The London & North Western Railway was the largest railway operating company in the country in the early years of the 20th century and operated the West Coast main line which included the section through Nuneaton, Atherstone, and North Warwickshire - part of the Trent Valley Railway. The LNWR was also a very important employer locally.  The growth in traffic generated from the North Warwickshire area was phenomenal in the period 1880-1940.  Other important LNWR branches were the branch lines from Nuneaton to Coventry, the South Leicester Railway to Hinckley & Leicester, the Griff Colliery branch (built by the LNWR to tap coal reserves and brickyards in the Chilvers Coton and Stockingford areas of Nuneaton) and the LNWR entered into joint agreement with the Midland Railway, to build and operate the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway, giving access to the Leicestershire coal districts. The joint line brought huge amounts of coal from the Leicestershire coal field into the marshalling yards at Nuneaton station for despatch to London and the Home Counties, and in the direction of the South West of England. In 1917 Nuneaton Train Control with a staff of 17 dealt with 90,000 wagons per week.  The West Coast main line passenger service today is operated by Virgin Trains and the London Midland Railway whilst Birmingham - Nuneaton - Leicester services are operated by Cross Country Trains. Freight traffic is covered by Freightliner, DB-Schenker, and other operators although freight traffic from the Nuneaton area currently comprises just petroleum to the Murco sidings on the Coventry line. There are no sidings used for freight anywhere in this area other than that one location near Bedworth plus the branch to the Prologis site at Keresley which is currently out of use. Most freight is express container traffic. 21st Century traffic is not covered by this web site.  I like the old stuff. (PL)

The OS Map covering Nuneaton Station, Goods Yard (Downside) and Marshalling Yard (upside) at its fullest extent. 1951.

A schematic showing opening and closing dates of the Trent Valley line between Rugby and Nuneaton as well as connecting lines. (courtesy Ray Shill)

From the original Trent Valley line track plan and section of the land purchases through Nuneaton. Note that the station site was owned by John Robinson. (Trent Valley Railway Archive)

The first timetable of the Trent Valley Railway, 11th September 1847.

The Trent Valley Railway, opened 1847.

The Railwaymen's Union Banner displayed in Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery in Riversley Park on 10th September 1980. The banner was made in 1922 by Slingsby's the local silk regalia manufacturer in Nuneaton. The image on the banner shows Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box on the left and a loco coming in on the right from the Coventry line with a LNWR train. Immediately to the left of the local train the loco shed can be seen. The lines in the centre are the Trent Valley main line. (Geoff Edmands)

A drawing of Nuneaton's first station. When the Trent Valley Railway was built the Trent Valley Railway (the TVR was independent until 1846) commissioned an architect John William Livock (1815-1883) to design a unified series of station buildings and level crossing gate keepers cottages for the line. This was the result at Nuneaton. This building sufficed between 1847 and the 1870's but the track layout was altered in 1873 and new more commodious station buildings erected.

Nuneaton's first station - the Livock Building - platform side before removal in the 1870's. It was the epitome of a picturesque country station built with just the two platforms at a time when Nuneaton had a population of just under 8000 people. In this condition it survived for 25 years or so before increasing traffic and patronage required a larger station to be replace it. We are looking north in this view with the station staff assembled for their picture to be taken.

The original layout of the first Nuneaton station as drawn on a delicate sheet of paper pasted within the Trent Valley track plan and section. Note that to transfer trucks from one side of the line to the other turn plates were provided so wagons could be trundled across the line at right angles one at a time towed by horses. As traffic increased, and steam engines became more powerful a conflict between horse drawn wagons and fast expresses (40 mph at least) was a problem. The turnplates lasted until the 1870's when this layout was radically altered. A start had been made in the 1860's when an island platform was put in, then in 1873 the Ashby & Nuneaton joint line was opened and all the new traffic entering the system at Nuneaton plus the increased passenger trains meant new paths and easements were needed for the train and the (old) Livock station was removed. On the left of this drawing you can see the name Isaac Swinnerton. He owned the timber yard which remained in his family for a further 60 years. This yard had been constructed to supply much of the timber and ballast wagon bodies for this section of the TVR. If you look closely just sketched in below Swinnerton's name you will see a series of hatched lines. This shows the original road layout before it was altered for the construction of the TVR, and where the green strip is to the right of Swinnerton's name was an ancient pub - The Dun Cow - said before its demise to be the most haunted pub in Nuneaton. The roadway above Swinnerton's name is now Regent Street but before the railway was built was called Brick Kiln Lane (as there was a brickyard half way along it). The obliterated section referred to earlier was called Derby Lane and this passed from there through the level crossing gates you can see here where the line cuts through Bond End and down the roadway which leads off towards the centre bottom of the drawing. It was called Derby Lane because if you walked for several hours you would eventually end up in Derby! The road towards the centre bottom of the drawing today is called Weddington Terrace. Note too that the goods shed which was made of timber is at right angles to the main rail track. There are a selection of sidings to the right of the sidings which would have been used from 1850 onwards to accommodate local freight trains to Coventry and from 1862 to Hinckley, and 1864 to Leicester as empty stock clear of the main lines, and to assemble wagons ready for despatch over the system. The loco shed that was erected in 1850 was off the picture to the right where the old steam shed stood in the triangle formed by the Coventry and Trent Valley lines. On the right the River Anker has been altered and the old course of the river is shown. Where the river ran below the main line is a rectangular reservoir and to its right a pink rectangular detail. This is the old water tank house which was fitted with a steam pump so that water from the reservoir could be pumped to the cast iron water columns that were used to replenish the tanks of the steam engines on duty at the station, or stopped in the station. The reservoir was put in to regulate the flow and have a back up in times of drought. Filters were fitted so that the boilers were not damaged by sludgy river water. (Trent Valley Railway Archive)

A brief glimpse of the original Nuneaton station with the Livock building on the right, and the new platform on the left c. 1870. This photo will be replaced by a better version when I can find it.

Nuneaton's second Trent Valley Station looking north on the down side, with the Burton on Trent and Loughborough Bay lines with their overhead roof to the left of the picture. A large crane for unloading goods next to it. This new station was erected c. 1873 to replace the vastly too small Livock building. It continued in use until c. 1913 when a contract was awarded to Eli Kelley, a Coventry contractor, to replace it with the third station we see today. Due to the onset of WW1 the work was considerably slowed down and new buildings were erected in the station concourse, whilst the old "Bay Lines" Platforms 1 & 2 and the north end bays were cut through to form continuous through running. This meant all the five platform faces in the station could be used by north-south traffic instead of just three adding to the flexibility of the traffic arrangements needed with a growing station.

(Caption being prepared) (Charles Verrall Collection)

A "Problem" or "Lady of the Lake" class 2-2-2 Nr. 1428 Eleanor entered service on 7th July 1865 rebuilt in this form November 1899 and withdrawn/scrapped July 1907. (Charles Verrall Collection)

"Jumbo" class or "Renewed Precedent" 2-4-0 Nr. 864 "Pilot" in Nuneaton station c. 1904. The Ashby & Nuneaton bay in the background and you can just see the LNWR goods shed beyond. Nr. 864 was built at Crewe and entered service in June 1896 and scrapped in July 1927. Its LMS Nr. 5063 was not applied. (Charles Verall collection)

A bog standard "Precedent" Class 2-4-0 Nr. 1105 "Hercules" entered service in May 1877 and was renewed in December December 1897 under cut up number 3464. (Charles Verrall)

Nuneaton station staff before WW1. Probably in front of the second station at Trent Valley although the windows appear different on the concourse side.

Nuneaton station restaurant shortly after rebuilding of the station was completed 1917. (Railway Magazine)

A forgotten conversation piece at Nuneaton station with a Trent Valley local on the left with a "Lady of the Lake" class of engine on the front.

The glorious days of the old London & North Western Railway at Nuneaton. Possibly in the 20's. On the left is Platform 1 and the train is departing from Platform 2, most likely on a Trent Valley local train. The loco is either a "Prince of Wales" class or a 19" Goods 4-6-0. (Perhaps some LNWR buff can clarify this?). A local Coventry line train is in Nr. 1 platform.

The famous Turbo Pacific 4-6-2 Nr. 6202 "Princess Anne" which was involved in the 1952 Harrow accident, and scrapped thereafter having just been converted back to a conventional loco here passing south through Nuneaton on an Up express. Nuneaton Nr. 3 box stands high above the carriages. The rocker bridge in the background. (Arthur Flowers)

A "Black 5" heads south on a fully fitted freight through Nuneaton station sometime in the 1950's. Note the marshalling yard hump in the background. (D.J.Montgomery)

Sometime in the 1940's a Black 5 4-6-0 Nr. 5079 heads a down express through Nuneaton under Leicester Road bridge. On the right can be seen the engine release road with a gas tank parked in the siding against the abutment of the bridge. Can anyone explain what it was doing there as gas lighting of carriages seems to have gone by then? Nr. 5079 was one of a batch built by Vulcan Foundry in 1935 and withdrawn in 1962.

A Scot" 4-6-0 Nr. 46131 "The Royal Warwickshire Regiment" on an up express passes Nuneaton station in the 50's. The complicated trackwork associated with the engine release roads is evident in the foreground. The Scots were regarded as "rough riders" and old railwaymen have told me their smoke deflectors did not fulfil any practical purpose, Nr. 46131 was from a batch built by North British in 1927 and rebuilt with a 2A tapered boiler and double chimney in 1944. It was originally named "Planet" but the name was changed in 1928. Withdrawn from traffic in 1962. (D.J.Montgomery)

Rebuilt "Patriot" Nr.45527 "Southport" for many years an Edge Hill loco. So probably this is a Liverpool-London Euston express. (Attribution being checked)

A Black 5 stands in the south end of the up yard at Nuneaton. 45429 was probably a Rugby loco at this time. It was withdrawn in 1965. (Attribution being checked)

"Patriot" Class 4-6-0 Nr. 45539 "E.C.Trench" built at Crewe and entered service in 1933, withdrawn 1964, heads north through Nuneaton station on a fitted freight under Leicester Road bridge. The engine release road goes up to the abutment of the bridge so that tank engines working local services in platforms 1 and 2 could be released from a train after the platform road was cleared. This arrangement was dispensed with in the 1950's (c.1958) with the advent of diesel multiple units on local passenger services. The first vehicle in the train is a West Coast Joint Stock six wheeled van (for fish or meat traffic). (D.J.Montgomery)

This scene might be repeatable today because Class 20's are still around but I doubt you would see them on a fitted freight. More likely some kind of excursion or special working these days. But much else has changed from this scene with two Class 20's hurtling through Nuneaton at a very fast pace. Leicester Road bridge has been lifted and widened and entirely rebuilt. The old semaphores have gone. The last 10T mineral wagon (extreme left) was taken out of service in the 1970's. As you can see here the small lay by sidings are in the process of being dismantled as Nuneaton Nr. 2 box has been decommissioned. I guess this view was taken c. 1960. (D.J.Montgomery)

Southern built diesel prototype nr. 10202 heads north through Nuneaton in the 1950's. 10202 was built in 1951 and these units first were used on the SR services to the West of England primarily and the Weymoutn/Bournemouth services. (Attribution being checked)

