oldravendale
Western Thunderer
I continue the long and arduous process of digitising and then Photoshopping all my railway photos. I'm attaching these, admittedly not very wonderful, photos of Belmont Station, on the LNWR Stanmore Branch from Harrow and Wealdstone for no better reason that they could provide a theme for a branch line layout as a station, conveniently in a cutting and in a suburban location. The entrance at road level was through what could be described as nothing better than a wooden shed, and then across a wooden footbridge to the platform. Furthermore these may be useful as a guide in detail weathering - not that there seems to be any lack of skill in that area from all I've seen on WT. My notes say that these were taken in March 1966, so immediately after track lifting.
It's a great shame that this branch was ever closed. Personally it provided no service that I could use, living closer to the Bakerloo Line (as was) Stanmore Branch. However, I determined to travel on it at least once and did so after school, probably in 1962. The train was crammed with passengers (no "customers" then!) standing all the way and although I didn't detail the trip I seem to remember that the stock in use at that time was the 4-wheel BUT railcars which were the staple diet of power on the branch. I remember, however, the occasional push pull service - the "Belmont Rattler" to the locals - utilising a Fowler 2-6-2T. At that time the freight service (I think daily) to and from the branch terminus at Stanmore was usually hauled by an 8F 2-8-0. The low bridge created by the branch as it exited Harrow Station lead to London Transport utilising RLH buses for many years. This one was photographed in June 1969 at the terminus of the route at Northwick Park - note the advert on the side - "Victoria Line Opens March 7"!.
At the time I remember Belmont Station the loop had been removed and passenger services to Stanmore had been withdrawn, although the rather beautiful Stanmore Station remained for many years, and was finally turned in to a private dwelling, but not until the developers had gone a good way in to pulling it down before the local council stopped them as it was and probably remains a listed building. At a distance of 55 years it seems very short sighted to have closed the branch at all - even at the time I travelled it was clearly well used, and now with the rapid services in to London from Harrow would have been a boon to the local population. However, I suppose we all have 20:20 hindsight.
Brian
It's a great shame that this branch was ever closed. Personally it provided no service that I could use, living closer to the Bakerloo Line (as was) Stanmore Branch. However, I determined to travel on it at least once and did so after school, probably in 1962. The train was crammed with passengers (no "customers" then!) standing all the way and although I didn't detail the trip I seem to remember that the stock in use at that time was the 4-wheel BUT railcars which were the staple diet of power on the branch. I remember, however, the occasional push pull service - the "Belmont Rattler" to the locals - utilising a Fowler 2-6-2T. At that time the freight service (I think daily) to and from the branch terminus at Stanmore was usually hauled by an 8F 2-8-0. The low bridge created by the branch as it exited Harrow Station lead to London Transport utilising RLH buses for many years. This one was photographed in June 1969 at the terminus of the route at Northwick Park - note the advert on the side - "Victoria Line Opens March 7"!.
At the time I remember Belmont Station the loop had been removed and passenger services to Stanmore had been withdrawn, although the rather beautiful Stanmore Station remained for many years, and was finally turned in to a private dwelling, but not until the developers had gone a good way in to pulling it down before the local council stopped them as it was and probably remains a listed building. At a distance of 55 years it seems very short sighted to have closed the branch at all - even at the time I travelled it was clearly well used, and now with the rapid services in to London from Harrow would have been a boon to the local population. However, I suppose we all have 20:20 hindsight.
Brian