Final Journeys: Line/Station Closures - Pre/Post Beeching

[Requeststop]

50 Years since the Beeching Report and the consequent axing of services. I was wondering if anyone has memories of their final rail journeys on lines that were closed/axed and from stations closed either before or after Beeching?

Strangely, I still have a cardboard certificate commemoration the final journey into Liverpool Exchange station in 1977. I was visiting relatives in Chester who were real rail enthusiasts and was taken to I think Bootle to ride into Liverpool Exchange on the final service into the station.

I'd be interested to hear of any other memories of final line journeys and station closures.

 

[yorksrob]

My last journey to Addiscombe would have been on the SEG's "End Of An Era" EPB farewell tour in either 1994 or 5.

My last trip on the Folkestone Harbour branch was the HDL "Christmas Onward" tour in 2008.

Last trip on the Oldham loop was a boozy trip for a curry having seen the rugby cup final at Old Trafford

That's it, until Newhaven Harbour's officially closed (Sussex Slammer 2005).

 

[steamybrian]

As I started my "track bashing" in the mid 1960s I did a large number of routes just prior to closure here are some-

Haywards Heath-Ardingly-Horsted Keynes
Full of enthusiasts also visiting the Bluebell
Horsham-Guildford via Cranleigh
Travelled on the penultimate train full of enthusiasts
Appledore-New Romney
Travelled over it two separate occasions both very quiet
Kings Lynn-Hunstanton
Travelled on the last day- very busy
Lowestoft- Yarmouth South Town
Travelled over in August 1969- busy 2 car train of holidaymakers
Bletchley-Oxford
Travelled on the morning of the last day- very quiet.
Visited several of the still oil light stations
Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead
Just travelled end to end on the last day- very crowded and stood all the way.
Freezing cold day.
Maiden Newton-Bridport
Did it several times before the last day. Trains always lightly loaded
Bourne End- High Wycombe
Travelled on it a few months before closure on a midweek daytime train.
I was the only passenger on the train on arrival at High Wycombe
Elmers End- Addiscombe
Travelled on it many times but never more than 2 or three passengers per train.
Was on the last train- standing room only
Elmers End-Sanderstead
Travelled on it many times- trains always lightly loaded-including several when I was only passenger.
Travelled on the last train- 10 coaches and most seats occupied.
West Croydon-Wimbledon
Travelled on it many times and always busy.
Was on the last train-packed solid- shoulder to shoulder standing room only
Same closure day as Addiscombe but the train service gave time to do both..!
Croxley Green-Watford Jn
Travelled on it before train service reduced to one train per day.
I was the only passenger on the midweek daytime service..!
Alton-Winchester
Travelled on it several times- always busy
Wareham-Swanage
Travelled on it several times-always busy!
Barnstaple-Ilfracombe
One trip on the last day- crowded with enthusiasts
Birmingham Snow Hill- Wolverhampton LL
Last day- one return trip which was crowded with enthusiasts.
What I remember was the vast cavernous Snow Hill station still in situ but just one bay platform was in use.
Broad Street-Dalston Jn
Broad Street station was partially demolished so the remaining platform was just a remnant of once large terminal
Train packed with enthusiasts
Stratford-North Woolwich
Travelled on it several timers.
Trains always busy
Uckfield-Lewes
In my opinion the worst closure mistake ever which severed a useful cross country link.
Travelled on it many times and always a steady flow of passengers.
Tunbridge Wells-Eridge
Busy with commuter traffic but off peak never more than 10 passengers per train.
On the last day trains strengthened to 6 coaches to cope with enthusiasts and locals.
Tunbridge Wells West was one of the last stations on BR with gas lighting.
Cambridge-St Ives
Did one return trip on the last day. Full of enthusiasts.
Line had been singled and stations unstaffed so the line was very much a skeleton of former glories
Three Bridges-East Grinstead-Tunbridge Wells
Did one return trip on the morning of the last day which was 1st January 1967 but very quiet. A charming cross country line but had lacked investment so stations had not been updated for years. I understand that there was some commuter traffic but off peak trains were lightly loaded. A prime candidate for Beeching particularly as the route ran along the side of his country mansion in East Grinstead.



