[Source: Nick Catford & Darren Kitson]
Saffron Walden Station Gallery 1 April 1917 - April 1929 Looking south-west towards Saffron Walden station before April 1917. A locomotive is seen running round its coaches. A number of wagons are seen in foundry siding on the left.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection 1887 1:2,500 OS map shows the extensive area covered by the station, goods yard and engine shed. Debden Road is seen bottom left with South Road crossing the line right of centre. The goods yard starts immediately east of Debden Road and the engine shed is east of South Road. A crane is identified to the west of the goods shed; this does not appear on later maps and photographic evidence shows the crane has been moved to the east end of the goods dock to the south of the line.
1878 1:500 OS Town Plan shows the layout of the station and east end of the goods yard. The single platform and canopy is seen in front of the station building with the signal box at the west end of the platform. Water cranes are shown at both ends of the platform; that at the west end was removed at an early date. The foundry siding is seen opposite the station building, with the foundry to the west of the malthouse. The cattle dock and siding are seen to the west of the station with livestock pens on the dock. The goods shed is seen bottom left with the track crossing over a weigh bridge to the east of the shed. Note the two wagon turntables east of the shed to allow single wagons to be turned
end-on to the cattle dock. 1878 1:500 OS Town Plan shows the engine shed with a 40ft turntable to the rear. A coal stage is seen alongside the shed road. To the right there is a single-road carriage shed; this proved surplus to requirements and was closed and demolished at an early date
1897 1:2,500 OS map shows little has changed apart from an additional siding running diagonally across the yard to the west of the goods shed, this served the coal yard to the north of the siding. At a later date a second parallel siding was added. There has been some residential development to the south of the line.
Looking north-east at Saffron Walden goods yard and station from Debden Road bridge. The ‘Railway Arms’ public house is seen below the tree line top left. The South Road bridge is seen in the distance beyond the station. The running line is the unoccupied road on the right. Empty wagons stand in Dixie's siding on the far right with the goods dock visible in the distance. The main goods yard is on the left with the coal yard just visible on the far left towards the top. One of four wagon turntables is seen bottom left with a short siding at right angles out of view to the left. The yard had a total capacity of 112 wagons; 50 are seen in this view from 1911. A number of private owner wagons are visible, while those on the right mainly belong to the GER. The wagon near left is being unloaded and a horse and cart is present. In the days before road motor transport, this could be a time consuming and
laborious process. Photo from John Mann collection The Great Eastern single-road engine shed is seen from an unknown elevated position in 1911. South Road bridge and corn mill are seen in the distance. The water tank to the right of the shed fed two water cranes; one is seen here, the other was at the east end of the passenger platform. The 40ft turntable is just visible behind the shed with an inspection pit in front of the shed and a
coaling stage bottom left. Photo from John Mann collection Aerial view of Saffron Walden station in April 1929. The 32-lever signal box is seen at the east end of the platform. The siding running behind the signal box served the cattle dock which is seen on the left complete with livestock pens. The angled section in the left was originally an end dock with a single wagon siding accessed from a wagon turntable end on to it. (see Town Plan above). A cattle market was established in the town in 1834. Dixie's siding is seen bottom left with a number of box wagons standing in the dock. The foundry siding is opposite the station building. Reproduced with the kind permission of Simmons Aerofilms Ltd Another section of the 1929 aerial photograph showing the goods shed and goods office in the centre; the coal yard is seen on the left. The second goods dock, alongside Dixie's siding, is seen at the bottom. The ‘Railway Arms’ public house is seen top right at the junction of Station Road and Station Street; it is the only building in this view and the view above that is extant. What was once an industrial area is now entirely residential. Reproduced with the kind permission of Simmons Aerofilms Ltd. Click here for Saffron Walden Station Gallery 2 Home Page
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