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Report (Permission Visit) - Woking railway electrical control room - surrey - sept 2014 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report (Permission Visit) Woking railway electrical control room - surrey - sept 2014

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soylent green

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Visited this great site on the English Heritage open day. I had seen the building as i passed it on the train but never knew what it was, that is until i had a conversation with Bhg last year, had a look around the place last Sept and decided i needed to head back this year. The Control room is not used anymore but the building itself is still manned 24/7 365 days a year. I got a mini tour from the guy who worked in the control room until it closed in 1997. The place is incredible ,Art Deco in style, it is open just one day a year which is a real shame, although only about 70 people came through the doors all day. It reminded me a bit of the 02 arena inside the Millennium Dome, a building inside a building

History

Built in 1936 by the Swedish firm Asean, it is constructed with the toughest bricks ( apparently it took three days and a number of cutters to cut a hole for a door ) and concrete and has a typical ArtDeco flat roof. The powers that be must of had some idea that war was coming because this is a seriously strong building. Woking was one of five control rooms built around the same time, most of similar construction but Woking outlasted them all and finally closed back in 1997.

SOME PICS

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control8_zps00ccd35b.jpg


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Raz

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
would of pressed all the red buttons!! looks awesome mate nice one
 

lucan

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
very intersting looking place , what a job too it must have been to work there playing with a giant train set
 

Oxygen Thief

Admin
Staff member
Admin
That's an amazing place, never knew it existed. I take it it's not working but the power is on?

Also, where are the other four? and are they still standing?
 

soylent green

28DL Regular User
Regular User
This place looks awesome! I wish I had seen it on the heritage day website, hopefully it'll be open again next year.

If I ever have to a job at a desk I want it to be this one!

I'm sure it we be open next year mate,well worth a look:thumb
 

soylent green

28DL Regular User
Regular User
That's an amazing place, never knew it existed. I take it it's not working but the power is on?

Also, where are the other four? and are they still standing?

The Control room isn't used and they put the lights on for show only. I have to hold my hands up and admit i don't know the whereabouts of the other Control rooms. The guy showing me around did mention the names and showed me some pictures of one ,which was of a similar design, its still standing but is empty, i just can't remember the names. If anyone can come up with the locations that would be good:thumb
 
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