faded glory?

[first_ade]

We recently travelled on the S Settle to Carlisle line, and stopped at Hellifield. I was amazed to find that historically it was a major station - the half way stop on Midland journeys to the North), hence its rather grand iron work - a definite case of faded glory.

What other (still operational) stations hide an important past?

 

[150222]

Manchester Victoria, Bradford Interchange (formally Exchange) to name a few. there are loads really, in-fact most stations that existed before the beeching axe probably.

 

[Yew]

Worksop, a stone buildings for the station, both sides, 5 carriages long.

Max 5TPH, and one of those is the same train that turns round.

 

[krus_aragon]

Pontypridd. Currenty has two through platforms in use (at different levels) and mostly empty station buildings, built in brick and wrought iron. Was previously a major station on the Taff Vale Railway network, with numerous bay platforms, countless coal trains rolling through, and when opened, the longest platform in the world. It,s the most haunting/moving station I've been at, as the past glory is easily seen, but has been abandoned and cannibalised.

 

[PinzaC55]

Manors in Newcastle used to have 9 platforms, two ticket offices and frequent services on four routes.Today it is unstaffed and has about 4 trains a day.
Bishop Auckland had 4 platforms on all sides of a triangle with services on 6 routes but today it has a single unstaffed platform with a skeleton service on one route, unless you count the Weardale Railway.
Stockton used to be a major station with an overall roof but today it is an unstaffed halt with bus shelters.

 

[142094]

Manors in Newcastle used to have 9 platforms, two ticket offices and frequent services on four routes.Today it is unstaffed and has about 4 trains a day.

Probably one of the biggest stations to see such a rationalisation in both terms of size and services that call there.

 

[yorksrob]

My own local station (Normanton) used to be a very important station back in the day. A major junction and the place trains used to stop for watering and feeding (and peeing). I read somewhere that in the previous century it had another great island platform like Doncaster has now, although I've never seen anything to prove it. Since other main lines have been built, and Goose hill junction lost it's route South it has fallen on more austere times, however:

In the more modern era, today I used it's track level foot crossing for the last ever time this morning on the way to work. (If I'd known, I'd have savoured the moment a bit longer) Then this evening on the way back, I used the brand spanking new foot bridge for the first time.

 

[Proud Salopian]

In Shropshire: Oswestry and Wellington fit the bill. Oswestry's demise is plain to see. Wellington retains a bit of its former self.

 

[exile]

Tynemouth. A huge station. Oddly enough, passenger numbers are actually bigger now as a Tyne and Wear Metro station than in its supposed heyday.

Whitchurch. Once a significant junction but now just a "halt".

 

[Welshman]

In the days of steam, Low Moor, between Bradford and Halifax, used to have two island platforms, and was where the ex L & Y services from Liverpool Exchange and Manchester Victoria were divided into portions for Bradford Exchange and Leeds Central, and joined in the opposite direction.

It also had an engine shed and extensive carriage sidings, and was at the apex of a triangular junction with the Spen Valley line through Liversedge to Mirfield at the southern end and a spur to Dudley Hill at the northern end.

Today, the two simple running lines give no hint of the previous activity in this area, although WY Metro does have plans to re-open a station here.

 

[exile]

Not far from Low Moor - Sowerby Bridge, one of the other large L and Y junctions and now a bus-shelter type station.

 

[yorksrob]

Not far from Low Moor - Sowerby Bridge, one of the other large L and Y junctions and now a bus-shelter type station.

But at least the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms provide a decent spot to stop over

 

[150222]

Not far from Low Moor - Sowerby Bridge, one of the other large L and Y junctions and now a bus-shelter type station.

but still has 2 trains per hour. actually most stations on the calder valley were much bigger back then.

 

[Welshman]

Indeed - Halifax [with 6 platforms] and Rochdale being good examples.

 

[Wyvern]

Ambergate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergate_railway_station

Had various plans come to fruition it would have been an interchange between the line between Derby and Leeds and another between Manchester and the Eastern Counties.

As it was, throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became an important interchange with 28,207 tickets sold in 1872 rising to 90,157 by 1922.

By 1876 it had grown to a third platform in a triangular formation. Now it is a single track unstaffed halt on what is now the Matlock branch

 

[route:oxford]

Perth always seems so vast and empty. Can imagine it being very busy with the bay platforms for routes to crieff, forfar and others.

Looking at historic maps, Stratford must have been a busy one too.

 

[LE Greys]

Boston was once a serious junction, with routes to Grimsby and Spalding as well as Sleaford and Skegness, not to mention the docks. Now, just another wayside station.