Southern built diesel prototype Nr. 10203 heads an "up" express through Nuneaton. Originally built at Ashford works, Kent for the Southern it was transferred for assessment to the LMR by the mid 1950's when this picture was taken. (Attribution being checked)

Prototype Deltic heads a Liverpool - London Euston "up" service through Nuneaton in the 50's. (D.J.Montgomery)

Nuneaton Trent Valley Station Platform 1, with a BR Class 4-6-0 Nr. 75018 (with its number crudely painted on the smoke box) standing with what looks to be a parcels train, probably 1965. 75018 was allocated to Nuneaton between May 1963 and April 1966. (Michael Mears)

Nuneaton Trent Valley station c.1962/63 Platform 1. A Coventry-Leamington service in the platform. The photo was taken by a signalling engineer responsible for installing new colour light signals and the removal of the old mechanical signalling. Both systems of signalling can be seen together in this view but the old signals were taken away shortly thereafter. Both platforms 1 and 2 were subsequently extended. (courtesy: Vic Holloway)

An unidentified Class 81 electric barrels through Platform 4 Nuneaton station on an up express in the 1960's. (Michael Mears)

An electric has detached at Nuneaton station, probably to be replaced by a diesel. The loco. is a Class AL6 and must have been brand new in this photo taken about 1965. (Michael Mears)

A class AL1 electric hurtles south through Nuneaton approaching the Leicester Road bridge with an Up express. Sometime in the late 1960's. Al of these electrics were scrapped by the 1990's. Scrapping had started as early as 1968 but the bulk were disposed of between 1985-1992, the last going in July that year. (Michael Mears)

Now here's a novelty. What is this gadget? A Michelin railbus leaves Platform 2 at Nuneaton station in the late 1930's on its way to Coventry and Leamington. It was most unusual because it had rubber tyred rail wheels. The bodywork had been hand crafted at the Nuneaton Sheet Metal works at the Bull Ring, Nuneaton. It was an attempt by Michelin, the tyre people, to introduce rubber tyres into the rail industry and led to the use of rubber tyred trains on the Paris Metro. There were difficulties with these prototypes (There was at least two, maybe three) was that the rubber tyres although very quiet for the passengers were too quiet for platelayers and railwaymen working on the track who regarded them as "silent killers". Note the kids peering through the front window. Where was the driver? He occupied a little conning tower on the top. The prototype was very Gallic and led to the numerous French railcars of this variety seen on secondary railways in subsequent years. Existing French "Picasso" railcars are very similar and you can see a number of these preserved on French railways today. These railcars had severe limitations. They could not be coupled to other rail vehicles so could only be used on light train loading services. Much of the Coventry line services loaded to 5 carriages at peak times. The Second World War put paid to the experiment, as the railway companies had to dispense with operating complications and they reverted to the trusted technology of steam propulsion.

LMS class 0-4-4T Nr. 41902 stands in platform 2 at Nuneaton station on a Leamington push pull train. This engine was shedded at Warwick for a time to work local services. This photo was taken in the period 1956-8 when this engine was used on this train. 41902 was transferred from Bletchley to Rugby and then transferred to Warwick shed in August 1956 to replace the last Webb 2-4-2T Nr. 46604. The use of the push and pull unit we see here was dispensed with in November 1958 with diesalisation, and effectively, Nr. 41902 found little further use and was withdrawn in 1959. R.S.Carpenter)

A Metro Cammell DMU draws away from Platform 4 at Nuneaton TVR station with the 4.40pm Tamworth-Rugby local service on 11th March 1961. The debris on the right of the DMU indicates where Nuneaton Nr. 2 box had recently been demolished. A tender cab "Super D" 0-8-0 is partly obscured by the inspector's cabin on the right. (Michael Mensing)

Black 5 4-6-0 Nr. 45101 about to leave Nuneaton an Up express which has stopped at Nuneaton to change from an electric loco to steam haulage as the overhead supply had only been energised to that point, and the electric would head a train back north. 13th June 1964. (Geoff Edmands 2723 1/50:8 (Woolworths Film) )

A view from Nuneaton Platform 3 in 1933 looking south towards Leicester Road bridge. Nuneaton Nr. 2 signal box can be glimpsed on the left. A mighty tall LNWR signal with a low level repeater below. (E.H.C.Shorto)

A view from Nuneaton station Platform 5 in the 1950's. An unidentified 8F 2-8-0 (too grimy) is running on a mixed freight, bringing a train in from the south and going through the station but stopping shortly to remove wagons for transferral into the marshalling yards whose throat is on the left of the picture. (The white building in the background is the Graziers Arms public house). Note the shunter on the boarded crossing in the distance who is probably waiting to unhook some of the wagons being drawn onto the goods loop for detachment and re-marshalling.

The marshalling yard throat at the south end yard next to Nuneaton station. Above the gable end of the hut on the right hand side you can see the "Tank House". This was a large steel water tank to supply the water columns in the goods yard which took its supply from the River Anker. But it was also used as a tied cottage for the railwaymen engaged in the goods yard. "Titch" Jarvis was resident for some years until he was killed in a shunting accident in the north end yard. Imagine living in the "Tank House" with a big tank of water swilling about over the top of your bedroom at night and the gurgling of cast iron pipes as the water columns were used by steam engines in the adjacent goods yard. The photo was taken from Nuneaton "Up Sidings" signal box window. An 08 shunter lurks in the loop at the left hand side. Electrification has taken place and this scene will soon be swept away as Nuneaton marshalling yard is disposed of, part of the site turned into an industrial estate and this immediate area turned into a new formation for the rail tracks leading through Platforms 6 & 7 at Nuneaton (The Leicester-Birmingham route). (Attribution being checked)

This official LNWR pamphlet issued to railway staff lists the various sidings in the UP South End Marshalling Yard (with the hump) and the North End (Goods) Yard that allowed the various wagons to be sorted out and put into the correct siding for onward despatch. The capacity indicates how many wagons it held and the place name, i.e. Nr. 18, Charity, Bedworth & Newdigates - related to empty coal wagons being sent to Charity, fulls to Bedworth (most likely vans) or Newdigate (empties again). The empties would be filled at Charity & Newdigate colliery then probably tripped to Hawkesbury Lane sidings. They would be then be reclassified to onwards transmission to the customer who had bought the coal. The fulls to Bedworth might be beer in barrels, timber, general merchandise, sackfuls of flour, fruit, or any of the myriad of other things routinely sent by rail before 1923. Nr. 21 to Loco Coal and Cotton siding would be full 10T coal wagons brought in from one of the Leicestershire pits that the railway preferred to use for loco coal (Desford sometimes - Nuneaton/Bedworth area coal not deemed suitable for steam raising before WW2). This would then be taken to the loco shed for feeding the coal hopper, and two or three taken down the adjacent "Cotton Hole Siding" to feed the big boilers named Annie & Elizabeth at Fielding Johnsons factory.

Jubilee Class 4-6-0 Nr. 45735 "Comet" was one of only two of the class fitted with smoke deflectors. Built in 1936 and fitted with a type 2A boiler and a double chimney in 1942, heading an Up express through Nuneaton in the 1950's. The photo must have been taken before December 1958 when it was transferred away from shed 1B Camden. (R.W.Beaton)

The former platform 6 at Nuneaton station. Known as the Burton bay line until platforms 6 and 7 were built over the former goods yard on the left. This bay was built out to the left and became part of Platform 5. (Peter Lee)

An electric type AL3 in the north end bay at Nuneaton station with the former north end goods yard to the left. Sometime in the late 1960's. (Michael Mears)

An up express is hurried through Nuneaton sometime in the 1950's. Nuneaton Nr. 3 signal box which controlled the layout at the north end of the station up until the late 50's. The embankment of the Midland line can be seen in the background.

"Britannia" Class 4-6-2 Nr. 70044 without windshields as it has been fitted with these feed water heaters. (Attribution being checked)

A Class 4 1Co-Co1 EE diesel Nr. D330 heads an up express through Nuneaton station in 1961. Nr. 3 signal box stands above the third and fourth coach and the goods yard is full of old wagons which will soon join the growing lines of redundant wagons sold for scrap. In spite of the fact that the D200 series diesels were modern at the time they too would be superseded on these expresses by electric traction. (Mike Mensing)

Nuneaton down sidings box and the north end of Trent Valley station looking towards the "Rocker Bridge" in the 1980s. (Peter Lee)

South of Nuneaton Station towards Rugby.

Infrastructure

Electrification works gets under way at the south end of Nuneaton. The former BR warehouse (originally a weaving factory) in the background and the set of railings known to generations of railwaymen as the "Birdcage" because a narrow pathway led off on the right to Nuneaton shed, edged with these railings on the track side and the back garden walls of the houses in Glebe Road on the other and this had a slightly claustrophobic effect on the enginemen using it. The Birdcage was taken up and pushed back as the electrification posts went in, and still maybe there buried under the foliage and creepers that have grown up over the fenceline. I estimate the year is 1962 when these two photos were taken.

A view of the south end of Nuneaton station taken from the Leicester Road bridge in the 1950's. The S&T sidings to the left in this view. Loco shed visible in the centre. Coventry line off to the right main line to London straight ahead. Hump roads trail off to the right hand bottom corner of the picture. Houses in Wheat Street can be seen. Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box above the S&T coaches on the left. These were old vans used for workshops and storage of S&T equipment.

The south end of Nuneaton station from Leicester Road bridge looking south with the main Trent Valley line straight ahead. The South Leicester line towards Hinckley and Leicester off to the left and the Coventry line curves away to the right. An 08 shunter is parked in the siding on the right. The former Signalling and Telegraph (S&T) sidings are in the foreground on the left. The line immediately to the right of the S& T sidings was the hump shunt loop which was no longer used for shunting the yard when this picture was taken. This layout has been modified today to facilitate Leicester-Birmingham trains through the new Platforms 6 & 7 at Nuneaton station. (Peter Lee)

The scene to the left of the picture above which shows the Trent Valley Mill which had serveral owners over the years but was badly effected by fire damage after it was vacated by the BR. The general detritus of the S&T department can be seen in front of us.

