Joe Brown

In August 1980 a 4-car 1962 Stock Central Line train calls at Blake Hall station, bound for Epping

#OnThisDay 44 years ago Blake Hall was served for the last time. In rural Essex, at the point of closure it only had 17 daily passengers. The station remains closed despite the Epping-Ongar Railway reopening the route, as it is a private residence. Image: ee20213 buff.ly/ERTbLpQ

View from between Aldgate East platforms while under construction, with the track suspended above and workers putting the finishing touches to the station.

#OnThisDay 87 years ago Aldgate East moved... east. Fascinatingly the operational railway was suspended from the ceiling while the new station was built below it, the track being dropped into place overnight before opening. Look up, the hooks are still there! Image: LT Museum collection

Silverlink Metro service bound for Richmond calls at Canning Town station in November 2006. The Silverlink platforms closed a few days later for conversion to DLR.

#OnThisDay 30 years ago Canning Town station reopened on its current site following a 17 month closure of the line to North Woolwich due to Jubilee Line works. The DLR platforms were still over 2 years, and the Jubilee over 3 years, away from opening. Image: Roger Goodrum buff.ly/rDFJqDc

New Railway Atlas charts Oxford–Cambridge rebuild and Foynes Revival in 16th edition The railway network across Britain and Ireland is constantly evolving, so it's no surprise then that the Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland is now in its 16th edition.

The railway network across Britain and Ireland is constantly evolving, so it's no surprise then that the Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland is now in its 16th edition.

www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/new...

Bluebell Railway train at Horsted Keynes in 1964. View southward, towards Sheffield Park: ex-LB&SC East Grinstead - Lewes line, restored by Bluebell Railway Preservation Society in 1960. Ex-LB&SC A1X 0-6-0T No. 55 'Stepney' with two vintage coaches heads the train from Sheffield Park in 1964

#OnThisDay 62 years ago BR closed Horsted Keynes station which by then was the end of an electrified branch from Haywards Heath. This was not the end as the Bluebell Railway had already commenced services in 1962, one pictured here in 1964 (Ben Brooksbank buff.ly/xidodCx)

Looking along the centre of the deserted island platform at Burnt Oak with benches in the foreground, arriving and departing trains on either side are blurred due to long exposure in a perfectly symmetrical image

#OnThisDay 101 years ago, Burnt Oak station opened on the Northern Line two months after the rest of the Edgware extension. Before opening it was named 'Sheves Hill', and initially it carried the suffix (Watling). Another awesome @tubemapper.bsky.social image: buff.ly/AG1I51S

Yes sorry I can see that could be confusing! I continually update the atlas as things change, but you won’t see them in print until the 17th edition which I’m aiming to publish 2027 as it’s the 50th anniversary of ‘Baker’

No changes, it’s a simple reprint so will reflect the status as at December 2024

No candles… just a smack on the bum to make it cry and cut the cord!

Extract from 16th edition of the Rail Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland showing Beaulieu Park station as 'open'

#OnThisDay Beaulieu Park station opened: the first new station on the Great Eastern main line for over 100 years. I have updated the 'Baker' Rail Atlas of GB & Ireland, the reprint of the 16th edition is available for preorder: buff.ly/sUsLsR6 @crecyrail.bsky.social

Motor car no 15 of the Waterloo & City Railway, seen at Waterloo station platform. This was one of five double-ended motor cars built by Dick Kerr in 1899, intended to operate as single unit cars during off-peak hours. Motorman and guard pose for camera.

#OnThisDay 85 years ago the original 1898 Waterloo & City Line stock was withdrawn after 42 years service. 5 motor cars were double-ended, operating the off-peak service with a single car: one poses at Waterloo near to withdrawal (LT Museum collection) buff.ly/Q7dBx9n

By ‘access’ I presume you mean road access? …Or any access at all? Dovey Junction is similar to Smallbrook Junction I think. Mothballed stations in industrial sites like British Steel Redcar and Stanlow & Thornton also have no road access I believe?

Looking up a flight of escalators at Bond Street station

#OnThisDay three years ago Bond Street Elizabeth Line station opened, five months after the rest of the line. Photo by Robert Camp buff.ly/sQHvcgM

A twilight image of Abbey Wood station entrance with the National Rail symbol and Elizabeth Line roundel reflected in a puddle

#OnThisDay 8 years ago the new Abbey Wood station was opened in prepartion for the Elizabeth Line's opening (which transpired to be another 5 years away!). A typically brilliant capture of the new building by the wonderfully talented @tubemapper.bsky.social buff.ly/bpKPEGm

The closest I could get to recreating the 1980 image on Google Streetview, lucky to find a tram in the right position... must have nearly hit the Google car 😅

2EPB unit 5737 calls at the single-platform Beddington Lane station in 1980, one of the original 1855 stations on the route, with the signal box, semaphore signal and level crossing visible in what could be mistaken for a rural scene.

#OnThisDay 170 years ago the Wimbledon & Croydon Railway opened, partly using the 1802 Surrey Iron Railway route. A real railway backwater, this 1980 Jeremy Chapter image of Beddington Lane captures it beautifully; unrecognisable today as part of London Trams buff.ly/8yQWrsJ

A Class 117 Diesel Multiple Unit in Network Southeast livery stands at Clapham Junction waiting to depart for Willesden Junction in 1995.

