Crewkerne Railway Station, Somerset

[editor]

Now here's a proper old station - the tracks may have been cruelly lifted from one platform, but the Grade II building still exudes pure railway charm.

Lovely! Why can't all rural stations look like this?!*

http://www.urban75.org/photos/dorset/crewkerne-railway-station.html

(*that's a rhetorical question, btw. I know why!)

 

[ajdown]

I know it well, having grown up just a mile from the site of Chard Junction station, and it being our "station of choice" for catching a train whenever we came up to London as a child.

I was last there at Christmas, picking Caz up.

The next station down the line, Axminster, is very similar in design and has recently had a new footbridge, lift and passing loop installed to help increase frequency on the long stretch of single line.

 

[whoha]

Crewkerne is in Somerset

 

[gentlegreen]

I hope you got permission under section 58a ?

 

[Dan U]

i went to a station called Crediton just outside of Exeter in Devon.

looked very similar

when trains stopped at the level crossing they got some 'object' from the signal box operator.
i assume it went to one line and they had to give it back at the other end? saw two trains do it.

 

[Crispy]

Yep, it's a 'token' which is used on single-track sections of line to control access. You're only allowed to drive on the section if you hold the token. If you get to the signal box and the token's not there, you have to wait for a train coming the other way to drop it off. Quite an antiquated system, so you only really see it on backwater rural routes

 

[Dan U]

Yep, it's a 'token' which is used on single-track sections of line to control access. You're only allowed to drive on the section if you hold the token. If you get to the signal box and the token's not there, you have to wait for a train coming the other way to drop it off. Quite an antiquated system, so you only really see it on backwater rural routes

funnily enough i figured out what it was when watching 'indian hill railways' on BBC some months later. they used the same system and it made sense.

if it ain't broke i guess.

 

[editor]

Crewkerne is in Somerset

Damn! It's just over the border!

Title corrected.

 

[weltweit]

Have they taken up one of the tracks?

Why?

 

[stavros]

Crewkerne's one of the better rural stations in Somerset, as at least it's within easy reach of the town. Castle Cary's a very bleak hut and only ever more than 3 people there on Glastonbury weekend, and Yeovil Junction is literally 3 miles from Yeovil with few if any walking routes.

 

[teuchter]

Yep, it's a 'token' which is used on single-track sections of line to control access. You're only allowed to drive on the section if you hold the token. If you get to the signal box and the token's not there, you have to wait for a train coming the other way to drop it off. Quite an antiquated system, so you only really see it on backwater rural routes

It was in use on fairly main line routes in Britain until relatively recently. I once surveyed a signal box on the Inverness-Aberdeen line (mid 1990s some time I guess) and it was still being used then.

If you look at some signal boxes you can still see the little platform for the signalman to stand on whilst exchanging with the train driver (this would be done with the train in motion).

A lot of lines that used to have token working now have "radio token" working instead (with the result that there are hardly any actual signals along the line any more).

 

[stavros]

Castle Cary station during Glasto, and Castle Cary station the other 361 days of the year;

 

[ajdown]

Have they taken up one of the tracks?

Why?

Did it back in the Beeching days, been single most of the way between Salisbury and Exeter for ages with a few long double sections or passing loops (such as at Chard Junction).

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the one accident that happened there, courtesy of Wikipedia to save retyping it

On 24 April 1953 it was the scene of an accident when an axle of Merchant Navy Class 35020 Bibby Line broke while it was passing the station. This caused the platform canopy to be demolished.[1]

 

[stavros]

Did it back in the Beeching days, been single most of the way between Salisbury and Exeter for ages with a few long double sections or passing loops (such as at Chard Junction).

Frome has two platform but only one track (you can't get to one platform).

 

[Hoss]

Similar to Kenley station, if i remember correctly, in that the southbound platform building has a cottage/house built in as part of the structure. I assume it was once the station manager's residence?

Actually, not quite as charming but not bad for London zone 6.

and from the car park - quite sinister looking. Not sure how old these photos are or if it is still boarded up:

 

[seven samurai]

<snip>

Lovely! Why can't all rural stations look like this?!*

http://www.urban75.org/photos/dorset/crewkerne-railway-station.html

(*that's a rhetorical question, btw. I know why!)

I wish they did! I thought I was alone and desperately old fashioned and uncool for thinking this. Although this still doesn't rule me out as old fashioned or indeed uncool now I know others feel this way

 

[teuchter]

Can we merge this thread with the other quaint railway stations one? (Titled "Hebden Bridge" I believe).

 

[editor]

Can we merge this thread with the other quaint railway stations one? (Titled "Hebden Bridge" I believe).

This thread relates to a separate photo feature on urban75 so I don't see why it should be merged, although some of the subsequent posts about other stations would be better off in a new general thread. Why not start one?

 

[teuchter]

This thread relates to a separate photo feature on urban75 so I don't see why it should be merged, although some of the subsequent posts about other stations would be better off in a new general thread. Why not start one?

Because then there would be three threads about the same thing

It's not a big deal; just a suggestion.

 

[editor]

Because then there would be three threads about the same thing

There's only one thread about this station - just like there's separate threads for other stations too - like Kensington Olympia, Broad Street, St Ives and North Woolwich.

 

[spliff]

The signal box remains in good order despite being taken out of use in February, 1867.

 

[fractionMan]

My favourite station is avoncliff.

you'd like it there.