2. RAILWAYS
  3. BRITISH RAILWAY STATIONS

BRITISH RAILWAY STATIONS

Photographs in this gallery are of various items of railway trappings such as stations, signalboxes, signals and whatever else is not a locomotive. I took some of these, but obviously all of the older ones have been bought or passed to me and are part of my collection. Hopefully, none of them originate on the GWR! These pictures are published for pleasure/information/research purposes only and are not for sale or copy under any circumstances. Information in captions has been researched as thoroughly as possible but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
PLEASE NOTE : IMPORTANT MESSAGE : Please be aware that I do not sell copies of ANY of my pictures, DO NOT email copies to viewers or allow re-posting on other sites. Neither do I wish to enter into correspondence with any individual or group regarding my pictures or their captions. All comments reflect my personal opinions and I am not prepared to discuss these with anyone or to spend the rest of my life answering inane questions. I apologise for this disclaimer but I'm afraid it has been forced upon me. I have no wish to offend anyone and I hope you will continue to enjoy my pictures at your leisure.
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FENNY STRATFORD - 1958 - Opened by the Bedford Railway in 1846, this little station originally had staggered platforms, rebuilt in 1948 to the more conventional facing layout. It is the westernmost intermediate station on the Bedford - Bletchley (Marston Vale) line, just 1 mile from Bletchley and the point at which the Bletchley - Oxford freight line diverges. It is still open, although it now has only one platform, and the listed station buildings remain, handling about 22000 passengers per year. This line has been much modernised in recent years (although it's still fairly outdated), something of a shame as it was pleasing to find such an old fashioned railway so close to London and crossed by the M1. Seen here in November 1958.
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FENNY STRATFORD - 1958 - Opened by the Bedford Railway in 1846, this little station originally had staggered platforms, rebuilt in 1948 to the more conventional facing layout. It is the westernmost intermediate station on the Bedford - Bletchley (Marston Vale) line, just 1 mile from Bletchley and the point at which the Bletchley - Oxford freight line diverges. It is still open, although it now has only one platform, and the listed station buildings remain, handling about 22000 passengers per year. This line has been much modernised in recent years (although it's still fairly outdated), something of a shame as it was pleasing to find such an old fashioned railway so close to London and crossed by the M1. Seen here in November 1958.

  • ESSENDINE - 1950's - One of the not very numerous stations situated in Rutland, Essendine opened in 1853 with the opening of the GNR mainline between Peterborough and Grantham. It became a junction in 1856 when the line to Stamford opened and in 1860 the line to Bourne was opened. It had been intended to run through trains between Stamford and Bourne but as both branches had north facing junctions on opposite sides of the mainline, this proved not to be practical. The station was expanded to 4 through platforms when the GNR mainline was quadrupled after 1900 but Essendine was a very small village and local traffic never amounted to much. The Bourne branch closed in 1951 and that to Stamford in 1959, the same year that Essendine lost it's mainline passenger services. When I was a lad, Essendine was still open for goods traffic, much of it stemming from the adjacent Allis Chalmers factory, and retained the platform on the Up Slow, seen here. It was my nearest station on the ECML and I spent many hours here in my early teens. Seen here is GCR Class N5 0-6-2T No.69312 running around it's branch train.
  • ESSENDINE - 1959 - One of the not very numerous stations situated in Rutland, Essendine opened in 1853 with the opening of the GNR mainline between Peterborough and Grantham. It became a junction in 1856 when the line to Stamford opened and in 1860 the line to Bourne was opened. It had been intended to run through trains between Stamford and Bourne but as both branches had north facing junctions on opposite sides of the mainline, this proved not to be practical. The station was expanded to 4 through platforms when the GNR mainline was quadrupled after 1900 but Essendine was a very small village and local traffic never amounted to much. The Bourne branch closed in 1951 and that to Stamford in 1959, the same year that Essendine lost it's mainline passenger services. When I was a lad, Essendine was still open for goods traffic, much of it stemming from the adjacent Allis Chalmers factory, and retained the platform on the Up Slow, seen here. It was my nearest station on the ECML and I spent many hours here in my early teens, sitting just about in this very spot, North Box signalman permitting. Seen here is a GCR Class N5 0-6-2T on the Stamford East trip freight in June 1959.
