Galen Junction

Galen Junction
Location: Galen Moor, Colhapper, Kent. Operator: Dark Railway Constructed: 1892 Station Code: GJ Platforms: 4 Status: Open

Galen Junction railway station is the historic southern terminus of the Dark Railway. It is located on the edge of Galen Moor, and a small hamlet has begun to grow around the station as of 1970.

History

The original station was constructed in November 1892 by the South Eastern Railway, as an interchange station with the Dark Railway, which had built it's line from Soma and Axley to connect with the SER.

At first, there was a simple interchange here for mineral traffic from Soma, when the site was known as "Soma Interchange". However, once passenger workings were timetabled, the SER, in association with the DR, built a simple bay platform between the two networks so that passengers could change trains. The layout was expanded to three platforms in 1896, so that "down" SER services could interchange with the Dark Railway. The new station was named "Galen Junction", after the moorlands nearby.

At this station, Dark Railway services terminated in the lengthy bay platform, though at the time, permission was granted for the engines to "run round" their trains via the SER mainline tracks, due to the lack of a proper run round loop for the bay platform. However, after a horrific accident in 1911 (see below), the station was completely rebuilt and moved slightly to the north, with provisions made to keep both railways separated from eachother. A new runround loop was built on the DR's bay platform to prevent this kind of accident happening again. Alas, unfortunately, just two years later, a similar incident occured, when a shunting move went wrong, and another express collided with an engine, this time, a tank engine. From that point, signalman and engine crews were more dilligent of their duties when shunting or running round at the station.

In 1925, the station was rennovated, with Southern Railway furniture installed, including lamps and benches. A new waiting room was also installed that year, as was a small canopy for rainy days. The station was extensively rebuilt in 1956 to it's now familiar layout, with a larger canopy, larger waiting room and new footbridges installed.

In 1969, British Rail decided to withdraw passenger services to the station, resulting in the Dark Railway also withdrawing passenger services here as well. The station was not demolished, however, as the railway's manager, Otthaniel Dark, hoped to see it reopen in the future. By the end of the year, the newly formed Dark Railway Preservation Society achieved this ambition by restoring the station to a functional state, and it is now open.

During the autumn of 1969, Galen Junction lost it's shed complex after an explosion destroyed it, along with three of the railway's locomotives. There are no immediate plans to rebuild a shed complex here.

In 1970, the station and trackwork around the site was rebuilt, due to the opening of the new extension to Colhapper. This included the creation of a fourth platform, and realigning the railway lines so that the Dark Railway's running lines ran through (what was once) the mainline platforms (Platforms 2 and 3), with platform 1 being retained and a new platform 4 being constructed alongside platform 3 (as a move of intent to possibly rebuild the railway line to Raxas Heath and Market Leyborough). This idea was later abandoned, and this platform was instead linked up to the main running line at the other end to allow trains travelling to Colhapper to pass each other when operating towards the new extension to Barbourne.

Layout and Facilities

The station was originally built with two platform faces on an island platform, but was expanded to three platforms to serve the "down" line on the other side of the station. The station connects the Dark Railway with the ex-SER line to the south end of the station, allowing services from the south to run right through the station towards Merecombe. Services coming from the north have to reverse here in order to reach Merecombe.

In 1969, British Rail withdrew passenger services to Galen Junction, downgrading the line from there to Colhapper as freight only (as certain freight trains still run onto the mainline from Soma, Walschurch and Merecombe). They also ripped up the railway line through platform 3, and part of the line through platform 2. The bay platform, however, remains in use for special events on the DR.

As of 1970, an extensive rebuild of the station expanded the amount of platforms in use to four, with a new bay platform being added to the east of the station, alongside platform 3. The running lines have also been realigned due to the extension to Colhapper and the expected increase of traffic at this station. In 1976, the fourth platform was connected to the running line facing north in anticipation of the extension to Barbourne.

To the west side of the station was the yard and sheds, where rolling stock and locomotives were stabled up until 1969, when the MPD closed after an explosion destroyed it. Several sidings survive, as does the fuelling points for the locomotives, though most engines are now refuelled at Merecombe.

