Station Names on Platform Lights

[O L Leigh]

The last one I was aware of was at Audley End in the platform shelter on the Down. It's no longer there, although I'm unsure precisely when it was taken down. I guess it must have survived the NSE purge mentioned up-thread and was certainly the only one I knew of along the entire WA network.

 

[Committee man]

I forgot the two on display at the NRM. Obviously from two different era's looking at the type face used.

 

[gg1]

I’m pretty sure New St had some in lower case too (I strongly associate them with trips from Birmingham to London in the mid-80s).

Most of the New Street ones went in the 80s or 90s but for some reason a handful survived until the recent rebuild, they were ones fitted to the roof as opposed to on posts.

 

[bramling]

There was a time when platform lights incorporating the station name were a common sight - at least in certain areas. (I particularly associate them with the Kings Cross outer suburban area - but obviously they weren't confined to there!) There are clearly one or two survivors (like this one, assuming it's still there - and I came across two preserved as a "feature" at Braintree the other week), but when did they cease to be "common"? Does anyone know what the last "full survivor" was - and when? (ie - the last station to feature a full set as main platform lighting)

View attachment 99955

Grantham had a very nice complete line-up until comparatively recently. They disappeared a decade or so ago, sadly.

 

[station_road]

Long gone now, but well into the 80s and possibly later Duddeston had those lights with the name 'Vauxhall' on them, a decade after the station changed its name from 'Vauxhall and Duddeston'

 

[Ashley Hill]

There was one left on Teignmouth upside well into the 2000s. It was auctioned off for charity upon its replacement. Platforms 13/15 at Bristol TM had them until the platforms were reinstated for passenger use. At least one defiantly survived

 

[The exile]

I had suspected that the most likely survivors would be the roof-mounted variety, which seems to be backed up by the above posts. Any post mounted ones still around ( other than at Cleethorpes)?
Also - are there any preserved stations fully “themed” in that era? (Guess Bury Bolton St or one of the GC stations might be the best candidate). If not - it’s a big “gap” - though probably not with as much public appeal as quaint Victorian.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Any post mounted ones still around ( other than at Cleethorpes)?

Thorpe-le-Soken - on concrete posts

 

[The exile]

Thorpe-le-Soken - on concrete posts

Would you believe I was there a fortnight ago and didn’t notice!!!!

 

[pdeaves]

are there any preserved stations fully “themed” in that era?

Dereham (Mid Norfolk Railway) springs to mind.

 

[urbophile]

Apart from heritage railways, I wonder if there are still any of those Victorian gas-lamps (albeit converted to electricity) with a discreet station name at the top of the light box, probably in blue and white glass. I have childhood memories of country stations lit solely by oil lamps which had an even more primitive version of those. It was quite surprising how many stations, even quite major ones, had no electric lighting until the late 1950s or even 60s.

 

[Darandio]

Apart from heritage railways, I wonder if there are still any of those Victorian gas-lamps (albeit converted to electricity) with a discreet station name at the top of the light box, probably in blue and white glass. I have childhood memories of country stations lit solely by oil lamps which had an even more primitive version of those. It was quite surprising how many stations, even quite major ones, had no electric lighting until the late 1950s or even 60s.

Many stations on the Settle to Carlisle still have them.

 

[The exile]

Apart from heritage railways, I wonder if there are still any of those Victorian gas-lamps (albeit converted to electricity) with a discreet station name at the top of the light box, probably in blue and white glass. I have childhood memories of country stations lit solely by oil lamps which had an even more primitive version of those. It was quite surprising how many stations, even quite major ones, had no electric lighting until the late 1950s or even 60s.

I would guess that any there are around on the national network (like the S&C ones mentioned below) are "heritage recreations" rather than survivors. Imagine there are quite a lot in private houses / gardens, though.
As to gas lighting - there's a thread somewhere with more info, but there were definitely still gas-lit BR stations in the 1980s.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I can't remember if those at Chester ever said "Chester (General)", as when installed there were two stations in Chester, the other being Northgate (ex-CLC).
The ones at the south-east corner of the station were on the old parcels platform (also used for Whitchurch/Crewe locals before withdrawal).
It's still a busy corner of the station for staff with catering, the 175 simulator and BTP presence, plus a route to the car park.

 

[Beebman]

I remember seeing some at Carlisle about 10 years ago but I don't know if they're still there, the most recent photo I can find on Flickr is from 2011 which is around when I would have last been there:


Carlisle Railway Station - Old Platform Light by Allan McKever, on Flickr

 

[WesternBiker]

IIRC, Exeter Central had a Southern era internally-illuminated running-in board at the country end of the Up platform during the 1970s. It had green and cream glass, made of the pebbly reinforced concrete for which the Southern was known (presumably made down the road at the SR's concrete works at Exmouth Junction), and a sort of 'roof' over it.

 

[yorksrob]

Apart from heritage railways, I wonder if there are still any of those Victorian gas-lamps (albeit converted to electricity) with a discreet station name at the top of the light box, probably in blue and white glass. I have childhood memories of country stations lit solely by oil lamps which had an even more primitive version of those. It was quite surprising how many stations, even quite major ones, had no electric lighting until the late 1950s or even 60s.

One of the stations between Redhill and Guilford still has SER lamp posts which were converted to swan neck several decades ago. Can't remember which one.

