The Last Days Of Swanbourne Station

[@MrRawMonkey]

I used to have my lunch on a bench on the abandoned platform. It was a magical place where time had stood still. I haven’t been there for maybe 6 years as I am now retired so it will always be there in my mind even though it is now gone.

[@MrQuintonia]

Yes, time had stood still there, could not have put it better myself...

[@mervynsands3501]

How can such places be left to go so unnoticed and forgotten simply due no further purpose in life. Is it in the way of progress? A sad reflection on modern society attitudes, there were many thousands like this around the country, after closures took place. Progression moves on, from a long gone era.😥🤔 A worthy video capture, thanks for sharing it.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thank you, and I agree with your sentiments 100 percent!!

[@alanhague3080]

My Mother was born in Swanbourne, 1899 and we kids spent every summer holiday there so I remember the station well, a long walk up to the village.

[@MrQuintonia]

My brother in law informed me about this station and his cousin knows the brothers well who live there so I filmed this after meeting them, sadly one has died since... The station is unique and this year maybe it's last, I am planning on visiting it again sometime this year... I have a video of the inside of the station you may find of interest... Thank you for leaving a comment...

[@rebeccatompkins]

Oh my, Chris. A beautiful film worthy of being an opening sequence for a major film or TV series. Absolutely gorgeous.

[@MrQuintonia]

WOW !! Thanks Bec, that's an amazing comment.. :) :) :)

[@TheWrightTimes]

Yet another lovely old station gone. I love finding old stations. Me and my friend when the weather is right Android going into Northumberland area and looking for the Old stations some still standing some completely gone. I did a video on my other channel Wright bytes. About a few we visited. Found your channel through Stu log.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks mate, Yes I'm afraid its all gone now, I was quite upset about it, but it's typical of today, the new station is a couple of miles up the track and its horrendously horrible, metal, glass and concret... YUK! :( Thanks for the sub, i will have to vist your channel and see that vid on the Northumberland stations you mentioned... Cheers again...

[@TheWrightTimes]

@@MrQuintonia there's only the one video atm covering a few stations but we plan to do more in the future weather dependant

[@thomasgray6092]

What's the piece of music called? It's absolutely beautiful and matches the beauty and calm of the location too! Shame they knocked it down...

[@MrQuintonia]

Not sure now as was a while ago, but sure it came from the Kevin MacLeod library...

[@WyeExplorer]

Mesmerizing video MrQ. I liked how the route of the old line was still in evidence. I could see horse and cart out front collecting folk and people on the platform. Beautiful! All the best. Mark

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks mate, it only has a short while left, year maybe two before it's gone.. Thought it needed filming, not many or any early wooden ticket offices left in place..

[@ianhosier4042]

So sad that it was demolished last year for east west rail. Those that live in the area should be able to travel from winslow station on the new line. That lovely station should have been saved and shipped to a heritage line.

[@MrQuintonia]

Not sure what happened to the ticket office, I did hear it was dismantled but no info further than that, the house was bulldozed, unfortunately...

[@bobtoo07]

What a little gem... brilliantly captured..nice document to have before it's lost for ever :(

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks mate, It is along with my photos too..

[@saabinsanity]

I think about my great grandfather standing on the platforms after visiting his family there and at bedford

[@MrQuintonia]

It's a shame it had to be lost...

[@isgray]

Crikey Chris! Thats a crackin video you've put together.

[@MrQuintonia]

Oh dear, this is late, sorry... Thank you...

[@ItStartsWithAStep]

What a beautiful station you have really captured a unique moment from the past feels romantic and nostalgic thumbs up x

[@MrQuintonia]

Thank you so much, that was exactly what I was attempting to do, glad you liked it, thank you again.. :)

[@wasdalemanexploringoutdoor5137]

They will be kicking themselves in years to come, such a shame. Very nicely captured. Regards James and Kirsteen

[@MrQuintonia]

Wasdale Man V Walking Camping and Exploring Channel Yes indeed.. an early LMNS Station And very unique..

[@smilertiler1]

Drone vids are two a penny these days but your selection of topic and really exploring said topic set yours apart imo. Also the speed of your flight and trajectory of you camera are just sublime, mate This vid needs to be brought to the attention of interested parties for their archives. Great work.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks mate, yeah drones are everywhere, especially as the price of them comes down.. Thanks for the positive.. I was hoping to get back to do a docu type vlog..

[@liverpoolboxingbaby]

That was so beautiful Chris! Everything about it was perfect, so sad if it is the last days though X

[@MrQuintonia]

Its being saved at the moment as there are a colony of bats in the loft..The powers to be have plans to build a new home for them.. I told the brothers to keep the bats happy though, anyway they can.. ;) Thanks Carol...

