We are particularly good at abandoning things
We abandon theme parks, factories, houses, asylums, and prisons. We abandon vehicles, islands, hospitals, and train stations. And for whatever reason those responsible let them decay and rot.
That decay and rot are strangely tantalising. Strangely tempting. Strangely magnetic.
The air of mystery that surrounds them makes us want to explore further. Which is not always safe, but can result in fascinating discoveries.
Train stations are often abandoned because they are no longer needed. Whether that’s because they served a particular community who moved on, an industry that stopped functioning, or simply became out dated.
Occasionally a station will still be on the train line you travel each day on your way to work but no train ever stops at it. There may even be a sign that warns you not to get off there if the train does stop.
But others seem to be alone in the wilderness with no obvious reason for being there. The evidence of disused railways scatter the landscape, slowly being repossessed by nature. If you’re lucky you’ll stumble across one and wonder where it was going to.
Canfranc Estacion railway station. Abandoned after a derailment in 1970 – could you imagine waiting for a train that would never arrive on this platform? The station now hides a movable lab where they conduct experiments in dark matter.
If you wandered onto this New York platform by mistake you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a working platform, and wonder where the staff were to ask when the next train was. This image always catches my imagination and I can’t help but conjure up stories to fit such a place.
Anyone else thinking James Bond? This is Aldwych Tube station, which was shut down in 1994 – not that long ago really.
And then there’s this cool film of an abandoned station in Glasgow.
Have you explored an abandoned location? Where was it and what was it like?
Kate xxx
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!
I love the pic of the New York platform …..as a child we used to access this old mansion in Essex and sit inside telling each other stories and generally scaring ourselves it has actually now been refurbished and is a craft centre and childrens play group which is lovely but when I look up at the windows it invokes my childhood memories . The start of my story telling 🙂
I love that one too. Makes you wonder what could happen there. We had a huge manor house near us, we actually went on a school trip to look at the grounds, it was in some hospital grounds. That was really creepy, good for a horror story or two. It’s been rebuilt into apartments now and the grounds have a lot of houses built on it. Wish I’d had a camera with me back then 🙂
I know so do I and not just for pics but stories, items I wish I had kept it is an endless list. So have you started on the horror stories and local paper archives should provide some pics… 🙂
Good idea, I shall take a look and maybe do a post about that site. I’ve done a few horror stories but none centred in an abandoned building. I think it’s why I’m obsessed with them at the moment. I really want to write one, so making lots of notes on the idea.
Ohhhh good luck , can’t wait to read it 🙂