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Railway Station Pub?


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Personally, I've never seen a "Bar" in a railway station - except for overpriced cans of Stella at Ashford International and a Wetherspoon's at some of the major London stations.

But, in "The Good Old Days" were there bars or even pubs within station buildings?  I'm desperate to crowbar a pub into my layout somewhere... 

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Edited by Ray Von
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Kew Gardens still does.

 

EDIT: So does Stalybridge. A well known former politician turned TV presenter featured it on one of his excursions.

 

EDIT2: In contrast to the good old days, one of the waiting rooms at Dewsbury was converted to real ale pub in 1994.

 

Of the big stations, add Sheffield, York and Newcastle

Edited by DavidB-AU
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Most major stations had a bar when I was old enough to drink ('66).  I remember The Shires Bar at St. Pancras, one at Paddington that sold Youngers No. 3 Scotch Ale, drinking Charringtons' IPA at Southend Victoria on lunch breaks. There was a small bar on one platform of Sloane Square on the District Line.

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Yes. Also don't forget that many stations especially large ones had hotels attached that had large public bars.

 

Look at Liverpool Lime Street. Both the model and real thing. The massive building next to it was the LNWR hotel.

 

 

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The bottom right hand floor is now a Wetherspoons but it still has many original features. The rest was derelict for years, then student accommodation, but is now being brought back into use as a hotel.

 

Here's a view inside the pub/bar area. Renovated, but still has authentic features. if you go left, before the column, that is where the station concourse is.

 

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And here is another part of it described as the Tea Rooms.

 

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Jason

Edited by Steamport Southport
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It's more usual to find a pub just across the road or just up the road from a railway station than actually at one,   Railwaymen were generally addicted to strong sweet Tea while on duty rather than watery beer.    In addition liquor licensing laws didn't fit particularly well with railway hours, I believe on license alcohol sales were not permitted between 3pm and 6pm from mid WW1.  

There were however pubs which sold railway tickets in the out of the way places...

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9 minutes ago, DavidCBroad said:

It's more usual to find a pub just across the road or just up the road from a railway station than actually at one,   Railwaymen were generally addicted to strong sweet Tea while on duty rather than watery beer.    In addition liquor licensing laws didn't fit particularly well with railway hours, I believe on license alcohol sales were not permitted between 3pm and 6pm from mid WW1.  

There were however pubs which sold railway tickets in the out of the way places...

 

Don't know many railwaymen I assume. The railways ran on beer just like the Royal Mail, Police, Army, NHS, etc.

 

It was being drunk on duty that was the problem. Not that you had consumed alcohol. It's only in recent years that alcohol was not allowed. Royal Mail had it's own bar in the Liverpool Sorting Office until around 2000. But was closed due to modern work practices which were opposed by the union.

 

Also railway pubs and refreshment rooms weren't bound by licencing laws. That's why they were allowed to sell alcohol in the buffet cars at any hour. You were always allowed to buy drinks at six o'clock in the morning if you wanted. The Nightcap Bars on the sleepers were just that. Bars open all night.

 

BR was twenty four hour drinking. That's why football fans used the trains to get to the match as you weren't allowed to drink on coaches.

 

 

Jason

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Also the BRSA clubs or similar near many major locations.

Worth having a read through some historical footplate stories, in the likes of Steam World, there were a number of books (Bradford Barton?) some years ago which gave first hand accounts of footplate life as well.

Regular tales of a swift pint or two at the end of a shift or even mid shift if there was time.

Edited by great central
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2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Also railway pubs and refreshment rooms weren't bound by licencing laws. That's why they were allowed to sell alcohol in the buffet cars at any hour.

 

The laws for stations may have changed but railway vehicles on a journey (along with aircraft, hovercraft and international ships) are explicitly exempt.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/section/173

 

Any excuse to post a Tom Scott video!
 

 

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Durham, Doncaster, Huddersfield has two on the same platform although these days you have to go out the barriers then in to each from the roadside of the station.

 

Carnforth has one in the old mainline up platform.

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Not sure if the one at Worksop (The Mallard) is still open - EDIT Google still indicates its still there.

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Hexham had  one in the old model shop on the platform but I believe it has since closed.

1711445601_Hexham-PlatformBar2020(1).jpg.71172ae74b646e848769dc5ebec05fa8.jpg

 

Weymss Bay station concourse has a lovely little bar but no real ale on our most recent trip in 2019.

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Many of these are modern bars / micropubs but generally sell decent real ale and craft beers.

 

There are plenty of stations that have good pubs right next to the station such as the Boathouse at Wylam station, The Great Western at Exeter St Davids, Tabac, a modern bar on the forecourt at Exeter Central plus many more, particularly at larger stations.

Edited by roundhouse
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My late father told me that, as a late teenager just after the war, after hours drinking could be found on Normanton station by giving the staff a hand with exchange of mail bags around 11:30 pm. The bar was open for employees only to 12:30am.

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56 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Reading station still has a pub in it - only accessible from outside now I believe. 

The Three Guineas. Used to do a wonderful range of ales but that had much reduced before the March lockdown.

 

This photo was taken back in 2001 and has since been refurbished both inside and out.

Reading-ThreeGuinees2011 (1).JPG

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I had a memorable trip from Birmingham to Wakefield in the mid 70s. My usual Paignton to Newcastle train was cancelled due to an incident on the southern entrance to New St involving an 08 pilot and the centenary post. Replacement DMUs got me home with changes at Derby and Sheffield and ending at Kirkgate when dad was waiting at Westgate. Each interval was spent in the bar at the respective stations. Happy days..........

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Manchester Victoria has (had?) one on the concourse near the ticket office. It also has a BR Staff Association (BRSA) club located under the station concourse and some platforms.

 

Leeds station is currently home to a Wetherspoons and a separate bar.

 

Steven B

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12 hours ago, Dagworth said:

The “buffet” at Manningtree was a very well known real ale pub. 
 

Andi

 

That one sprung to my mind when I read the thread title too. It is right on the station platform.

I moved away from the area nearly 20 years ago but I have just done an internet search & it still seems to be there (temporarily closed because of Covid I guess).

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Just now, Pete the Elaner said:

 

That one sprung to my mind when I read the thread title too. It is right on the station platform.

I moved away from the area nearly 20 years ago but I have just done an internet search & it still seems to be there (temporarily closed because of Covid I guess).

Do you remember the Lima class 50 named “Manningtree Buffet” in a glass case? 
 

Andi

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Just now, Dagworth said:

Do you remember the Lima class 50 named “Manningtree Buffet” in a glass case? 
 

Andi

 

Sorry, I don't. Was it yours?

I only went to the buffet once, c1999 I think. I was from the Clacton side of Colchester & a trip to Ipswich was usually in the car :(

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