Rochester
The amalgamation of
1899 resolved the rivalry between the erstwhile separate SER and LC&DR, and some
sensible economies were made (although most would be undertaken during Southern
Railway ownership, the Thanet reorganisation being a prime example). One of
these was the closure of the Chatham Central branch on 1st October 1911, to
allow enlargement of Rochester station on the main line. This involved the
demolition of the adjacent ex-SER brick viaduct and the expansion of the station
layout eastwards, allowing the provision of two island platforms serving four
tracks. The original station building survived the remodelling, but the
platforms it served were vastly improved: the main line remained double-track,
but the incorporation of loops at this point allowed fast trains to overtake
stopping services. Platform lifts were now a modern feature and the canopies
provided here were ornate and copious, displaying an intricate valance design
similar to that still in existence at Margate. Underneath these canopies were
clapboard offices and waiting facilities. Finally, a signal box built by Saxby &
Farmer emerged on the ‘’down’’ side, beyond the Chatham end of the platform –
this ultimately replaced the aforementioned cabin of the old two-platform
layout.
The station’s late opening, coupled with its elevated nature, put paid to it
having a goods shed or yard of its own, but in some respects this situation did
change on the closure of the Chatham Central branch. When the SER originally
built this line, it had established a large goods presence to the north of its
terminus (and today’s Rochester station). On closure to passengers, the goods
facilities here were retained and a dedicated ‘’Chatham Goods Sidings’’ signal
box was installed to control access to the complex. The goods yard began
alongside the elevated ‘’Chatham’’ main line where the London end of Rochester’s
islands left off. The station had no direct connection with the yard, therefore
in retrospect, could not legitimately claim the large expanse as its own!
Apart from electric services commencing from London to as far as Gillingham on
2nd July 1939, there was little other change at the station during Southern
Railway ownership. Significant modifications arrived under Southern Region
auspices, the first of these occurring during 1953. This included the
lengthening and partial rebuilding of the island platforms in concrete, but more
importantly, the total replacement of the canopies’ ornate valances with much
more plain types, these of which still utilised vertically-aligned timber
strips. The Kent Coast Electrification saw the commissioning of a new power box
to the north of the layout, immediately adjacent to the goods yard entrance, and
this came into use on 10th May 1959, replacing the two mechanical signal boxes
in the Rochester vicinity, and those at Chatham. Yet more change was to occur,
however, the station not totally escaping the demolitions of the 1970s. Circa
1973, the ‘’down’’ island canopy was removed and replaced by dreary CLASP
waiting facilities, leaving the lift column as the sole original structure on
this platform – even the clapboard offices disappeared. The ‘’up’’ island was
fortunate enough to retain its coverage, but the main station building lost its
canopy protecting the main entrance from the elements.
A Class 508 trundles towards Strood in this westward view from 11th March 2004. This
was during the period of the Strood Tunnel closure, when direct services from London to
Gillingham via Dartford were suspended for a year. Strood Tunnel was lined inside with
concrete to prevent successive chalk falls inside in the future, allowing the speed limit to
be raised from 20 MPH to 75 MPH. Class 508s were used to form shuttle services between
Gillingham and Strood, where at the latter passengers would transfer onto a bus for Higham.
David Glasspool
At the opposite end of the platforms, the line begins to curve around residential areas before
plunging into a tunnel on the way to Chatham. The 4 Cig pictured formed an eight coach
train with a 4 Vep on a Victoria to Faversham stopping service. David Glasspool
A westward view on 31st May 2006 reveals the remaining ''up'' platform canopy and the dreaded
CLASP structures on the ''down'' side. As aforementioned, the canopy was rebuilt in 1953, this being
done to a style which makes it easily mistaken as a product of the Southern Railway. The first valance
to grace the framework was based on similar lines to the example on the island at Margate. David Glasspool
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