An inside view of Stockton Station 1967. Photograph courtesy of Alan Boardman. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
An inside view of Stockton Station 1967. Photograph courtesy of Alan Boardman.
The station master at this time was Mr Robinson, a real gentleman. He had a station inspector on early and late shifts and several porters, including a lady porter who looked after the the ladies waiting room which she kept spotless with fresh flowers and good fire in the winter – my how times have changed. I was box lad at Bishopton Lane signal box, at that time it seemed such an important place with trains to London, liverpool and of all places Colchester, plus the locals to Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Newcastle and a never ending passage of goods trains. Good times indeed! The north end of the station was controlled by Primrose Hill signal box, only open from 4am to 12noon to allow the shunting of the York mail and Saltburn portion of the kings cross at about 8.30am.
With regard to the Mill Garages sign just readable above, I note they were still advertising at local railway stations nearly forty years after I took this photo, eg Darlington Bank Top in December 2006. They are now based at Preston Farm rather than central Stockton.
I can recall the advertising signs for “Virol” and the goldfish in the large water tank at the Bishopton Road end on the southbound track.
Smoke laden, but usually not for long, this was one of the most wind prone stations ever. It really was like a wind tunnel! My mother was meeting her sister, due in from the deep south, in November. The train was late by something like 1hr 05 mins. She waited on a bench because the waiting room was locked and due to the freezing wind ended up with lumbago.
Its from this platform and the blank-end ,top of photo that I remember getting the train to Seaton Carew On one occasion it was so hot at Seaton the passengers alighting all appeared to suffer from sun-burn, with the smell of “Nivea” filling the air , this was before the commercial Sun-Block cream and two passengers being taken to Stockton and Thornaby Hospital . re Seaton Carew , did all the trains stop at Greatham , or only the Cerebos Salt workers train ?. If you were lucky this was the platform, from London on those precious “48s” I can”t remember “Red-Caps” on this station , Darlington was awash with them both Army and R.A.F S.P every time I passed through .
A rare view inside the smoke laden massive train shed, showing the building on the north platform three. Two signs are readable; Mill Garages and the circular platform four indicator for the back bay platform. WD 2-8-0 No.90677 storms through, tender first, with a southbound coal train in July 1967, next month steam ended in the North-East.