Newcastle railway station opened in March 1858 and closed in December 2014.
As you can see here in the 'now' photo the rail lines have now been ripped up and the station looks quite sad.
I had to peer through barricades and steel fencing to take this 'now' photo.
I do hope the station remains as a museum or something similar and that the whole structure doesn't disappear all together.
The rail line ends now at Hamilton and the stations of Wickham, Civic and Newcastle are now deceased.
It is believed that the rail line caused disruption to traffic where the line crossed roads between Wickham and Newcastle.
They are in the process of replacing the railway with a light rail (trams) along the same route at a cost of approximately $200 million. No doubt the light rail will also affect the road traffic too, but there's progress for you.
Yes, progress indeed.. Styles have to change - how else are selective businesses to make a fortune. it matters not that in so many years the new will need replacing - it is just more money. But only for those whose sole reason for life seems to be to amass material wealth - at the expense of everybody else.
Everything being built here has it's obsolescence already worked out in the planning stage. eg our new college was finished a couple of years ago. it is expected to last 20 years. i cannot see it myself - extensive repairs have already taken place.. of course it cost £millions to build..
i'm enjoying this little project of yours - thank you for sharing.
i really like the PoV even though it has been forced upon you, by circumstance. i love the ornate ironwork, though i prefer the old canopy. love, too, your fabulous leading lines. i think in this instance the shadows emit a sense of emptiness/abandonment and there are no folk to offset that.
It was a lovely looking station in its day. Such a shame these buildings and their uses get left behind due to so called progress. Hopefully, like you say, it will be opened ad a museum so visitors can enjoy the history of the place for years to come but if it's anything like our area it will be pulled down and used to build so called affordable homes on it. Though I hope that's not the case. Well done on getting your shot. Sounded a little tricky 😊
Wonderful comparison photos Babs, your perspective, lighting and lead in lines really work well, I would not have guessed your access was restricted, I also hope the building can be retained:)
Wouldn't it be cheaper to build bridges or underpasses??? I like both photos, even though you were "restricted view" for your take. It looks like the original station building has survived, but with a new canopy. What a shame if it were to be demolished...
Very beautiful station, great to see the whole platform in the Then photo and the very ornate iron work in the Now photo. What a shame it's not a working station anymore.
It's so interesting to see the two pictures side by side. Even though they are actually both "then" pictures (since the station closed 3 years ago) they do have the feeling of then and now. I don't really know why transportation people decide it's "easier" to scrap one system and build another but your railroad isn't the only one that has fallen prey to the changing times. One thing they've done here with some of the old rail paths is to turn them into nature or recreation trails for walking and biking. It's a great idea. Hopefully your station will become a museum and possibly a trail too. Nice capture of the more current view. Great leading lines.
@jorlam@paul10@sarahlth@pcoulson@littleconnie@casablanca@sangwann@hermann@gigiflower@claudiet@lynnz@happypat@louannwarren@tonygig@craftymeg@carolmw@megpicatilly@quietpurplehaze@maggiemae@lynne5477@bkbinthecity@olivetreeann@henrir@gamelee@peadar@kwind The developers just want to get their hands on the prime real estate between Wickham and Newcastle East, a distance of about 3 km. The heavy rail corridor will be developed with high rise apartments and small parkland areas between them. The fate of Newcastle Station still hasn't been decided and I do hope it stays as a museum or something similar. The latest idea of turning it into a market was knocked back by the residents I believe, but we will have to wait and see. They have been trying, without success, to revitalise the centre of Newcastle for as long as I can remember, but haven't achieved it yet. The new planned light rail (tram lines) are to run along the existing Hunter Street I believe. All the bridges and overpasses along the heavy rail corridor will be removed and pedestrians will soon have to run the gauntlet between cars and trams. A bright new future is planned, some say.
If that's 'progress' I don't want any, thank you. I have a visceral abhorrence of do-called 'developers'!!! But I am very much enjoying your old/new shots, keep 'em coming.
@golftragic This will be the last of my then and now shots for the time being, but now I have thought up this series I will be doing more in the future, at least as long as the old buildings still exist and the developers don't get their hands on them. The west end of Newcastle has already been massacred and no doubt the east end will go the same way.
@golftragic ha ha, I see you don't take it personally then.
I have just found a comparison shot of today's signal box photo that I will post later today, so I have one more then and now photo to show. The 'then' photo isn't too old, but it does show the wires and rail lines still intact.
Everything being built here has it's obsolescence already worked out in the planning stage. eg our new college was finished a couple of years ago. it is expected to last 20 years. i cannot see it myself - extensive repairs have already taken place.. of course it cost £millions to build..
i'm enjoying this little project of yours - thank you for sharing.
I have just found a comparison shot of today's signal box photo that I will post later today, so I have one more then and now photo to show. The 'then' photo isn't too old, but it does show the wires and rail lines still intact.