TRIVIA: Stations that used to have Excursion Platforms

[Jorge Da Silva]

which stations used to have excursion platforms usually used for summer services

 

[HSP 2]

Blackpool North and Central.

 

[mike57]

Bridlington, last bits cleared away this year

 

[pdeaves]

As a conversation starter, Weston super Mare, Blackpool North, Scarborough. There will be loads of others.

 

[Scouseinmanc]

Southport

 

[SteveM70]

Filey (I think)

 

[d9009alycidon]

Morcambe Euston Road Station was effectively an excursion station after WW2

 

[Bletchleyite]

Morcambe Euston Road Station was effectively an excursion station

The current Blackpool North is actually the old excursion station, I think?

 

[d9009alycidon]

The current Blackpool North is actually the old excursion station, I think?

Correct - these were the excursion platforms, the main station was demolished to make way for a supermarket.

 

[HSP 2]

The current Blackpool North is actually the old excursion station, I think?

Correct please see map.

 

[Bob M]

Perhaps the enormously long down platform at Bournemouth, and the clear provision for non-stop fast lines at Pokesdown.

 

[John Luxton]

Platforms at Llangollen? Though used by service trains they were much longer than necessary for regular traffic. Separate entrances exist at the Eisteddfod site end of the station.

 

[D6130]

If you're going to count Filey Holiday Camp, which was essentially a separate station some distance from the main one, you could also count Heads of Ayr.

 

[SeanG]

It would be interesting to see whether there were any excursion platforms at non-coastal places

 

[Western Lord]

Arguably, the lavish provision of platforms at Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner was to cater for excursion traffic, mainly on one day a year!

 

[John Luxton]

It would be interesting to see whether there were any excursion platforms at non-coastal places

I did mention Llangollen as the platforms there are much longer than any other station on the Ruabon - Barmouth route, though Barmouth had an excursion platform - wasn't it south side of the LC?
Aintree (Sefton Arms) Race Course.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

which stations used to have excursion platforms usually used for summer services

A few more mentioned here in a previous (similar) thread ...

Stations with excursion platforms

I asked a question about Bridlington's excursion platforms on another thread, but it got me thinking about how many other stations had them? I believe that Blackpool, Scarborough, Hull Paragon and possibly Skegness had them, but I'm sure that there were plenty of others, especially at seaside towns.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[dazzler]

It would be interesting to see whether there were any excursion platforms at non-coastal places

York Racecourse Station was a pair of platforms separate from York Station, located on the Leeds/Sheffield/London lines just south of Holgate Bridge. They were by the Holgate Sidings, accessed from the footbridge between Barbara Grove and Love Lane/Driffield Terrace.

Race traffic now goes via the main York Station, much to the deep joy of the regular railway users. (/s)

Wiki article is here.

 

[Taunton]

Racecourse stations at both Newbury and Cheltenham, only opened on race days. The former has now become a regular station; I can't think of another which has done so.

The sidings south of Gatwick Airport station were originally likewise, for Gatwick Racecourse. When the racecourse was converted in the 1930s into an airport they were adapted for a permanent airport station. The airport wasn't that successful and was completely rebuilt in the 1950s on the present site to the north, along with the current station, and the former location became sidings.

 

[30907]

Perhaps the enormously long down platform at Bournemouth, and the clear provision for non-stop fast lines at Pokesdown.

Both of those were used by ordinary trains.

I took the OP to be discussing separate stations or parts of stations.

Racecourse platforms/stations included Westenhanger (IIRC), Kempton Park, Ascot West, Newbury Racecourse, Aintree....

 

[Ash Bridge]

Longsight had excursion platforms (probably still extant?) to serve the nearby Belle Vue Zoo and Fun Park, and apparently the GCR Hyde Road Station on the Fallowfield Loop Line also at one stage had a bay platform or two for the same purpose.

 

[Helvellyn]

Racecourse stations at both Newbury and Cheltenham, only opened on race days. The former has now become a regular station; I can't think of another which has done so.

Kempton Park was only open on race days until 2006. SWT opened it daily from that point with it being served by Shepperton services.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Like Newbury Racecourse, Kempton Park has effectively gone form being a racedays only station to a regular one

 

[Rescars]

Arguably, the lavish provision of platforms at Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner was to cater for excursion traffic, mainly on one day a year!

Originally Tattenham Corner was for excursion and holiday traffic only. The regular branch service terminated at Tadworth. Both these branch lines had additional "part-time" signal boxes which were used to create short sections to handle the volume of traffic.