[@DeltaVeeMedia]

This makes me feel incredibly sad. This used to be a beautiful location that nature had taken back over the last half a century. I used to walk our dogs down there every day before they started ripping it to bits and it was a wonderful, quiet, peaceful place. There were two brothers who used to live in the old station house, who had been there for seventy years, their father used to be the station master. Unfortunately, one of the brothers died in the last year or two, whether that was anything to do with the stress of being moved out of their home I don’t know? I remain to be convinced as to the wisdom of re-opening this line, it closed back in the sixties because nobody was using it and that was at a time when only one household in ten had a car. I fail to see why people will be flocking to use it now, at a time when the majority of households have two or even three cars!? If they’ve got three quarters of a billion pounds to spend, they’d have been better investing in a fleet of busses that would pick people up from where they live and drop them off where they work!

[@MrQuintonia]

Sorry for the late reply, Yes I was lucky enough to meet the brothers and get permission to make this video, glad I did now it has gone, it was mainly my reason to do so, I nearly lost my drone in the process... I have a suspicion the line will be of use, not for this village of course but it will be part of the bigger picture... I do though think it incredible that a part of our railway history had to be sacrificed and I really hope not in vain... Thank you for your comment...

[@4rjohny5]

so beautiful and full of character, very sad to hear they want to demolish it... maybe a signed petition from many people in your area to the ones in charge could possibly move the building down a bit and be declared a historic site. Gorgeous video footage Chris, it really looks like the opening of a wonderful British Show.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks Johny, I had some technical difficulties with the drone and on one occasion I hit a tree branch near the end of the last scene, but still used the footage up to that point.. Thanks again mate.. :)

[@Parmesana]

beautiful footage and the music was perfect.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thank you Shirley, appreciate that..

[@GeorgePencilArt]

Oh, they're reopening the line? It looked like a dead end but it must have been the grass that covered the rails. Stunningly beautiful footage!!! Loved it.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks George, yeah there are rail that is missing, but the old rail is too rusty and wooden sleepers have rotted, so they will re-lay all new track again...

[@grahamlarkbey3735]

Lovely - but why does it have to come down? Surely they could veer round it?

[@MrQuintonia]

Well, they say no, it would be too much work and they want to follow the original trackbed... Thanks for watching...

[@rossboyer8879]

@@MrQuintonia It's now in private ownership

[@MrQuintonia]

@@rossboyer8879 Interesting... Belongs to Network rail I thought, and the brothers paid rent... As it's being pulled down who would want it?

[@johnhurley6442]

Unlike Hs2, East west rail want too keep in the railway border of the varsity line with a few locations on Phase 2 beeing widened but it will all be in the existing railway border, which is very commendable of East West rail as they could desicrate that wood in the footage but using the original trackbed, which unfortunately means apart of the Swanbourne railway station wil be eradicated, especially the platforms. i believe the house might be okay .

[@MrQuintonia]

​@@johnhurley6442 I believe the station house along with ticket office and goods shed all being demolished... It only survived because of the brothers continually living there since childhood, one of the reasons it's so rare... They will sacrifice a few trees to build a car park another supermarket but not to save an important historical building...

[@MybitofHistory]

Now that was worth waiting for - absolutely loved it ;)

[@MrQuintonia]

Sorry Mike, Its was early for me when I replied, just out of bed.. Thought you was someone else, lol... So glad you liked it, it was difficult to do in the end, as the drone was not happy and was difficult to control at low level.. Later I had a flyaway when magnetic interference made it loose connection and confused it.. It actually flew off about a kilometer away, but luckily gained control...

[@solidsnake4595]

stuff like this makes me want to go back in time with a swag of money and safe shit like this as a presurvation line

[@MrQuintonia]

It's a crazy world we lived in, I thought we stopped destroying stuff like this back in the 70.s...

[@solidsnake4595]

​@@MrQuintonia urm hate to say it but in the future you can have those historically significant worlds and mankind will go "ITS FREE REAL ESTATE!" and just destroy it by either blowing it up into rocks or strip mining it till all the history is gone. this crap has been going on with us tools of evolution for thousands of years. the romans did it, the earlier mesopotamians did it hell even the first civilization the sumerians did it! it its old and has no purpose often we humans just destroy it even if it has historical value and can be used again to generate money. it's just sad that our history has to be set aside for progress and a bleeding HS1/2 railway line that aint going to take more then 15 minutes of the clock.

[@laurieford6094]

Very good👍

[@MrQuintonia]

Thank you...

