My most exciting station is ...

[runs as required]

Let's set "My most depressing station is ..." against "My most exciting station is .." and see which thread generates more candidates.

 

For me a marine station  is hard to beat.

Just to shew I'm not anti LNW despite Manchester Mayfield being my most depressing,, I nominate Holyhead as my most exciting.  In the neck of the V shaped concourse plan is a free standing station clock. There used to be Stanier Pacifics simmering alongside Dun Loaghaire railway steamers.  it comes complete with aggressive seagulls, smells of hot oil and steam, and a salty tang spliced with a slight whiff of bad fish.

 

 

dh

[The Johnster]

To do with my GW upbringing, and no doubt other raiways' followers will have their own London Termini that do the same for them, but looking out of the right hand windows to see those arches as you run in still get's my pulse racing.  Paddington, for all my South Wales loyalties, there can be no other.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Liverpool St could almost appear in both threads. Gloomy and depressing before the rebuild, magnificent now.

[wombatofludham]

Birmingham New Street.  Pre rebuild.

 

Unlike some I'm not a reactionary old fart who gets his knickers in a knot about 60s architecture and never subscribe to the jaundiced, copy-cat view that the pre-rebuild station was a pile of cack.  Even today, with a more standardised unitised train service there is still a good variety of trains using the station, there's always something moving and of interest and waiting for a train is never a bore.  Of course when I was a regular commuter at the station in the 80s and 90s we had a bewildering variety of different things moving around the station from 08s and DMUs to electrics and HSTs.

 

In second place, Stafford.  I've always loved the architecture of the station ever since I went there for the first time at primary school in 1972 to be given a tour with the rest of the class.  Add in a constant stream of fascinating trains, even today, and (last time I used the station at any rate) an enthusiast-friendly management and you can't beat it.

​You can keep your hideous Gothic temples trying to make a railway station look like some ancient place of worship, for me the true excitement of a station is the variety of trains, destinations and services the station has, after all, a station is just a means of people accessing a service to a destination.  For that you can't beat New Street, or Stafford.

[stewartingram]

Liverpool St could almost appear in both threads. Gloomy and depressing before the rebuild, magnificent now.

As one who witnessed the old & new, I actually think you have the categories the wrong way round! Give me the old LST with those Westinghouse pumps panting away, and the marvellous route over that long and winding footbridge, anyday rather than the depressing modern place. Though I do admit they did a fair job of it, but I miss the old.

 

Stewart

[caradoc]

This probably won't be popular but I like the new Reading; Having spent 3 years commuting from and to Oxford, and spending more time than I care to recall on Platform 4 waiting for Down trains, the new layout is an operator's dream. Plus, when taking the kids to Legoland, I enjoyed waiting at Slough for the Windsor shuttle; The thrill as a Down HST rushes through at line speed is something else ! 

[Kris]

St Ives (Cornwall), just for the view.

[eastwestdivide]

Ebbsfleet,

early in the morning,

sitting in the Eurostar departure lounge (glad it's not the mayhem of St Pancras),

drinking coffee,

the excitement and anticipation of a trip to somewhere new,

watching the pointy-nosed fast commuter trains,

and remembering that when I grew up, this was all a worked-out chalk pit, with cronky slam-door trains passing by at Northfleet.

Edited July 25, 2017 by eastwestdivide

[rodent279]

This probably won't be popular but I like the new Reading; Having spent 3 years commuting from and to Oxford, and spending more time than I care to recall on Platform 4 waiting for Down trains, the new layout is an operator's dream. Plus, when taking the kids to Legoland, I enjoyed waiting at Slough for the Windsor shuttle; The thrill as a Down HST rushes through at line speed is something else !

Agreed, I like it too.

[Zomboid]

I like the 60s architecture of stair Stafford and Coventry. Waterloo is probably the best of the London stations in terms of being a passenger.

 

The finest stations I've used myself though have been Washington Union station (the nice bit at least, it has some pretty grubby corners) and Berlin Hbf.

 

In this country it's probably Porthmadoc Harbour. The variety of unique and unusual motive power, and the sheer amount of stuff going on when both FR and WHR trains are in make it a place like nowhere else I've been. And it's in Snowdonia, which is a wonderful setting.

[ChrisH-UK]

The finest stations I've used myself though have been Washington Union station (the nice bit at least, it has some pretty grubby corners) and Berlin Hbf.

 

Agreed on Berlin Hbf, Different parts of Washington Union could win for most exciting, most average and most depressing, front of house is magnificent, train waiting area varies between average and depressing, the through track "platform" areas are a bit depressing. Philadelphia also has a great building but track/platform areas are just ok, a common thing for large US stations.

 

In this country I'd vote for St Pancras for the building, the trains and the variety of destinations, also Carlisle has a special place for me (so long as it's not windy).

