St Helens railway station (Isle of Wight)

St Helens with its single platform was the only intermediate stop on the branch line that connected Brading to the coast at Bembridge.Bennett,A "Southern Holiday Lines in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight": Cheltenham, Runpast 1994

History Opened in 1882, when the area was the Island's main port,Viv Hailes quoted in "Once upon a line (Vol 4) Britton,A": Oxford, OPC, 1994 it ran with ever-dwindling passengers until 1953.Hay,P "Steaming Through the Isle Of Wight": Midhurst,Middleton, 1988 Pomeroy"Isle Of Wight Railways, Then and Now": Oxford,Past & Present Publishing, 1993, described the station thus: An imposing structure with tall chimneys and elegant dormers, particularly pleasing to the eye.A view Gammell(Southern Branch Lines": Oxford, OPC, 1997 ) concurs with One of the most attractive station conversions I have ever seen.. After closure the station building was converted to a private house.

Train Ferry From 1885 to 1888 St Helens was the Isle of Wight end of a Freight only Train ferry Service. This connected the Isle of Wight Rail Network with Mainland Great Britain's network at Langston railway station, using the Former Firth of Tay Train Ferry TF Carrier.

Stationmasters In 1931 the stationmaster, Thomas George Clayton Weeks was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for theft and forgery of receipts. He had created fictitious wage sheets for casual workers at the Southern Railway quay and robbed the company of around £3,000 () in four years. It was reported that he had been spending about £5 () per week on drink, and made presents of joints of beef to various villagers, spending over £400 () at one butchers shop in twelve months.

William Weeks from 1882 (formerly station master at Wroxall) George Wetherick ca. 1897 ca. 1910 Thomas George Weeks until 1931 Charles Willcocks ca. 1935

See also

List of closed railway stations in Britain

References

External links St Helens on Subterranea Britannica