Part 4 of the history of Laindon's historic buildings, covering the railway structures that helped transform a rural parish into a growing commuter settlement.
Laindon railway station opened on 1 June 1888 as part of the new direct route between the London area and Pitsea. Although the station site lay just outside the historic Laindon parish boundary, the railway company used the Laindon name and the station rapidly became one of the main forces behind the district's expansion.
The early station layout resembled that at West Horndon. A station master's house and booking hall stood on the down side, while both platforms had weather canopies. An ornate footbridge connected passengers with the London-bound platform. Sidings, a goods shed and railway service buildings made the station a working transport complex rather than simply a pair of passenger platforms.
The station master's house became one of the best-known railway buildings in Laindon. It is particularly remembered as the birthplace and childhood home of actress Joan Sims, born there on 9 May 1930 while her father John Sims was station master.
John Sims served as station master until 1952. The house later ceased to be railway accommodation and was used by a succession of businesses. Its survival makes it an important part of Laindon's built railway history.
To house railway employees, a single terrace of eight Railway Cottages was constructed near the station, off Denbigh Road and backing onto the railway. The cottages were numbered 1–8 and stood close to the signal box.
They formed a small railway community whose residents lived immediately beside their place of work. Historic photographs show the terrace clearly from the station bridge. The cottages survived until the early 1970s before being demolished as the surrounding area was redeveloped.
Laindon station underwent major changes in 1933 when the up platform was converted into an island platform. A third line created a passing loop and new platform buildings, longer canopies and an extended footbridge were provided. Waiting rooms, toilets and kiosks became part of the enlarged station complex.
The goods yard was once an important part of the station. Coal merchants and other businesses used the sidings and yard, and a goods shed remained after regular goods traffic ended in 1967. Much of this working railway landscape later disappeared beneath car parking and later development.
A signal box served the station for decades and was a familiar part of the platform landscape. It was taken out of use during the 1990s as signalling was centralised at Upminster. The box was later demolished.
Laindon station remains in use and the station master's house survives, but the Railway Cottages, old goods facilities and signal box have gone. The mixture of surviving and lost structures shows how the railway site has evolved while retaining its original importance to Laindon.