Wealdstone - Belmont - Stanmore
L.M.S 1890-1964

I. B. Bloodworth, Form 4 Arts.

When we think of branch lines we normally associate them with a rural line joining a village and a town; but in Harrow, a year ago, a branch line died. It ran between Harrow and Wealdstone and Belmont and Stanmore.

Permission was given to build the railway on June 25, 1886, and on July 27 Mrs. Gordon, wife of Frederick Gordon, the chairman of the company (Stanmore and Harrow Railway Company) cut the first sod, with a silver spade.

Stanmore station was opened on December 18, 1890, and served the village of Stanmore, making the journey to London via Wealdstone easier. The station had a double track with a signal platform on the right hand side with the booking hall at one end leading into Gordon Avenue. The booking hall was built of red brick, had small windows and tall chimneys, an ornamental spire topped a square block which had battlements around the topmost edge; the entrance is at the base of the block. The building has the appearance of a church when seen from the road. This building is of a totally different design to any other station that I know, but is pleasantly different.

There were five sidings situated behind the platform, these were used for unloading of coal for storage in bunkers at the line side. Another line went into a shed where bananas were unloaded and stored.

Layout of track in front of the platform made it possible for an engine to run around its train to take it back to Wealdstone. The sidings and lines from the platform converged on top of a small footbridge, and continued as a single line.

Stanmore station is still standing but is due for demolition soon.

Belmont station was constructed as a wooden halt in 1932 and in 1934 a permanent station was built to serve a growing urban area. It had an island platform, because it was here that the trains passed each other.

Then on 13th September, 1952, the last passenger train ran from Stanmore but the service continued between Belmont and Wealdstone.

The trains were cut to rush hour, and up to lunch time on Saturday services after 1952. There was no Sunday service. In the days between 1952-60 the line to Stanmore was used four times a day until dieselisation of the line when the usage of the line was cut to twice a day. During these years the train consisted of a Fowler 2-6-2 or Stanier 2-6-2 pulling and pushing two coaches. When the train stopped in the morning, its engine took the coaches to Stanmore and left them there and ran back to Watford m.p.d. as a runaway. During the time the passenger train was not running, every day, Monday-Friday, a goods train ran to Stanmore, normally consisting of coal or banana trucks, staying at Stanmore for an hour or two.

About 1960-61 the service between Belmont and Wealdstone was taken over by a Diesel multiple unit and steam passenger service was used only when the diesel failed.

Then the end came when Beeching's axe struck; the line had been evading closure for years but on 3rd October, 1964, it finally was defeated. The goods trains to Stanmore were stopped in July and the track was being taken up in the week preceding the closure of Belmont station. I was on the last train; it must have been the busiest and the most congested train on that line since it opened. The train had notices and slogans stuck on its window, the side had writing on it in chalk and a wreath at either end, streamers flowing from the windows. The train pulled out of Belmont with blaring of klaxon and the echoing of detonators under the bridge.

British Railways left the track down between Wealdstone and Belmont and earlier this year lent the line to the B.B.C. for making a film for B.B.C.-2 programme "The Londoners".

The line itself, it has been said, will be used for a siding for old suburban coaches, when British Rail use electric multiple units for the Euston and suburban services at the beginning of next year.


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