Trivia: Shortest-lived name a station has had

[Magdalia]

NLS maps concurs with this analysis. Compare and contrast the original and present-day station location(s) with the bend on the adjacent Stort Navigation.

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

maps.nls.uk

Thanks for the maps.

One thing I notice is a sense of deja vu with regard to variation in spelling. Burnt Mill sometimes appears as two separate words, but sometimes is run together as Burntmill in one word. This feels like Copper Mill all over again!

 

[pdeaves]

So, the key question is where did trains stop between 13 June 1960 and 13 July 1960? If they stopped at the old station until the official opening of the new station, was the old station renamed Harlow Town for that short period?

Michael Quick's book suggests renaming to Harlow Town was from 13 June 1960.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So, the key question is where did trains stop between 13 June 1960 and 13 July 1960? If they stopped at the old station until the official opening of the new station, was the old station renamed Harlow Town for that short period?

On the basis that the new station building station (which apparently cost BR Eastern Region some £260,000 to build) opened 13 July 1960, as confirmed by contemporary newspaper reports, it does seem as if the old 1842 station site, which had been renamed from 'Burnt Mill' to 'Harlow Town' just a month previously on 13 June 1960, must have remained operational until a day or so before the changeover. Harlow might just be too important a location to do without a main station for an extended period. Can anyone confirm?

To all intents and purposes, however, it looks as if Burnt Mill / Harlow Town is considered to be one and the same station, not two separate stations.

 

[Mag_seven]

In that case, Exhibition Centre became Craiglang for a day.

And of course Exhibition Centre was originally named Finnieston from 1979 to 1986.

 

[TBY-Paul]

Stockton-on-Tees opened as Stockton-on-Tees in June 1852. Shortly after opening it was renamed North Stockton (1852/3). It changed again in 1892, back to Stockton-on Tees, at the same time as the station on the Yorkshire side of the river, which had previously been known as South Stockton changed to Thornaby-on-Tees, as a result of the town of Thornaby-on-Tees being granted its own town charter.

 

[thenorthern]

Stretford station opened as Edge Lane on 20 July 1849 and was renamed Stretford in September 1849 so at most it was called Edge Lane for 2 months.

 

[pdeaves]

James Cook University Hospital station became James Cook station a few days after opening and all the signs were changed (presumably people were turning up at the wrong place).

Could you expound on that, please? Why might people go to the wrong place if 'University Hospital' is included in the name? The hospital is right next door, isn't it?

 

[Rescars]

I wonder what costs were incurred when changing a station's name in the pre-digital era, by the time you have accounted for new name boards, reprinting all sorts of documentation, including timetables, promotional materials, multiple variants of Edmunson card tickets, luggage labels, etc, etc. Presumably an overhead not to be incurred unnecessarily.

 

[Kingston Dan]

I wonder what costs were incurred when changing a station's name in the pre-digital era, by the time you have accounted for new name boards, reprinting all sorts of documentation, including timetables, promotional materials, multiple variants of Edmunson card tickets, luggage labels, etc, etc. Presumably an overhead not to be incurred unnecessarily.

When I worked at TfL one of my projects was the renaming of Shepards Bush H&C station - I was informed by the operational staff that the cost was 100,000s just in new posters, maps and route diagrams on trains etc.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When I worked at TfL one of my projects was the renaming of Shepards Bush H&C station - I was informed by the operational staff that the cost was 100,000s just in new posters, maps and route diagrams on trains etc.

Oops! Is that because it had been spelt incorrectly?

 

[Western Lord]

On the basis that the new station building station (which apparently cost BR Eastern Region some £260,000 to build) opened 13 July 1960, as confirmed by contemporary newspaper reports, it does seem as if the old 1842 station site, which had been renamed from 'Burnt Mill' to 'Harlow Town' just a month previously on 13 June 1960, must have remained operational until a day or so before the changeover. Harlow might just be too important a location to do without a main station for an extended period. Can anyone confirm?

To all intents and purposes, however, it looks as if Burnt Mill / Harlow Town is considered to be one and the same station, not two separate stations.

Remember that the original Harlow Station, close to the original settlement now known as Old Harlow, is now named Harlow Mill, presumably the change happening at the same time as Harlow Town opened.

 

[Magdalia]

Harlow Town first appears in the public timetable, instead of Burnt Mill, in summer 1960, which commenced 13/06/60.

But the official opening of the new station was a month later, on 13/07/60.

Remember that the original Harlow Station, close to the original settlement now known as Old Harlow, is now named Harlow Mill, presumably the change happening at the same time as Harlow Town opened.

Harlow Mill first appears in the public timetable, instead of Harlow, in summer 1960, which commenced 13/06/60.

This matches the name change from Burnt Mill to Harlow Town, but does not coincide with the official opening of the new station.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

According to the "Lynn Advertiser" (local newspaper) dated Friday 3rd June 1960...

From June 13, two stations on the Liverpool Street->Lynn line will be renamed.
Burnt Mill station becomes Harlow Town and the new name for Harlow station will be Harlow Mill.

