And in this year of #Railway200 it’s worth remembering that it was George Stephenson who built the adjacent viaduct in 1840 and the Manchester & Leeds Railway.

The quality of the conversion is there for all to see & it was great to hear Chair of the CIC Jackie Potter talk about the building’s future as a community hub & artists’ studios, all but one now taken. 1 of the staircases had to be taken out but a reminder of it has been left.

There is a wonderful clock in the ticket office with an LMS badge on it but I suspect older than 1923 - no longer working and spoiled by the white paint I’ve offered a grant to help restore it.

Keith - thanks for looking into this - what’s the evidence for that? On X, Ian Dinmore thinks it stands for a railway company that never got off the ground.

Interesting, thanks

This is where the tramway used to run - there is a photo of it in 1960 in the Pier Station waiting room

Shanklin is listed and at the end of the line now. An old SR sign survives together with an old Newsagent’s kiosk.

Not much to see at Lake but they’re looking forward to GBR!

Sandown is in a Conservation Area and was the recipient of an RHT grant inthe past - good to see the community hub is being given a refresh.

It was also good to discuss the railway's plans to extend operations from Bodiam west to Robertsbridge. At Northiam there is an excellent visual map showing what that will mean.

Photo in previous post is the 1882 Saxby & Farmer 1882 signal box from Deal Jct, now controlling train movements at Wittersham Rd on @KandESRailway where I was yesterday. During WW2 a railway gun was based in the goods yard - it only fired once but when it did, it broke all windows at the station!

Came back to York from Eaglescliffe which I am pleased to see will soon be served by the Advanced Passenger Train in the artwork for the new AfA Footbridge. Back to the Future! And I have since been told that a real APT did once pass through the station.