Thursday 6 March 2014

'Scene' at Buxton Railway Station

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Buxton in Railway terms, lies at the end of a 25 mile long branch line that runs via Stockport to Manchester.


Although a shadow of what it once was when the line continued South to Ashbourne the line still has a steady flow of passengers heading North.


The most memorable feature of Buxton station is the preserved fan window.

 

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The railways came comparatively late to Buxton in 1863. Then in transport style, two arrived almost at once.

 

One was the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) and the other was the

Midland Railway (MR).

 

The LNWR came the direct way from Manchester whilst the MR came via a branch from Millersdale, a junction station on the Derby to Manchester main line. Both built separate but identical stations sited alongside each other.

 

The design of both stations was overseen by Sir Joseph Paxton and so both had the fan window feature. Sir Joseph was better known as the designer of the Crystal Palace for the great exhibition of 1851. 

 

The Midland Station is long gone but the window and the screen wall that supports it, part of the LNWR station remains and is preserved as a Grade 2 listed building.

 

A plaque mounted on the wall records its history.


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While another plaque record record its preservation in 2009.

 

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Buxton station these days is managed by ‘Northern Rail’ and this image shows the view looking North past the semaphore signal and the signal box.

 

I can remember a time when the area behind the left hand platform and the shed beyond was full of diesel loco’s at the weekend when Buxton was a stabling point. Class 37’s and class 20’s spring to mind. 


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Something that I hadn’t seen before at Buxton station were the cycles that are available to hire marketed as ‘BIKE&GO’. There didn’t seem to be many missing from the rack and knowing the steepness of the hills that prevail around Buxton, I was not surprised.


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All that were on offer by way of rolling stock were a couple of ‘Northern Rail’ class 150’s

 

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Seen leaving for Manchester.


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Parked up.


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