[Source: Nick Catford]

Uxbridge Vine Street Station Gallery 2:
c early 1930s - 1958

Inside the train shed at Uxbridge Vine street shortly before the shed was removed in 1932/3. The two sides of the brick faced, wood surfaced island platform were the only ones for passenger use. The narrow platform at far left was for staff use only and there was another similar platform at far right, out of view behind the autotrailer. The bench was obviously upturned to prevent it being sat on but the reason went unrecorded. In the background are some milk churns and, typically for the period, the station was not short of advertisements. Two for Nestles Milk are visible. The autotrailer is either a Diagram L or a Diagram P vehicle; either way these 70ft long vehicles were built new as trailers and thus were not conversions from steam railmotors. The driving cab is facing the bufferstops and at the opposite end, out of view to the right, was a luggage compartment. The only passenger access was the doorway visible, one either side, which led into a vestibule. Retractable steps and grabrails are fitted for use at ground level halts.
Photo from Jim Lake collection

Looking along the platform at Uxbridge Vine Street towards the gloom of the decrepit-looking trainshed shortly before it was removed in 1932/3. Outside of the trainshed the platform was paved, at least towards its faces, while on the left where the three men are standing can be discerned the point at which the platform surface becomes wooden. The platform at far left was not for passenger use, as was not the equivalent out of view at far right.The autotrailer is another vehicle of either Diagram L or Diagram P but this time the driving cab is facing West Drayton. There was presumably a locomotive within the trainshed. Behind the windscreen, nearest the camera the driver's brake valve can just be discerned; these were mounted vertically and operated in a left to right movement. The large circular device above the windscreen is a warning gong. The device partially visible above the centre windscreen is the mounting for the regulator, control of which was via a long lever mounted vertically.
Photo from Jim Lake collection

Looking south at Uxbridge Vine Street station in 1930. The goods shed is seen to the east of the trainshed with the extensive coal yard south of the goods shed. A small building at an angle is seen at the entrance to the goods yard, this is Thorpe Brothers coal merchant's office.
Photo from Britain from Above, reproduced with permission

The date of this photograph of the small forecourt of Exbridge Vine Street station is, through interpretation, is sometime between 1931 and 1933 or very shortly after. Waiting outside the station is 'General' Dennis Dart DA 22 (GK 5441) on route 506 to Staines via Cowley and Wraysbury. A number of bus routes today link Uxbridge with Staines but none follow the route of the old 506. The scene at Uxbridge almost a century ago was almost another world; on the one hand there was and still is the Metropolitan and Piccadilly services into and beyond Central London while on the other there was the Vine street branch (and High Street branch) for which an autotrain or railcar sufficed for much of time along with quaint little 18-seater One Man Operated buses serving the semi rural fringes of West London. Click here for a more detailed caption
Photo from Jim Lake collection
The trainshed roof at Vine Street had been removed in 1932/3 and replaced with the unbrella awning seen here. The canopy is immaculate and along with the fashion styles so it ius likely to have been taken shortly after the canopy was errected. We are afforded a relatively clear glimpse of the two outermost platforms, neither of which were, under normal circumstances, used by passengers. It is not unreasonable, however, to assume the platform on the right was used by passengers during erection of the new canopy. The platform at far left was in essence an extension of the goods dock and was later considerably shortened. Leaning against the canopy stanchion nearest the camera is a set of destination boards, with that facing the camera announcing 'Paddington'. These boards were the type fitted to rolling stock and not the type used as platform indicators. Between the second and third stanchions a suspended gas lamp can be seen while on the far wall, directly ahead of the camera a drop dial clock is mounted. Great Western Railway station clocks were supplied by Kays, the very same people of catalogue fame and who were once also clock and watch manufacturers. Clocks were among the very few items not produced by the railway itself at Swindon. As would be expected for the period, Vine Street station was well provided with colourful enamel advertisements. Most are familiar names; Nestle's Milk; Camp Coffee; Wright's Coal Tar Soap; Sutton's Seeds; Sketchley Dry Cleaning and so on. The gentleman on the right is striding purposefully along the platform, suggesting he may have been a railway official. It would appear they were more staff than passengers on this occasion, not surprising given that outside of peak periods a railmotor or autotrain sufficed. The few passengers who are on the platform seem to be waiting for a train at the Up side of the island platform.
Photo from John Mann collection


Despite undertaking some research, very little can be explained regarding what is going on in this photograph taken outside Uxbridge Vine Street station. What we appear to have is some sort of fund raising event using a horse-drawn fire pump adapted for the dispensing of ale. Judging by the car in the left background, the period is 1930s or perhaps during the Second World War. The answer might be found in the various crudely-made signs on the horse-drawn vehicle but unfortunately very little is readable. It was most likely some sort of fund raising event.
Photo from John Mann collection

