BOSTON RAILWAY ARCHAEOLOGY

 

 

 

A view of Boston in the steam era as a train approaches from the Midlands.

 

A B1 departs from Boston

 

A nostalgic view at the railway station c.1978. Two 03 shunters stand in the bay platform 3.

 

03389 stands on bay platform 3 at Boston. Interestingly, the class has returned to Boston as preserved D2112 now has duties at Boston Dock along with a resident preserved class 08.

 

03034 stands in bay platform 3. The rails have long since been lifted.

 

08102 stands on the sidings south of the station awaiting its next turn of duty.

 

The Boston parcels train with 31190 (long since withdrawn) as pictured prior to departure from Boston in 1976. The train operated from Peterborough via Sleaford and reversed at Boston, then proceeded via Sleaford and Peterborough to London King's Cross. This historic view of Boston shows the former footbridge complete with asbestos roof and the two "middle roads", by then, long disused.

 

31173 stands at the head of the Boston Parcels Train prior to departure.

 

Through trains and excursion traffic have brought much interesting motive power through Boston. Here we see double headed class 25s passing West Street crossing en route from Derby to Skegness.

(Slide kindly scanned by P. Wright)

 

A class 47 at the head of a through holiday train from Skegness enters Boston station.

 

October 25th, 1980, saw the first ever Inter City 125 / HST at Boston when it operated an excursion to Edinburgh. It is seen before dawn awaiting departure with West Street box illuminated in the background.

 

A 1975 view sees a class 114 dmu arriving at the station en-route to Skegness. The middle roads are still in place as is the old footbridge with its asbestos roof.

 

An interesting 1975 view of the station from the north end looking south.

 

No mistaking where this is ! The tower of St. Botolph's church (known locally as "The Stump", dominates the town. The large blue enamel Boston sign has long since gone - I wonder where ?

 

The buildings on the up platform at one time incorporated the

Station Manager and Admin offices and a train crew mess

room and were transferred to new premises

on the opposite platform. After this the "down "platform

buildings suffered many years of dereliction. Sadly they were

demolished a few years ago and a low wall and "bus shelters"

now occupy their place. The following photos show these

substantial buildings a few weeks before demolition.

 

The former Great Northern Railway's Locomotive Engineers Offices, prior to demolition.

 

Another railway building to have disappeared is the Grand Sluice signal box. The crossing gates have been replaced by barriers operated by the West Street box.

 

Another building long since demolished was the Station Hotel opposite the railway station itself. The rather attractive hanging sign is illustrated in this 1976 view.

 

The octagonal signal box which controls the swing bridge and crossing gates stands boarded up. Fortunately, in recent years, the restoration of goods trains to the Dock has given it a new lease of life.

 

The lever frame inside the octagonal box. The labels (left to right read: "West Wickets"; "Gate Locks"; Goods Yard to Dock"; "Goods Yard Traps"; "Dock to Goods Yard"; "? Ground Frame"; "East Wickets".

 

The swing bridge which carries the Docks branch over the Haven.

 

Grand Sluice railway bridge which carries the railway north of Boston over the River Witham once saw traffic as diverse as "Britannias" and "Deltics" - now generally only Sprinter units on their way to from Skegness and the occasional engineering and charter train.

 

Another view of the Grand Sluice bridge. Only one side now carries track, the other was lifted in 1981 when the line was singled between Boston and Sibsey as an "economy measure".

 

An LNER notice the station which read: "THIS FOOTPATH IS FO THE USE OF PEDESTRIANS ONLY. THE LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY COMPANY GIVE NOTICE THAT SECTION 17 OF THE LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY ACT 1933 PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: ANY PERSON WHO SHALL RIDE A BICYCLE, TRICYCLE, MOTOR-CYCLE OR OTHER SIMILAR MACHINE, OR BRING ANY HADCART OR BARROW OR SIMILAR CONVEYANCE UPON ANY FOOTBRIDGE, FOOTPATH OR CAUSEWAY OR THROUGH ANY SUBWAY BELONGING TO THE COMPANY AND MADE OR SET APART FOR THE USE OR ACCOMMODATION OF PEDESTRIANS, ONLY SHALL ON SUMMARY CONVICTION, BE LIABLE TO A PENALTY NOT EXCEEDING FORTY SHILLINGS".

 

 

A publication following the conversion to single line stretches of the Skegness - Sleaford route between Sibsey and Boston (including Grand Sluice bridge), Boston and Hubbert's Bridge and Heckington and Sleaford.

 

Two of these very early signs still point the way to the railway station at Boston.

 

Thanks to Peter Wright for kindly scanning slides that were used in this feature.

 

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