Unidentified locations can you help

[£1.38]

We can be absolutely confident that this is not Chesterfield. See http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/chesterfield_central/index.shtml

 

Other than that, I cannot help this time.

[298]

Is it Leith Central, after abandonment as a DMU depot...?

[pH]

I looked at that last one and immediately thought "Maryhill - Caledonian". However, while it is quite similar, I don't now think it is (unless someone can prove otherwise). In particular, the flats don't look right.

[Edwin_m]

Seems reminiscent of Glasgow Buchanan Street but the online photos I can find are inconclusive. The best ones I found are on the link below, in particular the pic with the Class 47 and from about 5 minutes on the video.

 

http://urbanglasgow.co.uk/archive/o_t__t_414__start_100__index.html

[£1.38]

There are some strong similarities to Buchanan Street, but it doesn't look quite right - especially the girder bridge in the background, but other details don't quite look right either.

 

This is Buchanan Street itself.........

 

 

The unknown photo is not necessarily even Scottish - perhaps the tall buildings at the extreme left are the only thing that has a real Scottish flavour. The impressive building middle right looks like an office building or hotel. The modern buildings could possibly be anywhere in the UK.

[Edwin_m]

I think £1.38's picture confirms it's not Buchanan Street. Not least the development on the right, which was clearly under construction when the station was still open, should be very evident on the right of the picture taken after closing, and not blocked by an older building that would have to have appeared in the meantime!

[Blandford1969]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had not thought of Buchanan Street, and agree it does not look like it. Maryhill I had thought of, but could not find photos from the right angle and Chesterfield I had thought the buildings were wrong in the background.

 

If its any help this set of negatives covered a wide area including London, East Anglia, Manchester, Yorkshire and some in Scotland (but not many) so would agree that it might not even be in Scotland.

 

I am sure there must be a clue in the background, but its eluded me so far. Once again thanks for looking and taking the time to reply.

 

Duncan

[Andy Kirkham]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had not thought of Buchanan Street, and agree it does not look like it. Maryhill I had thought of, but could not find photos from the right angle and Chesterfield I had thought the buildings were wrong in the background.

 

If its any help this set of negatives covered a wide area including London, East Anglia, Manchester, Yorkshire and some in Scotland (but not many) so would agree that it might not even be in Scotland.

 

I am sure there must be a clue in the background, but its eluded me so far. Once again thanks for looking and taking the time to reply.

 

Duncan

 

It does indeed remond me of Maryhill as well, but looking on Google Streetview, I cannot match any of the buildings. My impression is that the trackbed on the left has room for four lines and that it is a through station, suggesting that it might once have been a main line. To me there is a definite Scottish atmosphere, but I can't think of anywhere that fits.

[roythebus]

Bexhill West?

[£1.38]

Having dowloaded the image, zoomed in and brightened it up a bit, I wonder if the bridge in the background is actually another railway. There is a suggestion of a bridge of some kind at a high level just in front of the large brick building in the centre of the image, as if it is going over something that runs from left to right. Also, there is something looking a bit like a typical railway booking office on the left. That would also explain the building actually on the bridge as platform buildings on the high level line, otherwise difficult to understand.

 

That may be my imagination running away with itself, as it often does, but might help in some way.

[Fat Controller]

Could it be a station on the old GCR route through Nottingham?

[Edwin_m]

Most of the GC main line stations had only two platform faces (usually sharing an island). I think the only exceptions in this area were Nottingham and Leicester and it isn't either of them.

[Blandford1969]

Thanks for the suggestions, looking at it closley it does indeed look like a hgh level station building in the background. Sadly the neg is not sharp enough to zoom in on what looks like a nameboard.

 

The only possible GC stations that big and with bridges above I would think would be Nottingham Vic or Chesterfield Central, but neither of those had a high level station at one end.

 

The date of this, if it is any help is between about 1968 and about 1976. Not sure if that helps.

 

Regards and thanks again

 

Duncan

[talisman56]

Bexhill West?

 

Too many platforms, too many high-rise buildings.

[Andy Kirkham]

Could it possibly be on the former GW line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton Low Level? It only occured to because I was trying to think of closed main lines passing through urban areas. It doesn't have the look of what I would think of as typical Black Country scenery - but on the other hand I don't know the area well.

[£1.38]

I was thinking along similar "lines". Main lines completely devoid of track in the late 1960s or early 1970s must have been rare - even when they had been closed to passenger traffic there was often at least one track retained for goods traffic for some time.

 

I also wondered about special stations like Aintree CLC, which was not a busy station, except for short periods. That and several other similar candidates don't seem to fit though, in the slightest.

[£1.38]

Is it Leith Central, after abandonment as a DMU depot...?

 

 

This is what Leith Central looked like - the other stations in Leith don't fit either.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Could it possibly be on the former GW line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton Low Level? It only occured to because I was trying to think of closed main lines passing through urban areas. It doesn't have the look of what I would think of as typical Black Country scenery - but on the other hand I don't know the area well.

 

Not many stations with more than 2 platforms on that line, and IIRC only Hockley and Soho & Winson Green lost all tracks. It isn't either of those.

[£1.38]

Have a strong feeling it may be Newhaven in Edinburgh

 

Here is a view from the opposite (westward looking) direction. The buildings at extreme left and right look very much like the right place, as does the station building on the overbridge. Will see if there are any photos from the other direction on the Web.

