The Stationmaster Looks At Bourne End (the one on the Wycombe Branch)

[The Stationmaster]

In August 1971 the signalbox at Bourne End, the junction for Marlow, was finally closed having lead a very limited existence since the closure of the line onward to High Wycombe. As will be seen it was replaced by a ground frame but otherwise much of the station had remained unaltered albeit with what was politely called a 'rationalised track layout' which up until them mainly consisted of removing a rail here & there.

 

Already the signalbox - which lay to the north of the level crossing - had been physically cut-off from the railway it operated by removal of the level crossing gates (might have been barriers by then - I'm not sure) and the erection of a wall! So here we are at Bourne End on a dismal summer day looking mainly at the remaining signalling detail - which still included facing point lock bars.

 

And as we're mainly here to look at signal we'll start with the splitting Up Starting Signal on the Down Loop - at that time already used by the vast majority of trains and a standard Reading tubular steel product with the left doll reading towards Maidenhead, the right one towards Marlow and disc to read to the Down Siding.

 

 

Next we turn round and look towards the still substantial Down side station building with the Marlow bay to the left of it. If you look very carefully (and the pic is good enough) a facing point lock bar can be made out inside the switch rail of the point just this side of the signal -

 

 

Now we turn to face Maidenhead, with a train arriving towards the former Down Loop, an S&T mess coach in the Down Siding and the Up Loop Starting Signal right in front of us; the former goods sidings to the left have already gone -

 

 

We turn again towards the bracket signal which has now been cleared for the dmu to depart towards Marlow - again, hopefully, the facing point lock bar can be seen against the now open switch rail -

 

 

Now we're at the Wycombe end of the station having a look over the level crossing at the signalbox - which shows clear signs of an extension in the past -

 

 

And now swinging slightly to the left a look at what remains of the railway towards High Wycombe, basically no more than a run-round loop with handpoints but not much use with a rail removed -

 

 

And now we can see why the level crossing gates are no longer needed - a solid block of concrete forming stop blocks for both lines and a new token hut on the right (the wooden structure in white primer) -

 

 

The track of the Marlow bay already lies rusting behind the Down platform - rendered redundant by earlier train service changes which will soon spell the end for the signalbox too -

 

 

Swinging slightly right we get a view of both platforms plus the goods shed backing directly onto the Up platform -

 

 

And now we can see part of the reason for the rust in the Marlow bay - not only out of use but partially severed and the Starting Signal stripped of its arm and most of its fittings and the new ground frame taking up part of the former bay line with another new token hut behind it

 

 

Now we're looking again towards Maidenhead but this time from the Down platform and with a nice facing point lock bar taking centre stage (interesting to note that by this time all the FPL covers had been removed -

 

 

 

As our visit draws to a close we'll take one last look at the signalbox and then sneak a quick peak at the diagram already in position for the new ground frame which in this age of economic operation will be operated by traincrew and will mean the end of two jobs for Signalmen -

 

 

 

I could now enter Peter Sellars mode and talk about 'as we leave Bourne End ... etc' but I'll close with the rather nice remaining running-in board on the Up platform and a hint about what this could do for those interested in modelling 'a pretty little GW branchline junction'. Marlow was - as many know - a branch off a branch and the 'main line' at Bourne End was what we in the London Division knew as 'the Wycombe branch'. 'Branch' it might well have been called but it was almost a mini mainline at times and apart from seeing occasional visits from larger GW locos it could also boast regular visits by 'foreigners' on excursions - so if you want an excuse of a small station where you really could see a 14XX and a 'Jubilee' next to each other this is it!

 

Farewell from Bourne End

 

[beast66606]

Somewhere I travelled "through" in 1980 ! - thanks for the pictures.

[rovex]

Great photos - incredibly atmospheric - would also make an interesting project for a layout, with the railway in decline but plenty of evidence of how things used to be.

 

Thanks for sharing

[Rugd1022]

Wonderful stuff Mike, these images so easily 'hit the right spot'... there's so much detail to take in, on and off the railway! For starters, there's the black and white enamel totem, very, very rare, since Bourne End was one of only four stations on the entire WR to have them in this colour. Off the top of my head two of the others were in Cornwall (one was certainly Redruth).