To the south of the station are two long freight loops, where goods trains are stabled. As of 1970, the old shed at the end of this loop has been leased to the DRPS, and is used to maintain their engine, No 5, and their various items of rolling stock and memorabillia. There is no longer a connection to the "mainline" at the south end of the loop, as it is mainly used now for demonstration goods trains and brakevan rides by the DRPS.

To the east is a large events field which is sometimes used by the DRPS for special events and as a makeshift car park, however, this land may be further developed in the 1970s.

Accidents and Incidents

• On the 15th March 1911, whilst running around it's train via the mainline tracks on Platform 2, on-loan LBSCR "B1" Class Number 220 "Hampden" was hit from behind by the 2:20pm Barbourne to Market Leyborough mainline service, The crew of the express locomotive, SECR ‘B1’ Class Number 101, had not had time to sufficiently brake before seeing the LBSCR engine, which had erroneously moved into section against the signalman’s instructions. Number 220 was lifted from the rails due to the force of the collision, mounting the station platform and crushing several innocent bystanders in the process. 56 passengers on the mainline train were killed when the coaches telescoped into each other. The driver and fireman of Number 220 were killed instantly, as was the driver of the mainline engine. Fireman Graham Pearce survived the initial collision, but was hospitalised for three weeks before succumbing to his wounds. This has been recorded as one of the worst incidents in the railway’s history.
• Galen Junction was the location of another collision on the 20th May 1913, when a tank engine was struck by a mainline service. Having run off it’s train, ex-LBSCR ‘A1’ Class tank engine, Number 47 ‘Cheapside’, was struck by an express service that had mistakenly been routed off the main line and on to the Dark Railway’s line south of the station. In the resulting collision, the leading locomotive of the mainline train, an ex-LBSCR G Class ‘single’, took the brunt of the impact and was written off, along with the Dark Railway’s tank engine, which had only been purchased four months previously.. The second locomotive on this train, another LBSCR G Class, was damaged, but repaired and returned to working order five months later. Several passengers on the express unfortunately perished, as did the crews of the leading ‘G’ class and the tank engine.
• In 1969, the shed complex at Galen Junction exploded, causing major damage to the sheds and destroying three of the railway's locomotives (Nos D2992, D8198 and 47407). It was first thought that the explosion had been caused by hot ashes igniting a leaking fuel tanker, but it was later discovered that dynamite from Soma Quarry had been stolen and used to purposely blow up the complex in an act of vandalism by persons unknown.

Appearances

The Dark Railway Series

Episodes:

• Series 1 - Pilots, The Party, The Shunter's Gamble, Will and Won't, Dave's Dating Tips, Something's In the Air, The Beauty Overheard, The Betrayal, The Road to Radstock, and Sir Eustace's Secret
• Series 2 - Dave's Reward, Colin and the Coaches, Tenders, Hide and Seek, Goodbye, Dai, Eddie and Maxen, Some Kind of Fuel, and Taking Out the Trash
• Series 3 - The Return of Sir Eustace Missenden, Like a Sir, 257 Squadron, Tender Moments of Tender Engines, BR Blues (mentioned), Football Shortfalls, Poor Leno, Who Goes There?, and Revenge of the Forgotten
• Series 4 - Traction Reaction, Cammer, Colin and Cows (mentioned), Owen's Woes (mentioned), Tender Tantrum (mentioned), The Big Bad Wolf, Turbo, Allan Does Galen, Trucks, Instant Crush, and Pogo Rides Again
• Series 5 - What a Catch!, Abomination (mentioned), Signal Lost, Ed and Sid (mentioned), Repulse, Make Love, and Time Waits for No One, Part 2
• Series 6 - Ouverture (mentioned), Fustercluck, Ed, Ed and Eddie, Plunk 'n Bang, Asphalt Assault (mentioned), Burnin', The Purple Man, and The Prime Time of your Life
• Series 7 - Futura, The Road to Colhapper, Ey Up? (mentioned), Mothership Reconnection, and What a Clarence!

Trivia

• Galen Junction is essentially an interchange station, and therefore, does not serve a town, village or hamlet, though there are plans to develop the land around the station for housing in future by the local council.
• The station itself closed for a brief period during 1969 when British Rail withdrew regular passenger services to the station and railway. However, by the end of the year, the station had been reopened for use at special events.