The Bone Yard, or cemetery sidings as it was known to generations of railwaymen. These were once the carriage sidings and full of carriages used on local passenger trains but by the 1980's when I took these photos the sidings were neglected, overgrown and full of old cast off wagons which were used for permanent way work. The Leicester line goes around the corner on the left and an electric can be seen on the main line to Rugby. These sidings were later disconnected and a short spur put in to house a track machine, sections of track still exist but are stubs left in as it was not thought worth while lifting them. (Peter Lee)

The Bone Yard looking north. The wiring for the Trent Valley main line prominent in this view and a rake of PW wagons in the sidings surrounded by spent PW materials. Glebe Road stands behind the main line left to right. Wheat Street is where the grey industrial unit is on the right. (Peter Lee)

The story of the last manned signal box ended in 2008 when Nuneaton Power Box was switched out. This is the newspaper cutting from the Heartland Evening News (Saturday, August 23rd 2008) which commemorated the event. The power box opened in 1963 and replaced the old mechanical Nrs 1,3 boxes at Nuneaton. This was the time Network Rail invested hundreds of millions of pounds in upgrading the Trent Valley main line including new junctions at Rugby, two additional platforms there as well. This allowed a massive increase in services along the Trent Valley line. Nuneaton Power Box, although it lost its staff continued in use for about five years as part of the automated system. (Heartland Evening News)

THE STORY OF NUNEATON'S FIRST LOCOMOTIVE DEPOT CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE

Nuneaton's first loco depot was a very small affair when the Trent Valley line first opened. This is its story and the people that worked there.
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Looking under Leicester Road bridge in Nuneaton on the Trent Valley main line with a fine set of gantries controlling the main line. Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box in the distance (180 levers). c 1933. The large building in the centre is the former silk ribbon weaving factory built in 1844. (E.H.C.Shorto)

Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal cabin in the early 1950's. This was an 180 lever box. To the right the carriage sidings which were known as either "Cemetary sidings" or to some irreverent railwaymen - "The Bone Yard" as behind the sidings hidden by Nr. 1 box was Nuneaton Cemetary. (Maurice Billington)

Nuneaton Nr. 1 box signalling diagram. The lines going off top left go to Coventry. The lines bottom left are to Hinckley and Leicester. The tracks leading from left to right are the Trent Valley Main line and the photo was taken in the late 50's or early 60's as the whited out outlines on the right indicate that the track which used to be the engine release roads has been removed by this time and whereas an intermediate box Nuneaton Nr. 2 box intervened between Nrs. 1 and Nr 3 box at the north end of the station, Nr. 2 had by this time been removed so Nr. 1 signalled through to Nr. 3. Nr. 1 box stood at the south end of the system at Nuneaton and controlled everything south of the Leicester Road bridge.

Another view of Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box late 1950's.

An "Up" express passes Nr. 1 signal cabin at Nuneaton in this unusual view of the box. A "Black 5" is the train engine. You can see the smoke blackened bridge where signalmen entered the box over a loop line where trains being marshalled in the Nuneaton marshalling yards were drawn forward before setting back over the hump. S&T vans on the right. (Ken Wood)

General views of Nuneaton Station, including details of the goods and marshalling yards, local traffic and train movements.

Nuneaton marshalling yard in the 1930's. In one week in 1917 Nuneaton control dealt with 90,000 wagons per week. Mostly coal.

A classic Nuneaton view of a "Super D" 0-8-0 starting a southbound freight out of Nuneaton marshalling yards up sidings possibly from Nr. 1 road. Nuneaton up sidings signal box to its left and Nr. 5 platform on the extreme left. Shunters with poles in hand waiting as it moves out. (S.V.Blencowe)

Nuneaton LNWR Goods Warehouse and Down Goods Yard

Nuneaton goods yard. The north end yard in its last days. Sometime in the 1980's. The wagons are probably cripples and may never have been in service again. The large LNWR warehouse goods shed in the distance. The square office block of F.H. Biddle's factory above the dark red vans. On the right the modern block is Blackburn House. Just to the left of the goods shed you can just see a large hopper which was associated with Nuneaton Timber Company's premises in Regent Street. (Peter Lee)

The LNWR warehouse in the down yard at Nuneaton Trent Valley station. There is a multi level car park on this site today. The remnants of a bridge in the foreground was dumped here but later re-used in another location. There was no goods traffic when I took this photo in the 1980's, the shed was empty and the goods yard used for permanent way vehicles and crippled wagons. (Peter Lee)

A close up view of the left hand door from the goods yard side of Nuneaton goods shed. The loading platform can be seen on the right. (Peter Lee)

The interior of Nuneaton goods warehouse. (Peter Lee)

Nuneaton down sidings goods yard in the early 1980's. By this time the sidings had become a general dumping ground for railway detritus. The gable end of the down sidings signal box can be seen in the distance, and junk lies around. The wagons on the left and to the left of the crane may be cripples laid aside for attention, although whether they were ever put back into traffic is open to debate. Nuneaton's sole shunter an "08" "Dobbin" is parked and at this late date would soon be surplus to requirements. (Peter Lee)

Amongst the ballast wagons in Nuneaton goods yard. (Peter Lee)

Nuneaton goods yard full of "crippled" wagons. I wonder if any ran again. Looking south. (Peter Lee)

Trent Valley, north end of the down goods yard just prior to closure in the 1980's. (Peter Lee)

Class 47's, Class 24's and a sole 08 still finds employment at Nuneaton station. The remaining goods yard on the right will shortly be swept away, and few locomotives occupy the engine sidings today. (Peter Lee)

Nuneaton driver - Ernie Haywood - stands next to a Type 4 diesel in the engine stabling road at the north end of Nuneaton station with Biddles works chimney in the background where Asda is today. Ernie was a good friend of your web master. His father was a LNWR driver. (Attribution being checked)

A railway drayman and his fine cart horse, believed to be at Nuneaton, but this needs to be verified. (Stephanie Southall Collection)

Another delivery about to be made. (Stephanie Southall Collection)

Nuneaton station from an unusual angle with the former goods yard being cleared on the right. Bonfires of old timbers can be seen. A stone train in what is left of the yard. The entire area in the foreground had been formerly covered in sidings but the old marshalling was taken up, and this site is now obliterated by the new loop line from Birmingham to Leicester and the new Platforms 6 & 7 occupy the view in the middle of the photo. The stone trains are no more too. (Peter Lee).

Nuneaton down sidings signal box hides amongst the metalwork supporting the netting. When the down sidings were removed the box was demolished. (Peter Lee)

Nuneaton Marshalling Yard Hump

A photograph taken around 1960 showing the south end of Nuneaton station with platforms 1,2,3,4,5 from left to right. Recent changes have taken place by the removal of the engine lay by roads at this end of the station that allowed release of passenger engines from local trains so that they could be stowed away during train movements or before release to the shed for servicing. In the days of rapidly reducing steam power these were not needed. The local services were now increasingly handled by diesel multiple units, the old Nr. 2 signal box which stood between platforms 4 & 5 has gone which was responsible for actuating these points and attendant mechanical signals and transferring train movements between the much bigger and important Nrs. 1 and 3 boxes. The goods hump on the right was at one time one of two at Nuneaton. This was the front hump and the other one was known as the back hump, but this was taken out during rationalisation of siding facilities in the 1930's. Hump shunting in the marshalling yards at Nuneaton was a 24 hour operation up until this time particularly as the marshalling yards despatched vast quantities of coal. An 08 diesel sits on the hump.

Another view taken roughly about the same time of the south end of Nuneaton station but the other side of the Leicester Road bridge with a good view of the hump. A Type 4 heads through Platform 5 on an up parcels/van train. What appears to be a Black Five 4-6-0 stands in platform 4 with an up express. The current Platforms 6 & 7 occupy this space at Nuneaton station whose passenger traffic is heavier now than back then and still today the modern equivalent of the van train in the form of Class 66's, and 70 diesels head container trains in ever increasing numbers.

A diesel shunter D2912 propels vans back from the goods yard at the south end of the station with the box steps to Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box on the left. Note the steps up to the box and a hole in the (birdcage) fence used by signal box staff to gain access to the box. On the right a carriage used by the signalling department locally in the S&T sidings. On the right the foot tunnel which is still extant today, On the extreme right hand edge of the picture is the former ribbon weaving factory in Oaston Road long turned into a warehouse which was burnt down in the 60's. About 1960. A real period piece with the old telegraph posts, and a goodly supply of coal in the signal box bunker.

0-4-0 diesel shunter D2912 on the goods hump at Nuneaton. This engine had been transferred from Rugby on loan, but proved fairly inefficient as a hump shunter being too light for these heavy duties and was quickly sent back to Rugby.

An 08 diesel goes about its duties shunting on the hump at Nuneaton marshalling yard. (Michael Mears)

A "Britannia" 4-6-2 Nr. 70032 "Tennyson" on the up Manchester train hurtles through the station past the distinctive and unique double gabled signal cabin Nuneaton Nr. 2 box. This box was removed when the south end of the station was remodelled when dieselisation of local passenger services came in. The short loco release sidings seen on the right were taken out which had been used to allow tank engines on local passenger services to be removed from obstructing the through running lines between services. A signalman can be seen framed in the doorway. There were three principal signal boxes at Nuneaton Trent Valley and two sidings boxes controlling the up and down yards. Nr. 70032 turns up again on a photo further down the page on another Manchester express.

South End Traffic

Stanier Class 3 2-6-2T Nr. 40087 was shedded at Nuneaton between October 1952-November 1960 (when it was withdrawn) although it lingered in Nuneaton shed yard until towed away for scrapping at Crewe works in November 1962. The train is a Leicester local. This loco appears elsewhere on this site in stored condition.

A Stanier Class 5 2-6-0 Nr. 42968 brings a northbound train into Nuneaton in the 1962/63 period when electrification was starting to get underway. 42968 was shedded at Nuneaton in June 1962 and went away in May 1963 and was withdrawn in December 1966. It is the only one of its class to survive the cutters torch and is preserved today on the Severn Valley Railway. Note the old building in the background which was built as a weaving factory in the early part of the 19th century and in recent years used as a warehouse. British Railways owned it latterly and they used it as a store. It was sold by the B.R. Property Board as a redundant asset in June 1967 and then used as a furniture store. Arsonists burnt it down in January 1969 and its site has been replaced by apartments.

A Britannia Nr. 70004 heads south along the Trent Valley main line in the late 1950's. In the background is a rake of carriages in the "cemetary" or "bone yard" sidings. Nuneaton's carriage sidings. In the foreground the Coventry line with the boarded crossing enginemen used to reach the shed with the pathway off to the right. The doll signals control egress from the shed yard.

A ballast train headed by either a Stanier Crab or a Black 5. Heads south c. 1965. (Peter Lee)

Someone has dashed out into the "six foot" and risked their lives to get this photo of the magnificent signal gantry at the south end of Nuneaton station looking towards the station. Just to the left of the main line parked in the "Back layby road" is 40087, a Stanier tank then laid off and stored. It was officially allocated to Nuneaton until November 1960 but lay stored like this until November 1962 when it was withdrawn and towed away to Crewe for scrapping.

A rather poor image but one needing to be included nevertheless of a Black 5 on a breakdown train on the down fast at Nuneaton passing under the signal gantry adjacent to Nuneaton loco shed. The Leicester line can be seen going off to the right. I would imagine this is the Rugby breakdown crane. (Maurice Billington)

Nuneaton Loco Shed The development of Nuneaton's Motive Power Depot from an allocation of three locomotives in 1855 to over 80 in the 1950's. From a small wooden one road shed, to four then to eight roads. A major depot on the London & North Western Railway.

The shed as it was in 1862, with a turntable placed in front. The condition of the turntable made the building unusable in the 1870's and it had to be replaced with a larger table. This plan is from the Trent Valley track plan and section.

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A later drawing of the Nuneaton shed with a new turntable and extra siding added to increase capacity. At this time the same loco which worked the Coventry passenger service was used on the Leicester service as well without changing the coaching stock. The later Nuneaton Cotton Mill has been erected by this date. The wooden shed blew down in a gale in September 1878 and was replaced by a four road shed below.

The "new" 1878 shed was already authorised when the old timber shed blew down in 1878. The old shed being made of wood did not do too much damage to the two engines parked in it. The four road shed was later extended to eight roads as traffic increased. Note that by this time the Ashby & Nuneaton joint line loop has been put in at the rear of the shed. This was a loop insisted upon by the Midland Railway as part of the Ashby & Nuneaton scheme to give their trains working from Ashby direct access via the Stoke Golding-Hinckley branch direct access to the Nuneaton Coventry line where they had gained running rights. The road we know today as King Edward Road is called Peacock Lane on this plan. (Its ancient name). (Ordnance Survey).