 

The WR chocolate and cream colour scheme looks great too, I've always preferred this look to the earlier GWR light / dark stone combo. The running in board on the Up platform is a peach, I wonder why it wasn't replaced (or covered up) with an appropriate enamel one...?

 

And the period motor cars in view.... a Vauxhall Estate (extremely rare now), a Vauxhall Viva, an ever present Moggy Traveller and a pair of Jags parked behind the Viva - a Mk2 and what looks like the tail end of a Series 1 XJ6 beyond, the transport of choice for captains of Industry in 1971, so not exactly cheap.

 

I'm so glad you bought that scanner Mike!

[roundhouse]

I have a work collegue who lives very close to the station here.

 

Superb photos of a time I hadnt seen before. . of this station.

 

Ian

[Karhedron]

Lovely shots. I grew up in Maidenhead and walked the line from Bourne End to Wycombe (or at least as far as the M40) many years after the track was lifted. I always found Bourne End such a fascinating station. The way it had been severed left unmistakable traces of what it used to be. Even today the old timber goods shed survives in small business use.

 

I don't suppose you have any photos from a few years earlier when the line north and the goods yard were still in use?

 

I have thought about modelling Bourne End in the past and I agree it is a subject with lot of potential. The usual GWR fair of prairies, panniers and auto-tanks could be run as a very traditional branchline. But the regatta excursion traffic was something to see! The route was red-rated (in spite of its backwater status) and many famous locos including Evening Star visited the line. Then you have the timber traffic to Greenwich sawmills at Marlow and traffic to the paper mill just north of Bourne End itself. There are some nice shots here.

 

http://www.mdrs.org.uk/wycmaidmarlow.htm

 

The main difficulty for a model is the lack of scenic breaks and the direction the tracks curve in once leaving the station. If you could pretend that Cores End crossing (a bit north of the station) was a bridge instead of a flat crossing, that would make life easier in one direction at least.

[Fay Singpoint]

.. an S&T mess coach in the Down Siding

 

I suspect that might be the West Ealing area mess coach as Bourne End was on the West Ealing Area S&T depot patch..

[David Bigcheeseplant]

Great pictures, have you any photos of the other stations on the line, Cookham, Wooburn Green, and Loudwater

 

David

[chrisf]

I'm sure we have mentioned Class 103s in the London Division before. They did not spend all that long at Reading IIRC so it is good to see a pic.

 

Chris

[BG John]

Already the signalbox - which lay to the north of the level crossing - had been physically cut-off from the railway it operated by removal of the level crossing gates (might have been barriers by then - I'm not sure) and the erection of a wall!

I'm pretty sure it was barriers. I think I've got a photo of a Hymek on the crossing, but I haven't got that far with my scanning yet.

[The Stationmaster]

Alas I don't think I've got anything earlier across the Wycombe branch - strangely enough I'd never even travelled on it until I started on the railway notwithstanding it being fairly close to home. I do however - somewhere - have some other pics taken at Bourne End although they show very little of teh station; I'll find them one day I hope.

[Dave777]

Great photos, many thanks for posting.

 

It certainly does look very modellable - as I look through the photos there's not actually anything that leaps out as a modelling challenge, it all looks very do-able & achievable indeed (although some might say the lack of challenge is itself a problem )

 

Couple of Qs, if I may - has the camera shortened it or does the loco release at the end of the runround look a bit tight?

 

Also, what was the reason for the lighted concrete walkway in the photo with the caption 'And now we can see part of the reason for the rust in the Marlow bay - not only out of use but partially severed and the Starting Signal stripped of its arm and most of its fittings and the new ground frame taking up part of the former bay line with another new token hut behind it'? I can't seem to work out where this path actually goes and thus the reason to light it?

 

Thanks again.

[Karhedron]

Also, what was the reason for the lighted concrete walkway in the photo with the caption 'And now we can see part of the reason for the rust in the Marlow bay - not only out of use but partially severed and the Starting Signal stripped of its arm and most of its fittings and the new ground frame taking up part of the former bay line with another new token hut behind it'? I can't seem to work out where this path actually goes and thus the reason to light it?

I think this used to lead to the South signal box. This was situated close to where the mess coach is parked.

