Can you name and date this station?
Whilst rummaging through one of the files at Eastleigh museum (I volunteer there), I came across a photocopy of a photo. On the back, in pencil, is written "Opening of Eastleigh station June 1841".
Whilst the date is more or less spot-on for the construction of the station buildings, most people that I’ve shown the picture to, place it in the 1870s. That seems about right to me. I can’t see anybody taking a photograph of little Bishopstoke Station in the 1840s (Eastleigh Station used to be called Bishopstoke Station).
I posted the photo on a genealogy website, where a member recalled it was printed in a book called Victorian & Edwardian Railway Travel from Old Photographs by Jeoffry Spence (Batsford, 1977). The caption says it shows London & South Western Railway staff about 1875 at Woking. Intriguing. Thing is, I don’t believe Woking has an overbridge so this identification seems unlikely.
There is no museum reference on it and as we have no scanner, I've attached a mobile phone picture for your perusal.
As the picture is made up of large dots, I guess it’s from a newspaper or book.
What do you think?
Danny
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