 

[32475]

I photographed Glossop Central in about 1990

 

[davetheguard]

I'm not sure it can be called a "full survivor" but Stratford Upon Avon has several of these lights. They have been retained after a recent refurbishment of the main building. I don't think they are on the island as this has old GWR style lanterns (not sure if those are repro' or original).

Here's a couple of pictures of the station frontage taken at Stratford upon Avon in September 2019. The very dirty example appeared to be newly-revealed by a recently demolished building or lean-to. By the way, when I wrote up the picture description at the time, I called them, incorrectly, LMR-style lights; I wonder what the official term was/is?

 

[nw1]

One of the stations between Redhill and Guilford still has SER lamp posts which were converted to swan neck several decades ago. Can't remember which one.

Betchworth had them in the 1980s, so I presume it's there.

 

[yorksrob]

Betchworth had them in the 1980s, so I presume it's there.

Ah yes, that sounds right. Genuine originals !

 

[gg1]

I remember seeing some at Carlisle about 10 years ago but I don't know if they're still there, the most recent photo I can find on Flickr is from 2011 which is around when I would have last been there:


Carlisle Railway Station - Old Platform Light by Allan McKever, on Flickr

Interestingly the text appears raised suggesting individual metal or plastic letters fixed to the glass, most pictures and ones I've seen in person have text which look like they're either printed or as transfers. Also the colouration of the letters which at first glance just looks like rust I think could actually be LMS/LMR maroon rather than the more usual black lettering.

Is it possible this could be a particularly early example which predates the printed black lettered versions?

 

[davetheguard]

Betchworth had them in the 1980s, so I presume it's there.

I'd second that. I'm sure Deepgreen will be able to tell us if they're still -hopefully- there!

 

[The exile]

Interestingly the text appears raised suggesting individual metal or plastic letters fixed to the glass, most pictures and ones I've seen in person have text which look like they're either printed or as transfers. Also the colouration of the letters which at first glance just looks like rust I think could actually be LMS/LMR maroon rather than the more usual black lettering.

Is it possible this could be a particularly early example which predates the printed black lettered versions?

I think the regional colours would have been standard up until at least 1964 (though I'm not sure how well NE Orange and ScR blue would have worked) so I suspect that any that are in capitals and are black are either just filthy or later replacements. Certainly the Chester, Glossop and Oxford Road examples are also in LMR Maroon, and the Cleethorpes and Ely ones could well be ER dark blue. Might it be too much speculation to suggest that the Stratford-on-Avon ones are black because the LMR took over from the WR in 1962 and by the time they got round to removing all signs of the previous management black on white was going to be the order of the day? They certainly look more modern (though obviously not modern enough to feature lower case lettering!)

 

[Beebman]

Interestingly the text appears raised suggesting individual metal or plastic letters fixed to the glass, most pictures and ones I've seen in person have text which look like they're either printed or as transfers. Also the colouration of the letters which at first glance just looks like rust I think could actually be LMS/LMR maroon rather than the more usual black lettering.

Is it possible this could be a particularly early example which predates the printed black lettered versions?

I clearly remember seeing the ones at Carlisle 'in the flesh' and the lettering was definitely maroon.

 

[High Dyke]

I forgot the two on display at the NRM. Obviously from two different era's looking at the type face used.
View attachment 99985

I have a Grantham one at home, rescued from the skip. My colleague has two fitted in his garage. Hopefully he'll be taking them with him when he moves to Romania.

Up until a few years ago there was one at the end of platform 3 at Nottingham that had Nottingham Midland on it.

 

[nw1]

I can definitely recall this style of light in the 1980s at Stafford. Fairly sure Oxford, Banbury, Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street had them too, possibly Wolverhampton also. I know the Stafford ones had the station name, not sure about the others. Indeed, from photos of elsewhere on the network, they were still the dominant type at Inter City stations throughout most of the 80s.

Reading had this style of 'single horizontal fluorescent strip light within plastic case on a metal stand' until quite recently, but didn't have the station name and the plastic case was transparent as well.

On the Southern Region they were rarer but recall them at Ashford and Eastleigh in 1986, both on Network Days. The Eastleigh ones had, I think, gone by 1989.

In an Ian Allan book from 1982/83-ish I seem to (90% sure) recall a photo of a 315 at Gidea Park, and remember from this photo that Gidea Park had this style of light, but with the station name in lower case in 'BR 1970s/80s' font. Perhaps all the GE suburban stations had them? Not sure.

The fluorescent strip light style was very common on the Southern Region well into the 1990s, but with a different variation, two separate smaller fittings either side of the pole and no station name. At a few stations (Mortimer was perhaps the latest I saw) they lasted well beyond the millennium. I believe they were still introducing this style into the late 1980s as they replaced 'bulb' lighting at St Denys sometime between 1986 and 1989.

 

[RPM]

One of the New Street examples back in 2008. Presumably it is no longer there.

 

[RobertsN]

The 2 outside of the Stratford-upon-Avon station were still there after the rebuild (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford-upon-Avon_railway_station ) for the picture on the right after the rebuild.
Will see if I can get closer up piccies over the weekend.

Edit: No idea if they're still illuminated.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

These fluorescent station lanterns are very likely to be of GEC origin, there's a few at Scarborough minus the lettering. I do believe that Wakefield Kirkgate had one on platform 1 that was mounted to the stations canopy although when I saw it, there was only a small section of bowl (i.e. the cover) left the rest was completely trashed but has since been removed after the referbishment a few years back.

There were two fluorescent lanterns at Bridlington, one had Bridlington on it and the other railway station above the entrance.