Salisbury April 1986

(All 14.4.1986 Copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - RAIL THING - RAILS AROUND SALISBURY

An hour or two at Salisbury back in 1986 was full of interest. Steam may have been gone for almost twenty years, but the station and environs still had a very steam feel to them, and there was plenty of loco hauled trains, both passenger and freight.

Locos were mainly class 33 and class 50, though class 59s were also starting to appear around this time. 'Thumpers' still worked the Portsmouth trains.

Today of course all lines to and from Salisbury are still diesel worked, but there's not as much variety and far fewer loco hauled trains. I always found Salisbury to be the most interesting destination when using the Runabout and Rover tickets, and I seemed to find myself there 3 or 4 times each week when using those tickets!

More info (from Wikipedia)

Salisbury railway station is located in the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire, Wessex, 83.75 miles (135 km) south-west of London Waterloo. It is operated by South West Trains (SWT) but also served by First Great Western (FGW). Salisbury is the crossing point of two routes: SWT's West of England Main Linebetween London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, and FGW's Wessex Main Line between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour/Brighton. In the past it was also served by trains to destinations such as Ilfracombe, Padstow and Plymouth.

Railways in Salisbury

History

There have been three different railway stations in the city of Salisbury, built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) from 1847 and the Great Western Railway (GWR) from 1856, as well as two further railway stations at Wilton, two and a half miles away.

London and South Western Railway

The original LSWR station

The new building of 1902

The LSWR opened their Milford station on the Eastern side of the city in 1 March 1847, with the opening of their branch line from Southampton to passenger traffic. For nearly a decade this was the only rail route to the city, until 30 June 1856 when the GWR opened their branch line from Westbury, and 1 May 1857 when the LSWR extended their main line from London to Andover.

On 2 May 1859 the LSWR opened a new station on the south side of the Great Western station, west of Fisherton Street, to coincide with the opening the first section of the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway was opened as an extension of the LSWR's line. As the two railways were built using different gauges through goods traffic had to be unloaded and transhipped in a transfer shed; a footbridge was opened in 1860 linking the two stations to allow passengers to change trains. The LSWR station had a single long platform served by trains in both directions and a second bay platform was provided at the London end.

In the 1870s the LSWR opened a second platform east of Fisherton Street for services towards London; it had an entrance from the street and was linked to the old platform by a subway. It too had another bay platform for trains to the East.

The LSWR station was again enlarged between 1899 and 1902 and the 1870s platform east of Fisherton Street could then be closed. Two new platforms serving three tracks were opened between the GWR platforms and the original LSWR one, reached by a subway from the LSWR's new station offices which were built on the west side of their original building of 1859.

In the early morning of 1 July 1906 an overnight boat train derailed in Salisbury station, killing 24 passengers and 4 railwaymen.

Great Western Railway

The former GWR station

The (GWR) opened their 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge Salisbury branch line from Westbury on 30 June 1856. The terminus was on the north side of Salisbury on the west side of Fisherton Street. Isambard Kingdom Brunel provided a brick-built station with a wooden train shed to cover the tracks.

The GWR converted their line to 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge in 1874 and four years later a connecting line was laid between the two railways which allowed wagons to be shunted between the two stations. In 1896 a through service between Cardiff on the GWR and Portsmouth on the LSWR began operating over a junction line at Salisbury.

On 12 September 1932 the GWR's passenger trains were transferred to the LSWR station, and the two railways were in common ownership by British Railwaysfrom 1 January 1948. Brunel's passenger buildings now house the Salisbury Railway Social Club. In October 2008, English Heritage gave the station building Grade II listed status.

Goods facilities

The former Salisbury Milford station was used as a goods station until it was closed in 1967 and demolished in 1968. Goods traffic was also handled in goods sheds at the west end of the station – north of the GWR station and south of the LSWR station – and also on the 460 yards (420 m) Market House branch from the east end of the LSWR station which opened in 1859. A new LSWR marshalling yard was opened on the site of the old platform east of Fisherton Street after it had closed in 1902, but the main LSWR goods depot was kept at the old Milford station until 1967. The former GWR station remained in use as a goods depot and was used until about 1991 as the base for British Rail's exhibition trains.

Motive power depots

An engine shed, water tower and turntable were erected on the Milford site from the January 1847 as the line was then open for freight traffic. A replacement engine shed was built by the LSWR at Fisherton Street in 1859. The GWR also built a small engine shed adjacent to their station in April 1858. This was demolished in 1899 to allow expansion of the LSWR station, and a replacement built on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in 1950.

