The most decrepit, derelict station photo challenge

[mullie]

Yarmouth South town always seemed to look pretty grim, I never saw it in the flesh as I would have been four when this was taken. This is 1968.

 

 

In 1969

 

 

 

Taken from the disused stations web site. Do these count?

 

Martyn

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by mullie

[montyburns56]

1 hour ago, mullie said:

 

Taken from the disused stations web site. Do these count?

 

Martyn

 

 

It still had trains running when most of the pics were taken, so yes. In fact the Disused stations site actually uses the word decrepit in its desription of the station!

[montyburns56]

Do we have a winner?

 

East Grinstead presumably during the 1970 rebuild

 

 

Tunbridge Wells

 

 

Does Tunbridge Wells win the prize for the most disproportionately large station building?

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Tunbridge Wells West was very strange, in that right to the end it was always more forlorn than decrepit and derelict. The gas-lit booking hall was pure magic, in green and cream paint, and although there were no passengers (ever!), quite a few staff booked-on there, which prevented it being utterly deserted.

 

Some of the photos above are, i'm pretty sure, after closure, which warps perceptions a bit.

 

Some of the interior timbering in the building was rotten enough to put areas out of use, but the overall fabric wasn't too bad, which is probably why it survives to this day as a disappointingly tacky themed restaurant.

 

I'm the proud custodian of the green enamel "Platform 5" sign, which came from one of the bay platforms that went out of use long before the others, can remember the buildings on the island platform, and, stretching back further, watching the black tank engines with green coaches going to and fro.

 

Your East Grinstead picture is of the closed high-level bit, so doesn't really count. Demolition is demolition.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Nearholmer

[4069]

Guildford, 1981. A particularly apt poster:

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by 4069

[Davexoc]

45 minutes ago, 4069 said:

Guildford, 1981. A particularly apt poster:

 

 

You've got to ABBA laugh at that.......

[flapland]

It does help they have plenty trains back to Waterloo. Or as they are cleaning Wimbledon. 

[Nearholmer]

When you see the normal way that a worksite in a public area was managed in 1981, and compare it with the carefully hoarded-off sites now, it does give clues as to why jobs cost more now than then.

[PatB]

Although there've been a couple of examples from the Bristol area, I'm surprised that Parson St, Bedminster, Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road haven't made an appearance. They were pretty desperate in 1981, when I first saw them from a passing train, and didn't seem to have improved much when, at various times, I lived near all of them a decade or so later.

 

Mind you, minor stations in outlying (or not so outlying) areas of big cities don't seem to be terribly inviting anywhere. I give you Manors, in the early 1980s. It was even worse by 1985 when I first saw it.

[Andy Kirkham]

19 minutes ago, PatB said:

Although there've been a couple of examples from the Bristol area, I'm surprised that Parson St, Bedminster, Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road haven't made an appearance. They were pretty desperate in 1981, when I first saw them from a passing train, and didn't seem to have improved much when, at various times, I lived near all of them a decade or so later.

 

As seen here:

 

AUG 70 17. D7008 Lawrence Hill, August 13 1970 by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

 

but I'm not sure stations that have been subjected to the "scorched earth" treatment with all buildings flattened really qualify for this topic. I think the ideal is one that is basically intact but suffering  extreme neglect.

Edited June 20, 2020 by Andy Kirkham

[The Johnster]

That's the Calvert Bricks, one of my Canton bottom guard's link jobs within a year of this photo being taken.  Act secondman loco off Canton to Canton sidings, pick up empty 'pipe' wagons from London Brick Company siding, prep train and perform brake continuity test, ensure rear two vehicles' brakes are working, attach tail lamp, work fully fitted back cab to Lawrence Hill, attach remainder of train with piped brake van and ride brake van to Swindon for relief by Oxford men.  I believe it was a Bath Road loco diagram, and a 50mph job.

 

The train has set back out of the yard and is running through the semi-derelict station prior to being routed on to the down main (it's on the up relief in the photo) to be routed towards Bath at Dr Day's. 

[Andy Kirkham]

5 hours ago, The Johnster said:

That's the Calvert Bricks, one of my Canton bottom guard's link jobs within a year of this photo being taken.  Act secondman loco off Canton to Canton sidings, pick up empty 'pipe' wagons from London Brick Company siding, prep train and perform brake continuity test, ensure rear two vehicles' brakes are working, attach tail lamp, work fully fitted back cab to Lawrence Hill, attach remainder of train with piped brake van and ride brake van to Swindon for relief by Oxford men.  I believe it was a Bath Road loco diagram, and a 50mph job.

 

The train has set back out of the yard and is running through the semi-derelict station prior to being routed on to the down main (it's on the up relief in the photo) to be routed towards Bath at Dr Day's. 

