Ouse Viaduct/Balcombe/Lewes project

I'm not surprised, the OS only did sporadic revisions in that period and only if there were major changes. Remember that OS maps were for rating purposes, not for railway surveys.

 

Have you looked at the RAF vertical aerial photos at English Heritage?

Have you looked at the RAF vertical aerial photos at English Heritage?

 

Not yet Tim, but that's a possibility - thanks for the reminder

You could try http://www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/grc/info/airphotos-historic/ there seems to be photo coverage from the 40's - search 'Balcombe'. You'll have to push the map around a bit to cover the station.

 

Emma

I'm not surprised, the OS only did sporadic revisions in that period and only if there were major changes. Remember that OS maps were for rating purposes, not for railway surveys.

 

Err, no, the OS maps are, and always have been, topographical maps (i.e. they show physical features) not for rating purposes. Railways, and changes in track layouts, were surveyed in the same way as any other change.

 

Having said that, it doesn't get away from the fact that many rural areas weren't surveyed between 1910 and the 1970's which is very frustrating when you are looking for a 1960's layout!

 

Wrong end of the country, but see here http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/the-national-collection-of-aerial-photography1.html for some aerial photos in Scotland.

You could try http://www.geog.suss...hotos-historic/ there seems to be photo coverage from the 40's - search 'Balcombe'. You'll have to push the map around a bit to cover the station.

 

Emma

 

Thanks for reminding me of that site Emma

 

As you say there are 1940s photos but they're not of good enough resolution to check track layouts - although they are good for scenery purposes. I've since acquired a copy of the signal diagram from the changeover to colour light on electrification which shows that the basic plan was unchanged from 1910 to then, and photos of electrics in the yard show that it lasted at least until 1950 or so.

 

The platforms seem to have been lengthened at the same time as the yard was taken out, probably in the 70s.