 

[181]

I think Esher used to have some racecourse platforms; I'm not sure whether the remains are still visible, but they definitely used to be. They were at the north-western corner of the station, on the opposite side of the line to the racecourse, for which there was presumably a reason. Looking at the diagram here (which has south at the top) it appears that most arrivals, and all departures in the down direction, would have required a reversal.

 

[randyrippley]

Weymouth

 

[Helvellyn]

I think Esher used to have some racecourse platforms; I'm not sure whether the remains are still visible, but they definitely used to be. They were at the north-western corner of the station, on the opposite side of the line to the racecourse, for which there was presumably a reason. Looking at the diagram here (which has south at the top) it appears that most arrivals, and all departures in the down direction, would have required a reversal.

Those look like they were are the car park is now.

 

[181]

I think Esher used to have some racecourse platforms; I'm not sure whether the remains are still visible, but they definitely used to be. They were at the north-western corner of the station, on the opposite side of the line to the racecourse, for which there was presumably a reason. Looking at the diagram here (which has south at the top) it appears that most arrivals, and all departures in the down direction, would have required a reversal.

Those look like they were are the car park is now.

They were diagonally opposite the car park. The diagram I linked to is 'upside-down' compared with a normal map (presumably because the signal box was on the north side of the line) -- it's only low resolution, but the southern through tracks are discernibly labelled 'up through' and 'up local' (or at least something that looks more like 'up' than 'down').

The Google Maps satellite view indicates that the area is now covered in trees -- you can't see whether there are any remains of platforms under the trees.

I haven't found any pictures online, but I did find this thread on a similar subject to the current one: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/stations-with-excursion-platforms.204468/.

 

[Lloyds siding]

I did mention Llangollen as the platforms there are much longer than any other station on the Ruabon - Barmouth route, though Barmouth had an excursion platform - wasn't it south side of the LC?
Aintree (Sefton Arms) Race Course.

Aintree Sefton Arms has never been called 'Race Course'. It is now the only station at Aintree, and therefore gets all traffic including race excursions even though it only has two platforms. Now called Aintree.
Aintree Race Course was an excursion/specials only station situated on the North Mersey branch line. Open from 1890-1962.
Aintree Central, on the Cheshire Lines, was originally called Aintree Race Course and open for race excursions only (1880-84), then was renamed Aintree in 1884 when regular passenger services started (I think the station was resited and rebuilt at this time, the platforms moving from south of Park Lane to the north) then became Aintree Central. It continued to cater for race excursions when open, in addition to its every day trains; Platforms 3, 4 and 5 (out of the total of 5) were excursion platforms. However, once passenger services were withdrawn in 1960 the station was only used for excursions to the races. These ran until 1966, thereafter the lines were used for stabling of excursions after dropping off passengers at Aintree Sefton Arms. The lines were lifted in 1969.

For inland resorts:
Buxton (Midland), long demolished, had an excursion platform.

 

[Non Multi]

They were diagonally opposite the car park. The diagram I linked to is 'upside-down' compared with a normal map (presumably because the signal box was on the north side of the line) -- it's only low resolution, but the southern through tracks are discernibly labelled 'up through' and 'up local' (or at least something that looks more like 'up' than 'down').

The Google Maps satellite view indicates that the area is now covered in trees -- you can't see whether there are any remains of platforms under the trees.

I haven't found any pictures online, but I did find this thread on a similar subject to the current one: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/stations-with-excursion-platforms.204468/.

Yes the 2 excursion platforms at Esher existed, they even had stairs and subways to Lower Green Road,
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.37981&lon=-0.35836&layers=170&b=1

There's also a photo of one of them on ebay

RARE R.P. POSTCARD TRAIN-ESHER FOR SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE RAILWAY STATION 1938 | eBay

SHOWING TRAIN AT "ESHER FOR SANDOWN PARK RAILWAY STATION", SIGNALS & SIGNAL BOX. 79 337 PASSING ESHER 31.7.38 WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THE CARD.

www.ebay.co.uk

On Google street view older pictures (April 2012) show one of the subway entrances filled in (nearest one to the railway bridge crossing Lower Green Road), but leaving the top of the subway tunnel exposed.

Edit: Even better than that, the July 2008 and April 2012 street view photos show the disused superstructure of the northern bridge span over Lower Green Road, this bridge span was surplus to requirements when the excursion platforms closed and was removed entirely by August 2012.