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.
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9. Having a ball
Shrewsbury Town's trainer Sam Powell in a session with players, perhaps in the late 1930s. What's it got to do with the railway station? Well, look beyond them, and you can see it in the background, with its long-disappeared metal all-over roof. For visiting supporters, getting to the Gay Meadow was just a short walk from the station using a special route. | Chris Smith
10. We've got it covered
While the overall roof was in place, the station must have been quite dark and enclosed. Here is a Castle Class locomotive on one of the platforms in the 1950s. | Russell Mulford collection/Shropshire Star archive
11. From the air
Here's a view from the air, thought to date from around 1960. Among the features are Shrewsbury Prison (left), the railway station, Shrewsbury Castle, and part of Shrewsbury cattle market on the right. | Shropshire Star archive
12. Royal decoration
Decorated for the visit of the Queen to Shrewsbury in October 1952. Her visit to the county town came just a few months after she had ascended to the throne. This picture was one of a number among the effects of the late Miss Vera Dyer, who used to work for the Wellington Journal. She was a stalwart member of the Shrewsbury Operatic Society. | Vera Dyer