In 1994 a diesel service was restored between Clapham and Willesden only stopping at Olympia (pictured: Neil Cliton), North Pole to Willesden was electrified in 1996. Reopened/new stations were added at West Brompton (1999), Shepherd's Bush (2008) and Imperial Wharf (2009)🧵3/3

A Class 73 in Intercity livery hauls a 4-CIG in Network Southeast livery into the down / northbound platform at Kensington Olympia past the large signal box 'Kensington South Main', viewed from the up / southbound platform. Just visible in the distance is a District Line D78 stock.

An unadvertised passenger service was restored in 1946 for post office workers between Kensington Olympia (formerly Addison Road) and Clapham Junction. This became advertised continuously after 1969 and became affectionately known as the 'Kenny Belle' (pictured: Clive Smith)🧵2/3

A southbound Southern Railway steam service at West Brompton station around 1925

#OnThisDay 85 years ago the West London Line lost passenger services closing Battersea, Chelsea & Fulham, West Brompton (pictured: John Alsop), Kensington Addison Road and Uxbridge Road. St Quintin Park & Wormwood Scrubs station had been destroyed in an air raid 3rd October 🧵1/3

A view across Poplar Dock goods yard in 1981 showing stabled freight wagons

#OnThisDay 174 years ago, the East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction (later North London) Railway opened an extension from Bow Junction to Poplar Dock, and goods traffic commenced on the EWIDBJR. June 1981 image of the 1851 Poplar Dock Yard: buff.ly/iXLAkzh

Badly damaged car end of a Northern Line 1995 Stock train in contact with the tunnel wall where the Edgware and Barnet branches diverge south of Camden Town station

#OnThisDay 22 years ago the rear car of a northbound Northern Line train derailed and struck the tunnel wall at Camden Town. Fortunately being a Sunday morning, only 7 people were injured. The root cause pointed to a flaw in the point switchblade design. buff.ly/L3pAS5S

Wouldn’t have helped for sure, the line from Boston to Grimsby through Louth connected north and south Lincs and was closed so now there’s no direct way of getting from one end of the county to the other (like Wales!)

Viewed roughly from the location of the current station, 3D unit 1304 awaits departure from the original Uckfield with a Victoria bound service in 1986.

#OnThisDay 167 years ago Uckfield station opened, initially on a branch from Lewes. The line south of here closed in 1969 resulting in this inconvenience of a level crossing just north of the terminus, so the station was moved across the road in 1991. Andy: buff.ly/A9Jcboi

A three quarter view of Class 58 fresh from application of its new railfreight coal sector livery standing in Ripple Lane motive power depot

#OnThisDay 38 years ago Ripple Lane Depot hosted an open day revealing the new railfreight sector liveries, just a day after the Great Storm of 1987. A shuttle passenger service ran between here and Barking. A works-fresh coal sector 58050: V.Barnard buff.ly/Wt5dbtx

A pair of Class 25 locos in BR blue livery haul a lengthy train in BR blue & grey livery into Spalding station for the flower parade, two Class 47s are also visible hauling special trains with further coaching stock stabled in the distance. Dozens of people are standing in groups on the platforms, presumably rail enthusiasts

#OnThisDay 117 years ago Spalding station opened. Once a major junction with routes radiating across The Fens, now heavily rationalised. The annual flower parade resulted in significant extra traffic, this 1970s example plus more BR blue era shots here: buff.ly/qssfs2Z

Sir Misha Black is viewed in profile leaning on a drawing-board with a pen in hand and a floor-lamp illuminating papers on the board

Three quarter view of a new Victoria Line 1967 Stock

A Class 52 'Western' hydraulic diesel loco in BR blue stands at a platform hauling a rake of Mk1 carriages in BR blue & grey

A three quarters view of a preserved Class 71 loco in green livery

#OnThisDay 115 years ago Sir Misha Black was born in Baku (now Azerbaijan) - Misha would later design amongst many other things the Victoria Line's 1967 Stock (LT Museum collection), British Rail's Classes 71 (Phil Scott) and 52 ('Westerns' - Roger Geach).

A Class 800 bimode IEP train awaits departure from Paddington at night

#OnThisDay 8 years ago, the first public run of the @GWR.com IEP (Intercity Express Programme) Hitachi Rail bimode Class 800 train arrived at Paddington from Bristol... notwithstanding a few teething problems en route. Image (2000): New Engine Desperado buff.ly/wEkU6Ol

A seemingly posed shot of the City & South London railway terminus at Euston in 1908 looking along the island platform towards the narrow entrance/exit. On the left a C&SLR electric loco stands in the platform seemingly 'light' with no cars attached and on the right can be seen two cars of a train. Several staff are standing, presumably gate attendants and drivers.

Here's a 1908 image of the original City & South London Railway island platform, which would have been woefully inadequate for traffic levels today. Even when the tunnels were expanded and the line extended to Camden in 1924, the cramped island platform remained (NRM collection)

Poster where the top half is a 3-D diagram of the complex of 3 Tube lines, concourse and passageways at Euston and the bottom half is a lengthy description of the improvements.

#OnThisDay 58 years ago the new northbound Bank Branch Northern Line platform opened at Euston. This allowed the original northbound side of the 1907 island platform to be in-filled giving rise to today's wide southbound platform. Poster: @ltmuseum buff.ly/yY5xyIi

Black & white night-time image looking straight-on at the symmetrical facade of King's Cross station while a solitary person pulling a large suitcase is centred in the foregound, with lighting in the piazza in front of the station casting their shadow towards the camera

#OnThisDay 173 years ago King's Cross station was opened by the Great Northern Railway. Lewis Cubitt's magnificent pair of trainsheds were gradually hidden over the years before being unmasked in 2012 - a long overdue transformation. Image: Paul Wright buff.ly/kkuHsZu