Seaton Junction

[Tim Hale]

Having posted my photos of the roadside of Seaton Junction here Southern Blog I have been scouring websites and books for photos of the trackside of the main building.

 

The SEMG site and Mac Hawkins' book have virtually nothing, any ideas, please.

 

Tim

[Oldddudders]

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tok=BFKmwaEGPAgXTMyzcz_2uw&cp=15&gs_id=1q&xhr=t&q=seaton+junction&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=657&wrapid=tljp1342600338713028&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=mHQGUPP7JsS7hAefydTKBw

 

has found a few general shots - presume you've seen all these.

[Tim Hale]

Ian,

 

Goggle is my first stop for images and the growing pile of books dedicated to the Yeovil-Exeter route has nothing of merit - all of the roadside or the approaches.

 

No one seems to have thought of standing opposite the station building and taking just one photograph.

 

Very frustrating

 

Tim

[10800]

Tim

 

The only photo I have when it was a junction that shows anything of the up side platform buildings is this one from 1962 - but it's not a lot, as a youngster with a Brownie 127 I was only interested in the S15.

 

 

I know I took some photos while on holiday in 2002 from the road bridge at the east end of the platforms and from the footbridge, but I can't find them at the moment.

[The Stationmaster]

How about the recent Irwell book (which regrettably I haven't got for this section of the route)?

Link to publisher added

http://www.irwellpress.com/acatalog/SOUTHERN_RAILWAY.html

[Tim Hale]

How about the recent Irwell book (which regrettably I haven't got for this section of the route)?

Link to publisher added

http://www.irwellpre...RN_RAILWAY.html

 

Irwell's book was the second place that I looked after Google, followed by EBay, Derek Philip's and Vic Mitchell's books and every book other book that I could find on the Yeovil-Exeter route.

 

This reminds me to create a bibliography for the benefit of anyone interested in the line.

 

Tim (thinking about trespassing)

[Brake Compo]

Had a quick look in a few likely books not already mentioned and found a couple:

• Good photo on Page 13 of Southern Country Stations:1 - London & South Western Railway, further photo on page 14.
  
• Distant photo on page 34 of Southern's South Western Memories by Robert Antell.
  

[Tim Hale]

Had a quick look in a few likely books not already mentioned and found a couple:

• Good photo on Page 13 of Southern Country Stations:1 - London & South Western Railway, further photo on page 14.
  
• Distant photo on page 34 of Southern's South Western Memories by Robert Antell.
  

Unfortunately, I allowed my copy of Antell to be 'borrowed' so far it is still missing.........Tim

[EddieB]

There are around a dozen photos taken at Seaton Junction in a two-part article on the Seaton Branch in Baktrack August and September 2003 (vol 17), see http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bobbacktrack/page/vol17magazineindexbutton.html#e9.

 

I don't have copies to hand to check whether they contain views of the station buildings.

[steve1]

Tim,

 

I take it you have the Middleton Book "Branch Lines To Seaton And Sidmouth"? There are some potentially useful ones in there.

 

steve

[devonseasider]

As I seem unable to post comments in the blog “The perfect station - Seaton Junctionâ€, I’ll cut & paste text from there to here, with additional/corrected information added as appropriate.

 

> Opened March 1860 as - Colyton for Seaton- it closed one hundred and seven years later, much to the anger of the local residents.

 

Following the opening of the Seaton branch (1868, I think) the station was initially known as Colyton Junction, becoming Seaton Junction 12 months or so later. Being pedantic, I’m sure that closure as a passenger station came with closure of the branch in March 1966 i.e. one hundred and six years later, not one hundred and seven. Total closure was in 1967.

 

> The buildings are still in use thanks to the old dairy that abuts the main station building

 

Yes, the station building is still in use, but that use is not related to the former dairy.

As far as I know, the whole of the site, and the former hotel across the Shute Road, is owned by the same person who is, presumably, holding it for possible long-term development.

A section of the dairy and part of the yard is occupied by a vehicle maintenance company and, indeed, some roofing work is currently being undertaken – long overdue, I would imagine.

Another section of the yard is used by a local logistics company. Don’t know whether there is any connection between these two companies.

Until recently, the first floor of the former dairy offices was occupied as a residential flat. I believe that the occupant is now elsewhere within the station/dairy complex.

The station building itself has had varied uses over recent years. It is currently rented for domestic storage on a rolling lease by a couple involved in the renovation & conversion of a local property. Access is still possible through the building on to the former up platform, although a substantial wire mesh fence is in place at the platform edge. The inter-platform footbridge is still extant, although not accessible.

The platform elevation of the building is probably in a slightly worse condition than the road side – not surprising considering that the southern aspect is the one which takes all of the weather.

The steelwork for the platform awning is still in place, but no roof or fascia boarding.

 

> The old Shute Arms is in very good order and is now being extended

 

All is not what it seems at the former hotel – an ongoing saga for at least the last 10 – 15 years. Some extension building work has been done but nothing for perhaps 3 or 4 years. I must choose words very carefully and will pass no comment other than to say that I have been told that the “developer†and the local authority do not necessarily agree on the need for, or the application of, planning regulations.

Externally the old building looks smart although I haven’t been inside for a long time and wouldn’t like to vouch for its condition (although it does have residential tenants). On a previous internal visit, I wouldn’t have guaranteed that all occupants were either homosapien or biped!

 

> access to the downside is impossible unless jungle warfare is an option

 

Not true. Access to the former down platform is actually remarkably easy, although I wouldn’t advise a mass re-enactment of the Kinder Trespass! Coincidentally (and whisper it quietly!) I was on the platform yesterday afternoon while walking the dog in the general area of the station.