...There are some more but will add to them as I remember them

 

[Requeststop]

As I started my "track bashing" in the mid 1960s I did a large number of routes just prior to closure here are some-

Haywards Heath-Ardingly-Horsted Keynes
Full of enthusiasts also visiting the Bluebell
Horsham-Guildford via Cranleigh
Travelled on the penultimate train full of enthusiasts
Appledore-New Romney
Travelled over it two separate occasions both very quiet
Kings Lynn-Hunstanton
Travelled on the last day- very busy
Lowestoft- Yarmouth South Town
Travelled over in August 1969- busy 2 car train of holidaymakers
Bletchley-Oxford
Travelled on the morning of the last day- very quiet.
Visited several of the still oil light stations
Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead
Just travelled end to end on the last day- very crowded and stood all the way.
Freezing cold day.
Maiden Newton-Bridport
Did it several times before the last day. Trains always lightly loaded
Bourne End- High Wycombe
Travelled on it a few months before closure on a midweek daytime train.
I was the only passenger on the train on arrival at High Wycombe
Elmers End- Addiscombe
Was on the last train- standing room only
Elmers End-Sanderstead
Travelled on it many times- trains always lightly loaded-including several when I was only passenger.
Travelled on the last train- 10 coaches and most seats occupied.
West Croydon-Wimbledon
Was on the last train-packed solid- shoulder to shoulder standing room only
Same closure day as Addiscombe but the train service gave time to do both..!
Croxley Green-Watford Jn
Travelled on it before train service reduced to one train per day.
I was the only passenger on the midweek daytime service..!
Alton-Winchester
Travelled on it several times- always busy
Wareham-Swanage
Travelled on it several times-always busy!
Barnstaple-Ilfracombe
One trip on the last day- crowded with enthusiasts
Birmingham Snow Hill- Wolverhampton LL
Last day- one return trip which was crowded with enthusiasts.
What I remember was the vast cavernous Snow Hill station still in situ but just one bay platform was in use.
Broad Street-Dalston Jn
Broad Street station was partially demolished so the remaining platform was just a remnant of once large terminal
Train packed with enthusiasts
Stratford-North Woolwich
Travelled on it several timers.
Trains always busy



...There are some more but will add to them as I remember them

So many there in your list that I wish now I had ridden on the last services, especially in the South West. I recall a couple of times coming up to Plymouth over the Albert and then reversing at Plymouth to cross over Dartmoor to Exeter and then making the way towards Bristol via Okehampton with my late parents and my brother. It would be really glorious if the line from Plymouth to Tavistock and onwards to Okehampton and Exter was re-established again. It would be for me a heart busting moment to be able to cover the line again, though I would admit, I really do enjoy the Exe and Teign river runs via the Dawlish sea walls.

 

[gazthomas]

All I've managed is the line to North Woolwich. Coming from North Wales I regret not taking the chance to go to Trawsfynydd and Amlwch when they were still open.

 

[LE Greys]

I'm not really old enough for most of this, but I certainly did Stratford-North Woolwich, and managed to get a few pictures of the last steam run out of Folkestone Harbour. The North Woolwich run was curious, partly because the train was almost empty (it was the middle of a weekday afternoon) and I'd been on-board all the way from Richmond, just exploring. I really regret not having more time to explore, having not realised there was a railway museum in the old station, but I had to get home before the rush hour. The new station wasn't much more than a bus shelter, and the 313 was just about the scruffiest train I have ever been on, but it was still interesting. The tunnel under the docks was definitely curious, seemed far smaller than it should be. It was astonishingly close to the water as well.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Most memorable would be Woodhead on the diverted St Pancras-Manchester (SuO) train, a Peak (45) and a few Mk1s, in the winter before closure, with snow on the high ground.
Twice. First time top and tailed between Sheffield and Nunnery sidings (reverse), second time run round at Nunnery.

And oldest - Hopton-on-Sea (where we used to go on holiday) to Great Yarmouth, aged about 5: the only things I remember are the fantastic view ahead from behind the driver (1st gen DMU), and then going back a few years later having my photo taken standing on the now-disused track, worried about getting run down.

 

[High Dyke]

Nth Woolwich seemed to be a popular destination. I don't recall much of any of my visits...done in my heady youth. Suffice to say i think a lot of the area seemed to be crying out for redevelopment. Likewise journeys in/out of Broad Street - apart from it being a 501 unit and the station very run down. Frequent visits to London afforded me the opportunity to visit most stations - some of which are long gone. Holborn Viaduct, Shoreditch (I was there on the last day of service - aboard the last 'booked' departure), Moorgate (Thameslink)

The heavily delayed 'Deltic Broadsman' railtour in December 1981 gave me the opportunity to catch the Spalding - March line before it closed; and going back even further a school trip to Hull saw a load of us enjoy a trip on a pair of 114 units - including a stint along the ECML from Grantham - Newark - and eventually changing at New Holland Pier to the ferry (the Humber bridge was still being constructed at the time).

 

[IanD]

Visited the North Woolwich branch the weekend before closure.

Took the train from New Holland Town and then the ferry across to Hull on the day of closure in 1981 (on my birthday!)

Visited the Clayton West branch on the day it closed in 1983.

Also, the old Shoreditch station in the week it closed.

A couple of mates and I took the train from Richmond to Broad Street shortly before closure. I've planned to revisit the re-opened bits but haven't managed it yet.

Also did the old York-Doncaster via Selby just before it closed and similarly Leeds-Sheffield via Cudworth.