The most decrepit, derelict station photo challenge

[Bomag]

3 hours ago, Chris116 said:

More a case of turning a through station into a terminus and making sure it could not be reinstated easily. 

 

I thought the M&S was at the end of the bay platforms; the through platforms are used as car parking.

[Ben B]

7 hours ago, Bomag said:

 

I thought the M&S was at the end of the bay platforms; the through platforms are used as car parking.

 

I believe that's the case, the car park is on the Skipton side of the formation. It would be impossible to put the through lines back, the bridges and viaduct beyond the station have been long-demolished and the formation built over.  But then given the whole line to Ilkley was threatened with closure for years, it's a mercy it survived at all.

 

What would make more of a difference would be to reinstate the old through line as a new bay with a loco release, so excursions could visit the town. Right now the minimal station only just copes with the electric services. Well, the pre-lockdown high frequency timetable anyway.

[Northmoor]

3 hours ago, Ben B said:

 

I believe that's the case, the car park is on the Skipton side of the formation. It would be impossible to put the through lines back, the bridges and viaduct beyond the station have been long-demolished and the formation built over.  But then given the whole line to Ilkley was threatened with closure for years, it's a mercy it survived at all.

 

What would make more of a difference would be to reinstate the old through line as a new bay with a loco release, so excursions could visit the town. Right now the minimal station only just copes with the electric services. Well, the pre-lockdown high frequency timetable anyway.

Virtually every branch terminus in the UK has now lost it's loco release and loop, but excursions get around this by top-and-tailing locomotives.  Since these services often involve multiple reversals, it's not an expensive solution and is actually very time-saving compared to running round at every terminus.  From NR's point of view, it's cheaper to impose this cost on the operator than for maybe one excursion a year (sometimes more, sometimes less) to have to cover the maintenance costs of two extra sets of points.

If excursions aren't going to Ilkley (and they should, it's a lovely town), it's more likely due to lack of paths between the regular services or that it simply hasn't promoted itself to tour operators well enough, or at all.

[Ben B]

16 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Virtually every branch terminus in the UK has now lost it's loco release and loop, but excursions get around this by top-and-tailing locomotives.  Since these services often involve multiple reversals, it's not an expensive solution and is actually very time-saving compared to running round at every terminus.  From NR's point of view, it's cheaper to impose this cost on the operator than for maybe one excursion a year (sometimes more, sometimes less) to have to cover the maintenance costs of two extra sets of points.

If excursions aren't going to Ilkley (and they should, it's a lovely town), it's more likely due to lack of paths between the regular services or that it simply hasn't promoted itself to tour operators well enough, or at all.

 

From what I gather paths are indeed tight, but there just isn't the platform capacity with only two roads. A pity as Ilkley is a nice town and would make a good venue for an excursion I'd have thought.

 

I'm trying to think what other towns have stations with loco release... Whitby is a bit of a special case, but do Aberystwyth and Pwllheli? Those stations both looked a bit run down about a decade back, but seemed a bit tidier last year. I know ERTMS prevents it, but I'd assume both could still accept excursions.

[Northmoor]

24 minutes ago, Ben B said:

 

I'm trying to think what other towns have stations with loco release... Whitby is a bit of a special case, but do Aberystwyth and Pwllheli? Those stations both looked a bit run down about a decade back, but seemed a bit tidier last year. I know ERTMS prevents it, but I'd assume both could still accept excursions.

I think Aberystwyth may have lost their run-round loop, but Pwllheli may still have it.  Further South, I believe Fishguard, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock are all now effectively long sidings.

All the Cornish branches have been this way for some years, even Newquay, the branch which had loco-hauled trains for longest.

Edited July 12, 2020 by Northmoor

[Andy Kirkham]

Blaenau Ffestiniog still had a loop last time I was there.

[montyburns56]

Farringdon

 

 

 

 

I never knew that these MK1 suburbans were actually labelled to show that they were for Kings Cross Suburban services. Presumably that was due to the limited clearances on the Widened Lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maico]

There is an almost L. S. Lowry quality to this picture of Bedford St. Johns

[Nearholmer]

Ah, Bedford St John's again!

 

It really did have star quality in dereliction and decrepitude.

 

What aspect is that shunting signal in the foreground showing? On, off, or "Really, who cares?".

[DavidLong]

7 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

Blaenau Ffestiniog still had a loop last time I was there.

Indeed it still does, Andy. This is the view of the loco release line, which was the line on to Trawsfynydd, looking back towards the station. Ground frame just visible on the right.

