Footage is from the 08/07/24 12/07/24 #hartlepool #trainspotting #railwaystation #northeast #newcastle #trains #london #railwatch #railways #stations Made with Film Maker play.google.co...
I very clearly recall the old Eaglescliffe of four platforms (plus a very cosy Refreshment Room selling Smiths Crisps at 2d a bag) almost from infancy, instance when going to the seaside (Redcar or Saltburn behind an 'A5' or 'A8' class) or in later years joining the "midnight" train to Kings Cross. There was a signalbox on the end of the northbound island platform and another "Eaglescliffe South" that was set back opposite the south end of the station. Dad often worked as a Relief Clerk at Eaglescliffe. His brother was a coalman - the horse stable was close to the wide covered footbridge. My first job on BR was as a Junior in the Darlington District Engineer's Office in 1966 - the 08.11 got me there by 08.30. Hardly recognise this station now, but certainly recall the northbound island platform being taken out of use. A silver St. John's Ambulance shield used to hang in a glass-fronted case on the platform nearest the road but this "disappeared" one night...
Being a Stockton lad, I enjoy watching videos of that area. Used to travel a lot by train as a child and can still remember Thornaby station with the original building although starting to look tired in the late 60s.
I also worked in the Thornaby Area Assistant Divisional Civil Engineer's Office as a Technical Officer between 1967 and 1971 - before a thankful promotion - and escape at last(!) - to Colchester, where I was Area Technical Officer working for a great boss. (Incredibly I met this retired engineer from Thornaby very many years later in my local (Kelvedon) station car park. My work at Colchester was never checked - I had to know from the outset never to raise the track above what was permitted beneath the 25KV overhead line and always to achieve 12 inches of fresh ballast beneath the new (or relaid) track. It was difficult at times to satisfy both requirements.