A large new and well equipped engine shed was opened by the LSWR on 12 January 1901. This remained in use until the end of steam in southern England on 9 July 1967. The shed lay derelict for some years before being demolished.

The sidings around the former GWR station were redeveloped in the 1960s as Salisbury TMD where South West Trains maintain their fleet of DMUs.

Description

The approach road from the city is accessed from a road junction on the south side of the railway bridge across Fisherton Street, which leads into a one-way parking lot with 287 spaces. The large building on the right of this approach is the old LSWR buildings of 1859, which now houses the Salisbury signal panel. Immediately next door is the red brick building of 1902, now the main entrance where the ticket office and buffet are located.

The main platform adjacent to the entrance is platform 4 which is mainly used for trains towards Exeter and Cardiff, as is platform 3 opposite. This is one side of an island platform, the opposite side of which is platform 2 which is used by trains to London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour. Platform 5 is a bay platform at the west end which is no longer used by passenger trains, and terminal platform 6 is an eastwards extension of platform 4 and is predominantly used by local services to Southampton.

Beyond platform 2 is another disused platform, formerly platform 1. Behind this are the sidings of Salisbury TMD where the trains form the West of England Main Line are maintained. At the east end of this is an old water tank and the brick offices which once served the GWR station.

Alongside the station is Salisbury Depot, where South West Trains maintain their fleet of diesel multiple units.

Services

South West Trains (left) and First Great Western (right) trains to Southampton

South West Trains operate frequent services from London Waterloo through Salisbury to Exeter St Davids, and from Salisbury to Chandlers Ford via Romsey andSouthampton Central. There are also a few services from London Waterloo to Bristol Temple Meads.

First Great Western operate regular services between Cardiff Central, Newport, Bristol Temple Meads, Southampton Central, Portsmouth Harbour and Brighton

Barcombe in 1977

(All 4.7.1977 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - BRITISH RAILWAY STATIONS AND BUILDINGS

The Bluebell Railway is developing into quite a network with the line extended back to East Grinstead and the line to Haywards Heath in the bag.

But south of Sheffield Park a short stretch of the line is still an authentic disused railway, with two closed stations at Barcombe and Newick and Chailey. The intention to restore this stretch of the route, which will give access to the honeypot seaside towns along the south coast, is buried in their 25 year plan, so this line's disused status will not remain for many more decades!

Back on 4 July 1977 I visited Barcombe station. Interestingly this was like an alternative version of Sheffield Park, the top shot of this group of photos giving a pretty good idea of what Sheffield Park would have looked like if the Bluebell hadn't moved in!

These were taken 19 years after closure, another 38 years have now passed so I suspect the scene is a little changed now!

This to me is what 'real' disused railways were all about - derelict stations and overgrown platforms and, if you were lucky, stretches of trackbed you could walk along. Future generations simply won't have this experience with most if not all of these lines restored - but I suppose there'll be plenty of closed and overgrown roads to give them that Gothic sense of dereliction and despair we were lucky enough to have experienced!

More info (from Wikipedia)

Barcombe was a railway station serving the village of Barcombe in East Sussex. It was part of the East Grinstead to Lewes line, more popularly known as the Bluebell Railway. The station was originally opened as "New Barcombe" to distinguish it from the nearby station of Barcombe Mills (then called 'Barcombe') and was changed to its more usual name on 1 January 1885. In 1897 goods sidings were installed at a cost of £1450.

It was planned to close the line and the station on 13 June 1955, although they actually closed on 29 May due to a railway strike. The line closure was found to be illegal under the original acts authorising construction of the railway and British Railways were forced to reopen it in August 1956. However the station was not reopened as it was not mentioned in the legislation.

After Parliament repealed the sections in question, the line was closed in March 1958 under the British Railways Branch-Line Report (prior to the Beeching Axe) and the track was lifted in 1960 from south of Sheffield Park to Culver Junction. Subsequently Barcombe station building was sold and was converted into a private house. The platform edge is still visible but the trackbed has been infilled up to about one foot below platform level.

Farncombe 1977

7406

(All 6.7.1977  copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

A station I've only visited once, on a line I've probably only travelled on a couple of times, in 1977 Farncombe was a surprisingly big station for a small place! I only spent a brief time there 

and only one train passed through - 7406 on a Portsmouth to Waterloo train.