Vine Street station in 1933, shortly after the trainshed roof was removed and a canopy constructed to replace it. The extant trainshed supporting walls looking quite ridiculous having lost their purpose. Very few of the buildings in this 1933 aerial view of Vine Street station, one of three, and its environs exist today, a notable exception being the houses in the Hinton Road and Myddleton Road areas, bottom left. The dual carriageway A4020 Hillingdon Road now cuts through the site of Vine Street goods yard before turning east and cutting through the site of the station's former island platform, the camera facing north in this view. Vine Street runs west to east in front of the station, while on the right and running north - south is Cricket Field Road. On the west side of the railway runs Whitehall Road and a little further south is today Whitehall School. Unfortunately the school is out of view as along its southern boundary can still be seen, as of 2018, surviving earthworks of the never-completed link between the Vine Street line and High Street station. The link would have skirted around to the west and Vine Street station abandoned or, at best, retained for a time as a goods depot. The wagons on the right of the railway property once served locomotive facilities, while towards the bottom of the picture can be seen Vine Street's yard crane. As far as is known the main goods yard was never provided with a crane apart from, presumably, inside the goods shed.
Photo from Britain from Above, reproduced with permission

The second of the three aerial views of Vine Street dating from 1933. Perhaps a better idea is offered of the station platforms, there apparently being four but only the two faces of the island platform were used for passenger traffic. Close examination of the goods dock, to the left of the island platform, reveals it was much shorter than the photograph suggests at first glance, there being a ramp adjacent to the first three wagons in the dock. The goods shed was a somewhat extravagant affair with internal accommodation provided for road vehicles rather than the more common external bay with awning. The arrangement at Vine Street was not uncommon for the Great Western Railway although shed sizes varied. The still-in-existence goods shed at far away Ross-on-Wye is similar that which once stood at Vine Street. By 1933 road motor transport was becoming well established, although the private car was still largely the preserve of the well off. Even so, in all these 1933 photographs the lack of road motor vehicles is very evident and only four can be identified - all of which are commercial vehicles going about their business with the railway. A weightbridge can just be made out close to the top right corner of the goods shed.
Photo from Britain from Above, reproduced with permission

Another of three aerial views dating from 1933, this time facing north north-west across Vine Street station. Photographs such as this offer a hint of the position on Uxbridge on the western fringe of London; the area either side of the station still having a slightly rural atmosphere with the area beyond the station having a decidedly urban look to it. This particular view may be of interest to modellers as it is one of very few known photographs to show the goods yard and shed in any detail, along with its coal office, weigh house, storage sheds and so on. Also visible and rarely seen in any detail is the goods dock with its small pen which on this occasion appears to be in the company of a horse. It is worth remembering only the two faces of the island platform were used by passenger trains, the other two and in particular that forming the dock later being cut back. No passenger train is present but in the sidings on the east side of the station are a pair of clerestory coaches and an autotrailer, the latter wearing the Great Western's brown and cream livery. The large pitched roof, tri-fronted building directly opposite the station had begun life as the Royal Prince of Wales Theatre. In 1910 the building became the Empire Electric Cinema, replacing Rockingham Hall Cinema located on The Lynch, a quarter of a mile or so to the west. In 1933 the Empire Electric Cinema became Uxbridge Fire station and in this view appears to have been converted for the purpose but perhaps not yet commissioned. The building ceased to be a fire station in 1964 and was subsequently demolished, unlike the former Rockingham Hall Cinema which still stands today albeit now converted for residential use. Some readers might be puzzled by the term 'electric cinema'. This was a common term in Edwardian times and referred to cinemas showing moving, or motion, pictures, commonly referred to today as 'movies' - a term originating in the USA - with projectors initially using electric arc lamps. Long since taken for granted, over a century ago generated electricity was something to be awed by and 'electric' in the title of a cinema was itself enough to keep the box office busy. The title is still with us today, with 'The Electric' on Station Street, Birmingham being the country's oldest working cinema although the name is a reintroduction following a number of name changes from its original 'Electric Theatre' down the years. A close second and also still with us today is The Electric Cinema on London's Portobello Road. Along with the Empire Electric in Uxbridge, the latter two cinemas also opened in 1910.
Photo from Britain from Above, reproduced with permission