Nuneaton loco shed at its fullest extent c. 1951. Note the Anker Mill and its siding (known to railway men as "The Cotton Hole Siding". (Ordnance Survey)

Nuneaton loco shed can better be seen in this view from the air at the top of the photograph.

Nuneaton loco shed (Nr. 4 on the LNWR) was a very busy place. During WW2 there were over 100 engines on the shed some days, and as late as the 1950's anything up to 80 locos allocated. After dieselisation and the closure of so many collieries in the area in the early 1960's work for locos based at Nuneaton was reduced considerably, Nuneaton shed closed on 6th June 1966. (Maurice Billington)

Another panoramic view of the shed in the early 50's before the shed roof was raised and rebuilt. Main line on the left.

Engine fitters at Nuneaton in the 1920's including Charlie Woodford the thin fellow in the middle. This looks to be either a Coal engine or a "Califlower" 0-6-0. As you can see being an engine fitter was a filthy job, squeezing between the moving parts of an engine dealing with day to day routine repairs.

Charlie Woodford with his tool box. Mid 1930's. To the left is an ex LNWR "19" Goods. Nuneaton had a few ex LNWR "Experiment" 4-6-0's during this period "Buffalo", "Chillington" were examples, which spent their last days at Nuneaton shed. Charlie told me that when these "Experiments" were taken out of service their brass nameplates were sold for 10/- per pair (which was more scrap value than anything else). Note that Charlie's box is marked up with the location of the tools which are represented by painted outlines and yes in those days you could fettle an old steam engine with a range of spanners and a cast iron "ommer". One of the old fitters at the shed was known as "Fizzer" for his propensity with a blow torch in loosening tough bolt threads and another used the expression regularly whatever the diagnosis "It'll tek up when its warm". Meaning it will loosen when he's put of bit of heat into it. (Charlie Woodford)

Nuneaton loco shed fitters in 1957. Known names are left to right: Charlie Woodford, Brian Southall, W.Osborne, Mr. (Dad) Shear - shed master, Ernie Morris, office clerk, Bill Draycott, Harry Gunn, George Brooks, Jack Perkins, running shed clark, ?, Jack Green, fitter, Tim Healey, Ossie Wilkes, tuber, George Summers, fitters mater, ?, ?, Tommy Nixon, fitters mate, Alan Burnham, fitters mate, Bobby Robins, Boiler Smith, Fred Ward, Grade 3 fitter. (Mick Lee)

One of Mr. Webb's least successful engine designs although they were produced right at the end of his career. These Compound 4-6-0's built at Crewe from 1903 onwards were designed to be used for fast freight trains, but they were poor engines and earned the nickname "Bill Bailey" from the old song which in this case meant that this engine did not come home, or at least if it did a pretty torrid time was had on the footplate to coax it there by its crew. Nr. 1414 seen here was put into traffic in September 1904 and was withdrawn in January 1915 so only saw eleven years in service. Nuneaton had one or two but they go unremarked upon in the history books.

Webb 2-4-2T Nr. 781 between duties in Nuneaton shed yard in the 1920's. Nr. 781 entered service in June 1889, was renumbered by the LMS 6581 in September 1927 and withdrawn in March 1930. These engines were the usual local passenger train engines until their duties were taken over by standard LMS tank engines.

A Webb 5'6" tank Nr. 6660 parked at the side of Nuneaton shed. This loco was built in 1893 and withdrawn in September 1947. (J.M.Bentley Collection)

LNWR Experiment class LMS Nr. 5461, "City of London" Withdrawn in May 1934. The photo was taken on 15th October 1932 at Nuneaton (W.L.Good)

5461 again, same ocassion, with turntable in the foreground. 12 years later a new turntable was put in at the rear of the loco shed connecting up to the siding which was the former goods loop put into the back of the shed. The turntable we see here was dispensed with and the pit filled in. The pillar like structure above the front buffer beam is in fact a fog hut on the main line and it does look as though its a foggy day in October 1932 when the picture was taken (W.L.Good)

"Experiment" Class Nr. 5513 "Buffalo" was allocated to Nuneaton in the 30's from where it was withdrawn. Here is is in an idle moment at Nuneaton. Entered traffic in March 1909 as LNWR Nr. 2630 it was renumbered into the LMS series in July 1927 and it retained its round topped firebox until withdrawal in March 1932. (Attribution being checked)

My old railway chum Maurice Bllington who had a discerning eye when it comes to railway aesthetics did not rate ex LNWR locos too much in the "looks" department. He described them as "Too Chunky" and perhaps you can see why in this former crack express engine on the old LNWR. Despite their looks though they were hard working, rugged, well built and took a lot of abuse from their heavy loads. So we can excuse them for that. Not only that they looked magnificent when new in that lustrous livery the LNWR turned their engines out in called "Blackberry Black". A deeply lustrous black achieved through the many coats of lead based paints applied, stoppered down, re-applied and the whole process was a major undertaking. It has been said that it took more man hours to paint a LNWR loco than to erect it! Their footplate crews were divided over the ergonomics of working on them. Some liked them others loathed them, although I dare say the gain sayers were mostly "Midland Men"! This photo was taken on 24th October 1933 and had less than a year to live before it went to the "melts" at Crewe in June 1934 and re-cast into a Black 5, or an 8F, or some other more modern piece of machinery. Nr. 5491 "Prince George" was an LNWR "Experiment" class built in 1907 entering service on the West Coast main line as Nr. 1135 in September of that year. Nr. 5620 alongside it was a "Prince of Wales" Class. which entered service in November 1913 and was withdrawn in March 1936. (J.M.Bentley Collection)

An ex LNWR 0-6-0 of a type popularly known as "Cauliflowers" which derived from the application of the LNWR coat of arms formerly applied to the centre splasher. Which from a distance looked like the vegetable of that name. These engines were used in their early days as express freight engines, and they did have a fine turn of speed, but the increasing heavy loads needed bigger engines and the Webb compound eight coupled freight engines were developed to deal with the more onerous trains, and the "Cauliflowers" were cascaded down to more jobs within their means, local freights, colliery exchange siding shunting, pick up goods, local passenger trains, yard shunting and that type of thing. As LNWR Nr. 1743 it entered service in May 1899, renumbered into LMS livery in September 1928, withdrawn in 1932. (Gordan Coltas)

Ex-LMS Class 6P5F 2-6-0 known to all railwaymen as "Crabs" Nr. 2888 seen here in the 1930's. It was shedded at Nuneaton up to until October 1954. This poor press picture is included because I am hopeful someone will identify the names of the loco crews.

A Britannia Nr. 70047 prepares to move off Nuneaton shed very early 1960's.

A view of the loco shed yard in the mid 1950's. Coventry line to the left, Nuneaton Nr. 1 signal box in the background. A rake of carriages. Nuneaton's shed pilot Class 3F 0-6-0T Nr. 47594 was allocated to Nuneaton until April 1959. The shed pilot was used to shunt locos around the shed yard, or in this case position coal wagons into position for coaling locos during their servicing regime. Sometimes 47594 would be used for shunting in the north end goods yard. The concrete cabin to the right of the picture was the Enginemen's "Bothy". The cabin was used for a "brew up" during rest periods and "snap time". An iron kettle was kept boiling 24 hours a day so that the enginemen could brew tea on demand. The stove was kept fired up 24 hours a day as well and gave the bothy a fairly "fetid" atmosphere especially in summer. One old engine driver, Ray Smith, remembers calling in there one day for a brew up found the cabin filled with enginemen having their refreshment. Ray was filled with a filthy cold and in the process of sneezing put half the men in there at the time "on the box". He was given the nickname "Virus" after that notorious episode. The former position of the turntable stood in the gap in the tracks just beyond the "Bothy".

One of Nuneaton's "Dobbins" 3F 0-6-0T Nr. 47385 stands in Nuneaton shed yard probably on shed pilot duties. It was only at Nuneaton for about a year between June 1961 and May 1962.

47285 rests between shunting duties.

Another Nuneaton "Dobbin" 0-6-0T Nr. 47285. At Nuneaton shed pretty well continuously since before Grouping until April 1959. It was withdrawn in 1965. (Keith Lambourne)

This picture was taken by shinning up one of the lighting columns in the shed yard. It looks like a Sunday. School kids explore the shed unmolested by the staff. Three old stalwart Nuneaton engines are identified. 48020 was on Nuneaton allocation from at least 1950 until August 1963, "Super D" 49142 was allocated here February 1953-December 1960. 48658 was here from January 1954-June 1962. The 4F 0-6-0 was a foreign engine. Nuneaton men weren't keen on the 4F. and resisted their allocation.

One of the first sights to delight us as we bunked the shed on a Sunday was the line up down the concrete path, particularly that next to the back layby road as we called it where you got close up and personal with these brooding monsters. 92107 had worked in from its home shed of Wellingborough and was moored up on the layby road. Whilst alongside it is 48693 another "Foreign" engine. The 9F was shedded at Wellingborough until December 1960 when it was transferred to Saltley. It was scrapped at Drapers of Hull in July 1967. (Attribution being checked).

Looking past 92107 towards the shed. Main line to the left. (Attribution being checked)

A bit further along the concrete path a brace of Super D's await their next duties. Main line on the right. It must be a Sunday! (Attribution being checked)

How scenic! Happy Days! (Attribution being checked)

An 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48716 moves off the turntable at Nuneaton shed. The Ransome and Rapier turntable was put in in 1944 to relieve access to and from the shed which was constantly clogged with engines. In the background is Fielding & Johnson's factory which had its own siding known as the "Cotton Hole Siding" which was accessed from Nuneaton shed yard. 48716 was allocated to Nuneaton from at least 1950 until September 1958.

Class 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48549 being coaled at the shed tippler. (Attribution being checked)

"Jubilee" 4-6-0 Nr. 45589 Gwalior has a well filled tender preparatory to setting off on another duty. It was at this time shedded at 55A Leeds Holbeck shed so just how it came to be at Nuneaton seems unclear. (Attribution being checked)

Class 5 4-6-0 Nr. 44773 stands in the shed yard. (Attribution being checked)

A black 5 4-6-0 Nr. 44773 prepares to leave the shed with a tender full of coal. It ended its days at Tyseley. (Attribution being checked)

Ivatt 2-6-0 Nr. 43034 resides on Nuneaton shed. 43034 had two stints at Nuneaton. One in 1954 and again in the 1960's. It was withdrawn in June 1967. (Attribution being checked).

8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48751 was allocated to Nuneaton between September 1953 and May 1966. It is seen here on 21st March 1954 in the shed yard. It was built by the LNER at Darlington works and originally numbered by them as 3146 entering service in September 1946. It was renumbered 3546 in March 1947 before transfer to the LMS in December that year. (A.R.Goult, St. Albans)

A super power line up with the concrete path that went down to the shed on the left. The main line extreme left.

Another view of the path leading to the shed past a "foreign" visitor. 9F 92107 shedded at Wellingborough at the time.

A trio of "Super D's" provide interest to visiting enthusiasts alongside the concrete path.