Melton Constable was 'the Swindon of the East', all gone now.

Woodford Halse had a shed, yards, works and a junction. Also gone.

 

[exile]

If we're extending the scope to stations that no longer exist at all - how about Broad Street in London? Incredibly busy up to World War 1 but as the tube, tram and bus networks grew it was by the end a ghostly hulk and now gone forever.

Another station that still exists - Snow Hill in Birmingham. OK it's still pretty busy but only a shadow of its former self.

 

[jopsuk]

Stirling is at least a junction station again- but is till a rather larger station than one with its level of traffic would require. It does, after all, have a platform 10- but only 2, 3, 6 are used by passenger services for most of the day. Built when as well as the services through Larbert, Dunblane and to Alloa, there was the branch to Callender and beyond and numerous other small lines. The legacy has left it with stunning sweeping staircases to the footbridge

 

[exile]

My memories of Perth station include the TPO which either started from or stopped there - it had a letter box in its side so you could post a letter to London after the official "last post" time!
Actually in those days there were rather fewer trains and passengers than today but they were all loco hauled, 5 coaches and upwards which always gave the impression of the station being busy.

 

[142094]

Tynemouth. A huge station. Oddly enough, passenger numbers are actually bigger now as a Tyne and Wear Metro station than in its supposed heyday.

You'll probably find that for most of the ex-BR stations on the network - mainly due to the vastly increased frequency and beter trains. Interestingly Tynemouth is one of a handful of stations not owned by Nexus, and funding has been secured to start some of the repairs to the canopies outside of the platform areas used by the Metro.

 

[exile]

You'll probably find that for most of the ex-BR stations on the network - mainly due to the vastly increased frequency and beter trains. Interestingly Tynemouth is one of a handful of stations not owned by Nexus, and funding has been secured to start some of the repairs to the canopies outside of the platform areas used by the Metro.

Good, although impressive it looks neglected. There's a restaurant there and a regular book fair is held on the station.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Selby yet. It's fascinating to think that that patch of empty ballast between the running lines used to be the East Coast mainline until quite recently.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Another vote for Snow Hill. Yes, it is a busy station with very frequent services to a large number of local destinations and it even has a London service, but used to be a building that Birmingham would have been proud of. Now it is a bit tatty and not a very nice place to wait on the platforms at. At least recent cosmetic work on the entrances to the station has prevented it from being seen as an utter dump as the front door blends in very well with the offices of Colmore Row and the new back door is nice and was long overdue, but it still is a shadow of its former self. Nice to see it is heading in the right direction though.

 

[142094]

Manors in Newcastle used to have 9 platforms, two ticket offices and frequent services on four routes.Today it is unstaffed and has about 4 trains a day.

Since the timetable changes it now has 10 trains each way Mon-Sat, which is one hell of an improvemnt.

 

[PinzaC55]

Since the timetable changes it now has 10 trains each way Mon-Sat, which is one hell of an improvemnt.

That's interesting. Do those just go to Morpeth or any further? I suppose logically if the Northumberland Coast line had a decent service again there's no reason why Manors shouldn't be relatively busy.

Yorksrob said -

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Selby yet. It's fascinating to think that that patch of empty ballast between the running lines used to be the East Coast mainline until quite recently.

I'd hardly call 28 years "recently"?

 

[Wyvern]

Anywhere along the (now) Matlock branch.

Imagine seeing the Palatine with a Jubilee at its head come blasting out of Willersley Tunnel

or Matlock:

 

[cle]

I'd say Crewe a little.

It is still busy in terms of train numbers, but there used to be a lot more platforms in use.

Now that the Chester/North Wales Virgin trains are so much more frequent, its busiest connection has been obliterated or at least pushed on to Chester.

Also less ex-London trains stop, like the Glasgows and Liverpools.

 

[ainsworth74]

I'm going to throw Saltburn out there. The station formally had 4 platforms, a bunch of carriage siding, a direct rail link to the rear of the Zetland Hotel for first class passengers as well as proper station buildings. These days just two platforms and a bus shelter and even the approaches have been reduced from two tracks to one.

 

[PinzaC55]

If somebody can have Crewe I am sure I can have York. Oh to go back to Deltic days with all 16 platforms in use, every Modernisation Plan diesel running there and one of my favourite things the old Electro Pneumatic point motors which let out a loud hiss and crash as they changed...and of course the centre roads.The Norse Buffet open till about 2 in the morning with a jukebox and a Space Invaders game!
The station now is so bland and boring.