Disused Stations:Tongham Halt

Tongham Halt Gallery 2: c1950 - April 2015

Looking south-west towards Tongham station and goods yard from the footbridge to the north-east c1950. A number of wagons are seen in the goods yard which still appears to be well used. The War Office depot is seen on the left. The siding runs alongside a loading dock in front of the long building with a curved roof and canopy. A number of wagons are seen in the sidings. Similar buildings are seen to the rear. The street-level booking office is seen on the bridge opposite the former dog biscuit factory.
Photo by Charles Green

Tongham station was visited by two railtours in the 1950s. This is the first railtour, organised by the Farnborough-based Railway Enthusiasts’ Club. The ‘Hants and Surrey ’ tour on 26 September 1953 started at North Camp running to Bordon via Guildford and Tongham. After traversing the Longmoor Military Railway the tour returned to Guildford via Aldershot. This was the first passenger train to call at Tongham for 16 years. Note that the down platform shelter has been demolished.
Photo from John Mann collkection

Drummond L12 class 30434 poses for photographers at Tongham station during the ‘Hants and Surrey’ railtour on 26 September 1953. This 4-4-0 was built for the LSWR at Nine Elms works in March 1905 and was designed for express passenger work. After nearly 50 years’ service it was withdrawn from Guildford shed on 28 February 1955 and cut up six months later at Eastleigh work.
Photo from John Mann collection

Looking north-east from the down platform in 1956. The up platform building comprised a brick waiting room with an open-fronted timber shelter at the north end. The covered stairway can still seen in this view even though the upper floor of the station building has been demolished. It came down behind the shelter to a door in the end wall of the waiting room. The proximity of the loading dock to the north end of the up platform is seen here.

Photo by J Spencer Gilks

The Railway Enthusiasts’ Club 'Compass Rose' railtour is seen at Tongham station on 5 October 1957. This afternoon tour which started at Farnborough covered goods-only lines and little-used spurs in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire. It was the last official passenger train to stop at Tongham and Ash Green.
Photo by Hugh Davies

Drummond M7 No 30051 is seen at Tongham station with the 'Compass Rose' railtour on 5 October 1957. The 0-4-4-T was built for the LSWR at Nine Elms works in November 1905 and equipped for push-and-pull working in 1925. It was withdrawn from Nine Elms shed in September 1962 and cut up at Eastleigh works two months laterr.
Copyright photo by RM Casserley

A goods train stands in the down platform at Tongham station circa late 1950s. The platform buildings are still standing but the upper floor of the street level building has been demolished. The points
Photo from Phil Dawkins

Looking north-east from Tongham station in October 1967 two years after the track was lifted. The station platforms were demolished in the late 1950s but the goods dock seen here remained for many years. The lower floor of the station building is also seen; at this time it supported a footbridge. On the far side of the road, the once rail-served military depot is still standing. It had been demolished by 1968 when a new GPO engineering centre was built on the site.
Photo by Nick Catford

The two level goods dock at Tongham station in October 1967, the porters' room and lamp room are seen against the bridge. Two parallel siding ran end-on to the dock. The yard handled a full range of goods traffic including livestock which would have been loaded from this dock.

Photo by Nick Catford

Looking north-east from the site of Tongham station in October 1967. With the edge and facing bricks removed from the passenger platforms all that remained were degraded earth mounds. The truncated station building, now supporting a footbridge, is seen on the left. The former dog biscuit factory is still standing at this time.

Photo by Nick Catford

Looking south-east at the site of Tongham station c1972.
Photo by Ian Baker

Looking north-east from the site of Tongham station in July 1975. Beyond the goods dock the trackbed has been raised to dock level.
Photo by Nick Catford

By April 1983 the trackbed under the bridge has been raised and the dock is now barely visible. It is likely that the buried dock exists today. Beyond the bridge the military depot has been demolished and the site is occupied by a GPO engineering centre.
Photo by Nick Catford