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PHOTO
GALLERY GROUP 19
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Above: Thelwall
station is situated west of Lymm on the former Skelton Junction
to Warrington line, which now forms part of the Trans
Pennine Trail (TPT). After years of neglect, the little station
has
a proud new owner who is busy renovating it. This was the view
from the TPT in January 2007 – note that catkins are
already out on the tree in the foreground. Given that the station
closed in 1956 and the line continued in operation until 1985,
it is remarkable that such a small building has survived. (Mark
Jones)
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Above: Langley
station on the Allendale branch, looking north towards Hexham.
This is a North Eastern Railway gem which survives in a remarkable
state
of preservation
considering that so much of its fabric is timber. It's full of
railway memorabilia and all are welcome to visit whilst passing,
since it now forms part of a garden centre ('The Garden Station')
which includes the 'Leaning Shed Café', visible here at
the end of the platform. The property was sold in late 2007,
but
the new owner
intends
to
keep it running as before. March 2007. (Bob Prigg) |
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Above: Langley
station again, this time showing the former waiting room and
station clock. Unless we are mistaken, these colours are authentic
NER. March 2007. (Bob Prigg) |
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Above: A
final view of Langley station, this time showing an NER public
warning by R.F. Dunnell, the company secretary, not to trespass
on any part of the railway on pain of a forty shilling fine (£2).
That must have been a considerable deterrent in the 19th century,
but nowadays it cannot be guaranteed that £2 will even buy a
pint of beer. March 2007. (Bob Prigg) |
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Above: Staward
was the next station down the line from Langley, barely two miles
to the south. It is situated on the A686 where the minor lane
to Catton branches off to the east, and it was from the bridge
on this lane that this picture was taken. One will look in vain
at the modern OS map to find communities which might have supplied
Staward with passenger traffic, but the proximity of Staward
Manor suggests that this stop was put in for the benefit of the
local landowner. This station is now privately owned, but, like
Langley, has been maintained in excellent condition. March 2007.
(Bob
Prigg) |
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Above: Haltwhistle
station and its towering signal box on the ex-NER Newcastle
to Carlisle line. This view is facing west, i.e. towards
Carlisle, with the former Alston bay platform on the extreme
left (and
now securely fenced off). The whole of
the Alston branch is now an attractive railway
path, the South Tyne Trail, which
connects at intermediate Lambley with Lord Carlisle's Railway,
a colliery line which ran from Lambley to Brampton
Junction. The majority of Lord Carlisle's line from the eastern
(i.e. Lambley) end is being converted into a railway
path, which will form part
of the NCN. When complete,
this will offer walkers a good round trip, i.e. Haltwhistle-Lambley-Brampton,
with return to Haltwhistle by train. Haltwhistle signal box must
still be
used, since the modern railway rarely retains old buildings for
their architectural merits alone!
March 2007. (Bob Prigg) |
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Above: Alston Arches Viaduct is situated just south
of Haltwhistle station and can be seen clearly from
the Carlisle-bound platform on the left of the photograph above.
It was the first major engineering structure on the former branch
line from Haltwhistle to Alston, and carried that railway over
the River South Tyne. A plaque on the inside
parapet commemorates the assistance provided by
this club in 2006 to help with the viaduct's restoration – click
here for further details. March
2007.
(Bob Prigg) |
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Above: 'Underneath the arches'. As can be
seen in the photograph above, the piers of Alston Arches Viaduct
contain interior arches, which are seen here. This technique was
usually employed by railway architects to reduce the weight of
the structure, but it is possible in this northerly
latitude that the interior arches were included to reduce the viaduct's
wind resistance, or make it more secure in the event of
the river flooding. March 2007. (Bob
Prigg) |
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