Class 3 2-6-2T Nr. 40207 has been engaged in carriage shunting in the "Cemetery Sidings" known to railway men as "The Bone Yard". Next to Nuneaton cemetery these sidings were used for carriage storage in the days when rakes of coaches were stored ready for use on various local workings, and spare coaches could be attached if the loads dictated it.

Just prior to Nationalisation Stanier 2-6-2T Class 3 tank nr. 204 reposes on Nuneaton shed in 1947. 204, and later as 40204 this engine was shedded at Nuneaton from 1948 through to October 1959 and it was officially withdrawn in November that same year.

82020 & 82021 were newly outshopped from Swindon works on 29th September and 6th October 1954 respectively. It had been intended to send them originally to Hull Botanic Gardens shed. These Class 3 2-6-2T's were designed with a low axle loading and were the sister engine of the class 77XXX Standard 2-6-0's for medium secondary routes where low weights on bridges were needed. They were designed down to a 16T axle load. However, for some reason these two engines were sent to Nuneaton on loan, ostensibly due to a shortage of motive power and used on the Nuneaton-Coventry service where the first was noted on duty at Coventry on 21st October 1954. They were expected to supplement the Stanier Class 3 tanks for these duties but the Nuneaton shed management were a bit wary of them and 82020 seems to have not been so extensively used as its sister engine being used largely as shed pilot. They continued to stay at Nuneaton for the first two years of their life, being taken off loan and allocated there until 6th October 1956. Although they departed from Nuneaton on the 15th October 1956. On 2nd July 1956 Push & Pull working with Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T's took over the Coventry working and 82020 & 82021 were re-allocated to Wrexham Rhosddu. These excellent engines had a woefully short life, particularly 82020 which had a relatively low mileage of approx 250,000 when withdrawn on 19th September 1965 and despatched to Birds Commercial Vehicles for scrapping where it was cut up in January 1966. 82021 was withdrawn on 17th October 1965 and was despatched to J. Buttigeig, Newport in January 1966 from Nine Elms shed and cut in by March 1966. They had barely 12 years of service which in steam engine terms was pitifully short.

A "Super D" 0-8-0 Nr. 49441 rests on the shed between duties. This picture may have been taken between 1958-1961 when the engine was allocated to Nuneaton depot. Some wag has chalked on the tender George Palmer - Tory. This member of the shed staff was a leading light in the Attleborough Conservative Club. The structure behind the engine is a single skip ash plant.

Another view of 49441. This engine was withdrawn in October 1961.

Ex LNWR Super "D" 0-8-0 Nr. 49181 (Class G2) in the Up sidings at Nuneaton in 1952 shunting the S&T coach. Nr. 49181 was a stalwart at Nuneaton being on this shed allocation for the whole of its existence under the BR regime from 1948-1959. It was withdrawn in April 1959.

Ex LNWR 0-8-0 Nr. 49020 stands on Nuneaton shed in the period when the old locomotive shed roof was being renewed. The old roof was rebuilt in two stages. Here we can see the Webb roof has been removed preparatory to the height of the entrance being lifted to allow more clearance and better air circulation. The former cast iron roof which was corroded had been removed and a steel one fitted. Steam and smoke billowing around the roof had badly effected the stability of the cast iron structure. The renewed shed was only to last about 10 years in service after this.

A "Super D" 0-8-0 reposes in the shed yard at Nuneaton. The modern block on the right was used at one time as an oil storage pump house when BR experimented with oil burning in the late 40's but this was a short lived affair and the building was later used as a shed stores.

"Super D" 0-8-0 Nr. 49120 and a Fowler Crab 2-6-0 parked in the back layby road in front of Nuneaton shed sometime in the 50's. The magnificent signal gantry above the "Crab" controlled movement northwards on the main line. Shed building to the right.

A long established Nuneaton stalwart Nr. 49293 rests between duties. This engine was at Nuneaton for the whole of the 50's being there until April 1962. (It was withdrawn in November 1962). (Attribution being checked)

Stanier "Crab" 2-6-0 Nr. 42978 was a short time resident at Nuneaton shed only being here between January 1961 and September 1963. I favour an earlier date for this photo as there is no sign of the electrification wiring going up.

An imaculate Stanier 2-6-4T Nr. 42485 reposes on Nuneaton shed. It bears the shed code 24D (Lower Darwin) so it might be ex-works Crewe on a running in turn. (Attribution being checked.)

Another Stanier 2-6-4T Nr. 42562 awaits its turn of duty. This might have been a Stafford engine at the time. (Attribution being checked)

"Patriot" Class 4-6-0 Nr. 45541 makes a fine sight as it is turned on the 60 ft. diameter Ransome & Rapier turntable at Nuneaton loco shed installed in early 1944. 45541 was shedded at Nuneaton between December 1960 and April 1962. (Color Rail)

This picture says a lot about the atmosphere of a steam shed. An 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48085 rests in the "back lay by road adjacent to the path down to the shed. A Class 5 4-6-0 beyond. 48085 was a "foreign" engine to Nuneaton. The photo was taken in the early 60's. (Mike Kinder)

Another period of repose on Nuneaton shed in the mid 60's. The class 8F is 48504. Which was shedded at Nuneaton between August 1959 and April 1966. The BR built 2-6-0 in the foreground is unidentified. (Mike Kinder)

A class 2MT 2-6-0 Nr. 46430 on Nuneaton shed. 28.3.1966. As far as I can tell 46430 was not allocated to Nuneaton at this time. Behind the engine is the old coal stage with a water tank over the top which held 69,193 gallons of water. To its left the "new" coaling with its wagon hoist which had a 75T bunker. (R. Blencowe)

Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 rests on Nuneaton shed. This engine was shedded there between December 1960 and January 1965 and was withdrawn from Nuneaton .

Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 Nr. 46520 was not shedded at Nuneaton and has probably worked in.

Standard Class 2 2-6-0 Nr. 78059 stored at Nuneaton shed. This was the last loco to leave Nuneaton loco shed having been allocated here between October 1965 and June 1966. Although the shed closed at the beginning of June when all the other locos were sent away 78059 stayed on for another three weeks to assist with the removal of locomotive dept. stores. It was withdrawn finally in November 1966 and is now preserved on the Bluebell Railway.

An "Austerity" 2-8-0 Nr. 90641 was a foreign engine, Bolton shed 26C had let it escape seen here on Nuneaton shed and in view of its condition might have just been shopped at Crewe and was on a running in turn. (Attribution being checked)

Austerity Nr. 90404 awaits its next turn of duties at Nuneaton. At this date it too was a Bolton engine and its condition might suggest it is on a running in turn from Crewe. (Attribution being checked)

Another Austerity Nr. 90365 parked in the back lay by road. This well of the beaten track as well being a Woodford Halse engine. (Attribution being checked)

A class 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48206 on Nuneaton Shed 28.3.1965. This gives a better view of the rotary coaling plant with its 75T capacity and the old coaling stage beyond. (R. Blencowe)

42331 a Fowler 4MT ex LMS 2-6-4T was a regular visitor to Nuneaton being a Leicester engine (15C) and is seen here resting on Nuneaton shed presumably having worked in from Leicester with a passenger service.

A BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 Nr. 73033 on Nuneaton shed. 73033 had a short spell allocated to Nuneaton March- June 1965 which probably pinpoints the date of the photo.

A fairly immaculate 9F 2-10-0 Nr. 92077 waits on Nuneaton shed in the early 1960's. No 9F's were allocated to Nuneaton possibly due to the difficulty in turning them on the turntable at the back of the shed, although they appeared a lot on freight turns locally. On the odd occasion they appeared great care had to be taken in turning them as they had inches to spare on the turntable so positioning correctly was a problem. Duchesses and Princess classes were banned from the Nuneaton turntable as they were just too long. They had to be turned on the triangle formed by the loop to Abbey Street from the Trent Valley main line over the Ashby & Nuneaton joint to Weddington junction and then back to the station via the connection at Ashby Junction. (Michael Mears)

One of Nuneaton sheds stalwart regulars, Nr. 58240 had its origins on the Midland Railway. It was an un-rebuilt Johnson 0-6-0 which retained its original round top fire box Salter valves and dome right up until withdrawal. Its usual duties were shunting Abbey Street goods yard, or on the "Paddy" to Haunchwood or Arley Collieries. (The miners trains), and light trip working up to Stockingford and over the Stockingford branch. A pretty little engine much missed by many old timers on Nuneaton shed. It was withdrawn from Nuneaton shed in March 1953 and withdrawn from service in May 1953.

58281 was a Deeley rebuild of the Johnson loco with a Belpair firebox first allocated to Nuneaton in June 1954 and transferred away in December 1958. So this dates the photo to the mid 50's. (Maurice Billington)

Another view of 58281 on the same occasion. The carriage sidings are in the distance. (Maurice Billington)

An LMS built 0-6-0 reposes on Nuneaton shed but I dare say the shed crews were keen to send it back to its home shed. LNWR men did not have much time for these engines whose axle boxes ran hot, and were "shy of steam". They combined too large a boiler on too flimsy a chassis that's why the LNWR men at Nuneaton were against them. We did not have many allocated for this very reason. Being an updated MR design the MR men were apologists for them. Despite this the LMS built hundreds and they did some yeoman service, but the crews had a rough time with them. The MR Class 3 which had a smaller boiler on the same chassis were regarded as good engines. The smaller boiler balancing the design pretty well.

Ex MR 0-6-0 Nr. 3084 stands on Nuneaton shed yard sometime in the 30's or 40's.

Ex L&Y 0-6-0 Nr. 12322 (later 52322) one of Nuneaton's allocation of these engines for short trip, shunting and banking duties up the line to Arley Colliery via Abbey Street Station, and for working over the Stockingford Branch. The year is 1949.

Ex L&Y 0-6-0 Nr. 52465 accompanied by a former "Compound" 4-4-0 on Nuneaton loco shed in the early 50's.

Ex L&Y 3F 0-6-0 Nr. 52465 was allocated to Nuneaton shed just after grouping and was drafted in to replace former LNWR and MR 0-6-0's for local trip workings. It was a strong engine with a good boiler which crews liked. Although the down side was the short cab. These engines were often seen on the Stockingford branch where they carried out excellent service being strong engines for the steep grade up the 1 in 20 branch. Eventually they were replaced by LMS Ivatt 2-6-0's on this service and 52465 was withdrawn from Nuneaton in June 1955. THe date of this photo is 13th November 1950. (W.G.Boyden / c/o F. Hornby)

Ex L&Y 0-6-0 Nr. 52141 at the shed release road and maybe waiting to go off shed. Note to the right the shed entrance dolls, ground signals operated by Nuneaton Nr. 1. On the left a youthful trainspotter captures the moment in his notebook. 52141 was at Nuneaton from 1948 through to November 1956 when it was transferred away being withdrawn in May 1960. (Lee Randle Collection)

Nuneaton shed during the transition period 1963/64 when diesels were coming off at Nuneaton and being replaced by electrics as electrification was energised as far south as Nuneaton. So for a few months Nuneaton's steamers mixed with Type 4 diesels in Nuneaton shed as they waited to hook up to another southbound express.