 

 

David

[Nick C]

I've not got any photos, but Ryde Esplanade was in a pretty bad state for many years in the 90's-2000's - it's been refurbished since

[maico]

On 12/07/2020 at 23:14, Nearholmer said:

Ah, Bedford St John's again!

 

It really did have star quality in dereliction and decrepitude.

 

What aspect is that shunting signal in the foreground showing? On, off, or "Really, who cares?".

 

New Bedford St. Jonn's isn't going to be winning any design awards...

[Chris116]

9 minutes ago, bude_branch said:

 

How about these two ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The services were terminated at Ryde St Johns that day I take it!

[bude_branch]

6 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

The services were terminated at Ryde St Johns that day I take it!

 

No, they were terminating at the south end of Esplanade, until a train was taken up to the Pier Head to meet MV Brading  which had finally made it across from Portsmouth .

[Chris116]

16 minutes ago, bude_branch said:

 

No, they were terminating at the south end of Esplanade, until a train was taken up to the Pier Head to meet MV Brading  which had finally made it across from Portsmouth .

A few years ago I went for a day on the IOW Steam Railway. I got to Ryde Pier Head via Wightlink to be told that the trains were not running due to the tunnel being flooded. They then told us to walk to the other end of the pier and buses were running to all stations on the electric railway!

 

When I got to the Bus Station at Esplanade I said that I was surprised that the buses were serving all stations and was again informed that the bus would stop at all stations. I then asked when the road to Smallbrook Junction had been completed, at which point the member of staff told me to stop being stupid and that they were not running a museum. In reply I pointed out that the tube stock was actually older than the steam engine that was due to be used that day so maybe it was the electric railway who were running a museum! In the end they gave me a return ticket to Wootton on the bus and I had a very enjoyable day.

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, bude_branch said:

 

How about these two ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting design of water trough. And at an electrified terminus too... 

[PatB]

3 hours ago, bude_branch said:

 

How about these two ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least it's getting a bit of a wash. What more do you want? . 

[Chris116]

12 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

Interesting design of water trough. And at an electrified terminus too... 

That is Ryde Esplanade which is not the terminus. Ryde Pier Head is the terminus although I suspect the railway would be happy to make Esplanade the terminus and save the cost of maintenance on the pier section. 

[009 micro modeller]

25 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

That is Ryde Esplanade which is not the terminus.

 

I knew where the terminus was, just misread where the photo was taken, my mistake. Or I could have got  confused by the amount of water...

[Nearholmer]

Many years ago, I was in the process of leaving one job and starting another, during a cold, wet February, and found I had a week of leave to take from the old job that I couldn't "swap for cash", so I foolishly decided to go for a day out to the IoW (no, I now can't explain why!).

 

Across via Lymington-Yarmouth, already wet and windy; lunch in a pub; came out and it was blowing something terrible and pouring down sideways; no ferry running back; get bus to Ryde; scenes like photos above only much more so; no trains or ferries; ferry from Fishbourne running, so given a taxi at ferry company expense; I'm the only passenger apart from a chap taking a bread delivery lorry back; out in the Solent the swell was huge, I sat in the lounge at the back watching the horizon going out of sight above the floor-to-ceiling windows, then out of site below the windows (good job I have a firm stomach!); boat banned from returning to Fishbourne or tying-up at Porstmouth due to the swell; we sat in a line of boats of all sizes, head into the wind, for about three hour,s waiting for the swell to subside a bit; eventually allowed to tie-up at Portsmoth, despite still quite frightening swell and a lot of clanking and banging; got home about 2330.

 

Until then I had this mad idea that the Solent was always like a mill pond!

[johnlambert]

On 12/07/2020 at 11:40, Ben B said:

I'm trying to think what other towns have stations with loco release... Whitby is a bit of a special case, but do Aberystwyth and Pwllheli? Those stations both looked a bit run down about a decade back, but seemed a bit tidier last year. I know ERTMS prevents it, but I'd assume both could still accept excursions.

 

Stratford-upon-Avon has loco release, in fact I think the loop was reinstated at some point after Stratford became the terminus of the North Warwickshire line.

 

Thankfullly S-o-A no longer looks quite as rundown as it once did.

[009 micro modeller]

How useable is Whitby for mainline excursions (as opposed to regular NYMR trains)?

[montyburns56]

Brading

 

 

 

 

 

 

[montyburns56]

Brading Pt 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[009 micro modeller]

53 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

Brading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice to see that IoW trains were apparently accessible long before their time (colour-contrasting doors, reminiscent of Southern’s blue and grey 313). Or had they just not finished repainting them? I don’t remember noticing this in other photos of the VECTIS/485 and 486 stock.