Manors Railway Station, Newcastle

[pasco]

I would still be really interested to know if the station was always earmarked for demolition, or whether any other uses for it were bandied around?

Also, would be great to find out the story and rationale behind the closure, demolition and retention of such a small part of it.

Anyone shed any light?

[PinzaC55]

The station as it was in 1978 would cost a huge amount to maintain - there was a staffed ticket office and acres of glass roofing.However you rarely saw a passenger there.When the service on the Tyneside Loop via Jesmond was abandoned in early 78 it kicked another leg out from the station's stool.
When privatisation was started British Rail (at the behest of the government) pared most local services down to the "Bare minimum" including the Newcastle to Northumberland Coast local service which by that time was the only service serving Manors.At the same time the rules concerning closure of stations were tightened up to the hilt.
So, the private company taking over the station's services (I think it was Northern Spirit) could either A) continue to run the skeleton service it inherited from BR or B) apply to close it which would result in a legal battle and a lot of wasted money. Instead of doing this it is probably subsidised by the taxpayer for providing a "residual service" to Manors. Thus you have Manors ending up in the same bracket as Dunston and Blaydon - the TOC doesn't want to stop trains there but they keep it theoretically open and Network Rail has to pick up the bill for maintaining it.

[lar1976]

Thanks for responding on this topic, Manors has always held a special interest for me. I also appreciate the pictures you've shared Pinza as I vaguely remember Tynemouth prior to the restoration when the ticket office windows were still on the Whitley bay side, the signal box beside the turntable still stood (did visit it and took pictures which have since dissapeared of the extant lever frame etc.) I also walked along the old B&T branch toward Linskill Terrace with sleepers and chairs still extant. Also took pictures of the coal drops at the original B&T station which were in good condition. If there are any more pictures they'd be happily viewed!

[PinzaC55]

Hi Lar I think I've only got one more Tynemouth picture - another one of the Lattice bracket signal at the north end of the station, When I bought the bits off the signal I had to show my receipt in the ticket office and I wish I'd taken a photo - BR hadn't spent a dime on it, and it was pure NER fixtures and fittings!.

[pasco]

Thanks Pinza... for shedding some light on the plight!

I wonder who was responsible for the routing of the Metro then, to cause Manors to disappear, as well as Heaton and Jesmond. I know there was a rationale that the route wasn't "city friendly", but I still think it was short sighted.

For example, how much business the metro would have scored from Heaton.... and Jesmond.... Also, I still maintain that Manors is better for the City Centre than Central (but do appreciate the fact that the Metro does go right into the centre, thus making it more attractive etc etc.) -

Now the next question - what is to become of the Manors East building? There was talk of a restaurant opening in there at some point, and there do seem to be some business having been there, but.... is anything trading from there now? And could anything be adapted to the upper floors? What's there now, an empty space?

[PinzaC55]

The thing you have to remember with Heaton was that
A) Being an overtrack building in very poor condition it was a maintenance liability.
B) It wasn't very well used even when the Tynemouth trains stopped there.
C) It was closed before the "privatisation new rules" came in I.E it was really just a "rubber stamp job".
D) It's closure allowed BR to reallign the tracks for higher speed.
E) Even if it had stayed open it would probably now have the "residual service" which Manors has.and then only to Chathill.

As for Jesmond, the only possible traffic on the line other than the Tyne Loop via Backworth was Sunday ECML diversions using the Benton North - West Curve and since the curve closed in (1976 I think?) there was no reason to keep the junction at Manors which was of course heavy on maintenance costs.
I DO think a case could have been made for keeping the Riverside Branch, but after it closed as a through route in 1978 they made sure they demolished enough of the bridges to make it impossible to reopen - just like they did with the Consett branch.

[pasco]

Now the Riverside Branch is a different thing altogether!

I agree - that should and could have stayed open.

[lar1976]

Further on from this subject, as there are a few Newcastle based forum members does anyone have a plan or photo's of the concourse at Newcastle Central around 1980-86? the 50p Chocolate Machines, Buffet on the main concourse and the booking office (memories of a packed ticket office as a child filled) I take it Smith's is in the old Booking/ticket office?

[52D]

The Christmas tree at Central was always a delight for small boys and their dads.

[Malcolm]

Further on from this subject, as there are a few Newcastle based forum members does anyone have a plan or photo's of the concourse at Newcastle Central around 1980-86? the 50p Chocolate Machines, Buffet on the main concourse and the booking office (memories of a packed ticket office as a child filled) I take it Smith's is in the old Booking/ticket office?

Try:

'Rail Centres: Newcastle' by K. Hoole, Booklaw Publications, ISBN 1-901945-18-9
'The High Level Bridge and Newcastle Central Station' by John Addyman and Bill Fawcett, NERA, ISBN 1-873513-29-1

Both of these have photos you might find interesting.

Malcolm

[PinzaC55]

I have a few photo's of the concourse but they are not my copyright and are about 1958. It's ironic that all the thousands of times I used that ticket office I never once thought to take a shot of the concourse "facepalm".

[lar1976]

Thanks for the response to my post, I have one of the books listed and will try the other one. Newcastle Central has changed dramatically, the grotty gents under the footbridge and from recollection John Menzies had a shop there in the 70's 80's? And now from what I've read the return to barriers for those getting onto the platform.

Another North Tyne loop related request or two, the first relating to pick up parcels on loop, I've been told that in the late 50's A4 60022 Mallard worked a mail train through Wallsend (the person witnessing this saw it from an office window, does anyone have any recollections? a rather strange loco to work a train of this type but perhaps a lack of motive power?) and secondly I've been told there is a picture of a class 40 waiting in the through platforms of Tynemouth, does anyone have any pictures of this or any holiday specials at Tynemouth?

[PinzaC55]

Regarding Tynemouth I'm sure I have seen a photo of a 40 or Peak hauled special in the 70's at Whitley Bay. I know that as late as 1979 there was a parcels train which ran round at Tynemouth using the former Down Through (fast) line which had been retained solely for the purpose and was why Tynemouth North box and the NER bracket signal were also retained.When I saw this train it was Class 31 hauled.Regarding Mallard I know that on my local line (Sunderland - Penshaw) recently outshopped Pacifics were apparently "run in" on a local train from Sunderland to Durham or Bishop Auckland. Maybe it was something like that?

[Jonathan1973]

Dear Pasco,

re. the former Manors East building on Melbourne Street. According to the 'Disused Station' website, the building was supposedly (in 2005), undergoing conversion to a restaurant. As part of this process, the stairs that formed part of Croft Lane (and the access to Platforms 7 & 8 ), were removed. I don't know if the long staircase up to Platform 9 was altered at this point, although it was obviously decapitated when the Platform 9 buildings were demolished in the mid/late 1980's. The current state of the interior of the buildings is anyone's guess - last time I passed the station, there was little sign of a restaurant. If someone gained permission to enter and take some photographs, I for one would give my eye teeth to see them.

Regards,
Jonathan

[pasco]

Cheers Jonathan.
I had heard that about the restaurant thing, yeah... and last time I passed, about 3 months ago, the whole place just looked like any other boarded up, sad and unloved building, headed for dereliction... What a shame. Does anyone know if the building is listed?