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Whitley Bay Station

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Butts

Butts

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I recently had a "day trip" to the North East catching the train from Edinburgh to Newcastle.

I then purchased an excellent value daysaver ticket on The Metro and visited various parts of the area.

I happened to end up in Whitley Bay and it seems what was once a grand station has been eviscerated with the gaudy yellow and black signage of The Metro operator as aesthetically pleasing as a tur*d in a swimming pool.

The town was pretty empty on a summers day - mind you it was ****in* with rain !!

The station must have been quite something it its heyday.
 
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DaveNewcastle

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Only this afternoon, there was another thread about the area, here, and the even more fabulous (in my opinion) Tynemouth station received some admiration. (Tynemouth being just a mile or so further down the coast from Whitley Bay).

The station has its own website. See here and there's a couple of photographs comparing 'then and now' here, but you're quite right that nothing beats a personal visit.
Even in the rain!
 
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HST Power

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I happened to end up in Whitley Bay and it seems what was once a grand station has been eviscerated with the gaudy yellow and black signage of The Metro operator as aesthetically pleasing as a tur*d in a swimming pool
Click to expand...

Just be grateful you weren't taking the coast route today, the engineering work was a right pain.

A lot of Metro Stations are rather nice. I find them to be well presented and clean.
 
MidnightFlyer

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HST Power said:
Just be grateful you weren't taking the coast route today, the engineering work was a right pain.

A lot of Metro Stations are rather nice. I find them to be well presented and clean.
Click to expand...

A lot of that is down to the old railway presence. With modern light rail networks (those built from scratch), bus shelters and plastic are much more favoured than the frankly beautiful stone and iron architecture.
 
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Haymarket station is my favorite Metro stop. The newly done entrance is rather impressive. The Platforms themselves feel modern and clean. If it weren't for the Geordies (who stand on the left of the lifts despite the six hundred 'KEEP RIGHT' signs) and the general lack of busyness it could be London!

The 'Keep Right' thing really annoys me!
 
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Clip

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HST Power said:
Haymarket station is my favorite Metro stop. The newly done entrance is rather impressive. The Platforms themselves feel modern and clean. If it weren't for the Geordies (who stand on the left of the lifts despite the six hundred 'KEEP RIGHT' signs) and the general lack of busyness it could be London!

The 'Keep Right' thing really annoys me!
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Wow I never knew there were signs telling you where to stand in the lift. I see them all the time on the escalators though ;)

Yeah Haymarket is a nice little station, in fact there are so many nice old vitorian ones its a shame there really isnt the money seemingly around to get them all looking nice once more.

Must do another loop next time im up when ive got the time.
 
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Clip

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:D

Monkseaton is another lovely looking station though isnt there a big restaurant/bar that is in the old station buildings nowadays?
 
flymo

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Blast from the past regarding Whitley Bay, during the summer in the 70's I remember 31s or 47s and a rake of Mk1's heading to Glasgow from Whitley Bay & Monkseaton to cater for all the holidaymakers during Glasgow Fair Week. Loads of people on them too, in fact the whole town was buzzing. I saw one of the trains arriving at Whitley Bay Station once, my goodness the station was busy, easily 400 or 500 people getting off the train from Glasgow.

I guess both the town and the station have both seen a lot of changes over the years.
 
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Clip

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flymo said:
Blast from the past regarding Whitley Bay, during the summer in the 70's I remember 31s or 47s and a rake of Mk1's heading to Glasgow from Whitley Bay & Monkseaton to cater for all the holidaymakers during Glasgow Fair Week. Loads of people on them too, in fact the whole town was buzzing. I saw one of the trains arriving at Whitley Bay Station once, my goodness the station was busy, easily 400 or 500 people getting off the train from Glasgow.

I guess both the town and the station have both seen a lot of changes over the years.
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The Demise of Whitley Bay from a nice seaside town into a **** poor version of blackpool stag weekend hell was made all possible by the taking away of Spanish city. Oh how i miss it.

@ HST - Is all the victorian Iron work still nicely painted or has it been left to rot?
 
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Clip

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yeah they dont look like its been well kept..Though no idea how old those are.. but thanks
 
valenta

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The station is reasonably well kept. It was painted very recently, which helped. Tynemouth station is also having renovation works done to it.
 
Butts

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Clip said:
The Demise of Whitley Bay from a nice seaside town into a **** poor version of blackpool stag weekend hell was made all possible by the taking away of Spanish city. Oh how i miss it.

@ HST - Is all the victorian Iron work still nicely painted or has it been left to rot?
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I noticed the spanish city when I had a walk around the front - it looks like it is being redeveloped (boarded off)

Regarding the ironwork a lot of it is still there but there are big panels of glass missing out of the roof. It looks like part of the station was redeveloped as a restaurant but that appeared to be closed.

Who owns the station?
 
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Clip

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valenta said:
If I'm not mistaken, I think it is DB Regio.
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I think its Nexus still isnt it? And DB are just doing the franchise thing off them??

Im up in a couple of weeks so may have a trawl if i stay over after the football
 
Butts

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Clip said:
I think its Nexus still isnt it? And DB are just doing the franchise thing off them??

Im up in a couple of weeks so may have a trawl if i stay over after the football
Click to expand...

If you feel peckish try the W'spoons in town = £5.99 for a 14oz Aberdeen Angus Steak and trimmings when I was there Monday.
 
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Butts said:
If you feel peckish try the W'spoons in town = £5.99 for a 14oz Aberdeen Angus Steak and trimmings when I was there Monday.
Click to expand...

I fully agree with that-W'Spoons are excellent and quite good prices to. Went there on Tuesday.
 
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valenta said:
You're welcome. Wonder if the refurbished metrocar will look like that impression created a couple of years ago.
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I certainly hope so. And the Metrocar in my profile picture still has a view from the front of the train, as does the 4001, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
 
142094

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Couple of points:

1) The refurbs will not look like the picture that HST Power has as his avatar. Have a look at the other thread.

2) DB Regio only run the stations and the trains. Nexus still owns 58* of them. In effect DB are the TOC, Nexus are the ROSCO and Network Rail all rolled into one.

3) * 58 I hear you say? That is right. Sunderland is owned by Network Rail and Tynemouth is owned by Station Developments. That is why it has taken so long for the outer bay platforms to have the canopies done up.

4) I didn't think the engineering work was that bad, got some decent pictures of trains with the unusual 'Wallsend' and 'Tynemouth on the front display.

5) All the stations will be getting some sort of repaint/refurb over the next decade.

6) You'll not be seeing 4001 for a while after what happened on Friday.
 
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142094 said:
Couple of points:
1) The refurbs will not look like the picture that HST Power has as his avatar. Have a look at the other thread.
Click to expand...

I think that point is rather obvious mate, one can only dream! ;)
 
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