More info (from Wikipedia)

Farncombe railway station opened in 1897 as a minor stop on the Portsmouth Direct Line between Guildford and Godalming, England. It is said to have been built at the instigation of General Sir Frederick Marshall, a director of the London and South Western Railway Company, who lived nearby at Broadwater.

The station lies in the centre of Farncombe, a northern suburb of Godalming. Nowadays it is served by South West Trains on the mainline from Waterloo toPortsmouth Harbour. It would have been served by the old Southern Railway.

Despite being of little significance, Farncombe station is staffed most of the time, and has a café on platform 1 in peak periods. As well as the ticket office,Farncombe has two ticket machines, both of them on platform 1. There are two full barrier level crossings at Farncombe, one at each end of the station. The two platforms are connected by an old, metal, bridge. There is a large carpark located by the exit of platform 1, this is pay and display and is open all day, 7 days a week.

Services

The classes of trains that use it are South West Trains class 444s and 450s with occasional freight workings. There are two stopping trains an hour and two fast trains (non-stop) an hour in each direction. These consist of:

2tph to London Waterloo via Woking

1tph to Portsmouth & Southsea (These services do not call at Milford and Witley)

1tph to Haslemere

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Guildford		South West Trains Portsmouth Direct Line (stopping services)		Godalming

Gallery

• 

  Station entrance
 
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  Asymmetrical platforms
 
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  Looking across to the down platform
 
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  Signal box
 
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  A 1912 Railway Clearing House map of lines around Farncombe railway station

Southampton Docks 1973

(All 9.8.1973 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

FACEBOOK - RAIL THING - RAILS AROUND SOUTHAMPTON

Just six years after the end of steam to Southampton I visited on a Railrover and did some on-foot exploring of the city, looking for rail remnants. I quickly discovered some tram poles (which I doubt are still there!) and then took a look at Terminus station. There were (and still are) running lines to the east of the station, which continue to this day into the docks, but the station itself was completely devoid of tracks.

A walk of about a mile took me to the dock lines which were still in place back then. A few years earlier I'd actually seen a loco (and perhaps train) running on this line which took a roadside and street running course along the city - but nothing to see on that day. But I did get a couple of pics of the actual line - which has now vanished. There are still some tracks set in concrete in parts of the docks - and it's perhaps inevitable that the dock lines will be relaid at some point in the future, but all is quiet now apart from freight trains into Southampton Eastern Docks, these running every couple of hours carrying road vehicles for export. The trains connecting with cruise ships currently no longer run.

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A few shots sourced from Google of the line in use. Top two are regular freight workings, the last two are of a railtour in 1976.

Railway Roundabout Video of the dock lines in 1958

Southampton Terminus (from Wikipedia)

Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorised on 25 July 1834,^[2] it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway (which was the London and Southampton Railway until the line opened). The station opened on 10 June 1839 as "Southampton", although it was not officially operational until 11 May 1840, due to the track not being fully linked betweenWinchester and Basingstoke.

The former terminus station was built in 1839-40 for the London and Southampton Railway, to the design of Sir William Tite. The LSWR added the large South Western Hotel which rather dwarfs the station. The line was later extended into the Ocean Dock Terminal to allow boat trains to terminate on the quayside.

History

During the building of the track between Winchester and Basingstoke, the London and Southampton Railway company renamed itself the London and South Western Railway. When it opened it was the only station in the area and so called "Southampton". Initially it had two platforms and an engine shed.

The station did not originally handle passenger services because of a dispute over running rights. To overcome this, a small open platform at Northam Road, opened. Access was from Bridge Road Level Crossing which was demolished in 1882 when the new "Central Bridge" was built. This remains a major route into Southampton from Woolston; at both ends of the bridge are plaques dedicated to the railway.

In 1847 engine sheds and a turntable were built.

During July 1858 Southampton was renamed "Southampton Docks" to distinguish it from "Southampton West" Railway Station. During the 1860s, additional sidings and sheds were built, followed by the "Imperial Hotel".

Hotel

Standing at the southern end of the station the "Imperial Hotel" was later renamed as "South Western Hotel". The building was acquired by the military in the Second World War and became HMS Shrapnel. After the war it was renamed "South Western House" and was converted to offices. In 1961 the BBC opened a new BBC South region and used the former Ball-Room as the main studio for their local news programme until 1991. The building was converted into private flats in 1998.