Surreptitious photography should not be particularly difficult at the right time of day (and, of course, paying due regard to the timetable!).

 

Hope the above is of help/interest to someone.

[Tim Hale]

An update:

 

As I have no intention of breaking the law, Railtrack have granted accompanied access to the down platform so that I can capture the trackside façade of station building for posterity - my thanks to Tim for being so helpful and to those who suggested various books and magazine articles.

 

In due course, the results will be published for everyone's benefit together with some rudimentary dimensions for the scratchbuilders amongst us.

 

Thanks guys

 

Tim

[EddieB]

I take it you/others are aware of the N gauge model of Seaton Junction at Pecorama?

[devonseasider]

Having half-an-hour to spare earlier this evening, and with nice weather for a change, I went back up the lane to Seaton Junction but this time with a camera for company instead of a Jack Russell.

I'm sure the "official photo shoot" will provide much better quality images but meanwhile, just to whet the appetite for what's to come, here's a selection of views from around the station.

 

For those that don't know the general layout of the site, there's a public footpath that crosses the whole of the former station at the western end on a typical, albeit extended, Exmouth Junction Concrete Works footbridge. This is in addition to the former inter-platform footbridge which is still extant.

 

Looking east from that public footbridge shows part of the dairy, the inter-platform footbridge and the station building beyond.

 

 

 

the rest of the dairy buildings with the former hotel behind to the right and the part-built extension to the left.

 

 

 

looking west, the former dairy sidings & goods yard

 

 

 

looking down on the western side at the southern end of the footbridge, the edge of the Seaton bay platform.

 

 

 

looking east from the same spot, undergrowth covers the Seaton platform & trackbed.

 

 

 

at track level, the edge of the Seaton bay platform is just visible. The tree in the centre of the second photo is roughly in the middle of the platform-road trackbed.

 

 

 

 

 

From the former down platform, the footbridge, southern (trackside) aspect of station building and part of the dairy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and, finally, the northern (road-side) elevation of the dairy buildings.

 

 

 

Hope these are of interest to some of you, and looking forward to seeing the better-quality images and measurements.

[devonseasider]

Forgot to say, in reply to a comment on the "Seaton Junction" blog entry (to which I'm still unable to post, hence the entries here) that the red telephone box outside the station building is still fitted with a payphone, 'though for how much longer is anyone's guess. The box is currently on offer from BT for "adoption" by the local community as it gets insufficient use to be considered a going concern. I think that's in line for an "understatement of the year" award . . . .

[Tim Hale]

I take it you/others are aware of the N gauge model of Seaton Junction at Pecorama?

 

One of the many interpretations of this fine station.

 

Tim

[devonseasider]

One of the many interpretations of this fine station.

 

Tim

 

 

Interesting that you say "many interpretations".

I remember a 4mm model featuring in one of the magazines - Railway Modeller, I think - in the not-too-distant past, maybe 3 or 4 years ago, maybe more, maybe less, but not aware of any others apart from the Pecorama N-gauge (which doesn't go quite far enough to include our house!).

Could you give us some references, please? It's not the easiest place to model wiith the 90 degree curve from the mainline through the Seaton bay. I'd like to see how people have tackled it.

 

By the way, I see you've added some more pictures to the "Seaton Junction" blog entry. Are they the result of your accompanied visit, or is that still to come? Just wondering 'cos you said you'd give us some rudimentary dimensions.

[Tim Hale]

An update:

 

As I have no intention of breaking the law, Railtrack have granted accompanied access to the down platform so that I can capture the trackside façade of station building for posterity - my thanks to Tim for being so helpful and to those who suggested various books and magazine articles.

 

In due course, the results will be published for everyone's benefit together with some rudimentary dimensions for the scratchbuilders amongst us.

 

Thanks guys

 

Tim

 

Hi,

 

Further updates to my Southern Blog and here feature a number previously unseen images from friends.

 

 

Tim

[devonseasider]

. . . . feature a number previously unseen images from friends.

 

 

 

So you *did* fight your way through the undergrowth onto the down platform!

You little tinker!

[Captain Kernow]

Finally found my slides from when I last visited Seaton Jct, back in the summer of 1984. Unfortunately I only seem to have taken three slides of the station, and none show the kind of detail that I think Tim is after, but here they are anyway. There is some interest, in that the former Up Platform Loop line and a siding were still in situ, albeit seemingly disused, possibly connected with the dairy?

 

 

 

[Tim Hale]

My only question concerns the presence of a giant marshmallow in the top left corner of the first image..........

[The Stationmaster]

There is some interest, in that the former Up Platform Loop line and a siding were still in situ, albeit seemingly disused, possibly connected with the dairy?

Described in the S.A. simply as 'sidings with shut-in facility'.

[DLT]

Hi Tim,

 

The latest edition of BRILL has an extensive article on Seaton Junction in it. (Had a sneak peek in Smiths this morning) While there arent any detailed square-on pictures of the station building, its visible in threequarter view in several photos.

 

Hope this helps

Cheers,

Dave.

[Branksome71B]

Tim,

Maybe something here for you

http://www.kentrail.org.uk/seaton_junction.htm

 

Barry

[RJS1977]

I've often wondered at the possibility of the Seaton tramway extending back there to give a main-line-interchange (a la Smallbrook), though it would require either the main line slewing across or the platforms being extended out to it in order for SWT passengers to disembark.