[@UKTransportVideos82]

That looks a nice station and good video mr q

[@MrQuintonia]

UKTransportVideos82 Thanks mate, won't be then for much longer though... :(

[@BigGaz1953]

Great video mate. Sad they have to leave

[@MrQuintonia]

Yeah I feel really sorry for them, you would love them, your kinda guys I would say..

[@TodorVankov]

Very beautiful place :)

[@MrQuintonia]

Todor Vankov Thank you.. Yes magical...

[@TodorVankov]

Yes :)

[@pazza181]

Excellent mate,its a shame they are going to knock it down,would be an ideal place for filming period dramas and feature films,such a waste,nice shots the the quadcopter too

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks Paul.. Yes it is.. I had a lot of magnetic interference and it effected the quad and was difficult to keep it perfectly still.. I shame as I wanted it to be like a train coming into the station.. The other day I went for a second shoot and nearly lost it due to the interference.. :(

[@muddyfox4x4]

Judging the station is near MK ! Is it in the way of HS2 ?

[@MrQuintonia]

No I think it is fine, yes MK, I have to travel to MK first ... Cheers...

[@boldford]

It's on the route of the East West Railway. Quite a long way from the village from which it draws its name.

[@johnhurley6442]

Definitely not Hs2, especially as Hs2 isnt running on a existing railway line, so we'll be okay on that one, also the station is under threat from demolition as theres a wood which has always been in that vasinity of the railway, which East west rail wont be cutting back, so it is obvious the bit of railway history has too be obliterated too save clearance beeing done on that side. The double track was obviously near too that wood before on the former up track into Milton Keynes, i suppose the aliment will have too be moved so it is not cut back and desicrated, which will mean unfortunately fairwell Swanbourne railway station since 1851 it is a shame it is not going too be perseved.

[@Henllan]

Smooth and Sweet. Great video :D

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks Ian, glad you liked.. :)

[@driverskid]

I can see why the wooden ticket office building has to go - although it would be nice if it could be dismantled and rebuilt at a heritage railway. Scratching my head slightly as to why the whole of the rest of the building has to go. That seems uneccessary.

[@MrQuintonia]

Sorry for the late reply... Yes, it was a shame but they said it was too close to the line... The ticket office and early example I believe was dismantled, but what happened to it I do not yet know...

[@EggnogonthebogProductions]

Shame to see it go...

[@MrQuintonia]

Yep... Thanks mate..

[@yereverluvinuncleber]

Thoughtfully created.

[@MrQuintonia]

Thanks you... :)

[@AxeMoose]

Great shots. Bet it was spleandid in its day.

[@MrQuintonia]

It was never really busy and had more goods trains use the line than passengers, but yeah it was a happy community of people and the station served them well..

[@stuvlog]

Belting footage mate! You put me to shame with my dust gathering drone :-/

[@MrQuintonia]

It was a little different and quite challenging to be honest, with the trees which i snag one and then I got magnetic interference and it did a fly away I got footage to come on the other channel maybe, lol.. It did come back after about a kilometer.. Heart stopping 3 minutes...

[@freedomman5343]

Top marks

[@MrQuintonia]

Cheers mate, thanks for that... :)

[@chrisgreenhill1803]

Its a shame that they are going to be knocking down a wonderful pretty and beautiful station like that

[@MrQuintonia]

It is and I think its going to be sooner than later, I will be making an update at some point... Thanks for watching...

[@chrisgreenhill1803]

@@MrQuintonia ur welcome

[@FrankCGraves]

Seems a shame. It would be better to restore the building than tear it down.

[@MrQuintonia]

Yes, I could not believe it.. Loosing everything that makes us what we are..

[@jayrave4]

So sad, but it was never going to survive the reopening/electrification. Back in the early 1990s, me and childhood friends used to walk along the line from Bletchley to Swanbourne station, but never dared go past it for fear of getting into trouble. Back in those days, travellers would often camp on a bridle way by the track bed (about a mile east of the station) and we once witnessed them cutting the track up with oxy-acetylene torches and using sleepers as firewood! The other problem that section of line had was dumped stolen cars, and a recent walk along the line (for old times’ sake) showed it still to be happening; I saw three burnt out cars in the space of as many miles!

[@MrQuintonia]

Yes, I heard about the cutting up of the track from the brothers... And the dumping of cars is always a problem... I did a second video of the inside, which I wish I had done better but here it is if not seen... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZmli6KZgt90jM0 I don't think there is many if any of these early ticket office examples left, inside is interesting and the whole building is held up by scaffolding uprights... I hope to get back soon, can't fly it anymore as I nearly lost my drone due to compass interference.. Still, it was great to get permission from the brothers who are a wonderful guy's now in their 70's and lived there all their lives...