Station Name: EAST GRINSTEAD                          HIGH LEVEL
[Source: Nick Catford]


East Grinstead High Level Station: Gallery 7:
1968 - 2005

A further scene from 1968 showing demolition train wagons at Platforms 4 and 6. Whether this was two trains or one with a brake at each end but which had been divided is not known. Trains working over disused lines were restricted to a maximum speed of just 15MPH. The signal arms have been removed, apparently simply broken off as the lens frames are still present. The tank of the water tower has also been removed and what remained of the tower had been demolished by November 1968.
Photo by Alan & Lynne Cullen

Demolition train wagons stand in Platforms 4 and 6 in this familiar scene with armless signals and a tankless water tower. The house on the left is at the southern end of Grosvenor Road and it was from this house that some of the views over the station were taken. One may not unreasonably assume the photograph was taken from the 'A' signal box, formerly West, before it burned down (see below). Moat Road water tower can be seen in the left background. It no longer exists and had stood on the west side of Moat Road, adjacent to the gas and water works. Today, Tower Close marks the site.
Photo by Alan & Lynne Cullen

East Grinstead 'A' signal box during the aftermath of the fire. Whether the fire was deliberate to dispose of the wooden upper section or accidental is not known, although in pre Health & Safety days accidental fires occurring during demolition of any building were not unknown. High level signal boxes A and B retained their nameboards, unaltered, until the end and the 1958 redesignations from East and West saw small plates bearing the relevant letter affixed lower down the wall.
Photo by Alan & Lynne Cullen

Looking east from platform 4 during demolition in 1968. Track has already been lifted through platforms 5 and 6 and the station building will soon be completely demolished while the start of demolition still awaits the buildings and canopy on platforms 4 and 5. The track to the east of the station was still in place at this time.
Photo by Brian Copsey

Demolition is underway at East Grinstead High Level in late 1968. The section of canopy on its roof has probably been moved there from platforms 5/6 as there is more room to break up the woodwork. Track is still in place through platform 3 and the brake van in the distance indicates there was still track there as well. Track lifting on towards Three Bridges and St Margaret's Curve didn't start till April 1969.
Photo by Brian Bennett from his Flickr photostream

East Grinstead High Level station looking east circa November 1968. Platforms 5/6 have now had the buildings removed and all the timber seen in the picture above has been cleared away. The top of the subway can clearly be seen. Demolition of the platform 3/4 canopy is underway but work appears to have stopped.
Photo by Roger Goodrum from his Flickr photostream

The 1882 station building under demolition, this occurring over the 1970 -1971 period. The new footbridge is in place and presumably in use. Through the gap and above left of the 'Take a magazine with you' advertisement it would appear a running-in board, nameless, was still present at the former High Level. Class 207 DEMU No. 1303 sits at Platform 2, code 66 telling us it has come, unsurprising, from Victoria via Oxted. The inverted black triangle informed station staff which end of an approaching unit the van (guard's compartment) was located. This was important to save time and effort in the days when the railways carried, in particular, mail.
Photo by Alan & Lynne Cullen

The site of East Grinstead High Level Station in November 2005. The station was carried over Station Road (where the buses are parked) on a wide bridge. One of the bridge abutments can still be seen behind the busses.
Photo by Nick Catford

The 1855 station building and house at East Grinstead in November 2005. Compare this with the building shown in the 1860 photograph.
Photo by Nick Catford

The site of the east end of East Grinstead High Level Station in November 2005 seen from the bridge abutment that carried the station over Station Road.
Photo by Nick Catford

The site of East Grinstead High Level Station in December 2005. The station was carried over Station Road on a wide bridge. One of the bridge abutments is still extant.
Photo by Dave Holman

The site of East Grinstead High Level Station in December 2005. The station was carried over Station Road on a wide bridge. One of the bridge abutments is still extant - some brickwork from the platform can be found in the undergrowth on top of the bank. A section of the Southern Railway concrete wall is still in place.
Photo by Dave Holman


 

 

 

[Source: Nick Catford]




Last updated: Tuesday, 10-Oct-2023 11:58:09 CEST
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