Inside Nuneaton shed. An atmospheric view of the interior with a group of shed fitters discussing the repairs to an 8F at the bottom of the road. Adjacent to the right is the preserved "Duchess" 4-6-2 "City of Birmingham" which was cosmetically restored and sent to Birmingham Science Museum. It was put in store at Nuneaton for some time before being shipped off for preservation. (Mike Kinder)

The rear of Nuneaton Loco shed on 14th October 1966. The shed closed on 6th June 1966. Weeds are starting to take over. The Ransom and Rapier turntable is in the foreground. It will never turn a loco again. At least one of its works plates was rescued by a local railway man who acquired it from the demolition firm as the table was being broken up and took it tottering home on the handlebars of his bike. It was very heavy. (Peter Lee)

I took a trip along the rear of the shed loop to catch an electric passing through on the TV main line from an unusual angle. 14th October 1966 and the shed has been closed for four months. Weeds have sprouted profusely through the trackwork. The track hidden under the grass for on the right has disappeared so probably had been out of use some time before the shed closed, only the line in the foreground being used up until June 1966 when the shed closed. A Patterson water softening plant was installed on the right in the 1930's and the water softening chemicals were brought by wagon which was parked in the siding on the right. (Peter Lee)

Ashby Junction (north of Nuneaton)

A Trent Valley local north of Nuneaton with a down Trent Valley local. 15th August 1925. (David Brooks Collection)

An un-named Claughton Nr. 2095 heads a short train designated "Government Stores". 15th August 1925. (David Brooks Collection)

The up "The Sunny South Special" heads towards Nuneaton on 1th October 1932 passing Ashby Junction with a rebuilt Claughton class 4-6-0 on the front. Nr. 5946. (J.M.Bentley)

An ex-LNWR 4-6-0 "Prince of Wales" class on a down slow train passing Ashby Junction. The crossover on the left is the changeover roads where the Ashby line heads off towards Market Bosworth.

Jubilee 4-6-0 Nr. 45584 heads an Up Express in the 50's. This engine was shedded at Blackpool at the time so this could well be a Blackpool-Euston train . (Mike Mensing)

Ex-LNWR "Prince of Wales" class 4-6-0 Nr. 5616 pilots a Scot Class 4-6-0 Nr. 6146 "Jenny Lind" at Ashby Junction in the early 1930's. (J.M.Bentley)

A 5MT Black 5 4-6-0 heads an "Up" express passing Ashby Junction. Mid 1950's. (Mike Mensing)

Ashby Junction off to the right leading to Weddington junction on the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Line to Market Bosworth, Burton, Ashby, Coalville and Loughborough Derby Road. The spur through to the Nuneaton Midland station is on the horizon behind Ashby Junction signal box. The loco is a "Princess" class 4-6-2 on an Up London express sometime in the 1930's. The underline bridge in the foreground carries the trackway from Nuneaton (Tuttle Hill) through to Weddington.

An unidentified Duchess in streamlined format at speed on a down express near Ashby Junction. The Leicester-Birmingham line embankment on the right.

A rare image of pioneer diesel either 10000 or 10001 on a northbound express heading past Ashby Junction in the 1950's.

A former LNWR 5'6" 2-4-2T tank heads a train onto the Ashby line at Nuneaton. The train is divided into two portions and will split at Shackerstone Junction. One part will go to Loughborough Derby Road via Heather and Hugglescote, the other to Burton. the 5'6" tanks had a good turn of speed but were cramped on the footplate. The photo was taken in the 1920's possibly by H.C.Casserley.

Electrification has started and the photographer stands in the down slow four foot to take this view of a Princess 4-6-2 on an Up express c. 1962/3. You can see the points leading off towards Weddington Junction in the centre of the picture. Ashby Junction box on the left.

A close up of Ashby Junction box. This photo would be about 1963 as the wiring has not been strung yet on the steel supports for the catenaries.

You cannot imagine today that youthful trainspotters would gather on the edge of the four foot and the signalman turn a blind eye. Its unthinkable but this was the 1950's and the splendid sight of Scot 4-6-0 Nr. 46154 The Hussar heading south drew these kids who might be the same ones today who enjoy their hobby trainspotting on Nuneaton station platforms. This is a long train with a wide variety of carriages. (D.J.Montgomery)

The up "Royal Scot" headed by diesel type 4 D325 passing Ashby Junction on March 11th 1961. What looks to be either an 8F or Black 5 is waiting to leave the Ashby line and is held at the signals. (Michael Mensing)

The wires are up and this steamer's days are numbered. An unidentified "Duchess" heads North through Ashby Junction with a parcels train. Probably about 1964. All the Duchesses were withdrawn by that year.

An Ivatt Class 4MT 2-6-0 Nr. 43010 (one of the first batch built at Horwich and entered service in 1948) takes the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint line about 1964 at Ashby Junction with a fitted freight. 43010 was withdrawn in 1967.

Another in the series taken at Ashby Junction with an 8F on a northbound coal empties.

It is unusual to get a picture from the top of the footbridge which existed pre-electrification at this point over the tracks at Ashby Junction, and although poor quality I thought it interesting enough to get this rare viewpoint of a Scot dashing north with an express. Notice the allotments on the right and the Birmingham-Leicester line embankment on the horizon. (Michael Mears)

A sorry sight - a "Jubilee" 4-6-0 Nr. 45599 plods along on a northbound ballast train. The electrification posts are just being erected so this looks to be about 1962/1963. Fine express engines like this were being cascaded down to menial duties at this period before they were withdrawn having been replaced by the new diesel express locos.

Imagine wandering about in the four foot today? No PPE having a nice chat oblivious to the fact you are standing in wet weather on the down slow line facing away from the train direction. What is really going on is that a new colour light signal has been erected you can see its black plastic covering with a cross on it which tells traffic its out of use. The old main line "pegs" are still in use but for not much longer as electrification is underway and they are getting ready to string the catenaries which would clash with the LMS pattern gantry. This puts the year about 1962 and the photo is one of a large series taken by an S&T engineer who dutifully recorded the short window when both sets of signals were together. Maybe only for a few weeks. So possibly there is a possession and the slows are out of use, enabling these chaps to casually stand around chatting in the four foot and the S&T engineer to record the scene for posterity plonked in the middle of the six foot. The signal box in the distance is the Ashby Junction box whose days are now numbered. The bridge seen faintly beyond carries the line from Nuneaton Abbey Street crossing the TVR and heading towards Weddington Junction. The crossings we see are to get trains from down slow to up slow and then across to the Ashby line. (courtesy Vic Holloway)

Another photo by our S&T cameraman of old signals about to be replaced on the TVR. Nuneaton Abbey Street goods yard can be seen with its marshalling yard filled with 10T steel coal wagons on the right, and stone hoopers on the left destined for Judkins quarry no doubt. (Courtesy Vic Holloway)

The photo here is taken from the up side with the 30 pointing out the speed to exit the main line for the Ashby line going off the picture to the right. A similar mission to the previous pictures where the photographer has crossed the line and has captured a DMU in the distance on the line his companions had just been standing on. The Weddington Junction overbridge in the middle distance indicates the clash it will cause with the overhead wires and will need to be raised. This photo was taken 10 years before the Ashby line closed so the work was carried out. (Courtesy Vic Holloway)

Looking north towards Ashby Junction. The MR loop to the Leicester-Birmingham line on the left. This was opened in 1880. The photo is dated in the late 1950's. The photo was taken from the parapet of the Midland Railway bridge over the LNWR main line. (known as the "Rocker Bridge")

The Midland Railway loop from the Trent Valley main line up to the MR Leicester-Birmingham line on the right. At the time the photo was taken the MR sidings on the right were still in use. Mostly for stone traffic from Judkins sidings. (Peter Lee)

The Trent Valley Line (south of Nuneaton)

A "Royal Scot" heads south through Attleborough on the up slow. The building behind the telegraph pole at right angles to the track is curious as is the raised ground adjacent to the track. A level crossing formerly went across the line here just to serve Nuneaton Fields Farm. Complete with a crossing keeper whose sole job was to operate the crossing gates when the farmer wished to move his livestock. Runaway sheep and cattle was not uncommon, which upset the railway authorities as you can imagine. This led to their stopping up the crossing and removing the need for a crossing keeper who was redeployed elsewhere. The crossing was known to locals as "Pratt's Crossing" after the regular crossing keeper whose job it was to open the gates every now and then when the farmer needed access to Attleborough village. (Maurice Billington)

Attleborough Crossing (Pratt's Crossing) signalling diagram. This crossing was dispensed with about 1900.

A "Duchess" 4-6-2 Nr. 46229 heads south through the "Laundry Bridge" (the Co-Op Attleborough Laundry on the extreme right). It is heading the Up "Royal Scot". (Mike Mensing)

A "Scot" Nr. 46120 "Royal Eniskilling Fusiliers" hurries the Up Llandudno-Euston through Attleborough on 12th April 1958. Near Attleborough. On the right can be seen Nuneaton Fields Farm whose flat field was used as "Attleborough Aerodrome" about the time of the First World War and where the first "Laker Airline" flew from using ex WW1 bombers converted for passenger use, until they all crashed. (Mike Mensing)

Britannia Class 4-6-2 Nr. 70032 "Tennyson" on an up Manchester-Euston train on 12th April 1958. (Mike Mensing)

A photo looking towards Rugby taken from the "Laundry Bridge". The Co-Op laundry being on the left. A "Scot" 4-6-0 Nr. 46124 "London Scottish" on a down express, the 2.30pm London Euston - Liverpool on April 12th 1958. (Mike Mensing)

A Fowler 2-6-4T Nr. 42389 on the 4.52pm Rugby-Stafford on 12th April 1958 (Mike Mensing)

Another view, similar spot ground level of a Royal Scot 4-6-0 Nr. 46143 "The South Staffordshire Regiment" on a relief 2.45pm London Euston-Manchester London Road on 12th April 1958. (Michael Mensing)

Jubilee Class 4-6-0 nr. 45623 "Palestine" on an up Rugby service (A Trent Valley local) on 12th April 1958. The site of the Attleborough aerodrome is on the right. (Michael Mensing)

The well known diesel prototype "Deltic" heads the 2.10pm up Liverpool Lime Street - London Euston through Attleborough on 12th April 1958. (Michael Mensing)

"Britannia" Pacifics were regular performers on the Euston-Manchester expresses during the late 1950's. Here is Nr. 70031 "Byron" heading north approaching Nuneaton on the 2.45pm London Euston - Manchester on 12th April 1958 (Michael Mensing)

Electrification works train on Sunday, 22nd September 1963 with 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48686 on duty. Attleborough recreation ground on the right. (Mike Mensing 664-4)

Attleborough sidings signal box, later renamed just Attleborough box. A fringe box for Nuneaton Trent Valley taken out of use in the 1970's. Lutterworth Road overbridge in the distance. (Courtesy Vic. Holloway)

Heading south along the Trent Valley line towards Rugby

There was a bit of a pile up at Marston Jabbett on the TVR main line on 22.6.77. A freight train carrying steel girders came adrift and chewed up the main slow line. Although reflective vests are in use amongst the rescue crews there are no hard hats and nowadays they would be fully shrouded in orange reflectives from head to foot. The Conflat wagon in the foreground has probably been acting as a spacer wagon for the overhanging steel girders on the left and has come adrift. It is probably that this burst of inactivity on behalf of the workmen is due to the fact the electric is heading by with an express. Probably there has been a permanent way slack imposed. (Geoff Edmands)

A Class 47 on a breakdown train on Trent Valley line at the time of the derailment above in 1977. (Geoff Edmands)

The Up Caledonian near Bulkington. (Geoff Edmands)

Bulkington station before 1909 when the stationmaster Mr. Turner retired. He spent 43 years on the railway.

