Banbury - Merton Street station
One of the first line histories that I ever read, and still view as one of the finest, was Bill Simpson's "The Banbury to Verney Junction Branch", OPC, 1978. All I can do here is offer some pictures which didn't make it into Bill's book. The post-War years saw Banbury General tidied up and then remodelled and granted new buildings, concrete and brick replacing the very tired old wooden ones.
Merton Street was visibly a poor cousin, and losing money, so an attempt was made to spruce it up and provide a modern service with railcars. This was successful and income rose significantly but, alas, not enough on what was a minor country line to create an operating profit. The last trains ran on New Year's Eve, 31st December, 1960.
New additions placed here temporarily:
The main series is as far as possible in chronological order:
A train picture form the 1930s or 1940s with only part of the original train shed in view. Ex-LNWR 0-6-0 No 8336 is waiting to depart with a short train, at the head of which is an ex-LNWR arc-roof BG. Photo: R.K. Blencowe Negative Archive.
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A general view of the station from the approach road in 1947 with apologies for the iffy quality; the image was printed on stippled paper which is just ghastly... I have never understood why anybody would use such material. The building only looks a little tired but the far end of the train shed has already been stripped of its glazing. Photo: D. Chandler collection.
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A fine general view with the station approach, the buildings freshly repainted and no doubt whatsoever about its purpose, and the road alongside to the goods yard. Most of the station roof had had its tiles removed, leaving only the concourse under cover. The vintage cars I have yet to identify. I think the nearest one is an Austin 10 variant with an unglazed back window (there was usually a small window here).
To the extreme right there's a glimpse of the southern approach to Banbury General; the two stations were very close. Photo: Mick Green collection.
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By the early 1960s the repainted station had already lost some of its spruceness but it tended not to look its best when photographed on an afternoon looking into the sun, and it's another print on stippled paper. Photo: D. Chandler collection.
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The scene from the early 1950s, looking down the platform at Banbury Merton Street station. The date is estimated via a companion picture of the station building which shows the condition between the complete roof in 1950 and partly stripped in 1956. The cattle market, once the largest in Europe, was immediately to the left and two strings of empty cattle wagons can be seen, 36 altogether. The cattle dock was immediately behind the siding on the left, to which small batches of empty wagons were drawn off, loaded, and made up into trains. A station pilot would have been provided on the day, generally a Thursday. The composition of the cattle trucks is discussed under the modelling topic "LNER cattle truck"
In the distance by the station throat stands the signal box and, all told, quite a lot of rolling stock, including around fifteen steel hopper wagons which were used to deliver coal to the gasworks, and take away the coke. Both the LMS and BR had built similar designs for the purpose. At the time, both old and new gasholders were still standing.
On the far right there is a glimpse of the goods yard, a pi;e of hay, presumably for the cattle trucks, the 5 ton crane, and a corner of the goods shed (which had been rebuilt around 1938). Photo: Author's collection.
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An undated picture from early BR days shows an elderly ex-Midland Railway, Deeley 3F with a single carriage that was pretty old too, an ex-LMS Period I panelled 3rd brake from the 1920s, after arrival. I suspect that this may have been an off-peak service in which the higher class of passenger was not catered for. Note the low height of the platform - it required a certain athleticism to get on and off the trains!
Banbury gas works looms in the distance while the station signal box is just visible. Photo: R.K. Blencowe Negative Archive.
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This general view dates from 15th March 1952 and is from a Henry Casserley negative which came up on eBay, anonymously. I've seen quite a few of his negatives on eBay with no name attached and it's not right: this man knew how to take a good picture and deserves the credit. A companion view view was used by Bill Simpson in his first book. I believe that the date is 15th March 1952 and it's a particularly fine view of the station before half of the roof was taken down. Stanier 2-6-4T No 42669 (BLE) is on a train to Bletchley. This looks like the mid-afternoon 3.42pm departure (based on the 1951 timetaable). Photo: H.C. Casserley
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A detail view of the background shows the siding full of cattle wagons, Banbury Cattle Market being only a hundred yards away to the right. Most are GWR/BR designs but the one nearest the camera is a SR design and, next to it (and last but one in the distance), are two LMS designs. Photo: H.C. Casserley
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Taken on a Monday, 4th April 1956, after much reduction of the train shed but before refurbishment, the station looks as run down as the BR Standard 2-6-4T, No 80081. This really was no advert for a railway or for a pleasant experience for travellers. The formation behind the loco, which had already run round its train, comprises three 57ft ex-LMS Period III non-gangwayed carriages:
BT C BT
The composite looks different because the ventilator bonnets over the doors had been removed (they were prone to corrosion).
An unidentified vehicle stands against the buffers on the other platform face while, to the right, cattle trucks (ex-SR and ex-LMS) stand in between the station and Banbury Cattle Market, once the largest in Europe. Photo: F.A. Blencowe.
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This picture is undated but looks close to the station's restoration with everything quite immaculate. What a contrast with the other part of the SMJ, originally the E&WJR, whose dwindling passenger service was abandoned just before the upgrade here. Photo: Authors collection.
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A fine sunny day and admiring looks greet arrival of one of the Derby Motor Brake Seconds, M79901 for the new improved service on its inception. The whole scene looks smart, despite the uneven wooden platform. Note the steps for the passengers; clumsy perhaps, but a helpful move in the right direction. Saturday 18th August 1956. Photo: W.A. Camwell, SLS.
PS - The station clock came up at auction around 2010, and fetched £3,000.
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A month later and both of the unique units stand together on another Saturday, 15th September 1956. Only a pity that used sleepers have been dumped on the platform, spoiling the best intentions of other departments trying to put on a brave new face. Photo: J.J. Davis.
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After a sprint in the car down the country lanes, M79901 and M79900 were captured between at Buckingham. Quite why Merton Street never got a proper platform and was almost entirely a wooden station makes one wonder if the proximity of the public school at Buckingham was a factor? The platform was just as low, however. Photo: J.J. Davis.
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These two tickets are from the period when Banbury General was still seeing a lot of steam, but services at Merton Street had been modernised as shown above.
A Cheap Day Return ticket to Bletchley for Saturday, 11th July 1959. Interesting that the price was not stated.
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Another Cheap Day Return ticket, this one to Buckingham, for Saturday, 31st December 1960.
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It may be hard to believe that tickets were issued for dogs, and this one for journeys of less than 3 miles! Mick Green collection.
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Three years later, in 1959, the station still looks smart, if resembling a greenhouse. A single Derby railcar awaits passengers. Loadings at peak periods were good, but off-peak, the railcars were nearly empty, which was no surprise really as such traffic was generally to bigger stations and cities - to Oxford, Birmingham and London, for example - to which there was no service.
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Seen on 22nd August 1975, building work beyond Merton St. station, looking towards the cattle market with Merton Street curving off to the left, and Alma Terrace crossing to the right. The building in the foreground may have been stables; if anybody can confirm this, please get in touch! Photo: Gulliver Collection.
Banbury station pictures are here.
Banbury yards and freight pictures are here.
Banbury express passenger pictures are here.
Banbury loco shed pictures are here.
Banbury loco shed pictures are here.