#OnThisDay 55 years ago, Beckton Gasworks closed. Clip from a fascinating 1960 film showing the internal locos at work, full video here: buff.ly/41elFdx The gasworks doubled for Vietnam in Full Metal Jacket, today Beckton DLR depot occupies much of the site.

#OnThisDay 184 years ago Glasgow Queen Street (High Level) station was opened by the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, today Glasgow's terminus for services to the north of the city. The impressive trainshed roof dates from 1878. Image: Crewcastrian buff.ly/kcSokOO

#OnThisDay 148 years ago the West Lancashire Railway opened from Hesketh Bank to Hesketh Park across the sparsely populated stretch of Lancs. between Southport and Preston. Michael Quick's chronology states 20 Feb: this image of the day before is presumably the ceremonial opening

#OnThisDay 30 years ago Yarm station opened in North Yorkshire, just over a mile south of the original Yarm station that was open between 25 May 1852 and 4 January 1960. A railtour passes on 9 August 2003 (Mark Harrington buff.ly/Y4xIgiH) - I believe this is 47854

#OnThisDay 174 years ago the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway (later GWR) opened Droitwich station ('Spa' added in 1923). It retains a fantastic array of GWR lower quadrant semaphore signals as seen here in 2019 as 170635 approaches (Phil Wild buff.ly/q0mbtam)

#OnThisDay 31 years ago, the last Guard-operated train ran on the Central Line as the 1962 Stock was withdrawn. Extract from this longer 1994 film buff.ly/3Qf0LVi (Soi Buakhao) showing the Guard role on that line, very evocative for me and any other ex-Guard I'm sure.

#OnThisDay 5 years ago, the last train left the Heathrow Express / Connect Depot at Old Oak Common to allow demolition to make way for Old Oak Common station, the Class 332 (Express) and 360 (Connect) fleets had been both withdrawn late 2020. Image from a 2015 open day: steam60163 buff.ly/3QaHrbZ

Part of a webinar I organised last week to mark LGBTQ+ History Month for the Journey network about LGBTQ+ Science & Innovation in transport, I told the story of Charles Beyer, co-founder of Beyer-Peacock buff.ly/X2KsrdU Full webinar here: buff.ly/W1pSyn1

#OnThisDay 173 years ago, the North & Southwest Junction Railway opened between Willesden and Kew Bridge. Mostly Mildmay Line today, parts remain freight-only such as between Old Kew and South Acton Junctions; here's a 1992 china clay working. Peter Moss buff.ly/42Ls3ds

#OnThisDay 122 years ago, the Great Northern & City Railway opened from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. A Tube uniquely 'surface' loading gauge, it was bought by the Metropolitan Railway 1913, merged with LT 1933, then transferred to BR in 1976. @ltmuseum buff.ly/4hRV6R7

#OnThisDay 175 years ago the South Eastern Railway opened a branch from Ashford to Hastings via Rye. Rebranded 'Marshlink' in the 1970s, the line has survived singling and the threat of closure and remains one of the last unelectrified passenger routes on the Southern Region.

#OnThisDay 70 years ago the District Line's Cromwell Curve closed. It was born of a dispute between the District and Metropolitan Railways and was built illegally! Image taken just after closure (note the removed crossing under the train) Alan A Jackson buff.ly/4gmSSIk

#OnThisDay 111 years ago the Bakerloo Line extended from Kilburn Park to Queens Park, where a northbound 1938 Stock is seen arriving on 21 July 1981 (std70040 buff.ly/dfFJhtp); the station retains its overall roof spanning the Bakerloo and Lioness Line platforms to this day.

#OnThisDay 181 years ago The Gravesend & Rochester Railway opened between Gravesend and Strood. It ran alongside the Thames & Medway Canal, with a unique arrangement through the Higham and Strood Tunnels; track resting on the towpath and trestles in the water. 📷️David Glasspool

#OnThisDay 30 years ago, a 1,400kg IRA bomb exploded adjacent to the original South Quay station, resulting in suspension of the DLR between Heron Quays and Island Gardens for more than 2 months. Image showing blast damage to the viaduct: StockCarPete buff.ly/3Czk2xB

#OnThisDay 190 years ago, the London & Greenwich Railway opened between Spa Road Bermondsey and Deptford, the first public passenger railway in London. This depiction shows the line crossing the Grand Surrey Canal c.1837, today it's Surrey Canal Road and certainly less bucolic.

