Bedford St Johns station looking north-east in May 1970. Little has changed since the withdrawal of the Oxford - Cambridge service but within a year all the buildings on the down platform would be demolished and the canopy over the up platform would be shortened.
Photo by John Mann

Bedford St Johns station looking south-west in May 1970. When the new lighting was installed at the station it included a light on the barrow crossing which was used by passengers changing platforms. That lamp post is still in the same position in 2014.
Photo by John Mann

Bedford St Johns station looking south-west from London Road bridge in May 1970. Bedford has often been described as an unusual station with two completely different buildings. The original 1846 building, clad in timber weatherboarding,is on the left while the brick 1861 building is on the right. The water tank is seen at the end of the up platform and beyond that the grass is in the centre of the triangular junction. The signal box seen in the distance lost its 'No 1' suffix at the beginning of the year when Bedford St Johns No.2 box was closed. A Cravens Class 105 DMU waits to depart for Bletchley.
Photo by David Pearson

Bedford St Johns station looking south-west from London Road c early 1970s, shortly after all the station buildings were demolished leaving just a short section of the later up platform canopy and four of the girders that once supported the train shed. The water tank at the end of the up platform has also gone. Although the down platform has now been taken out of regular use the station car park is on that side of the line with passengers having to use the barrow crossing to reach trains which now arrive and depart from the old 'London' platform. Part of the middle road has been lifted; in earlier times this was used as a carriage siding. A buffer stop has been replaced at the end of the line. W.H. & J. Rogers flour mill is seen on the right.
photo from John Mann collection

Bedford St Johns station looking north-west along the former up platform c early 1970s. At this time this was the only platform still in regular use. The buffer stop is seen near the end of the platform.
photo from John Mann collection

A Cravens Class 105 DMU waits for passengers at Bedford St Johns station in May 1973.The gas lamp posts are now redundant and their mantles have been removed; their sole function is to carry the BR (LMR) totem signs still in use at this time. Electric lights are seen at the far end of the platform beyond the canopy. The middle road has now been lifted.
Photo by Alan Young

Bedford St Johns former up platform in February 1977. The station has now taken on British Rail’s Corporate Identity in a half-hearted fashion. A new black-and-white sign is seen on the lamp post at the end of the platform. A large BR (LMR) maroon sign is still in place under the canopy.
Photo by Alan Young

Bedford St Johns station on a cold day in January 1984, five months before it was due to close. A Birmingham RC&W Class 104 DMU is waiting for passengers before making the return journey to Bletchley. The London Road bridge has been replaced with a new bridge that will allow reinstatement of the line beyond Bedford. At this time the former down line still passes under the bridge to serve Goldington power station, two miles east of Bedford. The power station was relatively short-lived and was in operation only from 1955 to 1983 and was demolished in 1986/7. Rail traffic had ceased before power generation ended and the line beyond Bedford St Johns was taken out of use in April 1981. However there had been no trains since about 1979.
Photo by Paul Townsend from his Flickr photostream

Looking south-west from London Road towards Bedford St Johns station in March 1984. Passengers use the barrow crossing to reach the platform from the station car park. The new signal box can be seen in the distance on the far side of the triangular junction, The original box was damaged by fire in 1977 and was rebuilt with a British Railways London Midland Region type 15 design top on the old brick base.

Photo by Gary Thornton

A Class 104 DMU awaits departure for Bletchley in April 1984. The wooden panels at the rear of the canopy have now been removed as has the BR maroon sign. The former down track that remained in use to serve Goldington Power station is rusty and clearly has been disused for some time.
Photo by David Pearson

Class 31s 31128 and 31116 at Bedford St Johns on 12 May 1984 with the ''10 counties' rail tour from St Pancras. The tour had a 15-minute photo stop here before continuing to Bedford Midland. This was the last day of public service. A new Bedford St Johns station opened at the north end of the triangular junction on 14 May. This allowed trains to continue into Bedford Midland station. Click here to see an advertising flyer for this rail tour.
Photo by Nick Ross from his Flickr photostream

Click here for Bedford St Johns Station Gallery 4
September 1984 - Match 2014

[Source: Nick Catford]

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