Station Name: FOREST HALL (NER)

[Source: Alan Young]

Forest Hall Station Gallery 2: c1910 - c1963

Forest Hall station c1910 looking south-east from the down platform.
Photo from Brian Johnson collection

Forest Hall station looking south-east from the down platform c1920s. On the up platform the building added by the NER c1900 can be seen far left and, beyond it, the original mid nineteenth century building and its later extension. The footbridge is the standard, graceful NER design, and the tall signal box is also from the NER era.
Copyright photo ftpm John Mann collection

In the 1930s NER/LNER D17 4-4-0 No.1906 draws a southbound passenger train into Forest Hall. This loco was built at the NER Gateshead works in June 1897 to a design by Worsdell. It was withdrawn from 52D, Tweedmouth shed, on 30 November 1938 and cut up at the LNER Darlington works. The timber-built waiting room block constructed c1900 can be seen on the right, and the LNER running-in nameboard is on the left.  The gas lamps were carried on unusually short posts.
Photo from Alan Young collection

Class D20/1 4-4-0 No.62395 hauls a southbound passenger train into Forest Hall station in January 1957 and is passing the waiting room block. This Worsdell-designed loco was built in the NER Gateshead works in June 1907. It was withdrawn from 52D, Tweedmouth shed, on 20 November 1957 and was cut up at British Railways’ Darlington works, North Road, in February 1958.
Photo by Les Turbull

In January 1957 Class A3 No.60041 ‘Salmon Trout’ hauls the southbound ‘North Briton’ through Forest Hall station. This Gresley-designed 4-6-2 was built in December 1934 at the LNER Doncaster works. Having been withdrawn on 4 December 1965 from 64A, St Margarets shed (Edinburgh) the loco was cut up by Arnott Young of Carmyle (near Glasgow) in September 1966. The view is
from the station footbridge.
Photo by Les Turbull

Forest Hall station looking south-east from the down platform in 1959, shortly after it closed to passengers. Only the removal of the running-in nameboard, whose stanchions can be seen on the right, beside the ‘5’ milepost, is evidence of closure. The elegant station building, NER footbridge and signal box and the gas lanterns will be noted.
Copyright photo from Stations UK

A southbound Q6 is hauling a coal train through Forest Hall c1960. In this view from the down platform it can be seen that the running-in nameboard has been removed so the station is closed.
Photo from Alan Young collection

The level crossing at Forest Hall in 1962, looking west. The disused station’s main building is seen on the right, with its canted bay window, a gas lantern and a notice board still displaying posters. The unusual signal box (with a signalman seen within it) stands above the footbridge. These main line crossing gates had to close frequently, and traffic congestion was made worse by the sharp bend on the road and the junction in the foreground. Pedestrians are crossing the line both on the level and via the footbridge. This scene was to change completely within three years when the main road was diverted to the south-east to pass over the railway on the ‘Forest Hall Flyover’, the level crossing was closed, and the station was demolished.

This fine picture of the main building on the up (southbound) platform at Forest Hall station was taken on 7 March 1963. Despite nearly five years of closure, the disused building is remarkably intact: no doubt the presence of signalmen with a fine view from the elevated signal box - its supports can be seen - provided a deterrent to would-be vandals in the days before CCTV surveillance. Some finer points of the building design can be enjoyed, including the decorative ball finial above the gable and the sandstone ashlar construction, with prominent quoins, originally of a cream colour but encrusted with soot. There is even a gas lantern attached to the building. Within two years the building would be demolished.
Photo by John M Fleming


An unidentified WD loco hauls a northbound freight through the disused Forest Hall station c1963. The photograph is taken from the intact up platform, with the building added c1900 seen on the left. The face of the down platform has been demolished. The numerous WD (War Department) ‘Austerity’ 2-8-0 locomotives were built in the 1940s for heavy freight work.
Photo from Alan Young collection

Class J27 No.65796 trundles southwards through the disused station at Forest Hall, heading a freight train c1963. The up platform is still in good order, with its gas lanterns and waiting room block still in place, but the facing of the down platform has been removed. The Worsdell-designed 0-6-0 locomotive was built at the NER Darlington works in November 1906. On 31 May 1966 it was withdrawn from 52F, North Blyth shed, to be cut up at Hughes Bolckow’s scrapyard (also North Blyth)
the following September.
Photo from Alan Young collection

Click here for Forest Hall Station Gallery 3:
c1964 - April 2012


Last updated: Thursday, 18-May-2017 11:58:06 CEST
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