 

[geoffk]

Renaming the Trafford Centre, the intu Trafford Centre, was probably the most crass example of vanity renaming I know.

Wonder who picked up the tab for altering all the signage when it tanked!

TfGM always included the word intu in its publicity, so if you wanted a bus to the Trafford Centre from say, Altrincham bus station, you had to remember to look under I and not T. I'm fairly sure buses just showed Trafford Centre.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2022 ==

Wellington in Shropshire was renamed Wellington Telford West for a short time in the 1980's. Once Telford Central opened in May 1986 it was renamed back to Wellington.

If Wellington (Somerset) station is (re)-opened, maybe WLN will change its name again.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

TfGM always included the word intu in its publicity, so if you wanted a bus to the Trafford Centre from say, Altrincham bus station, you had to remember to look under I and not T. I'm fairly sure buses just showed Trafford Centre.

That's ridiculous! Surely nobody ever called it that in casual conversation... in fact most people probably hadn't even heard of "intu" until they saw the headlines about them going bust.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Oops! Is that because it had been spelt incorrectly?

danger of posting late at night - knew it wasn't right but couldn't figure out why...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

danger of posting late at night - knew it wasn't right but couldn't figure out why...

Made a similar error last night on another thread, mixing up 'Todmorden' with 'Accrington'.

 

[AutoKratz]

Meadow Well station on the Tyne and Wear Metro network - was called Smith’s Park from 1982 before changing to Meadow Well in 1994.

Brockley Whins station has been renamed twice. Opened as Brockley Whins in 1840, renamed Boldon Colliery in 1925, renamed back to Brockley Whins in 1991.

 

[pdeaves]

Meadow Well station on the Tyne and Wear Metro network - was called Smith’s Park from 1982 before changing to Meadow Well in 1994.

Brockley Whins station has been renamed twice. Opened as Brockley Whins in 1840, renamed Boldon Colliery in 1925, renamed back to Brockley Whins in 1991.

Those aren't really 'short-lived' names, though.

 

[Efini92]

Dobb brow was a proposed station between daisy hill and hindley. Whilst the station was never built it did appear in the timetables and every now and then makes an appearance on PIS and schedule cards.

 

[AutoKratz]

Those aren't really 'short-lived' names, though.

Depends on your definition. It’s short lived compared to the 200,000 years humans have been on Earth

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't Coventry Arena almost called "Ricoh Arena" after the then-name of the stadium complex?

The stadium is now known as the Coventry Building Society Arena, so the decision to omit sponsors has already been vindicated.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's ridiculous! Surely nobody ever called it that in casual conversation... in fact most people probably hadn't even heard of "intu" until they saw the headlines about them going bust.

I guess they paid TfGM for the publicity?

Intu made themselves rather unpopular for renaming well-known shopping centres with established names, some of which have been renamed back (Trafford Centre, Midsummer Place (MK)) and some to something else entirely (Watford Harlequin Centre).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I guess they paid TfGM for the publicity?

Intu made themselves rather unpopular for renaming well-known shopping centres with established names, some of which have been renamed back (Trafford Centre, Midsummer Place (MK)) and some to something else entirely (Watford Harlequin Centre).

No wonder they went bust then! As if there's "brand loyalty" for shopping malls!

 

[py_megapixel]

I guess they paid TfGM for the publicity?

Intu made themselves rather unpopular for renaming well-known shopping centres with established names, some of which have been renamed back (Trafford Centre, Midsummer Place (MK)) and some to something else entirely (Watford Harlequin Centre).

Did anyone in Manchester ever think "I'll go to the Intu Trafford Centre later?" I suspect the answer is no. It's not like there's a competing Trafford Centre somewhere else that they might consider visiting instead.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jun 2022 ==

Regarding the Harlequin Centre/Intu Watford's rebranding to "Atria Watford", the spokesperson for the shopping centre might say it represents a bright future for the centre, or some such nonsense. But I think there is a much clearer reason for it - it was much cheaper for the branding to be "[word] Watford", where "[word]" is roughly the same length as "intu", because it allows them to continue using the old signs and just put a sticker on them.

Looking at their website, it would appear I am correct - the word "Watford" is uncannily similar in font and colour to how Intu wrote it!

 

[Leisurefirst]

As are numerous other examples in the thread. Anyway I think James Cook University Hospital probably "wins" for the shortest-lived name on the National Rail network.

I will also add:

• Shepherd's Bush (Central line) was going to become Shepherd's Bush Green and some signs were changed.
• Instead with the London Overground opening at Shepherd's Bush that name was kept and Shepherd's Bush (Circle / H&C line) was changed to Shepherd's Bush Market.
• At the London Overground station, the signs were originally installed in the Silverlink design but the platform was not wide enough, during the period of rebuilding the platform, London Overground begun and the signs had to be changed – with the Silverlink ones never seen by passengers (other than on trains passing through).

I bought a railcard at Shepherd's Bush (LO) which inexplicably has Wood Lane on it.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Sheffield Midland was known as "Sheffield City" for a few months in (from memory) 1950. Manchester Victoria was renamed for a day on its signs to "Victoria Wood".