This looks for all the world like an impressive station frontage, and it was when the station was built. However, as will be seen below, once the station had been considerably enhanced with additional platforms, this part of the infrastructure became the parcels office as depicted here in the summer of 1962.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

The enhancements to the main station buildings included a completely new 'frontage' which was built parallel with the platforms as opposed to end on as shown here and constituted a second station when originally built.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

The railway history of Bournemouth is nothing if not interesting. A rail borne visitor to Bournemouth today could reasonably assume that the current station in all its finery is all that there ever was for the traveller to the town in the past but that's far from the case as the 'other' Bournemouth station was of equal importance and significance in its day. In Victorian times Bournemouth was but an insignificant coastal fishing village that also happened to have a magnificent hotel visited by the gentry of the day. That was the stumbling block where the intrusion by those new-fangled, smoke belching steam trains was concerned and the hotel's owner went to extraordinary lengths to inhibit any such incursion into his territory. Additionally, it was the reason for the existence of the fabled Castleman's Corkscrew about which so much has been written over the years.
That diversionary route, for that was what it was, enabled trains from the east to reach Poole, by far the most important town along that stretch of coastline and a major port to boot, by approaching it from the west which is about as convoluted a traffic arrangement as one would preferably avoid. Poole was reached from Broadstone to its west in December 1872 and would remain as a terminus until an extension was built to Bournemouth which opened on 15th June 1874. Meanwhile, the railway from the Southampton direction had also managed to establish a terminus in 1870. This was originally called just Bournemouth but was subsequently renamed Bournemouth East and then, much later, Bournemouth Central. The siting of Bournemouth's new terminus station appears to have been based on pragmatism as the line from Branksome (it had no station of its own at that time) then followed the lie of the land to a point quite far removed what we now know as central Bournemouth and so the associated noxious fumes would be similarly divorced from the esteemed guests at the hotel mentioned above.

The early years of Bournemouth West's existence saw little traffic which all, of course, emanated from the west of the town with contributions to the small volume from the Somerset & Dorset, Weymouth and Castleman's Corkscrew. That status was to change for two reasons after 1888 when the triangle at Branksome came into use and, later, with the advent of seaside holidays being made possible for a larger proportiion of the public.

Wherever the Midland Railway spread its influence it opened a "Midland Hotel" and, being served by the Somerset & Dorset, which was jointly owned by the Midland, one was erected opposite Bournemouth West Station.

The Branksome triangle permitted through working from east of Bournemouth which finally utilised the station's expanded capabilities and with that growth of holiday traffic increased its usage, but with all that came the stations's achilles heels. The first was that the station was still a quiet place to be for the bulk of its life with frenetic activity on only a few days of the year which, in turn, showed up its other major shortcoming in the form of a narrow throat: i.e. the amount of traffic that could be safely handled was limited by its entry/exit point as there were no runround facilities provided within the confines of the station complex itself.

There was a small complex of carriage sidings to the north side of the tracks as they climbed towards Branksome but that still meant that a large proportion of incoming traffic had to be shunted from the station to those sidings via the constricted throat area. Some of the locomotive movements were avoided by using gravity for the movement of stock from the sidings to the station but that certainly had dire consequences on at least one occasion when, in August 1956, this author witnessed what happened when the brakes weren't manually applied and the parcels office was summarily demolished as a result.

Bournemouth West, unlike its better known sibling at Central, was blessed with the presence of two named trains as the Pines Express from the Midland region was also a six days per week visitor which produced considerable variations in motive power. That motive power included both Midland and S & D 4-4-0s, Midland/LMSR 0-6-0s Stanier class 5s, a variety of Standard classes including the last 9F 92220 Evening Star and the redoubtable S & D 2-8-0s as well as sundry other classes that were tried on the S & D from time to time with varying degrees of success.

The end came for Bournemouth West station on 4th October 1965 and all remaining services, the S & D traffic was already known to be ending soon, terminated at Central which, unexpectedy, found that it could cope. All was not lost however. The eastern side of the triangle between the two Bournemouth stations is still in situ although abandoned where railway use is concerned. The western side of the triangle from Branksome is in frequent use as the feeder line for the Bournemouth Train Care depot which is roughly on the site of the erstwhile carriage sidings. There is no vestige of the station site remaining. What goes around comes around. The line to Bournemouth West started out as a branch from Poole and that's how it has become today, albeit sans station at the end of the branch.

Part of the expansion of the station included a substantial goods handling facility as shown here in 1962. Part of what made the west station a magnet for railway enthusiasts was the sheer variety of motive power and stock to be seen there which is evidenced by the vehicles on view in this image. Although a, theoretically, Southern environment by this time Gresley and Stanier stock are predominant with barely a glimpse of former SR stock in the background.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

Behind the Stanier vehicle in the above picture can be seen a former goods shed, no longer rail connected by this time, that had already succumbed to private use. The van in the above image is related to the whatever business was being conducted in the shed at that time.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

The Tank House was situated to the south of the station throat, opposite the ramp end of Platform 1. with, behind it and to the left, a grounded coach body which was an LSWR Adams 30ft 6-wheeled passenger brake van of 1882-1885. It has a central caboose - the LSWR term for a birdcage.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

Platform 5 plays host to rebuilt Bulleid pacificNº34008 Padstow in this sun-drenched view captured in the summer of 1961. There's a distinct lack of human activity apparent which was typical of this station even in the peak summer season other than on Saturdays when the inter-regional and extra Southern traffic created a periodically frenetic atmosphere. Note the overhead girders to prevent the canopies lifting off in high winds and also the absence of a crossover facility at the head end of the station.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

The previously mentioned throaty complex at the country end of the station is clearly shown here behind the imopressive signal gantry at the platform end. The departing engine on the right is an unidentified Maunsell 'U' class mogul. Also of note is the steep gradient up towards Branksome which was, of course, always attacked from a standing start and more often than not without the benefit of a banking engine.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

The bystanders have been moved away from the platform edge and an intent crew await the swing of the starting signal arm to signify the start of the harsh climb from the platform end whilst they control the considerable weight of the up Bournemouth Belle on the drawbar, although this is almost certainly the lighter mid-week version of that train.

The loco is rebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy pacificNº35001 Channel Packet.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

Bournemouth West had a small claim to fame as it was one of only four LSWR stations that had luggage labels which specified the station of origin on them. The other such stations were Waterloo which comes as no surprise, Ilfracombe and Southampton West.

With a single exception, that to Waterloo, all were to destinations on the LBSC, Midland, North Eastern and Great Western Railways.The examples shown here are of two types with the earlier style, the station of origin is at the left side (at the top) and the later style with the station of origin in the centre.

The labels were originally printed on white paper but exposure to the elements on site and the natural process of deterioration have led them to this discoloured state.

Label scans from Mike Moraknt

The distinctive form of Pullman brake N°65 awaiting the arrival of 35001 from Bournemouth mpd as the Bournemouth Belle's train engine. The running-in board is visible on platform 4 and a departing S & D train hauled by a BR Standard class 4MT is just visible at the edge of the frame.

photograph with kind permission of Michael Blackbourn

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Taken from a similar position as the first two images on this page; the site of Bournemouth West station on 6th May 2013. It is rather small compensation to know that the area is still being used in connection with transport for visitors to Bournemouth.

photograph by Geoff Allen

The Midland Hotel occupied this building until a few months ago and it has now been converted into apartments hopefully assuring its future.

photograph by Geoff Allen

The commemorative plaque on the erstwhile Midland Hotel.

photograph by Geoff Allen