[Karhedron]

I'm pretty sure it was barriers. I think I've got a photo of a Hymek on the crossing, but I haven't got that far with my scanning yet.

I would like to see that if you find it please. Photos of hydraulics on the line are quite rare. Was it on a normal service or one of the demolition trains.

[rob D2]

Great photos, showing a nice sense of dereliction. I am Marlow born and bred so went through the sleepy backwater of BE alot.

[Graham_Muz]

Mike

 

A bit of a me too post but thanks for sharing (especially as it quite local to me) and boy are we glad you purchased a scanner, keep em comming...

[eastwestdivide]

Good stuff - anyone like to post a current-day photo for comparison?

[The Stationmaster]

Great photos, many thanks for posting.

 

It certainly does look very modellable - as I look through the photos there's not actually anything that leaps out as a modelling challenge, it all looks very do-able & achievable indeed (although some might say the lack of challenge is itself a problem )

 

Couple of Qs, if I may - has the camera shortened it or does the loco release at the end of the runround look a bit tight?

 

Also, what was the reason for the lighted concrete walkway in the photo with the caption 'And now we can see part of the reason for the rust in the Marlow bay - not only out of use but partially severed and the Starting Signal stripped of its arm and most of its fittings and the new ground frame taking up part of the former bay line with another new token hut behind it'? I can't seem to work out where this path actually goes and thus the reason to light it?

 

Thanks again.

I think we are getting a less than complimentary view of the headshunt on the run round - it would almost certainly have been long enough for a Hymek 'plus a bit' if it was to have been of any use!

 

The lit path is a bit puzzling but I think I have worked it out - it's the remnant of a barrow crossing - note it leads right up to the rail edge on the Down Siding and once, I suspect, crossed to the end of the Up platform which is opposite. The surface at the end of the Down platform is far too good, and much too wide, for a normal walkway. I presume that if the level crossing was once used for that purpose it had become too busy/dangerous and this was the alternative route. It is clearly visible on this pic I've just found on the 'net http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bourne_End_railway_station_1861486_706a4360.jpg

[BG John]

I would like to see that if you find it please. Photos of hydraulics on the line are quite rare. Was it on a normal service or one of the demolition trains.

I'll try to find it later. My photo albums are stored under the sofa, and I have to lift up the seat base to get to them. I'm doing a full size mock up of my new layout on the sofa, and can't move it at the moment!

[BG John]

Haven't found the Hymek picture yet, but here are two of the crossing taken I took in 1971, and one of Loudwater Road Crossing Ground Frame(?) taken in August 1970 by my late friend Mick Hutson.

 

 

 

[AberdeenBill]

Many thanks Mike: fantastic photos, expert commentary and all in the comfort of my own kitchen with a beer by my side

[Xerces Fobe2]

I'm sure we have mentioned Class 103s in the London Division before. They did not spend all that long at Reading IIRC so it is good to see a pic.

 

Chris

 

Four Class 103 units were transferred to the London Division of the WR @ 1971 in order to work the Thames Valley Branch lines - I think that they arrived to late to reach High Wycombe via Bourne End

 

One on these units survives at Trevarno on the Helston branch and is currently stabled in the station and is used to serve refreshments. - I was on the unit on Sunday

 

XF

[roundhouse]

Here are some shots from 1986. One towards Maidenhead and one towards Loudwater.

 

Ian

[Xerces Fobe2]

This line should never have been shut as it forms part of a very useful link - Given that a some of the trackbed has being built on I can never seeing it reopening - however a light rail scheme may be feasible using both road and sections of the old right of way.

 

XF

[Karhedron]

This line should never have been shut as it forms part of a very useful link - Given that a some of the trackbed has being built on I can never seeing it reopening - however a light rail scheme may be feasible using both road and sections of the old right of way.

Much as I would have liked the line to have survived, I can see why it did not. Traffic in the late 60s was not enough to fill the single bubble car that used to ply the route. Pictures of the stations north of Bourne End from this period typically show just a handful of passengers. Plus there were 5 crossings on the route which were expensive at the time as they were still manned (I think).

Traffic from High Wycombe and beyond could still access Paddington at Northolt junction.