An interesting view looking due west along Vine Street. To the right of this is a cinema hoarding advertising the 1934 film 'The House of Connelly' so this dates the picture. The The House of Connelly poster is on the back wall of one of the two weighbridges just inside the entrance to the goods yard. The rear of Vine Street station's goods shed is visible on the left as is the (public) Goods Enquiry Office. The station building is out of view to the left. For reasons lost in the mists of time, the subject of this photograph would seem to be Thorpe Brothers office. This building, actually more of a hut, can be seen, thanks to its angular position, in the 1933 aerial photographs. The structure to its right, another coal & coke office and also nothing more than a hut, is also visible in the aerial views as is the what appears to be coal bunker beside it. There is also a prominent sign for Burr & Gibbons, another coal merchant who had an office in the station building. Oxcroft Coals presumably refers to the products of Oxcroft Drift Mine in Derbyshire, this being long before that days of the National Coal Board and at a time when merchants could hold agencies for individual mines or groups of mines. Between the wars the Thorpe Brothers brothers coal office found new use as the Victory snack bar. Click here to see two pictures. Today and with the possible exception of some of the trees in the background, absolutely nothing seen in this photograph still exists. The A4020 dual carriageway Hillingdon Road now cuts through the site and Vine Street itself is significantly wider at this point, perhaps taking advantage of the former forecourt area to the left.On the far right F Allen, Bootmaker and Repairer is seen on the corner. Click here here to see a larger version of this picture with a
more detailed caption.
Photo from John Mann collection
Uxbridge Vine Street in October 1955, one of two photographs taken on the same day. The train at the platform is probably stabled either in the off peak period or over a weekend. On the right and only partly in the picture is a BR Mk1 suburban carriage, then brand new, but whether it will run as part of the train formation or has simply been buffered-up to get it out of the way is impossible to determine. The other stock seen here is of particular interest, being a set of the former Great Western Railway's 'Main Line & City' Stock and more usually referred to simply as 'City Stock'. Dating from the era of George Jackson Churchward, the stock was used on through services to Moorgate Street (renamed simply Moorgate in 1924) via the Metropolitan Railway. By the time this photograph was taken the Moorgate services had long since ceased (in 1939) and the stock, which was close-coupled as can be seen, was used on services to Paddington insofar as the London area was concerned. The City Stock was steel panelled and when new was subjected to the GWR's penchant for painting-on false beading which looked smart but was an unnecessary expense. No doubt it was a sop to the bowler-hatted City gents. The stock also had destination indicators, mounted roughly midway along the bodyside and directly beneath the cantrail. They are clearly visible in the form of light coloured rectangles in this view. Ignoring the BR Mk1 suburban, the vehicle nearest the camera is six compartment Brake Third W3754W. Coincidentally sister vehicles 3755 and 3756 have survived into preservation, having spent their last service days on miners trains from 1957 until 1964. Both are at the Didcot Railway Centre and whilst No.3755 has been superbly restored, No.3756 remains in derelict condition as of 2018. Interestingly the two survivors, along with a third which remains unidentified, were fitted with gas lighting in 1960 and thus were almost certainly the final standard gauge passenger carriages to be so illuminated.
Copyright photo by HC Casserley

Uxbridge Vine Street in October 1955, one of two photographs taken on the same day. In this view, an autotrain has arrived at the Down platform, being the platform the majority of passenger trains arrived and departed from. The locomotive, unidentified, has steam to spare following its short scoot from West Drayton. Some of Vine Street's angled BR totems can be seen, as can the odd array of gas lights with one, at least, retaining its casement style lantern. The reason for this is unknown. Stabled on the right is the train of 'City Stock' as described above, the vehicle nearest the camera (ignoring that largely out of the picture) is seven compartment Composite W7910W while coupled to it, further along, is an eight compartment Third. Uxbridge Vine Street had no run-round facilities so on the assumption the train of City Stock was hauled into the station much shunting would have been required to release the locomotive. On the other hand, if the train had arrived as empty stock the shunting would have been done outside the station and the stock pushed into the platform. Part of the goods yard is visible at extreme left and it can be seen that what was the goods dock has been cut back and the ramp removed; compare with the 1933 aerial views.
Copyright photo by HC Casserley

The sidings outside Uxbridge Vine Street seen in 1958, the signal box being located just behind the photographer. Ahead of the camera and to the left is the coal yard while the goods shed is visible in the left background, with the passenger station to its right. A some what motley collection of carriages is stabled on the siding, far right of the layout. That nearest the camera is a Diagram 98 Suburban Brake Third, one of batch of forty built at Swindon in 1927. The second vehicle is unidentified but appears to be a corridor composite coach. The third is a BR Mk1 suburban as is the fourth. The fifth is unidentified but appears to be quite ancient. The object in the left foreground appears to be a GWR cast iron gatepost but why such an object was required at this precise spot is unclear.
Photo from Jim Lake collection

Click here for Uxbridge Vine Street Station Gallery 3:
Mid 1950s - July 1962

 

 

 

[Source: Nick Catford]



Last updated: Monday, 06-Aug-2018 18:52:57 CEST
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