[Legend]

Glasgow Central . Fantastic architecture, good facilities. You can do a tour of it . Operationally very busy. ScotRail, Virgin, Virgin East Coast, Cross Country, Transpennine Express.

 

York is possibly another exciting one with variety of traffic

[Nearholmer]

Waterloo, as was. ( Nobody could get excited about it now, unless they are seriously into buying sandwiches and handbags.)

 

As a boy from a very dull small town, where absolutely nothing happened, ever, going to Waterloo was like landing on another planet. I won't go on about it again, just recommend that you watch "Terminus", because it captures it perfectly, or look at that big painting by cuneo, which is a tiny bit gaudy, but close.

Kevin

Edited July 25, 2017 by Nearholmer

[eastglosmog]

Again spoilt for choice.  Like Legend, I very much like Glasgow Central, great place (and I have spent quite few hours there, waiting for a connection after traveling on the West Highland).  Another one, mainly for the scenery, is Conwy, a neat compact station constrained by Conwy town walls.  I also would add my local station, Charlbury, because of the neat, well preserved Brunel timber station building which is always pleasant to look at.

[The Pilotman]

I arrived in St. Pancras from Brussels a few months ago, the first time I'd been there since the rebuild and was mightily impressed. Head and shoulders above the dump of Brussels Midi.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Toss-up between the Deltics at KX or the Thousands at Padd.

 

If pressed, would have to choose Padd.

[rockershovel]

I worked for several years for John Murphy in Central London, much of it as a dimensional or tunnelling surveyor. I worked on the reconstruction of the Liverpool Street roof, and it was the most challenging thing I've ever done professionally. I can sit outside Wetherspoons with a pint and contemplate it for hours.

 

Angel Station escalator. The longest escalator in Europe and again, very challenging to set out; far more so, than the much shorter Liverpool Street one. I've been known to break my journey just to ride up and down it.

 

Charing Cross, where I worked on the Embankment Place development, mostly the steel frame. The view from the top was astounding.

 

And a much more recent one, the overall roof at Kings X new concourse.

Edited July 25, 2017 by rockershovel

[Davexoc]

It would have to be Crewe in BR blue days with so many different loco classes. Then even the early 2000s with Pendolino drags and the DRS 20s on flasks, still a fair bit going on and all too easy to miss something at either end of the station or using the avoiders.

 

Dave

[rodent279]

I like the 60s architecture of stair Stafford and Coventry. Waterloo is probably the best of the London stations in terms of being a passenger.

 

The finest stations I've used myself though have been Washington Union station (the nice bit at least, it has some pretty grubby corners) and Berlin Hbf.

 

In this country it's probably Porthmadoc Harbour. The variety of unique and unusual motive power, and the sheer amount of stuff going on when both FR and WHR trains are in make it a place like nowhere else I've been. And it's in Snowdonia, which is a wonderful setting.

 

Koln Hbf is another impressive one, with the Hohenzollern bridge making a grand entrance over the Rhine. Milan Central is another one, and Basel is an interesting international crossroads.

[APOLLO]

The (old) Manchester Victoria before its rebuilding.

 

Tons of action, steam (and diesel) banking locos in the middle road, Peaks, Back 5's etc on the Liverpool Newcastle's departing Exchange & passing through Vic accelerating hard on the fast line, DMU's everywhere, EMU's on the Bury trains, Parcels DMU's, Goods trains clanking through. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it HAS to be Manchester Victoria.

 

Brit15

Edited July 25, 2017 by APOLLO

[rodent279]

As for UK statsions, probably Euston followed closely by Man P & Bris TM. Exeter St D used to be full of interest, but I find it a bit stale now.

 

Off the beaten track somewhat, Calstock on the Gunnislake branch, is sited right at the end of the impressive Calstock Viaduct, which, incidentally, is not made of stone, though it looks like it. It's actually made from thousands of concrete blocks, cast on the quayside below the viaduct.

 

There you go-more mind-blowing piffling trivialities for you!

[Nearholmer]

Apollo

 

Always raining, though.

 

Kevin

[APOLLO]

Apollo

 

Always raining, though.

 

Kevin

 

Sun came out for this shot - a rare event indeed !!!!

 

 

Brit15

[LNER4479]

Carlisle Citadel.

 

OK, maybe not so much these days (although I'm sure it will look splendid when all the scaffolding comes down from the present roof repair); I'm thinking more of scenes like this:

 

Then imagine it in pre-WWI days: LNWR (plum & spilt milk), Midland (Red), NER (green), NBR, Caley (blue), G&SWR, Maryport & Carlisle - was there ever such a kaleidoscope of colours and styles all in one place anywhere else on the GB system?

[bimble]

I quite enjoy York, and have killed a few evenings off when I've been in town watching a wide variety of trains come through, including freights and the Royal Mail.

 

I also have fond memories of afternoons on summer holiday in West Germany watching the trains in the Rhine/Mosel valleys.