Bulkington station in the 1930's shortly after closure. The main building on the right still survives today and is one of the remaining examples of the LNWR architect J.W.Livock's Trent Valley buildings. (Atherstone, Mancetter, Colwich being other examples which have survived). The platforms are all in pristine condition which indicates the photo was taken shortly after passenger services were withdrawn. (Geoff Edmands)

Shilton station after closure, photo taken on 1st March 1959. The station closed to passenger traffic on 16th September 1957. We are looking south towards Rugby with Shilton signal box in the distance. Vans are parked in the solitary siding. Shilton station did not open with the line it opened on 1st December 1847. Goods facilities here were minimal. The last train to call on 14th September 1957 was the 4.45pm Rugby-Nuneaton local worked by 42389 (5C) and the 6pm Stafford-Rugby headed by Compound 4-4-0 Nr. 41113 (2A). (Geoff Edmands)

An unrebuilt "Scot" nr. 6149 "The Middlesex Regt." hammers through Brinklow station overtaking a freight hauled by an ex-LNWR "Super D" nr.8908. The workhorse of the Trent Valley line. 1939. 8908 started life as a LNWR class "B" Compound which entered traffic in May 1902, and was rebuilt as a class G1 in August 1923. It lasted until September 1950 when it was withdrawn. Nr. 6149 was originally named "lady of the Lake" and was cut up at Crewe in November 1963. This photo was taken in the 1930's. (Gordan Coltas Collection)

The Deltic Prototype diesel heads the 2.10pm Liverpool Lime Street-Euston on April 29th. 1958. A regular working for this engine. On the TVR line south of Nuneaton. (Michael Mensing)

By contrast Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 Nr. 43020, a regular Nuneaton engine from August 1950 through to March 1958. This must have been one of its last duties at Nuneaton as the photo was taken on March 19th 1958 on the 4.27pm Polesworth-Rugby heading south, 43020 was withdrawn in October 1966. (Michael Mensing)

North Along the Trent Valley Line towards Stafford

A down fitted freight passing Hartshill sidings. Hartshill SB in the distance. The sidings on the right served Jees Hartshill Quarry. Hartshill sidings box was a standard pattern LNWR type 5 box and on Sunday November 11th 1962 it was converted into a shunting frame. A new ground frame was installed at the same time called Hartshill North End. These revised frames were electrically released from Ashby Junction signal box towards Nuneaton. The Hartshill down slow seen here had occupied by the Black 5 Nr. 45348 been put in during the Trent Valley widening and brought into use on June 6th 1909. Note the exemplary state of the permanent way.

A wintry scene near Hartshill sidings. Messrs. Abell's quarry tip, Hartshill sewage works between the main line and the countryside in the background. With the Trent Valley line in the foreground on 15th March 1958 (Maurice Billington)

A LNWR "Experiment" 4-6-0 on an "up" working on the TVR main line near Mancetter. The engine is Nr. 496 "Harlequin". Probably around 1920. (LGRP)

Atherstone

Atherstone station in two track days before 1901. (The quadrupling work was completed on July 1st. 1901). Note the old level crossing in the foreground which caused the trains passing through the station to have their speed reduced to walking pace. A court case between Warwickshire County Council and the LNWR culminated in the railway company running trains at only 4 MPH across the level crossing. This was dispensed with in September 1903 when a new bridge was erected over the line and the Trent Valley line at this point which had expanded to four tracks in 1901 completed the modernisation of the layout through Atherstone.

Atherstone station has only just been altered when this photo was taken which puts it at around 1903. New sections of platform can be seen which have been built over the old level crossing section. A new imposing signal box, which was such a magnificent feature for many years. On the left one of Atherstone's hat factory chimney's smoke. On the right the imposing escarpment of the ridge which incorporated the Atherstone Outwoods. A new section of track has been laid in to complete the four track section but which has not yet been connected up. The former double track section is on the left. The mechanical signal box we see here was closed on Sunday 11th November 1962 and a new electrically operated box installed 124 yards nearer Nuneaton.

Atherstone station is the most magnificent remaining Trent Valley line station newly restored at this date 1985. With the high building of the Atherstone Grain Silos in the background. These grain silos were erected during 1943-4 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries & Food and were rail served with their own small diesel shunter purchased brand new (a Planet 20 hp 4 wheel petro-mechanical unit (FH2895/1944). Traffic to the grain silo was seasonal and rail traffic spasmodic. The grain silo survived into the 1970's when both the trackwork and the loco were sold to a preservation outfit. Today Atherstone has a regular hourly train service to London the best rail service it has ever enjoyed. Back in the old Trent Valley line local service days the train frequency was very poor. (Peter Lee)

An electric Nr. 87 006 heads south through Atherstone on an Up express.

Polesworth

Polesworth station in the early 1950's. An up express thunders through on the fast lines. Polesworth still has a passenger service in 2013 - just! It has one train a day which calls early in the morning, and is kept open for legal reasons. It can only be hoped that the station will become part of the regular London Midland London-Crewe service at some stage. But this one train only calls at the down platform as the up platform is no longer accessible from the station entrance as the footbridge has long gone. Reinstatement of the footbridge would be needed to restore a full service. Polesworth would seem an ideal parkway station for people using the M42 motorway nearby to gain access to trains and use a park and ride service. Someone should campaign to restore Polesworth to full use as a Park and Ride station.

Polesworth station was a lovely example of the designs of John William Livock (1815-1883), the architect of all the stations on the Trent Valley line. Their very tall chimneys are a noticeable feature. (John Burton Collection)

By the 1960's and electrification the station at Polesworth had been shorn of its tall chimneys which spoiled the effect. August 24th 1968. (Michael Mensing)

On 19th November there was a nasty crash at Polesworth when an Up Glasgow-London express loaded to twelve coaches headed by a "Duchess" 4-6-2 "City of Leicester" left the road at Polesworth and ended on its side. The cause of the accident was driver error due to taking a cross over from the fast to slow line at too high a speed 55m.p.h. and the engine keeled over. The platform kept some of the damage to a minimum and although this was a very nasty incident only two of the 174 passengers on board were injured. Here is the aftermath.

It was unusual to see a "Duchess" from this angle. It has well and truly ploughed into banking at the side of the track. But it could have been a lot worse. This accident should not be mixed up with a much more serious accident at Polesworth which took place on 21 July 1947 when an express with 800 people on board (130 standing) derailed killing 5 passengers.

A "Super D" ex LNWR 0-8-0 on an Up freight passes fast line through Polesworth sometime in the 50's.

A LMS Class 3MT 2-6-2 Nr. 101 of shed 5C sometime in the 40's on a typical Trent Valley local. (J.A.Peden C4863)

The Coventry - Nuneaton Branch (opened 1850)

This is a new book published to mark the modernisation of the Nuneaton-Coventry line with new stations and a possible through working to Leamington. It is available from Waterstones, all good book-sellers and Amazon.

Ivatt Class 2 Nr. 41237 comes off the Coventry line at Nuneaton (by the loco shed) with a typical Coventry line workman's train heading for Platform 1 at Nuneaton station.

Coton Arches

A feature of Nuneaton is the magnificent set of railway arches the bridge we know as Coton Arches. With its large shallow central arch. The plan below shows the original bridge over the Nuneaton-Coventry turnpike road where it terminated at the Nuneaton Toll House. The turnpike toll was abolished in the 1870's.

Coton Arches the well known bridge with its wide shallow central arch carrying the Nuneaton - Coventry line. It is being inspected for defective brickwork sometime in the 1960's. (Keith Draper Collection)

Coton Arches when road alterations were being carried out c. 1972. The buildings which used to enclose it were being demolished. (Geoff Edmands)

Another view of Coton Arches taken from the bell tower of Chilvers Coton church. Chilvers Coton station was away to the left. (Geoff Edmands)

Chilvers Coton Station

Chilvers Coton Station in the 1950's. The station had no goods facilities. Freight for Coton was handled from Nuneaton, although parcel traffic was unloaded here.

A 2 car Park Royal DMU passing the closed Chilvers Coton station on Sunday 12th September 1965. This was a special shuttle to carry passengers from the 5.40pm Birmingham New Street - Rugby whilst electrification was taking place on the main line. (Mike Mensing)

A Nuneaton bound DMU has pulled up at Chilvers Coton. I think the health and safety would be very critical today to see the DMU doors being opened even before the train has stopped at the platform. (No mistaking where you are with the award winning gardens on the left the lettering being formed from old bricks whitewashed). (Mike Mensing)

Chilvers Coton Station looking towards Nuneaton about the time of closure. 1965.

Chilvers Coton Station's flower beds were renowned for being beautifully kept and this shows the display in Coronation year. The staff had great pride in their garden until one day a railway official turned up on an inspection and enquired who was attending to these beds. When he found out he cut the number of staff at Coton station on the basis that they had too much time on their hands!

The station staff that maintained the flower beds and looked after the passengers at Chilvers Coton station. From left to right: Mr. & Mrs. William Ashley, Anne Royce and Eddie Bowler. (Ted Veasey Collection)

A shuttle service operated between Nuneaton Trent Valley and Coventry stations on Sunday 12th September 1965 conveying passengers from diverted services which were stopped due to electrification work on the main line in the Coventry area. Here is shuttle carrying the 5.40pm Birmingham New Street - Rugby. A 2 car Park Royal d.m.u. (Michael Mensing 35/40-33)

Chilvers Coton station on the early evening of 12th May 1964 on a 2 car Metro-Cammell DMU on a Nuneaton (Trent Valley) - Leamington train. (Michael Mensing 35/12-33)

Chilvers Coton station with a diverted 4.15pm Birmingham New Street - London Euston on Sunday 4th September 1966. By this time the station garden so beautifully attended 14 years before is now fully overgrown. The loco is a English Electric 1Co-Co1 Class 4 diesel-electric D219 "Caronia". (Michael Mensing C249-1)

An unidentified DMU passes towards Nuneaton through the closed Chilvers Coton station on 4th February 1973. (Geoff Edmands 1/25:F.5.6 (Trifca) 4872)

The Griff Branch, serving Stanley Brothers yards, Haunchwood Brickyards, Nuneaton Colliery and Griff Collieries. 

Griff Junction box in its heyday in the 1950's. There was quite a climb from the branch up to this junction which created some difficulties when the rails were wet and you had a fully loaded coal train. The bridge in the foreground is over the Griff Arm of the Coventry Canal. We are looking towards Nuneaton with the Griff branch leading to Stanley Brothers sidings to the left. This might be a Sunday as both "Pegs" are off and Griff box unmanned as no trains were worked onto the branch on a Sunday. (Geoff Edmands)

The same view on the same occasion as photographed by Geoff Edmands on 30th March 1958. (Transparency Nr. 776 Ilford Film)

A similar view to the one above. Bermuda industrial estate on the left. The wooden cabin has since been removed but the obscure triangle of land remains to remind us of the Griff branch.

