Manchester Victoria Station

[dunks]

Well, this is my most favourite station! I first remember visiting it in about 1985/6, still in its older form, but still at that time a hive of activity with freight, passenger, parcels trains aswell as other stock movements; there was also extensive carriage sidings at Red Bank just East of the station which used to house all the parcel vans, multiple units & carriage stock to operate Victoria's rail services. It also has a varied and fascinating history and for many years neighboured by Manchester Exchange, with whom it shared the longest platform in Europe - or probably the world! Recent times haven't been kind to it, but hopefully a recent change in attitudes will once again see it back where it belongs. Enjoy the links below for your persual!

Victoria - a Brief History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Victoria

Victoria - 1980's/90's pics
http://www.variousstuff.co.uk/rail_menu_stations.htm

[swisstrains]

Thanks for the links Duncan. I really enjoyed looking at the Victoria pictures. They brought back many happy memories of services that I had completely forgotten about.
I first visited Victoria nearly 50 years ago. Whenever we went to Manchester to visit relatives our train arrived at Exchange station but I always ran down that long platform to see what foreign locos were lurking at the other end

[dunks]

My pleasure, swisstrains, I'll see what else I can dig up! Enjoy this in the meantime!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/cont...aces_360.shtml

Oh, and you'll LOVE these - old pics of Manchester Exchange - theres more pics there to view there too - even after closure - remarkable that since it closed in 1969, the train shed wasn't demolished till 1982!

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ (click on 'list' then Manchester Exchange)

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by dunks

.................Oh, and you'll LOVE these - old pics of Manchester Exchange ....................

I certainly did. Absolutely great!!
We always returned home on the North Wales train that was due to leave Exchange at about 7:30 pm and was usually hauled by a Black 5 or a Patricroft Standard 5. Departure was nearly always late because we had to wait for the new fangled "Trans-Pennine" Hull-Liverpool DMU to go in front of us as far as Earlestown

I enjoyed the panorama of Victoria also. Even today it is still a nice looking, bright station and I think the old buffet near to the ticket windows is beautiful. I really hope that they can make better use of Victoria in the future instead of routing virtually everything through Piccadilly.

[dunks]

Heres some more - some nice pics here!

http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/1054/index.htm

http://neilharvey4789.fotopic.net/c736938.html

[swisstrains]

Thanks again Duncan.
I was able to extract some useful info from these sites. I have photos of my own taken at the same time as some of those shown but I had not noted the dates. Now I know on which date the Network North-West RailDay was in 1992

[92212]

Victoria and Exchange was my favourite of the Manchester Stations, I used to spend Saturday's there in the late fifties, the place was so busy, so platforms, so many trains, by the time I got home I was worn out but had lots of numbers and a few namers.

92212

[Trev]

Manc Vic was a great place. I've got fond memories of watching Class 40's and 25's there from the early 70's. And the Manchester-Bury EMUs as well!

[keir]

plenty more old photos of Manchester stations if you search at http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/

[swisstrains]

Thanks for the link "keir"
A search brings up some interesting pics.