THE SPAN OF TIME MONOCHROME

I took this image of Redruth Railway Station in the early 1980's as part of a portfolio on bridges that I did for a Photography course. As I remember it was taken early one Sunday morning and as you can see it was completely deserted. I now feel it should have had some human content to bring it together, maybe a couple sharing an embrace on one of the platforms would have given it that extra spark and the poignancy it needs.

REDRUTH STATION.

The West Cornwall Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament passed on 3 August 1846 to take over the Hayle Railway and extend its line westwards to Penzance, and eastward to Truro. It took possession of the Hayle line on 3 November 1846 and set about rebuilding it. A viaduct was built 61 feet (19 m) above the streets of Redruth and a new station was opened at the east end of this on 11 March 1852. On 25 August 1852 the line was continued through a short tunnel at the east end of Redruth station and on to a temporary station at Truro Highertown, and was completed to a station at Newham Wharf in 1855. The present day station at Truro was reached in 1859 but through trains over the Cornwall Railway could not start until 1867 due to the two railways being built to different gauges. The main station buildings were replaced by the Great Western Railway in the 1930s, but the wooden shelter on the westbound platform survives and the footbridge is marked as being erected in 1888.

The original 489 feet (149 m) viaduct was built in timber to the designs of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but it was replaced in 1888 by a masonry structure. The line had until now been just a single track with a passing loop in the station, but the new viaduct was wide enough for two tracks once the 7 ft 0 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge rail was no longer required following the abandonment of broad gauge services in 1892. The second line was brought into use in February 1894; a second line was laid eastwards from the station in 1911.


The original Hayle Railway station became a goods depot when the new station opened, access to it being controlled by 'Redruth Junction' signal box which also controlled access to the goods branch line to Tresavean mine. Goods sidings were also provided on both sides of the line at the new station, with a large goods shed on the north side of the line. A new goods depot was opened at Drump Lane, east of the tunnel, in 1912.

Historical text taken from Wikipedia.