12. An evening at Frome-07.08.80

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1980 > 12. An evening at Frome-07.08.80

An evening trip out from home to Frome in the Austin 1100 with Graham. At this time Frome's historic Brunel station was in a parlous state and very run down. BR was on the brink of demolishing it as the whole timber structure was riddled with woodworm so it was being held together with scaffolding. Luckily, sense prevailed and rather than bulldozing it and replacing it with one of BR's finest bus shelter structures it was fully restored and remains a fine station today and remains a firm part of our proud industrial heritage.

Click here to search The Archive Files

Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.

31132, 19.45 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads (2V72), Frome station
31132 is seen in virtual darkness at Frome station leading the 2V72 19.45 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads service. Past the light of the second Mk. I coach the station can be seen surrounded and supported by scaffolding in an effort to stop the structure from collapsing due to woodworm attack. Once again, I am not quite sure how Graham and I had the confidence to wander off the platform end, cross the single track and then stand in trackbed on the former down line to take this photograph.

There is an audio recording of this event on my youtube channel, see.... https://youtu.be/UF7jf-NFVMI
Keywords: 31132 19.45 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads 2V72 Frome station Brush Type 2

Enamel, Frome station
A British Railways (W) enamel sign on Frome station. Notice the replacement white asbestos corrugated roof complete with plastic sheeting above the sign. Also, the scaffolding in place with support being given to the station's structure whilst a decision on the renovation is being made with demolition a distinct possibility.
Keywords: Enamel Frome station BR Western

Enamel, Frome station
A somewhat weatherworn British Railways Western Region enamel sign still hangs at the eastern end of Frome station. Whilst platform two was still in use the bay platform three had been out of use with the track lifted for many years. Trains to and from Radstock used to use this platform with services withdrawn in 1959. However, with BR's policy of spending the absolute minimum on infrastructure, the sign simply remained pointing to a ghost platform!
Keywords: Enamel Frome station

Up starter bracket signal, Frome station
When Frome South signal box was closed in 1970 control of all signalling was moved to the nearby Frome North box. This control included the up bracket signal at the platform end as seen here. Even in 1980, this was a very rare type being a double centre pivot wooden example. The doll to the left once contained the starter arm for the Radstock bay platform that had been out of use for many years. Due to its historical imp[ortance, this complete signal still exists today at the National Railway Museum in York being rescued when resignalling came to Frome in1984. I took a photograph in the daylight of the signal a couple of years earlier, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/25473984004/up-starter-bracket-signal-frome
Keywords: Up starter bracket signal Frome station semaphore wooden arm

Enamel, Frome station
Another enamel sign still extant on Frome station hangs above the ticket office door. This is a twin sided British Railways (Western Region) sign dating from the early years of nationalisation. Even in 1980 Frome still had a number of this very non-standard signs with BR's corporatisation having yet to arrive at this sleepy station!
Keywords: Enamel Frome station

Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.