Hebden Bridge station (and other lovely railway stations)
- Thread starter editor
- Start date
_angel_
.
Yep. At least you can, like, get on a train now with a pushchair without having to book assistance. Shocking to think until the revamp a city Leeds' size had *no* passenger accessible lifts.
Remember, Leeds only has the one station unlike other cities, it had to remain open during these works. So, simply bulldozing it and starting again was never going to be an option.
sherriff rosco
Mostly harmless unless catering is shut.
Just for you Mr Ed a few more pics..
The stage was a flat bed wagon which then was covered by a marquee ,,,v.clever!
Ever seen a diesel motor this big!
In the loco shed
Shunting
I came over all anorak for the day, and had to remember I was working looking after a gig.
.p.
The stage was a flat bed wagon which then was covered by a marquee ,,,v.clever!
Ever seen a diesel motor this big!
In the loco shed
Shunting
I came over all anorak for the day, and had to remember I was working looking after a gig.
.p.
editor
hiraethified
*unzips anorak
What's a Prairie tank GWR loco doing under upper quadrant signals?!
sherriff rosco
Mostly harmless unless catering is shut.
Told ya....shunting tings about!
Oh...got to have a tour inside one of these by the driver ( he was parked up right next to our sound desk on the platform for a few hours...so we let his son play with the lampies desk ( of course!) and we got a tour of the loco.... good deal!)
.p.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I've been there. It's true, it's very chocolate box, I remember being struck by it myself.
Agree that it's depressing that it' just plasticky and won't last....but anyway, Hebden! I bunked off school in the sixth form, took a girl to Hebden, we went up to see Slyvia Plath's grave (bear with me, we were only 17!), and finally had a snog on Hebden Bridge platform on the way back. It was 1989. One of the most romantic days of my life.
I wish i could go back in time - simultaneously with the above romance, Bradford Forster Square - where they filmed the finale of that Juile Christie it's grim up north film, was eight platforms of Victorian dereliction, with a (just) still functioning traveller's pub down one platform - this was the late 80s - all bulldozed to make way for a new 'bus shelter' station and some JDSports out of town warhouses...
citygirl
friendly fire
bradford forster square must've been a wonderful sight in it's heyday...i remember being taken on my very first holidays to morecambe from that very station in my pushchair. and then every year after that throughout my childhood..(always changing at the same place, funnily enough, keighley 
)
the slope that ran through to the hotel above and to the side. the architecture of the place eery as you wandered through and down the long entrance hall.
my memories of that place are strong
but now we have the NEW forster square...oh dear...
)the slope that ran through to the hotel above and to the side. the architecture of the place eery as you wandered through and down the long entrance hall.
my memories of that place are strong
but now we have the NEW forster square...oh dear...
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Whitechapel is, if you mentally edit out the London Transport stuff, a Proper Railway Station: here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Whitechapel_stn_east.JPG (sure there are pictures out there that make my point better).
But last week it struck me that they'll almost certainly destroy it for Crossrail
a few of hte eastern district line stations are reasonably alright, all things considered, and i quite like fenchurch street's dark cosyness and lack of garishess (if you ignore the big fuck off telly behind the ticket barrier)
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
Well, bizarrely I went to Leeds Station for the first time in about 8 years yesterday and my first thought getting off the train was - 'Actually, this has got a bit better than it was.' Even more bizarrely I saw Boris Johnson there too yesterday (at least two of us saw him seperately and thought it was him.) What confused me is why the concourse is still so dreadful, I actually quite liked what they'd done to the trainshed. I agree it's not a patch on much nicer, older stations, but I do agree with Angel that it's vastly improved.
I do disagree with Angel about the Manchester stations, Pic has retained it's vastness and is both modern and traditional, Victoria is awful though, apart from the old bit that they retained. Oxford road and Deansgate are quite nice for modern stations.
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
or perhaps, this one.
Both those station survive to date.
That second one is Manchester Mayfield, isn't it?
Remarkable that it's survived, really. You'd expect a fairly large disused station in the middle of Manchester to be prime land for redevelopment. AFAIK there has been talk of trying to reopen it to take some of the load off Piccadilly, although how serious that is I don't know.
