Castor Railway Station
CASTOR RAILWAY STATION The L & B.R. Railway line (Now the Nene Valley Railway) was opened in June 1845, but Castor Station did not open until about 1850. It is possible that before this Castor was a semi-official halt and probably unmanned.
In 1854 the journey from Peterborough took about twelve minutes at a cost of 1/- (5p) First Class 9d (4p) Second Class and 5d (2p) Parliamentary. The Station Masters House was very close to the line - considerably closer than regulations permitted. It is reported that around 1931 a Guard by the name of Oliver was injured by the drainpipe on the house. One can only assume that he stuck his head and upper body too far out of the train!
The station had one small siding and in the 1950's J W Taylor took delivery of several wagons of coal a week. Agricultural produce also passed through the station - the loading gauge post and arm can still be see to this day.
On the 3rd January 1945 a German VI Flying Bomb exploded about 100yards west of Castor Station. The station suffered some minor damage. It is said that Albert Berridge who was playing the Piano in the Memorial Hall (The Hut) on Peterborough Road dropped the cigarette out of his mouth when the blast was heard. Many village people still remember the day the bomb exploded.
It is said that in the days when trains ran regularly farm workers and anglers could tell the time of day by them. But almost everybody who can remember the station talk about the chocolate machine on the platform - put in an old penny and out popped a bar of Nestles chocolate.
A decline in rail traffic signalled the end for Castor station and it closed to passenger traffic on July 1st 1957 and to goods traffic on 28th December 1964. By 1965 all but one building had been demolished and that too soon disappeared along with the memories of village folk of the time.
Mark Smith 06/06/00
Castor Station from approach road -c1950
Castor Station - c 1900
Castor Station - looking east -c 1950
Mr Walter Taylor, Station Master, Castor - c1957 - on closing
The railway line is still in use for rail enthusiasts, - now it is the Nene Valley Railway.