 

 

EDIT Pretty confident it is Newhaven now - looking at OS maps, there were some extensive goods sidings and platforms on the west side of the station, which is as shown in the original photo. The tall bulding in the middle of the original photo is a school. The tenement building in the far left fits too. The line was closed completely in the right period.

 

And here is a photo of the station building with a partition under the bridge - view from opposite side to original photo

 

Here is a fisheye view showing the station and the school from the same direction as the original photo. Looks a perfect fit to me, unless there was somewhere else remarkably similar.

[£1.38]

Final proof it is Newhaven - here is a photo from the west showing the station building, school and the tall modern building behind, complete with boxy thing on the roof.

 

Had 298 not suggested Leith Central, I would never have thought of Newhaven in a million years, despite living nearby for 18 months at one time and walking by on many occasions.

[Edwin_m]

I agree that is pretty conclusive, but I'm slightly confused by the photo in #171 which appears to show the platforms stopping at the bridge. To appear in the original photo they must have continued beyond it.

[£1.38]

I see your confusion, but the platforms in the original photo are goods platforms on the far side of the bridge to the passenger platforms and not an extension of the passenger platforms.

 

The original photo is looking east towards the station building on the over bridge and shows the west end of the station site. The passenger platforms are beyond the bridge in this view.

 

My view of the passenger end of the station is looking west towards the station building on the over bridge.

 

The goods platforms show on OS maps. They appear mainly to curve around southwards along what was originally part of a triangular junction.

[£1.38]

This map dating from the 1950s clearly shows goods platforms in exactly the right place to the left of the road bridge. The passenger platforms are to the right of the bridge.

 

The original photo was taken from the left of the map, looking towards the right.

 

 

Hope this helps. The site is a bit complicated so I do understand if you are not convinced.

[Blandford1969]

Too many platforms, too many high-rise buildings.

 

Agreed

 

Could it possibly be on the former GW line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton Low Level? It only occured to because I was trying to think of closed main lines passing through urban areas. It doesn't have the look of what I would think of as typical Black Country scenery - but on the other hand I don't know the area well.

 

I can see what you mean about the scenery, sadly I am not aware of any stations in that are a having that sort of architecture.

 

This is what Leith Central looked like - the other stations in Leith don't fit either.

 

Agreed

 

Not many stations with more than 2 platforms on that line, and IIRC only Hockley and Soho & Winson Green lost all tracks. It isn't either of those.

 

Yes, that's what beleived, but was not around to see so a useful confirmation

 

Have a strong feeling it may be Newhaven in Edinburgh

 

Here is a view from the opposite (westward looking) direction. The buildings at extreme left and right look very much like the right place, as does the station building on the overbridge. Will see if there are any photos from the other direction on the Web.

 

 

EDIT Pretty confident it is Newhaven now - looking at OS maps, there were some extensive goods sidings and platforms on the west side of the station, which is as shown in the original photo. The tall bulding in the middle of the original photo is a school. The tenement building in the far left fits too. The line was closed completely in the right period.

 

And here is a photo of the station building with a partition under the bridge - view from opposite side to original photo

 

Here is a fisheye view showing the station and the school from the same direction as the original photo. Looks a perfect fit to me, unless there was somewhere else remarkably similar.

 

Thanks thats great, I did not understand as I read down how my photo fitted in at this point.

 

Final proof it is Newhaven - here is a photo from the west showing the station building, school and the tall modern building behind, complete with boxy thing on the roof.

 

Had 298 not suggested Leith Central, I would never have thought of Newhaven in a million years, despite living nearby for 18 months at one time and walking by on many occasions.

 

That's what i like about these threads everyone helps, even by suggesting areas.

 

I agree that is pretty conclusive, but I'm slightly confused by the photo in #171 which appears to show the platforms stopping at the bridge. To appear in the original photo they must have continued beyond it.

I see your confusion, but the platforms in the original photo are goods platforms on the far side of the bridge to the passenger platforms and not an extension of the passenger platforms.

 

The original photo is looking east towards the station building on the over bridge and shows the west end of the station site. The passenger platforms are beyond the bridge in this view.

 

My view of the passenger end of the station is looking west towards the station building on the over bridge.

 

The goods platforms show on OS maps. They appear mainly to curve around southwards along what was originally part of a triangular junction.

 

That's helpful in putting it into context, thanks.

 

This map dating from the 1950s clearly shows goods platforms in exactly the right place to the left of the road bridge. The passenger platforms are to the right of the bridge.

 

The original photo was taken from the left of the map, looking towards the right.

 

 

 

Hope this helps. The site is a bit complicated so I do understand if you are not convinced.

 

I am conviced, from the evidence of the building, the background and the maps that it is Newhaven. Now anyone fancy some pre group/ 1920s unidentified GER stations from the lens of the creator of the Jazz Service?

[Blandford1969]

With thanks to you all for your help so far, I have for you now an unidentified location one of a set of about 200 on the GER taken from about 1910 to the early 50s when the photographer died. He was one of the instigators of the Jazz service, but sadly his negatives (of which I did not get all were mainly unidentified)

 

They show a world long gone and in some cases of railway expansion. They were a mix of glass and accetate half plate size, and while not always the best quality to me a priceless. So here we have a first one

 

kind regards

 

Duncan