Hi

I'm intrested in how Bishop Auckland Railway Station as it used to be and I can't seem to find any books dedicated to this. Does anyone have any memories of how it was & unique stories I could listen to or any old photos I could possibly see?
Any help on this would be appreictaed so so much!!

Thanks in advance.

Have a look at this thread which I posted some time ago:
Travel in and around Bishop Auckland in the 50s and 60s.

John

This is brilliant thanks - that's what I was after, people's memories rather than just facts. Thank you!!!!

Lisa


[www.subbrit.org.uk]
and
[www.subbrit.org.uk]

have quite a few pictures of the station in the old days plus some history of the railways around Bishop Auckland.

If you need more historical detail, look for books by Kenneth Hoole who wrote many books on the railways in the North East. The Ken Hoole Study Centre contains his archives and is at the North Road Railway Museum in Darlington.

Some very atmospheric shots of the largely derelict station in 1978.

[www.flickr.com]

does anyboby know when the last fare paying train was from witton park to bishop.was it 1962 ?

Wittonparker,

Witton Park station was actually called Etherley station until recently (although it had been called Etherley and Witton Park until 1871 )

The passenger service between Crook and Bishop Auckland was withdrawn on 8th March 1965 and Etherley station closed completely on 1 November 1965.

Etherley station was also on the line to Eastgate which was open for goods traffic until 1993, but the last passenger train ran 40 years earlier on 29 June 1953.

Although regular passenger trains ended in 1965, I believe there were a few rail enthusiasts specials plus the Sunday service which ran from 1988 - 1992 (which is when Etherley station became known as Witton Park )

Mark, sorry to contradict you but as a regular user of the line in the 1940s we always called it Witton Park Station. I can almost picture it now -a small site of industry surrounding it.

Thanks Mary but Etherley was the official name that appeared in the timetables - you can see a 1950 timetable here
[www.subbrit.org.uk].

According to the Weardale railway site, it was only renamed Witton Park on 25 August 1991 for the Sunday trains which ran from 1988 -1992. And there is a reprint of a 1962 article about Witton Park from the Auckland Chronicle here [www.daledaniel.fsnet.co.uk] which also mentions that the station was called Etherley.

There's a picture of the station in 1915 here [www.tomorrows-history.com]



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 01/25/10 09:18PM by Mark.

I used to live in Bishop Auckland in the 1950s. We lived just off Craddock Street and right at the bottom of the road was an old working railway. I don't know where it went or what it was for. I do remember me and my brothers on many occasion walking aloong the line picking up small square shaped nuggets of coal and taking them home. The man in the train used to come by and wave at us, it was so nice back then. I now am in Plymouth. Have not been home for many many a year. They were and are great memories for me. Some one on this site also mentioned Di Palmas ice cremes, WOW! I remember them, he had a horse and cart with a silver drum of ice creme on the cart. Blimey, now you realy have taken me back. This is a really great site.