Longmoor Downs railway station



Longmoor Downs railway station is a former railway station, on the Longmoor Military Railway serving Longmoor Military Camp. The station was the Southern terminus of the original standard gauge railway opened in stages between 1907 and 1908.

The station was also the Northern terminus of an 18 in tramway used mainly to transport stone from a local quarry to be used in the building of Longmoor Camp and other facilities. There was a loading bank for this line to the South of Longmoor goods yard, it was in use until WWI after which it disappeared during enlargements of the standard gauge facilities. The line was eventually extended northwards towards Bordon as an aid to constructing the standard gauge line.

The early station had no permanent platforms, none are shown on the OS map surveyed in 1908, but undated photographs show platforms constructed of sleepers, the stations on the line were upgraded from 1923 and by 1934 the platforms were solid ash surfaced.

The sleeper platforms appeared to be single sided but by 1928 the main passenger platform was a central platform with running lines both sides, there was also an ash platform and dock to the South of the main platform forming a bay on one side with the other on a through line. The station had an adjacent, extensive, goods yard, workshops and engine shed, there were two block posts, the Army's name for a signal box, one at each end of the station, there was a training school and a headquarters building.

The railway completed its extension to Liss in 1933 and additional services were provided, prior to the extension opening the normal service was three trains to and from Bordon in summer, more in winter and more on Mondays and Fridays for soldiers going on leave. After 1933 there were more services, some ran through and some just served either the northern or the southern sections of the line.

The station was featured in the films The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery, when it was named Fordbridge at one end and Nutcombe at the other and The Magnificent Two.

The station was closed along with the rest of the line on 31 October 1969.