Station Name: STANMORE VILLAGEStanmore Village Station Gallery 3: 28.jpg) Looking north towards Stanmore Village station and goods yard in 1957, five years after closure to passengers. The goods yard is still open at this time. There was a loading gauge at the entrance to the yard but this appears to have been removed; note the lamp standard alongside the siding. The large brick goods shed is seen with a timber extension on one side to provide protection from the weather when loading and unloading wagons. A number of wagons are seen alongside the coal bins on the left. The top of the station canopy can be seen to the left. There was no signal box at Stanmore, access to 'Stanmore Sidings' being controlled from a three-lever ground frame behind the photographer.
Photo by Dr Neil Clifton old13a.jpg) A brief period of activity at Stanmore Village on 27 April 1958. The occasion was the RCTS Hertfordshire Railtour No.2 which commenced at Fenchurch Street and covered, in addition to Stanmore, The Watford - St Albans branch, St Albans - Hatfield and then to Broad Street via Cole Green, Hertford Cowbridge, Cheshunt, Stratford and Victoria Park. The locomotive seen here, a fitted push-and-pull Stanier 0-4-4T, had been in charge for the Harrow & Wealdstone - Stanmore - Watford - St Albans leg of the tour. The train was eight coaches, mainly Gresley corridor stock, but for the Stanmore branch the tour participants transferred into a four-coach push-and-pull train (2 x 2-car sets). The rest of the tour was handled by two Class N7 0-6-2Ts. It should have been one, the then Liverpool Street west side pilot No.69614, but this developed a problem somewhere near Temple Mills. Thereafter what occurred is a little confused; No.69614 made it to Harrow & Wealdstone where she was to wait with train while participants visited Stanmore on the push-and-pull train. No.69614 was either then taken off the train and limped light engine to Watford, where she was failed, or she was towed to Watford by a 4F 0-6-0. Whatever happened, it is the reason why No.41901 took the train on to Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey where the second N7, No.69632, took over for the remainder of the tour. Looking very smart and probably spruced-up for the tour (she had recently been transferred to Watford from Crewe North when this photograph was taken so could have been ex-works) No.41901 was one of a class of just ten locomotives. Although built under William Stanier they were the last locomotives to be built at Derby to what was largely a Midland Railway design, hence their 'non-Stanier' appearance. No.41901 was one of two, the other being No.41909, used on Watford - St Albans push-and-pull trains. In addition, No.41908 had also been at Watford a few years earlier. When this photograph was taken No.41901 still carried a Crewe North (5A) shedplate. All bar one of the class was withdrawn in November 1959, the exception being No.41900 which defiantly soldiered on until March 1962, by then allocated to Gloucester (Barnwood).
Copyright photo from Robert Gadsdon collection from his Flickr photostream old13.jpg)
Another view of the RCTS Hertfordshire Railtour No.2 at Stanmore Village on Sunday 27 April 1958, this time with the station building visible in the right background. The driving cab of one of the push-and-pull sets is just visible behind the locomotive. Having been closed to passengers since 1952, the run-round loop has become fairly overgrown although it would have seen little use for many years as the last years of the regular service had seen push-and-pull trains in use. The 4-coach train has stopped some way short of the buffers but why is not known. The rail chairs holding the rail nearest the platform are curious for they are of the type designed to hold a check rail in addition to the running rail (check rails are found on the inside of sharp curves and their purpose is to prevent wheel flanges mounting the head of the outer rail and thus causing a derailment). In the 1952 picture depicting locomotive No.40043 there is a stack of check rail chairs on the platform ramp but none in position on the track, so the implication is that these chairs were laid around the time of closure to passengers if not afterwards; but why is a mystery because, as far as is known, no check rail was ever installed and nor would there be any need for one. Photographs from way back in time are always interesting when they show period clothing and this one is no exception. Apart from the raincoats and caps there was little difference in styles across the age gap; baggy trousers, blazer, V-neck pullover (optional but preferable) and tie. In those days men rarely went out without wearing a tie and unless one was a youth or a workman the wearing of denim was not the ‘done thing’ and certainly not on a Sunday. How times have changed - fortunately.
Photo from John Mann collection 31.jpg)
Stanmore Village station looking north towards the buffers in February 1961. The height of the wall on the right was reduced when the canopy was shortened by 40ft. Then once-glazed canopy is now covered with asbestos sheets.
Photo from Ian Baker collection 30.jpg)
Stanmore Village station looking south from the buffers in 1961. After closure to passengers in 1952 the station building was used by a potato merchant.
Photo from John Mann collection 29.jpg) Stanmore Village station looking north in 1965. Following closure to goods traffic on 6 July 1964 the track was quickly lifted that September. The last train departed from Stanmore Village on 21 August 1964. It comprised eight or nine open wagons loaded with asbestos cable ducts that had been stored on the platform in conjunction with electrification of the main line. As can be seen in this view many of the cable ducts were left behind and abandoned.
Photo from Ian Baker collection 9.jpg)
Stanmore Village station concourse c1965. With the closure of the goods service in 1964 the building quickly became dilapidated and run down.
Photo
by Ted Burgess
10.jpg)
Stanmore Village station station c1965. The glazed panels in the canopy have been replaced with opaque asbestos panels. The large number of asbestos trunk sections left lying about would have made this a very hazardous place - little did we know.
Photo by Ted Burgess 19.jpg) In its last years, the Stanmore Village goods yard handled only coal traffic and the goods shed was rented to a banana merchant. When he moved out after closure of the goods yard the vandals moved in and the goods shed was badly damaged by fire as seen in this view from December 1967.
Photo by Nick Catford 19a.jpg)
In 1967 a committee of local people interested in renovation the station as an arts centre and railway museum was formed. Signs were erected in prominent places but they failed to deter the vandalism and even the signs were stolen. The council did not support the proposals and the committee was disbanded in 1969 and the site sold to a property developer. One of the new signs is seen on the engine shed in December 1967.
Photo by Nick Catford Click here for Stanmore Village Station Gallery 4: February 1968 - June 1968
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