Trivia: Unofficial station name signs

[weepingwillowb]

I saw a couple yesterday, at Huncoat and Rishton. Both had the station name painted on bases of stones (or setts).

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Poulton in Lancashire and Grimsby in Lincolnshire have signs of a similar nature.

 

[Halish Railway]

There’s the almighty COV (Coventry).

 

[plugwash]

There is a station in the north west (think it's on the buxton line) with a huge array of station name boards (all showing the station's name) in different styles.

 

[Ianno87]

Hindley has one in the station garden, as does Carbis Bay.

 

[telstarbox]

There is a station in the north west (think it's on the buxton line) with a huge array of station name boards (all showing the station's name) in different styles.

Do you mean Handforth?

 

[Watershed]

Lichfield Trent Valley has a similar sign on the Low Level Up platform, with mileages to London and Glasgow.

 

[Taunton]

Bere Ferrers in Devon has a whole range of "Southern Region style" nameboards etc, which come from the heritage-style museum/hotel in the old premises. Some are mounted right up to the property boundary behind the platform, so it's not really clear which belongs to who.

 

[mike57]

Does this count, spotted at Wolverhampton a few years ago, on April 1st from memory, a Virgin promotion of a film I think. Caused some confusion to a Chinese couple sat opposite me.

 

[pdeaves]

Do you mean Handforth?

That will be the one: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/stations/handforth.shtm to illustrate.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There is a station in the north west (think it's on the buxton line) with a huge array of station name boards (all showing the station's name) in different styles.

Very illustrative. Personal preferences will quite possibly differ, but seeing them side-by-side gives a fairly good idea of which design/style of station name boards work, and which really don't!

 

[davetheguard]

Bere Ferrers in Devon has a whole range of "Southern Region style" nameboards etc, which come from the heritage-style museum/hotel in the old premises. Some are mounted right up to the property boundary behind the platform, so it's not really clear which belongs to who.

These pictures were taken in 2018:

 

[D6130]

Poulton in Lancashire and Grimsby in Lincolnshire have signs of a similar nature.

Appleby on the Settle-Carlisle line also has one on the Up platform....and several other stations on the line have Midland-style red-painted signboards giving various snippets of information as well as the station name. Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale come to mind. IIRC, these were provided by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle line.

Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire has a plethora of signs, including panels detailing the lives and careers of several local worthies, as well as some reproduction orange North Eastern Region totem-style nameboards - all provided by the very active station friends group. Just a few miles down the line, the Grade 2 - listed Hebden Bridge station retains most of its original wooden Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway nameboards and direction indicator signs with white block lettering and edging on a black background.

Over on the Isle of Wight, all the Island Line stations have - or had on my last visit four years ago - green Southern Region-style totem nameboards on the platforms.

 

[181]

(Upper) Tyndrum

There’s the almighty COV (Coventry).

Pictured here

 

[Unixman]

Gobowen - (Large sign "Gobowen for Oswestry")

 

[pdeaves]

Gobowen - (Large sign "Gobowen for Oswestry")

View attachment 105023

Is that 'unofficial' (as per thread) or just 'heritage' as it's never been changed?

 

[weepingwillowb]

Nice to see that Gobowen sign, so I don't mind. Either way, it's not a bog standard UK station nameboard.

 

[The Quincunx]

Hanwell also has an old black-and-white sign.

 

[davetheguard]

Hanwell also has an old black-and-white sign.

Good to see that has been retained as part of the Crossrail refurb. I wonder why it's black & white when they've gone for pre-nationalisation GW-style light & dark stone colours on the lamposts? Perhaps the black & white is historically correct - anyone know?

 

[pdeaves]

Good to see that has been retained as part of the Crossrail refurb. I wonder why it's black & white when they've gone for pre-nationalisation GW-style light & dark stone colours on the lamposts? Perhaps the black & white is historically correct - anyone know?

The station is listed, so that may have a bearing on colours ('what it was when listed').

 

[davetheguard]

The station is listed, so that may have a bearing on colours ('what it was when listed').

You may well be right. My memory may be playing tricks, but I think the running in boards were painted chocolate & cream back in B.R. days.

 

[The Quincunx]

Good to see that has been retained as part of the Crossrail refurb. I wonder why it's black & white when they've gone for pre-nationalisation GW-style light & dark stone colours on the lamposts? Perhaps the black & white is historically correct - anyone know?

There's also this rather pleasant sign.

 

[NSE]

Sandy has one in bricks.

 

[birchesgreen]

Bilbrook

 

[SAPhil]

St Albans has one made out of black painted bricks on platform 4

 

[GCRS]

Apologies for the terrible photo, but this is on the wall at Betws-y-Coed.

 

[Bigman]

I am sure Oakworth has got one on the KWVR.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Largs has a sign made entirely out of carefully arranged pebbles behind one of the platforms.

 

[wellhouse]

 

[pdeaves]

View attachment 105222

Northern did a couple of others at the same time - Hartle-yule and Ho Ho Holmes Chapel. In case anyone's wondering, these were in aid of charities local to each (temporarily) renamed station.