Remarkable that it's survived, really. You'd expect a fairly large disused station in the middle of Manchester to be prime land for redevelopment. AFAIK there has been talk of trying to reopen it to take some of the load off Piccadilly, although how serious that is I don't know.
editor
hiraethified
Just in case no ones seen it already, the superb http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/sites.shtml is a fantastic resource for seeing photos of old stations that have since bitten the dust. Demolishing some of the delightful Edwardian/Victorian buildings seen on the site was nothing short of criminal.
(note: you can't hotlink to images on that site)
(note: you can't hotlink to images on that site)
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
yes, it is - I read about the mayfield thing in some pdf from the PTE or whatever it's called now, but I havn't seen much reference to it beyond that. The first one is also in Manchester.
At one point (up till the early 80s) Manchester had 3!!! derelict vast stations, Mayfield, Exchange and Central
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/m/manchester_exchange/manchester_exchange_old9.jpg
(Exchange before partial demolition)
At one point (up till the early 80s) Manchester had 3!!! derelict vast stations, Mayfield, Exchange and Central
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/m/manchester_exchange/manchester_exchange_old9.jpg
(Exchange before partial demolition)
We've said it before and doubtless we'll say it again - that is a fantastic site.
I've also just been reminded of this, the Adlestrop atlas of British railway lines past and present. It's not complete yet, but a superb resource all the same.
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
We've said it before and doubtless we'll say it again - that is a fantastic site.
I've also just been reminded of this, the Adlestrop atlas of British railway lines past and present. It's not complete yet, but a superb resource all the same.
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
My favourite stations are:
Mainline/Larger:
Preston - not stunning, but I like it's size and the way it retains so much of its old features...
Carlisle - the roof is lovely and it has a feeling of not being cut back over the years - Still a bit of a sprawl...
Huddersfield - gorgious outside and in, good pub on the platform huge old warehouse behind it - What's not to love?
I should mention Bristol TM and St Pancras, but they get enough coverage don't they?
Smaller stations:
Hellifield - I love the ornateness of this place, it's in the middle of nowhere too.
Frome - Apparantly oe of the oldest operating original stations in it's original state, the timber shed is from 1850. I spent about 2 hours here waiting for a train and kept expecting a little steam tank to pull up and Miss Marple to get off.
I'm not such a fan of the chocolate box style - I prefer my grim industrial towns
Mainline/Larger:
Preston - not stunning, but I like it's size and the way it retains so much of its old features...
Carlisle - the roof is lovely and it has a feeling of not being cut back over the years - Still a bit of a sprawl...
Huddersfield - gorgious outside and in, good pub on the platform huge old warehouse behind it - What's not to love?
I should mention Bristol TM and St Pancras, but they get enough coverage don't they?
Smaller stations:
Hellifield - I love the ornateness of this place, it's in the middle of nowhere too.
Frome - Apparantly oe of the oldest operating original stations in it's original state, the timber shed is from 1850. I spent about 2 hours here waiting for a train and kept expecting a little steam tank to pull up and Miss Marple to get off.
I'm not such a fan of the chocolate box style - I prefer my grim industrial towns
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
My least favourite stations are:
Mainline/Large
Beyond the obvious New Street in Birmingham, which is not only horrible to look at but nauseatingly stressful to change trains at, I really dislike...
The new bit of Manchester Victoria Station - which used to be an evocative jumble of platforms and mismatched canopies, I remember being fascinated by it as a kid - it is now a concrete box with Macdonalds upstairs. Horrible. The old bit is still lovely though.
Blackpool North - I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. If you've ever had to wait in this bit, you'll know it never looks as clean and airy as this - it reverberates with drunken screams and children crying, whilst people stumble arround trying to get the one bench between 6000 people. It has the most bizarre;y facist ticket policy ever and you can't even look at the trains half the time cos the doors are guarded. Horrible.
Leyland - The picture says 'very traditional' - Well, it retains a building that contains a booking office, but tradition doesn't seem to stretch as far as actually having anyone who works in it, nor is their ever any way of telling where your train is going to stop on the 4 platforms. No signs, no electronic notices, no tannoy. you just have to hope that the train has the destination on the front and run... Evil place...
