (bar one from Stoke as the poster below has just reminded me - thanks plugwash!) Even when late running they don’t tend to turn them round at Stockport, partly because they get 50 mins recovery at Hazel Grove and the other part is that they’re 95% of the time formed of 6 car 331 which wouldn’t fit in the bay.
 
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plugwash

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Aren't there still services from there to Blackpool or have they been taken over by the Hazel Grove trains?
There are certainly services from Stockport to/from Blackpool but outside of Engineering works I don't ever recall them starting/ending their journeys at Stockport. Currently nearly all of them start/end their journeys at hazel grove, though there seems to be one in the morning that comes from Stoke on Trent.
 

jfollows

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I recall Platform 2A being in use as recently as around 1997 or so. I specifically remember seeing a NWT 158 in it turned short off a Mid Cheshire service.

Pretty sure it didn't last long after that.
The Stockport signal boxes remained, but had their manual levers for points and ground signals converted to point motors and colour light signals in early 2007 (I think) [EDIT 3 February 2005 is the correct reopening date I now believe]. This was when the original plan was to have replaced them completely, but didn't happen. Some "rationalisation" such as removal of the centre roads took place at the time, but it was mainly an upgrade of existing infrastructure in place. However this could have been also the time that platform 2a was removed - my memory "tells me" (so is not to be relied upon) that this happened earlier than that, but I could be wrong for sure.
 
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Taunton

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EDIT From the diagrams and from the photograph posted above, it's clear that the two south-facing single bays weren't that convenient in the sense that there was no simple access to them from the south. Mind you, there probably wasn't a need for services to terminate at Stockport from the south either, it's only today's congested railway when some Chester services have to.
Bays were not just for terminating services, they were commonly used to detach parcels vans, or holding locomotives being changed. A surprising amount of traffic at Stockport used to come south not only from Manchester, but from Stalybridge/Leeds, LNWR all the way of course, and change locos here, hence such a large steam shed.

Bays with platforms on both sides were favoured for parcels, which could be unloaded both sides at once.
 

Ken H

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Bays were not just for terminating services, they were commonly used to detach parcels vans, or holding locomotives being changed. A surprising amount of traffic at Stockport used to come south not only from Manchester, but from Stalybridge/Leeds, LNWR all the way of course, and change locos here, hence such a large steam shed.

Bays with platforms on both sides were favoured for parcels, which could be unloaded both sides at once.
Think there was a York - crewe parcels/passenger late evening late 70's. Changed locos to an electric @ Stockport.
Me & 2 mates went to N Wales to go climbing prob mid 70's. Sure we got a leeds - crewe train. Then got on some coaches in a bay at Crewe that were attached to a train from the south to go to Holyhead.
Hazy memory.
 

jfollows

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How many coaches plus locomotive could be accommodated in the two south-facing bay platforms? Going back into the realms of railway history, what services would have terminated in them?
At least per the photo and diagrams above, the photo predates electrification hence 1960, no services would have terminated in them because there was no signalled route available. Only shunt moves could get trains into these platforms, for example locos off the York mail, or ECS moves.

EDIT And you can see from the photo that they weren’t very long platforms! Unfortunately 1977 Sectional Appendix doesn’t give detail on platform lengths.

Think there was a York - crewe parcels/passenger late evening late 70's. Changed locos to an electric @ Stockport.
See https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/deltics-to-stockport.213589/ for some more information on the York mail. I never used it, despite living locally then. Oh well!
 
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6Gman

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Think there was a York - crewe parcels/passenger late evening late 70's. Changed locos to an electric @ Stockport.
Me & 2 mates went to N Wales to go climbing prob mid 70's. Sure we got a leeds - crewe train. Then got on some coaches in a bay at Crewe that were attached to a train from the south to go to Holyhead.
Hazy memory.
That would be the 2150 (or thereabouts) "York Mail" York-Crewe. Years ago I believe it actually ran to Swansea (!) via the Central Wales, at which time it was known as the "Bangor Mail" despite the fact it went nowhere near that city! Your connection from Crewe was the c.0200 "Mel Bach" (Welsh for small mail) which went to either Bangor or Holyhead (probably varied over the years). It was the return working of an evening Holyhead-Crewe mail train which reached Crewe around 2330 and connected into such trains as the West Coast Postal, the York Mail around 0010 and the 0147 Cardiff.

Crewe was a fascinating place at that time of night - not least as it saw the only booked Class 31 into Crewe; an Immingham loco which worked a Lincoln-Crewe mail train and return!