  • FAKENHAM EAST - 1950's - Opened in 1857 by the Eastern Counties Railway, late the GER, on the line from Wymondham to Wells-next-the-Sea, the station became Fakenham East in 1948 to differentiate it from the M&GN station now known as Fakenham West. The station closed for passenger traffic in October 1964 but remained open for freight traffic until 1980. I think that this was taken through the rear windscreen of a DMU.
  • FAKENHAM EAST - 1950's - Opened in March 1849 as plain Fakenham by the Norfolk Railway, it was renamed Fakenham East by British Railways to avois confusion with Fakenham West, the ex-M&GNJR station. It closed to passenger traffic in October 1964 but remained open for freight until 1980. Here we see one of the ill-fated Class 15 diesels, D8206, shunting wagons at the grain mills. We can date the picture to about 1960 as the loco carries a 32A shedplate.
  • FAKENHAM EAST - 1964 - Opened in 1857 by the Eastern Counties Railway, late the GER, on the line from Wymondham to Wells-next-the-Sea, the station became Fakenham East in 1948 to differentiate it from the M&GN station now known as Fakenham West. The station closed for passenger traffic in October 1964 but remained open for freight traffic until 1980. Seen here in July 1964 with a Derby Lightweight DMU in the very short platform. These seems to be good number of Passengers.
  • FELIXSTOWE BEACH - 1999 - Opened in 1877, Beach was the town's main station, very inconveniently situated, until Town Station was opened in 1898. Beach subsequently became only lightly used and closed to passengers in November 1959 but still used for excursion traffic in the summer as it is only 100 yards from the seafront. The station building was demolished in April 2004 but the platform was left in situ. It is seen here in July 1999. It was still in use at this time as a signing on point and office space.
  • FELIXSTOWE TOWN - 1960's - The railway from Westerfield to Felixstowe was opened by the Felixstowe Pier and Railway Company in May 1877. The first railway station was at Felixstowe Pier and a second was soon added at Felixstowe Beach. Although the town was small (3500 in 1891), it was developing fast and mostly to the north, inconvenient to both of the existing stations. So in 1898, the Great Eastern Railway built Town Station as terminus with very long platforms to handle the rapidly expanding excursion traffic. This soon became the town's main station and is the only one open today, albeit in much reduced circumstances. In the mid 1980's, all but end of one platform was converted into a car park and the station buildings became shops. The main traffic is not now excursionists but container traffic to the large port, using the original line to Beach and Pier Stations. This picture dates from April 1963 and shows a Derby Lightweight DMU tucked away at the end of the platform. As is clear, facilities are too elaborate for the traffic generated and the two southern platforms are use as a goods depot. The three coaches on the left are old Pullman cars converted into camping coaches and positioned here from 1960 to 1965.
  • FENNY STRATFORD - 1958 - Opened by the Bedford Railway in 1846, this little station originally had staggered platforms, rebuilt in 1948 to the more conventional facing layout. It is the westernmost intermediate station on the Bedford - Bletchley (Marston Vale) line, just 1 mile from Bletchley and the point at which the Bletchley - Oxford freight line diverges. It is still open, although it now has only one platform, and the listed station buildings remain, handling about 22000 passengers per year. This line has been much modernised in recent years (although it's still fairly outdated), something of a shame as it was pleasing to find such an old fashioned railway so close to London and crossed by the M1. Seen here in November 1958.
  • FIRSBY - 1960's - Opened by the Great Northern Railway in October 1886, Firsby was at one a station of some note and very impressive to look at. It was the junction for the lines to Spilsby and Skegness and lay on the mainline from Kings Cross to Grimsby. The station was closed in October 1970 along with the rest of East Lincolnshire line and quickly demolished. All that remains is the line to Skegness, which travels via the southern chord of the previous Firsby Junction. Seen here looking north.
  • FIRSBY - 1960's - Opened by the Great Northern Railway in October 1886, Firsby was at one a station of some note and very impressive to look at. It was the junction for the lines to Spilsby and Skegness and lay on the mainline from Kings Cross to Grimsby. The station was closed in October 1970 along with the rest of East Lincolnshire line and quickly demolished. All that remains is the line to Skegness, which travels via the southern chord of the previous Firsby Junction. Seen here looking south.
