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The Beatles at a mystery station


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My first thought too.

 

I think you can see the early development of terminal buildings in the left background.

 

The father of a friend was a chef with an airline (when passengers had real meals on ‘planes) and we sometimes used to ‘go to work’ with him, spending the day on the roof of the terminal, watching ‘planes (BOAC, BEA, British Caledonian* etc.) and trains.

 

*I've just remembered that it was still Caledonian and BUA separately then, and the BUA planes were 1-11s in a very natty livery a bit like BOAC, a dark-blue band along the cabin windows. Caledonian had Brittanias, and I was mega-impressed when I went in the cockpit of one.

 

 

Edited by Nearholmer
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But ......... do the dates fit for Gatwick?

 

The new (present) station, which I think was on the site of the former Gatwick Racecourse station,  was opened in 1958. Was the old station left in-situ for a while?

 

EDIT: crossed posts with RFS - looks like it must have been!

 

 

Edited by Nearholmer
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And, if you google "filming a hard days night", several other photos that were clearly also taken at Gatwick come up, including one that shows very clearly what a tatty old wreck the place was.

 

Does it actually appear in the film? Its donkey's years since I watched it, and it doesn't seem to figure in location lists shown on websites, although scenes involving a helicopter are recordeddd as shot at Gatwick.

 

 

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The original Gatwick Airport station at Tinsley green. This station was connected to the beehive terminal. The large building in the background is in fact a hangar. The new terminal was built further north and the present station is the rebuilt former Gatwick Racecourse station. 
 

Keith

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2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

But ......... do the dates fit for Gatwick?

 

The new (present) station, which I think was on the site of the former Gatwick Racecourse station,  was opened in 1958. Was the old station left in-situ for a while?

 

EDIT: crossed posts with RFS - looks like it must have been!

 

 

The old station remained for sometime as this shows, Gatwick and its Stations (sremg.org.uk), not finally disappearing until the late 1970s when the Slow Lines were 'straightened out' for junctions to be installed at Tinsley Green. The buildings disappeared soon after the filming of Hard Days night. For some reason the link to the Southern Railway e-mail group article won't post ?

Edited by anroar53
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In the mean time, I've had a look at Britain from Above ......... a superb set of aerial phots from 1937, showing the airport and station looking virtually "fresh out of the box". A layout in the making if ever there was one.

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A few remnants of the concrete facing of the up slow platform still remain, the 'Tinsley Green' sign found there is a modern (well, mid eighties) replacement referring to the crossovers at this location rather than the former station.

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That "Fab Four dashing along the platform" photo is another Gatwick Airport (disused).

 

I get the impression that they simply strayed into the abandoned station, and onto the platforms, from the necessarily planned helicopter shoot next door.

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The Beatles film A Hard Days Night was filmed in March 1964 on the Minehead branch ,the reason being was the branch was closed on Sundays due to being no service in the winter, the same went for Marylebone station. For those Hydraulic fans , the train was hauled by Hymek D7047 from London , also D6333 played a part in it on the Minehead branch.

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