Enthusiast photographs every railway station in Britain

Image: David Brewer

Rail enthusiast David Brewer has photographed a train in every railway station in Britain from Penzance in Cornwall to Thurso in Scotland.

Image: David Brewer

David Brewer, 68 from Chorley in Lancashire, has photographed all 2,500 railway stations in Britain. Talking to BBC News Mr Brewer explained that some stations were easier to reach than others. The station at Redcar British Steel, for example, is located on private land. David persuaded the gatekeeper to permit him access in order to photograph one of the two services operating that day.

“I spoke to the gatekeeper and explained what I was doing. I had to persuade him.

“Eventually, he went to an office, came back, and said he’d let me in. I took my photos, waited an hour, and got the only train out in the evening.”

Photographed all 2,500 railway stations in Britain

As to why the enthusiast was carrying out this task, Mr Brewer said:

“My father worked on the railways all his life, on the controls at Preston station.

“Three or four times a year we’d get the train down to London to see relations. That probably started me off.

“As a boy I was a keen trainspotter, but I wasn’t satisfied with sitting on Preston station, getting a few. I had to go to the best engine sheds. I had to go round the country, getting as many as I could.”

David Brewer (Image: BBC News)

Retiring in 2007, Mr Brewer set himself a challenge – to photograph every station in Britain. David noted that he photographed 487 new stations in 2008, on 44 separate trips.

He goes on to name his favourite photographed stations:

“If I can pick two, I’ll go for Dolau on the Heart of Wales line, and Chathill, which is north of Newcastle,” he says. “Both lovely stations, both very well looked after.”

Mr Brewer has also photographed every tube station, plus all the stops on the Docklands Light Railway, Croydon Tramlink, Midland Metro, Nottingham Tram, Manchester Metrolink, Sheffield Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro, and Edinburgh Tram.

Global Railway Review would like to congratulate David Brewer on his achievement.