Rob Shorland-Ball - Cambridge Station: Its Development & Operation As A Rail Centre

CAMBRIDGE STATION

Fig. 1 : The splendid architectural facade of Cambridge Station (1846) was designed by Sancton Wood for the Eastern Counties Railway Company. Successor companies made various changes which this book explores. The London North Eastern Railway Company apparently felt a need to broadcast their stewardship, visible down Station Road as prospective passengers approached the Station.

ITS DEVEOPMENT & OPERATIONS AS A RAIL CENTRE

Rob Shorland-Ball

First published in Great Britain in 2017 by

Pen & Sword Transport

An imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright Rob Shorland-Ball, 2017

ISBN 978 1 47386 904 2

eISBN 978 1 47386 906 6

Mobi ISBN 978 1 47386 905 9

The right of Rob Shorland-Ball to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor by way of trade or otherwise shall it be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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I am very grateful to the following friends, colleagues and contacts whose support, help and knowledge have made this book possible. If I have missed some I hope I may be forgiven because the omission is not by malice but simply by forgetfulness amongst the clouds of witness who have helped me. A paraphrase from Hebrews , verse 1, in the King James Bible (1611) advises us: Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us run with patience the race that is set before us. I have run with patience, enjoyed the race, so thank you all:

John Scott-Morgan (my Commissioning Editor) was starter and coach for the race and kind supplier of a number of images and contacts for others; Anthony (Tony) Kirby, railway historian and formerly Co-ordinator of Strategic Planning, Anglia Ruskin University, whose knowledge and enthusiasm have been invaluable; Michael Perrins, railway archivist and librarian, who has supplied images and sources of information and been a much-respected, and valued, proofreader and critic.; Frank Paterson, former General Manager of BR Eastern Region which embraced Cambridge; William Parker, former Assistant to Cambridge Traffic Manager then Kings Cross District Manager; Dave Harris, Co-ordinator, Midland Railway Study Centre, Derby; Dr John Gough, railway historian and author; Geoffrey Skelsey, Registrar of University of Cambridge, Fellow of St Catherines College, railway historian and author; Chris Jakes, Local Studies Manager, Cambridge Library; Geraint Hughes, Partnerships Manager (Projects), Abellio Greater Anglia; Darren Kitson, railway historian and author; Steven Saunders, Secretary Railway Study Association; RSA members who contributed memories and images; Ralph Potter, former railway signal engineer; Graham Burling; BR Clerk at Longstanton near Cambridge then senior BR Officer; Paul Stannard, Area Customer Service Manager, Cambridge; Graham Berry, Train Dispatcher, Cambridge Station; Robert Stripe, Chairman Fen Line Users Association; Jonathan Denby, Head of Corporate Affairs, Abellio Greater Anglia; Adrian Shooter, friend and former CEO Chiltern Railways; Christopher Burton, member R&CHS; Tim Edmonds, Cambridge schoolfellow (1960s) and railway historian; Michael Blakemore, Editor BackTrack ; Vicky Stretch, Archivist Network Rail; all those who contributed memories of Cambridge Station which are in the Postlude at the end of the book and are fully acknowledged there.

During Cambridge field work I visited the CB1 development, met Brookgate staff at their Project Offices in Station Road and learned much of the AGA plans from Geraint Hughes, Partnerships Manager for AGA; thank you to you all, and for permission to reproduce the images in .

And a final thank you to the many authors whose works I have consulted, whose knowledge and wisdom have underpinned my writing and from whom I have sometimes used (and acknowledged) edited or abridged quotations.

I have tried to contact all possible copyright holders and have checked any unacknowledged images with forensic image search engines. If any have been missed would those concerned please contact me.

Finally, I am a careful researcher, have tried to make this book as accurate as possible and the grammar and language correct and enjoyably readable. Any errors are my responsibility but , if you find an error, please contact me. I will be happy to respond and try answer to your concerns.

Fig. 2

Fig. 2: Cambridge Motor Omnibus Company opentopped double deck bus on Station - Market Hill service, in the 1890s.