About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
About Tumby Woodside Station
Tumby Woodside served an isolated community, little more than than a handful of houses and farms. The station had two brick faced platforms each with a brick built waiting room with a canopy. A single-storey red brick booking office stood adjacent to the level crossing on the up side of the line. It was similar in design to the others on the New Line and much larger that required for a station serving such a small community. A typical GNR signalbox stood on the opposite side of the track, this controlled access to the level crossing and goods yard. A weigh office stood behind the booking office at the entrance to the yard; a single long single siding ran behind the down platform. The main products handled were cattle, potatoes and sugar beet.
The station was closed in 1915 as a wartime economy measure re-opening on 9th July 1923. Tumby Woodside lost its goods facilities on 30th March 1964. The station became unstaffed on 7th October, 1968 and final closure was on 5th October 1970.
The station was mentioned in 1964 in the song 'The Slow Train' by Flanders and Swann which laments the loss of British stations and railway lines in that era, due to the Beeching cuts, and also the passing of a way of life, with the advent of motorways etc. Click here to hear it.
Both platforms remain but are now very heavily overgrown as is the trackbed between them. The up platform still has two supports for the station sign and some railway fencing at the back of the platform. The brick building on the down platform is still standing although roofless and in a very dilapidated and dangerous condition. The waiting room still has its bench seat and the gents toilet still has a urinal, sink and 3 cubicles with wooden doors and a water tank above.
The trackbed at the west end of the station has been infilled up to platform level. The stationmaster's house also still stands as does the booking office along side the level crossing, this is now a private residence.