#OnThisDay 70 years ago the iconic AEC Routemaster bus entered public service

#OnThisDay 60 years ago, Garston (Herts) station opened; a rare station opening at a time when they were closing by the hundred. 8 years after opening, a Cravens DMU for St Albans approaches the single platform: Cliff Beeton buff.ly/3EhKI6x Electrification arrived in 1988

#OnThisDay 18 years ago the Ebbw Vale branch reopened to passengers after a 46 year hiatus, services running between Cardiff and Ebbw Vale Parkway. Freight traffic had ceased on the branch in 2003 following closure of the town's steelworks. Image of the opening day: Rhodri Clark

I had two things on my birthday wishlist this year, and this was one of them! Can’t wait to get stuck in @garyjamesactor.bsky.social …I’m not a reader unfortunately (I have concentration issues, ironically for someone who hyper fixates on drawing maps for hours!), but will try my best!

#OnThisDay 59 years ago Tower Hill station moved east. Previously named Mark Lane, the closed site was renamed in 1946. The 'new' site was in fact the original 1882 station, which only lasted 2 years. Abandoned eastbound platform from bowroaduk's Flickr: buff.ly/4hfmLeB

#OnThisDay 58 years ago the northern bay platform at Mansion House was abolished leaving the central bay (also since gone), vestiges of the station's history as a terminus. 1980's redevelopment of the station hid the trackless bay from view. Roger Cox buff.ly/40SZvNM

#OnThisDay 89 years ago, the LNER opened Roding Valley Halt on its Fairlop Loop - it closed 11 years later for transfer to the Central Line, reopening in 1948 without 'Halt'. The little station building was replaced by one not much larger in 1949 @ltmuseum buff.ly/3WCVgn5

#OnThisDay 65 years ago the first Metropolitan Line A60 Stock was delivered to Ruislip Depot. The 'A' referred to Amersham, coinciding with electrification to there. Image: A60 being delivered from Cravens of Sheffield via the Great Central main line near Nottingham, D H Beecroft

An absolute MUST! If your serious about this nation”s railway history and future you need them! Never bettered.

Hello daily railway fact fans! Thanks for following me 😊 Frustrated by the constraints of the character limit, you can now follow me on Instagram: railwayatlasguy buff.ly/PdSEl73 and Facebook: Railway Atlas Guy buff.ly/etwC7kN for an extended version each day!

#OnThisDay 125 years ago West Ham opened. Despite two railways crossing here since 1858 there was no station until 1901 (and only on the LT&SR above, served by District Line since 1902). This was quadrupled 1905, the 'fast' (now c2c) platforms closed 1940 (demolished 1956)🧵1/3

#OnThisDay 111 years ago the Bakerloo Line extended from Paddington to Kilburn Park with an intermediate station at Warwick Avenue (pictured: Funny Cyclist buff.ly/3WxtmZO). The line was extended to Queens Park 3 months later, then Maida Vale opened a month after that.

#OnThisDay 110 years ago, Staines High Street station closed, as did the Staines Curve to passengers. Only services from Windsor towards Egham called; Waterloo to Windsor trains didn't stop as Staines (Central) was nearby. Image: buff.ly/3Ek2kyx Map: London Railway Atlas

#OnThisDay 36 years ago, Holborn Viaduct closed (situated roughly above today's City Thameslink). By the end it was weekday peak only from a solitary island platform (originally 6 platforms); the last train here on Friday 26th January 1990. Nick Catford buff.ly/4h6Htxl

#OnThisDay 105 years ago the Hendon Factory Branch serving the Grahame-White aircraft factory was disconnected from the Midland mainline when the signal box closed. The engine shed still stands in Montrose Park buff.ly/4avMygb. Map extract London Railway Atlas @CrecyRail.bsky.social

#OnThisDay 41 years ago the final Class 40-hauled regular passenger service departed Birmingham New Street for York. The loco in question was 40012 'Aureol', which fortunately made it into preservation, seen here in 2018 on the East Lancs Railway: Neil Harvey buff.ly/fySXNms

#OnThisDay 50 years ago Birmingham International opened, serving Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre, which opened a week later on 2nd February 1976. Not the most inspiring station, the big BR double arrow is for me the only redeeming feature of Ray Moorcroft's design.