 

Many thanks. I always wondered why the Hymek was running wrong line in that picture; I think I must have only just arrived when I took it,  and wasn't aware that it had just emerged from Lawrence Hill yard.  I've got another shot of the same working here:

 

JUN 74 17. Class 37 with the 13:32 Cardiff-Calvert at Lawrence Hill, June 1974 by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

Edited June 20, 2020 by Andy Kirkham

[The Johnster]

The loco ran into the yard to this point, on the through siding that eventually led to T.M. on the original Midland alignment, which can be seen in the left of the frame.  The pilot then attached the van to the traffic to be attached, which can be seen on the mileage road behind the rail fence.  This was then attached to the rear of the train, the pilot stood aside, and the train set back out of the yard onto the up relief; by the time the loco had cleared the ground signal the van was not far short of Stapleton Road.  
 

When the ground signal cleared the train drew forward, the move taking place in the photo with D7008.  A feature of this operation was that, due to the cutting and the slight rh bend to Dr Day’s, it was impossible to give the right away ‘tip’ to the driver until the van reached East Depot a mile or so away on the up GWML.  There is a one in 18 chance that I am the guard on this working and the chap in the light blue dust jacket walking along the rake in the mileage road might even be me examining it  Fame at last...

 

The cement plant can be seen to the right of the frame, complete with presflos, some of which have come from Rhoose and Aberthaw, another bottom link job.    
 

Tanks for posting the photo, Andy; fine memories!

Edited June 20, 2020 by The Johnster

[montyburns56]

On 20/06/2020 at 09:51, Andy Kirkham said:

 

As seen here:

 

AUG 70 17. D7008 Lawrence Hill, August 13 1970 by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

 

but I'm not sure stations that have been subjected to the "scorched earth" treatment with all buildings flattened really qualify for this topic. I think the ideal is one that is basically intact but suffering  extreme neglect.

 

Ahhh, the olden days when you had your typical railway features, a platform trolley, a loading gauge and a fire on the platform.

[montyburns56]

On 20/06/2020 at 09:33, PatB said:

Although there've been a couple of examples from the Bristol area, I'm surprised that Parson St, Bedminster, Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road haven't made an appearance. They were pretty desperate in 1981, when I first saw them from a passing train, and didn't seem to have improved much when, at various times, I lived near all of them a decade or so later.

 

Mind you, minor stations in outlying (or not so outlying) areas of big cities don't seem to be terribly inviting anywhere. I give you Manors, in the early 1980s. It was even worse by 1985 when I first saw it.

 

I've done some digging on Flickr to see what I could find and I've found some good pictures, but Manors station is the prize out of that lot, but first....

 

Stapleton Road

 

1970s

 

 

 

1990

 

 

 

 

 

[montyburns56]

In the case of Bedminster it's certainly sparse, but I think that the graffiti probably just makes it look worse than your average basic station.

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by montyburns56

[montyburns56]

Lawrence Hill

 

 

 

 

 

[The Johnster]

1 hour ago, montyburns56 said:

 

Stapleton Road

 

1970s

Ah, gas holders.  If we all climbed up to the top of one and jumped up and down in unison, would peoples' gas flames go ff ff ff ff ff in spurts?  WE DEMAND ANSWERS!!!

[uax6]

I always thought Ravensthorpe was a desolate place back in the late '80's when we were heading back from Huddersfield to Wakefield to get the train back home....

 

Andy G

[Rugd1022]

Acton Mainline in 1969, photo by Ian Baker....

 

 

[Mountain Goat]

On 16/05/2020 at 15:07, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

That is one ugly building. But I find it amazing that nobody can be found to take it on and look after it. No RMwebbers in that part of the country needing a layout space?

 

When I worked for the railways, around the latter half of the 00's a few of us were interested to see if we could rent the building in Whitland to start a model railway club but after a few enquiries, there had been some sort of dispute between the train operating company and Network Rail and I had heard that we were not the only ones who had enquired about this building as a few others wanted it for various plans from re-opening it as a ticket office to running a commercial business. 

I also made enquiries about dissused rooms (I was in touch with railway track workers who were able to advise me of buildings with dissused rooms which were in good conditon and no one was using, as one of the railworkers wanted to join us with the idea), but despite there being two such suitable rooms other then Whitland; one being at Haverfordwest and the other at Llanelli, we had no joy whatsoever when we made enquiries. Even our traincrew manager was puzzled why the company was not interested as we would be hiring a room they did not need and had no plans to use (Is why I suggested the rooms I knew of in those three station buildings) and therefore reducing their station rental costs for the company. To us we could not see why they said no, but there must have been some technical reason?

Anyway. I thought I would comment about that sttion building in Whitland, which in those days only really needed a lick of paint and a few minor repairs if that. I would imagine by now it would be in a bit more of a mess if it has remained in the condition it was in. Anyone have an update? 

I am no longer interested (And some of the other traincrew have since retired, left the company or have passed away) but there will no doubt be others of railway workers who are enthusiasts who could have an interest? It is surprizing how many railway modellers work, or have worked, or even would love to work on the railways!

Edited June 22, 2020 by Mountain Goat

[montyburns56]

As a late challenger I give you Manors Station....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[montyburns56]

Manors Part 2

 

 

37003 with its hand made Tiger Moth nameplate

 

 

 

[montyburns56]

Manors Part 3

 

 

 

 

[Mark Saunders]

New Bridge Street (Goods) behind was never the same after it was bombed during the war!