  • FIRSBY - 1970 - Firsby Station was opened by the East Lincolnshire Railway in September 1848 on the route from Boston to Grimsby as Firstby. Considering that the village it served was very small, the station was quite substantial, with three platforms, two branch lines (to Skegness and Spilsby) and a very interesting arrangement of level crossing gates! The Skegness line opened in July 1873 and was the source of considerable traffic. The branch to Spilsby lost its passenger services with the outbreak of World War Two, although goods services continued until 1958. Virtually the whole of the ELR system closed in October 1970, amidst great protest, with the exception of the line to Skegness. Here we see a Class 114 DMU about to depart from the Skegness platform on March 1970. Note all of the GNR somersault signals. Apart from the DMU, this picture is timeless.
  • FIRSBY - 1970 - Firsby Station was opened by the East Lincolnshire Railway in September 1848 on the route from Boston to Grimsby as Firstby. Considering that the village it served was very small, the station was quite substantial, with three platforms, two branch lines (to Skegness and Spilsby) and a very interesting arrangement of level crossing gates! The Skegness line opened in July 1873 and was the source of considerable traffic. The branch to Spilsby lost its passenger services with the outbreak of World War Two, although goods services continued until 1958. Virtually the whole of the ELR system closed in October 1970, amidst great protest, with the exception of the line to Skegness. Here we see a Class 114 DMU arriving from Skegness in 1970 whilst another sits in the sidings.
  • FIRSBY - 1970 - Firsby Station was opened by the East Lincolnshire Railway in September 1848 on the route from Boston to Grimsby as Firstby. Considering that the village it served was very small, the station was quite substantial, with three platforms, two branch lines (to Skegness and Spilsby) and a very interesting arrangement of level crossing gates! The Skegness line opened in July 1873 and was the source of considerable traffic. The branch to Spilsby lost its passenger services with the outbreak of World War Two, although goods services continued until 1958. Virtually the whole of the ELR system closed in October 1970, amidst great protest, with the exception of the line to Skegness. Seen here looking south from the Skegness platform in 1970, somersault signals everywhere.
  • FISKERTON - 1930's - Opened in August 1846 by the Midland Railway on it's line from Nottingham to Lincoln, Fiskerton lies just to the south of Southwell. It remains open, although drastically different from how it appears here, and it's hourly services in each direction handle about 20,000 passengers per year. I think the man walking on the line is about to die as a train is signalled on it, although the distant isn't off!
  • FOKESTONE WARREN - 1900's - first opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1886, the station closed the same year in the face of opposition to it from Lord Radnor, the local landowner. It was reopened in 1908 by the SECR but was completely buried on 19/12/15 in a huge landslip which also carried the line away. It reopened again on 11/08/19 and was closed to passengers on 25/09/39, remaining open as a staff halt only until 1971. The second station is shown here, posted 02/08/13.
  • FORDHAM - 1950's - Opened in September 1879 as Fordham & Burwell on the Great Eastern Railway line from Ely to Bury St Edmunds, Fordham was the junction with the line from Cambridge to Mildenhall, which closed in 1962. Fordham Station followed in September 1965.
  • FORDHAM - 1950's - Opened in September 1879 as Fordham & Burwell on the Great Eastern Railway line from Ely to Bury St Edmunds, Fordham was the junction with the line from Cambridge to Mildenhall, which closed in 1962. Fordham Station followed in September 1965.
  • FOTHERBY HALT - 1950's -Opened in December 1905, Fotherby Halt stood on the site of an earlier station called Fotherby Gate House, closed in June 1872. It lay on the GNR's line to Louth and boasted minimal facilities. The station opened in conjunction with the GNR's motor train service, hence the low platforms, along with Utterby Halt. Passenger services ceased in September 1961, although freight services lasted until December 1980. The little gate box on the right is preserved at the East Anglian Railway Museum.
  • FOULSHAM - 1920's - Foulsham opened in May 1882 on the line from County School to Reepham in Norfolk. There was a passing loop but only the one platform and a small goods yard. Passenger services ended in September 1952 but goods traffic to County School continued until October 1964. Seen here looking east from the signalbox.
  • FOUR OAKS - 1955 - opened in 1884 when the LNWR extended its line from Sutton Coldfield to Lichfield - seen here in 1955, the line has been electrified, the station extensively modernised and it is now part of the Birmingham suburban system with 6 trains an hour in each direction. Ivatt Class 2MT No.41224 sits in the bay platform with a stopping service to Birmingham New Street.
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