Smaller stations:
Blackpool South - It's a platform with about one train a year. It's rubbish and is typical of the decline of Blackpool as it represents the end of the line that used to run through to Central which is of course now, a car park! - Well done everyone! Another great piece of 60's planning
Mainline/Large
Beyond the obvious New Street in Birmingham, which is not only horrible to look at but nauseatingly stressful to change trains at, I really dislike...
The new bit of Manchester Victoria Station - which used to be an evocative jumble of platforms and mismatched canopies, I remember being fascinated by it as a kid - it is now a concrete box with Macdonalds upstairs. Horrible. The old bit is still lovely though.
Blackpool North - I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. If you've ever had to wait in this bit, you'll know it never looks as clean and airy as this - it reverberates with drunken screams and children crying, whilst people stumble arround trying to get the one bench between 6000 people. It has the most bizarre;y facist ticket policy ever and you can't even look at the trains half the time cos the doors are guarded. Horrible.
Leyland - The picture says 'very traditional' - Well, it retains a building that contains a booking office, but tradition doesn't seem to stretch as far as actually having anyone who works in it, nor is their ever any way of telling where your train is going to stop on the 4 platforms. No signs, no electronic notices, no tannoy. you just have to hope that the train has the destination on the front and run... Evil place...
Smaller stations:
Blackpool South - It's a platform with about one train a year. It's rubbish and is typical of the decline of Blackpool as it represents the end of the line that used to run through to Central which is of course now, a car park! - Well done everyone! Another great piece of 60's planning
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
.
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
One more I forgot - After dissing Blackpool's stations below, I forgot how nice Poulton-le-Fylde's station is.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Reminds me of Fort William station - once located by the seaside in the centre of town, but displaced in the 70s to make way for a dual carriageway road. Now it sits on the edge of the town centre next to a supermarket.
old:
now:
(Can't seem to find any decent photos of the old Fort William station xcpet for here where they are very small)
Tom A
Goat among sheep
Plymouth and Newcastle Central were good looking stations when I last saw either of them a few years ago. Preston isn't bad looking either, and neither is Lancaster.
Stoke-on-Trent still has it's original buildings but it's looking a bit run down and could do with a spring cleaning, also it's in Stoke as well
Manchester Piccadilly looks interesting on the outside for a modernised station, and isn't that bad a station to be in, fairly good on a practical level, and still has it's original trainshed AFAIK.
My least favourite stations include Crewe, (just grim beyond belief, and also spent too much time waiting for a bus to get me out of there), and London Euston (there's nowhere to sit down for starters, and it can get really crowded and claustrophobic, in fact I would rather spend as little time at any London station as humanly possible).
Stoke-on-Trent still has it's original buildings but it's looking a bit run down and could do with a spring cleaning, also it's in Stoke as well
Manchester Piccadilly looks interesting on the outside for a modernised station, and isn't that bad a station to be in, fairly good on a practical level, and still has it's original trainshed AFAIK.
My least favourite stations include Crewe, (just grim beyond belief, and also spent too much time waiting for a bus to get me out of there), and London Euston (there's nowhere to sit down for starters, and it can get really crowded and claustrophobic, in fact I would rather spend as little time at any London station as humanly possible).
tangerinedream
Density of Sound
Oddly I quite like Crewe, but Euston is foul as foul can be.Plymouth and Newcastle Central were good looking stations when I last saw either of them a few years ago. Preston isn't bad looking either, and neither is Lancaster.
Stoke-on-Trent still has it's original buildings but it's looking a bit run down and could do with a spring cleaning, also it's in Stoke as well
Manchester Piccadilly looks interesting on the outside for a modernised station, and isn't that bad a station to be in, fairly good on a practical level, and still has it's original trainshed AFAIK.
My least favourite stations include Crewe, (just grim beyond belief, and also spent too much time waiting for a bus to get me out of there), and London Euston (there's nowhere to sit down for starters, and it can get really crowded and claustrophobic, in fact I would rather spend as little time at any London station as humanly possible).
