Thornaby Station in 1980 and it also shows the famous Torch. Photograph and information courtesy of Anthony Bonner 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Thornaby Station in 1980 and it also shows the famous Torch. Photograph and information courtesy of Anthony Bonner
On other pictures on this site many people have commented on the overhead electric cables during the 1920’s and 30’s. The bottom part of one of the pylons used to be visable from the end of Thornaby platform as you looked towards the motive power depot. It might still be there today.
Ron Armstrong- your comments brought back memories of when I joined the Army. I stood
on a cold wet Stockton Station platform in 1967 on my way to Kings Cross, then onto
Oswestry 17th Training Regiment Royal Artillery. We were picked up at Gobowan Station by
a 4 tonner, on arrival at the camp we drove in and two young lads were cleaning two large
brass cannons outside the guard room with a Sgt standing over them, we thought ‘what have we let ourselves in for’. As it was we had arrived a week to early, so we only stayed one night then we were sent on a weeks leave the next day. I remember my mother not believing that I was sent home on leave. When we travelled back down after our weeks leave it was a much pleasant journey, we knew what to expect, not like all the other new recruits.
I’ll never forget the sunny September morning I boarded the diesel rail car to Darlington at Thornaby and thence to Kings Cross to join the RAF. Dad slipped me a fiver (which was a tidy sum in 1963) and off I went into the wide world – 16 years old and green as a cabbage, flying the nest. The train journey south on my RAF Travel Warrant was miserable. Wooden seats? Luxury! We stood in the corridor all the way, though the onward trip up to Wendover from Marylebone was comfortable and we all had seats. We were met by a polite and pleasant Corporal chap who saw us to our billets and made us nice and comfortable. The following day however… well thats a different story 😉
I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT VERY COLD AND WINTRY NIGHT I STOOD ON THORNABY STATION TO CATCH THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO KINGS CROSS STATION LONDON. IT WAS NEW YEARS EVE 1954 AND I WAS JOINING THE ARMY FOR 3 YEARS. IT WAS THE MOST COLD AND UNCOMFORTABLE JOURNEY I HAD TO EXPERIENCE – THE SEATS WERE WOODEN, NO HEATING ON THE TRAIN… OH WAS I GLAD TO GET TO KINGS CROSS. BUT THEN IT HAD TO START AGAIN, KINGS CROSS TO OSWESTRY. WHAT A JOURNEY! MEMORIES.
My eldest is thirty five and the youngest is eighteen, those two and the ones in between, why can’t we go on the beach dad. Dad all the other kids are on the beach playing why can’t we? Ill walk them on the beach let them in the sea all day long, but sit there I can’t, why, why, why, well I have remembered Why or I think I have. Do you remember when you were kids and your mam’s and dad’s were members of certain clubs and you went on day trips en masse whether it be by coach or train? Well I blame the Blythome Club, when they used to take us to Redcar for the day out, all by train, getting to the train station was fine as was the journey, but it was those dungeons on the beach. Those shelters which form part of the beach, dark, damp and cold, I am sure that the tourist information of the time called them shelters for cooling down out of the bright sun shine, or something of the like. Why go in them you say, well all the dad’s wanted the pub and the mam’s the bingo at the same time and all the kids got their stick of rock and corralled in to these shelters with a few of the big uns to look after us. Didn’t we have a lovely day the day we went to Redcar, walking back to the station all the grown ups were patting themselves on the back saying what a great day it has been for the kids. Who was the trip for? I am sure that all of you out there can tell some stories of your trips to the beach, I want a drink, you know where the stand tap is, try saying that today. Roy.
I”m sure the “bucket and spade” brigade will have fond memories of leaving this platform bound for Redcar and Saltburn. My childhood memories date from the 1950s, I remember the platforms heaving with Mums,Dads & kids waiting to pile on crowded steam trains and then diesels to the coast. In the 1960s my future in-laws both worked here for a time – Harry and Edith Robinson. He was a signalman but worked here as a porter for a short time, and Edith worked in the ticket office, later moving to Darlington. There was a constant procession of goods trains passing here on their way to Tees Yard and beyond.