Trains at Spalding in 1984

Archive VHS footage of trains at Spalding in 1984 before the work to rationalise the layout from 6 platforms to just 2 took place, I hope to produce a further video of the relaying soon. Despite the poor quality I hope you enjoy watching.

[@petersmith4058]

I enjoyed watching this video and others by you. It brought back memories. I traveled by train 15 May '70 from Potters Bar (Herts.) on a 'Special' arr.12.30pm. Spent 6 hours trainspotting! Saw 9 freights. EE type 3's & 4's inc.D1; Brush types 2 & 4.
Those were the days when there was a variety. Thanks for all the hard work in uploading.

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it! Peter.

[@peebee143]

Thanks, Roy. I honestly never realised how broad Spalding's scope used to be!

[@joncoe9046]

What a great station we once had. Stunning video thanks for sharing.

[@replay68pete14]

jon COE what a great town you once had aswell,what a pit!!

[@grahamtester749]

When I was a kid growing up in the 70,s we lived in Kilburn my nans house backed onto the line out of Marylebone and was within a stones throw of the north london line so i had good old view of everything heavy freights pulled by all classes of locos that shock her house but i never paid much interest in the DMU,s that flashed past at the bottom of the garden but when I hear that engine sound now on videos it all comes flooding back trains today just seem souless and bland also i had the pleasure of seeing ,hearing and smelling steam locos go thundering by many a time on specials out of Marylebone and that sticks in my mind especially as my dad was a driver out of Euston but started as a cleaner at Camden roundhouse then became a fireman of the steamers before becoming a driver on the DC out of Watford then onto the main line and the electrics but he fired many of the trains that went past so he said and that was a proud feeling for me to be told Happy memories

[@stevewyman2822]

vrry enjoyable video Roy...Lovely ole 31's..they should still be on track..!!

[@johnpiper3416]

Great video.
Love the steam heat 31, brings back memories.

[@Isochest]

I love the Gate Crossings. Universal when I was a child

[@GrzegorzPiotrNykiel]

Nice Recording !

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

At 7:47 we see the Clas 114 set in the experimental SYPTE livery.

[@sampinington5136]

Strange seeing all older rolling stock and then the IC125 appears, like that shouldn't be there, it's too new. Ha Ha. So advanced and modern looking makes you forget it true age at points.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Stunning footage, I looked the station up on Google maps to see what it is like today and the Disused stations website to see what it was before this video was made.
Shocking to see a once large station serving 6 different directions has become merely a busstop in these days, you can't even travel straight to Boston anymore, you have to travel over Sleaford now and change trains there.
Were the HST's regular traffic back then, or were they ECML diversions? can't imagine them being regulars seeing what the status of the line was in the video, already in decline.

[@royharrison4122]

Pleased you enjoyed it Tom, The HST's are ECML Diversions. take a look at my latest Video "Track Rationalisation at Spalding (part 1)". I am now editing part 2.

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Unbelievable, houses now stand where a 125 once ran. Time marches on.

[@jasonlee3247]

Only known the area since 2000 so this is fascinating to see. Am I right in thinking all traffic heading to Sleaford had to use the now removed tracks? Looks like the lines which now remain only served the Boston direction back then, or was there a link north of the station that I couldn’t see?

[@royharrison4122]

Platform 1 was a bay platform, Platform 2 (now Platform 1) was the up main from Boston, Platform 3 (now platform 2)was the up Joint line platform, platform 4 was a bay platform, platform 5 was the Down Boston Line. Platform 6 was the Down joint Line and Platform 7 was the M&GN platform.

[@sarahwilliams6486]

Anybody know what train 31327 was on and what was the date?

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

When I see these wonderful archive footage I always wonder if the traction featured is still around today or has long been scrapped. 31327 seen in this video seems to have been saved and back in 2015 was on the preservation circuit
in BR Green livery under its original number D5862 ( renumbered to 31327 on 31/12/1973) th-cam.com/video/oEJDzp4HFCg/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=TheJamster2006
As far as I can tell it's now being looked after by (and runs on) the Strathspey Railway in Inverness-shire
I bet at the time you filmed that you never thought it would be still running 34 years later ?
Excellent video Roy.

[@royharrison4122]

Thank You Malcolm, I didn't realise that 31327 was still around, just assumed it had gone the way of many good loco's.

[@rickmeyrick4357]

Why is Spalding riddled with infrastructure and signalling, for a one horse town?

[@royharrison4122]

The railway at Spalding needed all the Infrastructure and Signalling in years gone by as it was a very busy Junction and is nothing to do with your opinion of the Town Rick. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_railway_station

[@Isochest]

Because Spalding was once an important rail junction. Freight traffic is returning and there is substantial freight traffic through the station today.