Alford in the 80's

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Views of Alford Station from the early 1980's. This precedes the industrial development which obscures much of the platform now.
By comparison, photos taken on 4th October 2020, 50 years to the day the final trains called there.

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The single track branch railway from Louth was the first to reach Mablethorpe, opened on the 17th October 1877 by the Louth & East Coast Railway Company. Diverging south of Louth on the main East Lincolnshire Railway at Mablethorpe Junction,  there were intermediate stations at Grimoldby, Saltfleetby, and Theddlethope. Further south, the Sutton & Willoughby Railway Company opened their line from Willougby on the East Lincolnshire Line to Sutton-on-Sea on 4th October 1866. This was subsequently extended to join the L&EC Railway's line at Mablethorpe on 14th September 1888. Thus forming the complete loop as illustrated in the British Rail map above. The course of the Mablethorpe to Louth section is shown, when open, from the One Inch Ordnance Survey Map extracts below. This early view looks North from Mablethorpe (LEYTR Collection). A later view of Mablethorpe also looking North (LEYTR Collection) A c
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