This picture, courtesy of Dr WR (Bill) Mitchell shows Settle station from the south west around 1890 - not long after the line opened therefore. The water tower is clearly seen. The signal box, to the right by the goods shed was replaced in 1892 with the present structure. Vegetation is only just becoming established on the embankments of the newly built railway.
Zooming in a bit on the water tower we can just see its panels in their then new coats of paint. The low building between the tower and the station was the weigh office for the goods yard. On the platform ramp in front of the weigh office is the up water crane, served by water from the tower.
Less glorious times. A 1984 poster announcing the closure of the Settle-Carlisle railway line. Happily the public response was overwhelming. The line was saved and the rest is history. The station yard, including the water tower, the magnificent stone goods shed, even the railway lines were sold off for just £5,000 to create The Sidings industrial estate. The water tower survived. The goods shed did not.
The water tower appears to be just behind the up platform. Roughly where the signal box (moved and rebuilt) is today.
ReplyDeleteWhen was the tower moved back behind the station master's house along the station approach road?
The 1894 25-in OS shows the tower where it is today.
Help.
The tower (big stone structure with iron tank on top) is where it has always been. The water cranes (cast iron water columns) were put in place some months ago, having been in storage with Network Rail - see more recent posts on this Blog. One has been put between the re-positioned signal box and the up platform south ramp. The other is between the water tower and the station drive. That location was at the insistence of the local authority planner and conservation officer. The original location of the down water crane was on the down platform's north ramp. It could not be put back there for a number of operational reasons.
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