#OnThisDay 168 years ago the East Kent Railway (predecessor of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway) opened between Chatham and Faversham via Rainham, Sittingbourne and Teynham (Gillingham and Newington opened later). Sittingbourne is the oldest surviving LC&DR building (Google).

#OnThisDay 43 years ago BR closed Shepley to Clayton West (pictured on the final day, Andrew Walker buff.ly/L9brTY2), along with the intermediate station Skelmanthorpe. In 1991 the branch was revived as the 15" gauge Whistlestop Valley (former Kirklees Light Railway).

#OnThisDay 48 years ago British Rail commenced closures of the North Tyneside suburban system prior to conversion to Tyne & Wear Metro. A DMU calls at Jesmond on the final day (Chris Donald buff.ly/3iorJoU), this route had been DC electrified, but it was removed in 1967

#OnThisDay 32 years ago the Class 309 'Clacton' units were withdrawn from services out of Liverpool Street (but some made it up north). The distinctive wrap-around cab windows were too expensive to replace so were progressively 'plated over'. John Woolley buff.ly/QkViy7A)

#OnThisDay 90 years ago, Sheepcote Lane Curve closed, reopening 58 years later primarily for Eurostar stock moves to North Pole before becoming redundant again in 2007 when Waterloo International closed. A rare train on the curve seen in 2019: Antony Guppy buff.ly/40glsVPMap: my London Railway Atlas

#OnThisDay 140 years ago the Mersey Railway formally opened between Birkenhead and Liverpool, the worlds second underground railway and now an integral part of Merseyrail. Due to the smoky atmosphere many passengers reverted to ferries until electrification saved the day in 1903

#OnThisDay 28 years ago, Heathrow Junction station opened when Heathrow Express services commenced. This temporary platform by the tunnel mouth was necessitated by the tunnel collapsing during its construction in 1994, and only survived for 4 months. Photo: David Glasspool

#OnThisDay 10 years ago Bermuda Park and Coventry Arena opened, further reversing the fortunes of the Leamington to Nuneaton line; it closed to passengers exactly 51 years before but reopened 1977 (Coventry to Leamington) and 1987 (Coventry to Nuneaton) buff.ly/TJC5GnJ

In Pompey for the weekend seeing family, so making the obligatory pilgrimage to see my former D78 Stock steeds on the Isle of Wight. The fixed distant signal usually means the next signal is always at danger, or in this case it’s because it’s the end of Ryde Pier 😅🌊

#OnThisDay 4 years ago the Class 456 were withdrawn from service. They were introduced from 1991 to replace the 2EPB units on inner suburban workings on what would become Southern, then from 2014 refurbished and transferred to SWR. Image: SavageKieran buff.ly/uvMpsCC

#OnThisDay 172 years ago, Isambard Kingdom Brunel's magnificent Paddington station opened to departures - trains continued to arrive at the original 1838 terminus for a further 4 months while the 3-span trainshed roof was completed; a 4th span was added in the early 20th century

#OnThisDay 30 years ago DLR's Pudding Mill Lane station opened, it was planned with the original line but opened 9 years later. This cramped station was replaced by the station we know today in 2014, necessitated by Elizabeth Line construction @ianvisits.co.uk buff.ly/3DUNFKk

#OnThisDay 179 years ago the GER opened Whittlesea, Manea and March stations in Cambs. The latter (pictured 1986 Nick Peters buff.ly/etxdGTE) became a key junction station and freight hub with the adjacent Whitemoor Marshalling Yard, today all a shadow of its former glory

#OnThisDay 13 years ago TfL marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan Railway with a VIP steam working travelling along parts of the original route. I was lucky enough to steward, here I am with Met No.1 at Moorgate 🧵1/3

#OnThisDay 17 years ago, the DLR Woolwich Arsenal extension officially opened - although public services had already commenced two days beforehand. 5 days later, Unit 76 stands at a gleaming new platform sporting an unusual destination. John King buff.ly/4fVH1AC

#OnThisDay 162 years ago, the SER opened its line from London Bridge to Charing Cross, where we see the 50m span of John Hawkshaw's roof which famously collapsed in 1905. There was also an intermediate station at Blackfriars, opposite today's Southwark Tube.

#OnThisDay 163 years ago the Metropolitan Railway opened between Paddington and Farringdon Street, the foundation for 200+ metros around the world today. Depiction of Praed Street Junction near Edgware Road shows the dual GWR 7ft and standard gauge arrangement. LT Museum Collection: buff.ly/EwphrEy