Memories of Victoria station

[Guest]

Barclay: is that why the last train was to Rugby? Did'nt know any of those facts--thank you!.

[barclaycon 569]

I'm not really sure Ian.

Some services continued until there was a viable bus alternative in place.

A lot of lines that got closed to passengers lived on for a few more years because of freight contracts.

Even after Victoria closed there were still trains passing through the site - I've got pictures of an 'avoiding' line that they built so that trains could pass through even though Victoria centre was being built.

Arkwright Street station that had been closed 1963 was re-opened in 1967 so they could run a shuttle service between Nottingham and Rugby, but that only lasted until 1969.

Bits of the GCR south of Nottingham remained in use even into the 80's. Like the gypsum mine at East Leake.

Fortunately these sections will survive as preserved lines.

As a railway 'enthusiast' you might imagine that I would support HS2, but I see it as a huge white elephant.

An ill-thought out vanity project.

Some of the claims that they have made about it 're-vitalising' Northern cities are just nonsense.

I don't hear anyone crying out for 20 minutes to be shaved off the travelling time between London and Birmingham.

In fact, a lot of people prefer to take the lengthier route from Marylebone to Birmingham because it's a really pleasant journey.

If they had a strategic plan to get freight off the roads and back onto the railways it might be a different matter.

But nowadays politicians just don't have the imagination !

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Even after Victoria closed there were still trains passing through the site - I've got pictures of an 'avoiding' line that they built so that trains could pass through even though Victoria centre was being built.

RCTS site have quite a few of those. As an example, here's one of the temporary 'new' line, and one showing the old line being cleared out.

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?location=Nottingham%20Victoria&page=3&serial=48&img=67-037-30

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?location=Nottingham%20Victoria&page=4&serial=72&img=67-036-23

[Guest]

This is good stuff , thanks Cliff. Barclaycon your points are very valid- my veiw in railways old and new is somewhat romantic in it's nature.Low gill and Carnforth is how i think these days. I don't think they will be happy until they have ran in into the ground... "Take me back to Dent !!!"

[StephenFord 866]

Ha - Dent! Where the place supposedly "served" was 5 miles from the station down a steep and winding road. The old gag goes that a visitor asked why the station had been built so far from the village. A local replied, " 'Appen they wanted it alongside the railway line!"

Now if it had been the Great Western Railway, you would have got the classic ominous warning - the GWR would have named it Dent ROAD.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

A big hole in the ground about the best place for a "shopping centre"

[Chulla 4,946]

I hear that if HS2 is built there will be a premium on the fares for the privilege of getting to your destination quicker. Seeing that all the tunnels and bridges will have to be built from new, why not have double-decker carriages, as seen in other countries? With an abundance of seats there would be no need to have to travel later in the day for a cheaper price and no need to book ahead. It would then be like it used to be - just turn up at any time and pay a price that did not change according to the time of day. This seems eminently simple to me, but doubt it would be to the private company with its shareholders that would be running it.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Nottingham Victoria Station was probably handier for the city centre than the Midland. That said, The GCR was built across the grain of the land in Nottinghamshire. This would have made it extremely expensive to quadruple the track, Think of the civil engineering. Starting with the tunnel through the Robin Hood Hills, Bulwell Viaduct,, then the huge embankments across the Daybrook Valley, the three tunnels through Nottingham and the long viaduct across the Meadows. Those three tunnels were real bottlenecks. Just think of the coast of widening them.

BUT WOULDN"T IT HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!.

In its heyday you could have got a train to almost anywhere (and if Edward Watkin had got his way even Europe). Engines from the GWR, LNER, LMS and of course the LNER were regular visitors. Indeed the York/Bournemouth was often seen with green (southern) carriages.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Re#43, a lot of stations were built a long way from the community it served (obviously because of the location of the railway). In those days people didn't mind walking a couple of miles to the station. One of the worst was Burgh-Le-Marsh near Skegness. Now that was quite a distance.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Regarding being able to get a train to almost anywhere from Victoria, to be fair you could also do that from the Midland station. The only place of any size (and that not very big) served only by the Great Central main line was Lutterworth in Leicestershire.

[Compo 10,328]

I posted this memory of Nottingham Victoria Station in the thread about Hucknall Aerodrome late last night. I hope no-one minds me copying it to here..it is relevant to this thread as well:

......One visit [To Hucknall air display] that stands out would be about 1960. Our dad took us to Nottingham Victoria to catch the train to Hucknall Central but being air display day the train was heaving. There must have been no carriages spare because they coupled a cattle truck onto the back of the train and herded those of us that were left on the platform into the truck. We thought we would have to travel all the way like this when someone came and moved us all off again. In the end we had to stand shoulder to shoulder in the carriage corridor like sardines in a can. It would have been a nightmare if there had been a crash. We made our way home by bus.

Commo #17.......For once....Not guilty m'lud.

Bilbrborn #47: My house, the former Watten Station, was built one mile from the nearest village, Watten. Had the line been taken to the south of Loch Watten instead of the north it would have been right alongside the village and maybe used a bit more.

[Compo 10,328]

This poster sold at auction in February 2015 for £40. The image was taken from a small auction room online picture, hence it 's tiny writing and also focus problem (Blow it up and it's all blurred):

[TheTramp 139]

I notice that at the fabulous done over Midland station they have had to finally reinstate big printed alphabetic departure posters to let folks know which train they can choose from, some ideas aren't broken so don't need mending!!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Nottingham Post Bygones newspaper has photos of Nottingham Victoria taken by a student who lived in digs nearby and managed to record the dying days.

[Guest]

I have a sausage sign i ' borrowed' off platform 2 circa '68.

[Karlton 582]

I'm an L.N.E.R man myself. I remember well the carriages without corridors. I wonder what happened to those lovely pictures that were displayed above the seats. I was only a passed cleaner at Colwick loco but sometimes had the pleasure of firing those lovely engines. and sometimes a driver would let you drive an engine from the coaling plant into the sheds. what an experience for a lad of seventeen. on nights having a kip in a break van. sweet memories stay with yer forever.

[Compo 10,328]

Karlton: Those carriage prints occasionally come up for sale at Railwayana auctions. Here is a website that offers originals for sale. they have a large selection for about £40 upwards to around £250.....

http://www.travellingartgallery.com/landscape/print/merchandise/prints.html

If you don't want to pay huge prices for an original they offer reproductions at around £20 each.

By the way.......I'm certain that many on this site would love to hear your stories of a "Passed cleaner". Anything or any little anecdote you can recall from your days at Colwick would be greatly appreciated. You know the kind of thing: Funny incidents, odd drivers, jolly japes, A day in the life of...Etc.. Please.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Before and After.

[Guest]

Nice comparisons Cliff- picture one is my fave, the iron work alone!!

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

One small point photograph two is about 30 feet above rail level

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

And the outside view.

[FLY2 10,108]

Sacrilege in the extreme.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Yes I agree & it's hard to think that it's been cloised for almost 50 years.

[The Pianoman 1,532]

Last time I caught a bus out Victoria Bus Station I had a look at the view in the second photo at #51 and thought exactly the same as FLY2. Black & white photos make Victoria Station look as though is was all dirty black. I would like to see some colour photos of it so as to view it in sandstone colour. It must have looked quite something in the early 1900's.

[FLY2 10,108]

I'd still like to have my ashes spread over the parapet though.