Incidentally the Down York Mail was diesel hauled throughout (usually a Class 40; sometimes removed at Leeds). I think the Up was also diesel throughout but I may be wrong. Did either have booked loco changes at Stockport?
 

Ken H

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That would be the 2150 (or thereabouts) "York Mail" York-Crewe. Years ago I believe it actually ran to Swansea (!) via the Central Wales, at which time it was known as the "Bangor Mail" despite the fact it went nowhere near that city! Your connection from Crewe was the c.0200 "Mel Bach" (Welsh for small mail) which went to either Bangor or Holyhead (probably varied over the years). It was the return working of an evening Holyhead-Crewe mail train which reached Crewe around 2330 and connected into such trains as the West Coast Postal, the York Mail around 0010 and the 0147 Cardiff.

Crewe was a fascinating place at that time of night - not least as it saw the only booked Class 31 into Crewe; an Immingham loco which worked a Lincoln-Crewe mail train and return!

Incidentally the Down York Mail was diesel hauled throughout (usually a Class 40; sometimes removed at Leeds). I think the Up was also diesel throughout but I may be wrong. Did either have booked loco changes at Stockport?
Thanks for info. My hazy memory says loco change @ Stockport. But we were 18-19 and ale had been taken before the journey!
 

Cheshire Scot

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How many coaches plus locomotive could be accommodated in the two south-facing bay platforms? Going back into the realms of railway history, what services would have terminated in them?
I recall a 2 car class 158 being a fairly tight fit in 2A. So at best maybe a tank loco and two coaches at best.

Did either have booked loco changes at Stockport?

My recollection is both up and down mail (York Shrewsbury (and return)) had a traction change at Stockport, with the diesel ex York, on occasions a Deltic, laying over at Stockport whilst the trains passed each other en route to/from Crewe, before working back east. In the 70's the having detached the Postal vans at Shrewsbury the train (02.25 from Crewe, behind the Cardiff at 01.47) continued to Aberystwyth and took me on my only visit to that Welsh coastal town almost fifty years ago.

As noted above Crewe was a fascinating place to pass a few hours through the night with the various Postals, Sleepers and other night passenger trains plus the odd freight passing through on the then 20mph middle roads. Back in the days of the all night station
buffet too.
 

Greybeard33

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On current satellite photos, e.g Google Earth, Google Maps, the outline of the south facing bay between Platforms 3 and 4 is still clearly visible. It has simply been filled with earth and planted with shrubbery. The southern end has been obliterated by the extension of Platform 3, needed for 11-car Pendolinos.
 

507020

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On current satellite photos, e.g Google Earth, Google Maps, the outline of the south facing bay between Platforms 3 and 4 is still clearly visible. It has simply been filled with earth and planted with shrubbery. The southern end has been obliterated by the extension of Platform 3, needed for 11-car Pendolinos.
You can also compare the original layout of the station in the image in post #4 with the modern layout on Google Maps following the platform lengthening for 11 car Pendolinos.
 

Ash Bridge

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My recollections of bay platform usage at Stockport during the late 60s - mid 70s was that 3A was mainly used for the Stalybridge dmu shuttle service but it also wasn’t unknown for it to use the north facing 1A, having arrived into that bay several times myself on a class 100/104/108 etc. from Reddish South. I’m pretty sure 4A alongside 3A was used on occasion for the Stalybridge service if available but it quite often stabled parcel vehicles back then from memory.

Of the south facing bays; 2A once again (as mentioned previously) seemed to nearly always contain a parcel van(s) and the only time I departed from that platform was on a class 156 which was used to start a Liverpool - Norwich from Stockport due to non availability of the 158 at Liverpool, the year was April 1993.

3B during the early seventies and especially at weekends always contained a stabled electric loco or three (e.g. class 81/82/85/86) and sometimes the odd van; never actually saw a passenger service in there, and I think that was possibly the first one to be taken out use?

The former centre tracks between platforms 2 & 3 were referred to by railwaymen locally as ’The Slums’ for some reason?
 
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During the 70s and early 80s the Stalybridge shuttle quite often arrived in Platform 1A and was then shunted over to Platform 3A for departure. This enabled passengers to easily connect into and out of main-line services without having to traipse through the subway. On occasions, if the Stalybridge shuttle was late awaiting Yorkshire connections, it would run directly into the up main platforms at Stockport behind say a Euston service using the calling-on signals. Connecting passengers would then be hustled quickly into the rear of the main-line train to avoid further delays. The centre roads were not proper through roads, having sharp turnouts, and generally used for storing stock - it always seemed to have a BG of some description stabled there.
 
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