I love these mystery photos, thanks for coming here and sharing it with us!
The layout of the track and station aren't familiar to me, so I would tentatively rule out the North Wales Coast.
The waggon in the right foreground reads "Pinxton", which would appear to be from
a colliery in Derbyshire. So that suggests it's somewhere that would get coal delivered from Derbyshire (as opposed to anywhere nearer).
Thank you. Now we know it was Merton I should think that only the Leicestershire and Kent collieries were closer than Pinxton. I should think that much of the coal went to the paper factory north of the station (although it seems to also to have used water power from the R Wandle).
The M1, rather than the A1, I thought?
I embarrassed my wife by asking her if she knew of the place: she said no, despite spending the first two decades of her life living ten miles away!
Yes, it's the M1. My family is from those parts too.
That Pinxton coal wagon does seem a long way from home, nevertheless I think this could be Merton Abbey Station.
Thank you very much indeed! That's brilliant, I thought it would never be solved. But Merton Abbey is even further from Stockport than it is from Pinxton - were you familiar with it, or do you just have an encylopaedic knowledge of the entire network?
I wonder if they are related to the Humm family who own the book shop at Stamford.
Yes, that's us!
That was a pretty good tip you gave me, Peter - very many thanks! And now I can see it on the map I'm rather pleased that it looks very much as I'd imagined. I'm particularly pleased to see that the overbridge is over a stream - just as I thought. And there is indeed an overbridge in the far distance. Can you work our how long the straight actually is? I've no idea how to calculate that.
Does zooming in on the signal box reveal any better detail on the original? Many of the railway companies had their own distinctive styles of box - but the photo looks as if it wouldn't stand much magnification. A signaling expert may also have something to say about those ground signals or point indicators. Only one main signal visible (back to camera on right hand platform) and on viewing the full size version I think it's rail-built, which if true would almost certainly point to the Southern Railway.
The underbridge half way through the goods yard is also quite distinctive.
Thank you. You are right about the quality of the print - it is not very good, taken into the sun, and I cannot get any more from it. You are absolutely right about the SR. Twitter got stuck in the Midlands, mislead by the Pinxton wagon. Now we know it was Merton Abbey I was able to find it on the 25" maps at the NLS. The sidings to the left only appear on the 1934/5 sheets, as does the signal you mention. There is also an original signal beyond the signal box, I think that is visible in the photo. The overbridge crosses a stream called - not inappropriately - The Pickle.
I'm thinking it would be about the right place for a home signal on the left hand track and an advance starter on the right hand track. But I can't see any reason why there should be a gantry or bracket spanning to the camera position above the centerline rather than just having two signal posts. If there was a junction behind the camera then either the signal box would be there instead, or the visible signal at the station would have a distant arm under it.
Thank you. There is no gantry shown on the maps, it looks as though the photo was taken from a road bridge.
That was a pretty good tip you gave me, Peter - very many thanks!
The underbridge seems peculiar - almost as if the coal stands are on top of the road that should go under. But assuming there is a road under there, I'd guess there is a station approach road off it to the right of the coal yard, going up to the building on the right hand platform and also serving the coal yard and the industrial building far right. There's no station footbridge so either a subway or more likely the barrow crossing you suggest is the means to access the left hand platform.
Looking at the proximity of the underbridge I think it's more likely the photographer has climbed a signal gantry rather than being on an overbridge.
I think the station is closed, which would account for the lack of a foot bridge. There was a road between the coal yard and the building, just as you say. The stream crossed by the underbridge bisects the coal yard. It's possible to work this out from the photo, but I found it too strange to believe!
Could the underbridge be a filled-in canal?
Thank you, that's an good thought, but now we know it's Merton Abbey we can tell from the large scale map that it was a stream. I suppose now it is just a storm drain in a culvert.
Is the station closed? - the platform edges look especially prominent and bright as if the coping stones have been recently removed and there appears to be no running-in boards, seats, barrows etc. There is also a home signal, visible under magnification,on the station-building building platform but no signalling on the other platform. It is also a lot of coal for a small station - maybe the industrial affair on the right is a large consumer?
Thank you, yes we thought it was closed and that turned out to be correct. In fact it was closed to passengers in 1929. There was a large board mill to the north of the station and a smelters to the south. The whole area was highly industrialised by the mid-1930s (the 1894/5 map shows watercress beds).
Thank you all very much for a terrific response, I shall know where to come next time Twitter is non-plussed. I have tried to reply to everyone, abject apologies if I have missed any post.
Here is #whatstation 318, a photo which has defeated the keenest railway brains on Twitter. The very brightest of them, however, suggested I should do much better posting it here.
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