Over a span of three centuries Shrewsbury Railway Station has sent countless travellers on their way and welcomed untold numbers to the county town.
In popular imagination the golden era of rail travel was some time in the distant past and, whether or not that is true, it was certainly different with the huffing, puffing, snorting steam locomotives, the smell of smoke, the distinctive clickety-clack of trains moving over the tracks, platform tickets (remember those?), and plentiful staff.
Shrewsbury, it should be remembered, was a major railway town. Not so much now though. But it does have one of Britain’s most striking railway station buildings, dating back to 1848, its architecture meriting it Grade II listed status.
It’s all a fascinating past. Hop on, and let us take you there.
- Did you see our gallery of 49 pictures showing a very different Shropshire in 1978? Take a trip back in time and see the pictures here.
- You can enjoy this and more with our weekly FREE Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Shropshire and Mid Wales - all sent to your inbox every week. Sign up here
5. Off for a spruce up
The late Russell Mulford from Shrewsbury was a lifelong steam enthusiast and built up a big collection of photos. His caption to this was: "Admirers watch as former London and North Western Railway loco 'Cornwall', built with a 2-2-2 wheel arrangement for speed in Victorian times, was on its way to the Severn Valley Railway workshops at Bridgnorth for overhaul. The loco, one of the national collection of historic engines, once worked regularly between Shrewsbury and its 'birthplace' at Crewe... This picture was taken on August 16, 1979, at Shrewsbury station."
6. Still steaming
Tony Minton of Bridgnorth took his sons to see the last days of steam at the station, so this photo of his may date to 1967. "The finishing date was extended so there were a few more steamy scenes after this," he would recall. | Tony Minton
7. Health and safety look away now
Major work in progress at the station in 1962 involving removal of the Victorian curved bridge over Castle Foregate, cast at the Brymbo works at Wrexham, and its replacement by modern horizontal girders. It was a ticklish task and these were the days before current health and safety regulations were introduced, with no hard hats or high visibility vests. | Russell Mulford
8. Welcome to Shrewsbury
For generations of visitors to the county town arriving by train, Shrewsbury Castle is one of the first things they see. This image is a postcard which was franked in April 1907. Horse-drawn hackney carriages await those who need them. | Peter Morgan