More development took place during the early 1870s when land on the station's eastern side was purchased, which allowed the railway to expand. Much larger goods sidings, a telegraph office and buildings for shipping businesses were built. At the same time the platforms were extended.

The London and South Western Railway purchased more land during 1876, north of the terminus, and built new locomotive work sheds and a turntable. Three new platforms, two arranged as an islandwere opened 1891. The goods and parcel yard which were located at St. Lawrence Road were improved.

In 1895 the old 1847 engine sheds were still heavily in use but as demand rose for goods, they were converted into a one road depot for freight trains. The original turntable was replaced with an open turntable which had radiating roads, coal stage, water columns and crew bothy. Over the years the turntable was repeatedly improved and eventually became a 70-foot (21-metre) vacuum turntable, which was closed and removed in September 1966.

During September 1896 the station was again renamed to "Southampton Town & Docks", later changing to "Southampton Town for Docks" in November 1912 and finally being renamed to "Southampton Terminus" on 9 July 1923,

The building played host to many distinguished guests. Two such notable ones were Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower during the Second World War. The men reportedly discussed the D Day invasion in one of the small public rooms on the first floor. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother also reportedly visited the Hotel and danced in the Wedgwood Ballroom.

Decline

In the early 1900s, Southampton Terminus saw increased traffic from locations such as Reading, Alton, London, Portsmouth and by 1905 traffic from the Great Western Railway via the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway.

Southampton Terminus is remembered for the many passengers of RMS Titanic who passed through it. Many of the RMS Titanic's wealthy First Class passengers stayed in the South Western Hotel next to Southampton Terminus before they boarded for their disastrous journey.

As road transport became more common the platforms at Southampton Terminus began to shrink, first to accommodate a private road between the railway station and the hotel. To make the station more comfortable for its users, a glass canopy was erected in 1924. Two years later in 1926 a new parcel and mail office was built. Around this time the station platform numbers were reversed and numbered to left to right from the prior right to left.

Closure

The station closed for passengers and parcels on 5 September 1966 prior to electrification between London Waterloo and Bournemouth when neither Northam Railway Station or Southampton Terminus were included in the upgrade. The mail offices closed the following year in December 1967, transferring their work to Southampton Central. By December 1968 most of the track had already been removed. In 1970 the remaining signal box and track work was removed and the running lines filled in to platform level to act as a car park.

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Northam Line and station closed		London & South Western Railway London and Southampton Railway		Terminus

Architecture

The main building in the Italianate style, by Sir William Tite, is a Grade II* listed building and is used as a casino, operated by the Genting Group.

Motive Power Depots

Motive power depots were situated at Southampton Terminus Station and nearby in Southampton Docks. The first of these was opened 10 June 1839 by the London and Southampton Railway, but was demolished due to track widening. This was replaced by another structure adjacent to the goods shed, but this was closed in 1895. It was replaced by an outdoor servicing facility north of the station, which included a turntable coal stage and offices. These remained open until 1966.

An engine shed was opened in Southampton Docks, by the Southampton Docks Railway Company in 1865. It was rebuilt in 1879, and taken over by the London and South Western Railway in 1892. The building was enlarged and re-roofed by the Southern Railway during the 1930s and rebuilt by British Railways in 1955. It was officially closed in January 1966, but remained in use until July 1967.

The Southern Railway opened an outdoor locomotive servicing facility in the New Docks in 1933 and added a turntable in 1949. This remained in use until 1966.

Today

Pictures of Southampton Terminus today.

Southampton Central is now the main railway station in Southampton.

The former Terminus station building is now a casino. The South Western Hotel was converted into apartments. The private road into what would be the platforms is now a car park. Of the platforms, all that remains is the glass canopy and a single line that runs from Northam junction to the docks.

Plans for a future railway station

A £10 million plan was put forward in 1999 to reopen Southampton Terminus and Northam Station, which was to have been controlled by East Anglia Railways Train Company. Their plans included building a new rail-link using the current remaining track by St. Marys Stadium and as far as the Waterfront, which is now safeguarded bySouthampton City Council for future rail links. It was also hoped it would reduce the traffic around Southampton with a local commuter line linking the Waterfront to Romsey, Halterworth and Chandler's Ford. The plan failed to come about for reasons unknown.

Southampton City Council has safeguarded the remaining land for future use to build a small railway station on the former down line at Canute Road level crossing, opposite the former Southampton Terminus railway station. The project is named TI4 Waterfront Station.