The Coventry & Nuneaton line passing over the Griff arm of the Coventry Canal. 1960's. (Geoff Edmands)

The trackbed of the Griff Colliery branch looking towards the end of the branch at Stockingford, from the former level crossing at Bermuda village. The main line track had been lifted, but the track to the far left is still in position and this led to the canal basin. Griff Nr. 4 colliery tip to the right and the chimneys of Haunchwood Brick & Tile's Nr. 3 yard. The bridge in the distance carried the road that led to Stanley's Nr. 7 yard and on to the Arbury estate but the ramp below it blocking the view through the bridge indicates that this bridge will shortly be taken down and the road replaced by an embankment. Photo taken in the late 1960's. (Peter Lee)

The site of the Bermuda level crossing today. Its good to see that someone has taken the trouble to put in a gate which resembles the former level crossing. (Peter Lee)

These diagrams are by Roger West and appeared in Michael J. Lee's fine article on the Griff Collieries in the IRS Record which is available on line. (Industrial Railway Society)

A plan of the Griff branch with its connections to the various Griff collieries and the canal wharf (drawn by Roger West for the Industrial Railway Society. The original was in Mick Lee's article about Griff Collieries in the IRS Journal)

A superb view of a "Fowler Crab" 6P5F 2-6-0 Nr. 2936 parked up on the Griff branch between a spot of shunting. This job was known as "The Old Man's Link" because footplate crews regarded it as 9-5 job where they could not make the overtime that went with main line duties. Young crews with mortgages and young families needed the extra cash but the older drivers less pressed financially and nearing their time could eke out their last years quite happily up this idyllic branch line. (Betty Melbourne)

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The signal frame in the bottom portion of Griff Junction signal box. You can see the levers still connected by rods to the signals and a cross over road. Other bottom brackets of the levers have no rods so by this time they are out of use. The box acted as a fringe box for mechanical signalling interfacing with Nuneaton power box but this arrangement was superseded in the 1980's. (Peter Lee)

Bedworth Station

Bedworth station (as built). 1850.

The first Bedworth station "as built" goods shed beyond and the premises of William Beasley Heap's Bedworth Brick & Tile Co. Ltd which closed in 1902 and had seven coal shafts on the premises.

What looks to be the entire passenger station staff at Bedworth photographed at the old station. Although all but the stationmaster are in civvies!

LNWR 0-8-0 Nr. 2557 in the goods yard at Bedworth station engaged in shunting the sidings. (Courtesy Gordon Webster)

Bedworth Goods Shed with a large delivery of Ale in barrells and bottles to slake the thirst of hard working colliers. (LNWR Gazette)

A fine overall view of Bedworth station lookig towards Nuneaton, probably in the 60's. Goods yard on the right obviously still in use. (Ben Brooksbank)

Bedworth station January 1965 not long before closure that month. (Geoff Edmands)

Bedworth station, goods yard beyond and goods shed roof in view.

Bedworth station looking towards Nuneaton. Bedworth signal cabin in the distance. A Leamington train is awaited. January 1965. (Geoff Edmands)

Looking in the Coventry direction at Bedworth. (Geoff Edmands).

A dmu departs Bedworth station in January 1965. Geoff Edmands car is parked in the forecourt. (Geoff Edmands)

A standard class 4MT Nr. 75035 heads light engine through Bedworth sometime between October 1962 and May 1963 when it was allocated to Nuneaton. (R. Blencowe Collection)

A good old Nuneaton favourite 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48016 trundles a mixed freight through Bedworth. 48016 was originally built for the War Department (Nr. 70591) and was at Nuneaton shed continuously from at least 1950 until August 1963. The date of this photo 3rd May 1963. (R. Blencowe)

Bedworth with a Class 2 2-6-0 nr 46447 on a five coach train. Five coaches were often needed to accommodate the hundreds of workers travelling to and from the factories in Foleshill and around. The chaneover to two or three car DMU's modern as they were probably added to the demise of the passenger services as all the workers crammed into these shorter units, leading to many workers leaving the discomfort of train travel for the local buses. 3rd May 1963. 46447 had been transferred to Derby in April 1963 from Nuneaton so it is curious to know why it was back on its old territory. This engine was preserved and is now at Quainton Road. (R. Blencowe)

A "Stanier Crab" 2-6-0 Nr. 42971on a southbound freight on 12th May 1964 departs Bedworth with a fairly mixed freight. Classic freight for the 1960's. (Mike Mensing)

Newdigate Colliery Sidings

Newdigate Colliery exchange sidings. Looking towards Bedworth in the early 1980's before the colliery closed. (Peter Lee)

Newdigate Sidings signal box. The Newdigate Colliery branch on the left. c. 1980. (Peter Lee)

A photo taken from the Newdigate exchange sidings behind the cameraman looking towards the colliery in this view. (Peter Lee)

Hawkesbury Lane Station, Marshalling Yard and the Wyken Branch Railway 

A classic view of Hawkesbury Lane with Stanier Class 3 2-6-2T Nr. 143 on a Coventry & Leamington local. The stationmasters house on the right remains today. The train is a typical 5 coach consist of the period. 1940's. The Stanier 2-6-2T's replace the LNWR 2-4-2T's who were being overwhelmed by the loadings on these passenger trains. (W.A.Camwell)

Class 8F 2-8-0 Nr. 48656 passing Hawkesbury Lane station. (Mike Mensing)

Hawkesbury Lane looking in the Nuneaton direction. (Maurice Billington)

An unidentified Crab brings a coal train through Hawkesbury Lane station. The original Coventry & Nuneaton station buildings still remain in 2014 as does a section of platform.

The remains of Hawkesbury Lane marshalling yard. A lot of coal traffic emanating from the various collieries en-route between Nuneaton and Coventry was sorted here into full trains for its destination all over England. This eased the pressure on Nuneaton yard and other places en route. By the time this photo was taken Hawkesbury Lane sidings were in decline and in 2014 all that was left was one loop in use for running round Murco oil trains. The M6 motorway bridge crosses the yard in the distance. The gas holder of Foleshill Gas Works can also be seen. (Peter Lee)

The CEGB power station built over the site of the old Victoria Colliery at Coventry. The power station opened in 1928 and here one of its two locos: Barclays 0-4-0ST Nr. 1 (1942 of 1929) positions a wagon over the power station coal tippler. This rotated a standard coal wagon over a chute discharging the coal into the power station fuel supply system. The loco was scrapped on site by Cashmores the scrap merchant of Great Bridge in December 1970. (M. Musson Collection)

Longford and Exhall Station

Longford and Exhall Railway station (closed). The photo was taken on 3rd January 1965. The station closed in 1949. On the right are the premises of the Foleshill Brick & tile Co. established in 1889 and known as Longford brickworks. (It may have superseded an earlier brickyard extant in 1850). We are looking towards Coventry in this view. (Geoff Edmands)

Another photo by Geoff looking back in the opposite direction towards Nuneaton. On the right are the gasholders of the Longford gas works, which were demolished in recent years to build the current Ricoh arena and Ricoh retail park. Edgar Barnsby, an old railway friend long passed away, told me that he was appointed railway man in charge of Longford & Exhall station back in the 1930's. (the station did not warrant a station master), so he had to be jack of all trades. He cycled out from Nuneaton before the first train of the day (6ish. in the morning) to open up and locked up after the last train at night. Then he cycled back to Nuneaton. Week after week in all weathers. His job included maintaining the signals at the station. You can see the tall one off in the distance. To do this he had to carry a can of lamp oil along to the signal and then climb its rickety ladder to top up the oil pots. He did this in all weathers. He was on his own with no help and no mobile phone, or indeed means of communication to the outside world other than the gongs fitted in the station to tell him a train was coming. (Geoff Edmands)

Edgar Barnsby in the foreground was in charge of Longford & Exhall station in the 1930's. (With eminent Nuneaton railway historian - Mick Lee to his left and your web site manager - Peter Lee to the right.) (Maurice Billington)

Original layout of Bedlam Lane Crossing. (Coventry-Nuneaton line track plan and section - CNR archive)

Mr. Gurney the crossing keeper at Bedlam Lane, 1916. (Harry Addison)

The quaint keepers cottage at Bedlam Crossing. (Geoff Edmands)

Class 3 2-6-2T Nr. 40157 which was based at Nuneaton intermittently between September 1956 and July 1960 heads past the distinctive Foleshill Gas Works gas tanks which dominated the landscape for miles around. This site is now covered by the Ricoh retail park which is a good use of a former brownfield site. For further details of Foleshill Gas Works - see the extractive industries section of the web site.

A "weathered" 8F passes Foleshill Gas Works in 1964. (Michael Mears)

A big type 4 diesel D376 passes Foleshill Gas Works preparatory to entering Three Spires Junction sidings. 1964. (Michael Mears)

An 8F shunts at what is believed to be Three Spires Junction, or possibly Bedlam sidings. 1960's. Michael Mears.

A "Peak" class diesel passes Three Spires Junction on a lowly freight. 1964. (Michael Mears)

A class 20 diesel hauls an inspection saloon towards Three Spires junction sometime in the late 1960's. (Michael Mears)

The same class 20 approaches Three Spires with its inspection saloon and you can just see Three Spires Junction signal box on the right under the bridge. A conversation is being conducted in the four foot. Note no PPE, unthinkable 50 years later. (Michael Mears)

Three Spires Junction signal cabin in LNWR days 1916 (Harry Addison)

Three Spires junction signalman. 1916. (Harry Addison)

Three Spires Junction signalman, 1916 (Harry Addison)

When you think about it. What better place to learn a musical instrument than a signal box. You can make a cacophany of noise well away from being overheard, between trains. Three Spires Junction 1916. (Harry Addison)

A. Dalby, J. Lissaman, (yard inspector) and E. Randle all railway staff at Three Spires. (Harry Addison)

Harry Addison at Three Spires Jct. poses for photographs sitting on a private wagon of a Reading coal merchant. 1916. (Harry Addison)

The Coventry Loop Line

Three Spires Junction track layout. (1914)

Bell Green Goods Yard

Bell Green Signal Box from a rail tour carriage. (Warwickshire Railways Web Site)

Bell Green Goods Yard entrance through the gates on the left with the Coventry Loop carried on the bridge over Stoney Stanton Road. Note the points in the tram track which led off to the left which accessed the yard for Coventry Corporation trams. This was used when new trams were delivered from the makers to unload them from rail low loaders. (Warwickshire Railways Web Site)

Bell Green Goods Yard in the 1960's. (Robert Bristow - Warwickshire Railways Web Site)

(Robert Bristow)

(Robert Bristow)

(Robert Bristow)

Gosford Green Goods Yard

Gosford Green goods yard in its heyday. (Warwickshire Railways Web Site)

Gosford Green Goods Shed 1970's. (Warwickshire Railways web site)

Gosford Green Goods Yard after abandonment. (Warwickshire Railways Web Site)

Gosford Green Goods Yard 1970's. (Peter Lee)

Humber Road Junction where the Coventry loop line met the London-Birmingham main line at Coventry. An SLS special traversed the branch pulled by 2P class 4-4-0 Nr. 40646. This special covered many obscure branch lines at the time.

Foleshill Station

The original plan of Foleshill station. It was a very small affair originally when opened in 1850.

The original Foleshill station which had to be rebuilt as a new road bridge was put in eliminating the level crossing and it was greatly enlarged to take a vast increase in passenger traffic when the various engineering firms opened in the area. In 1915 the traffic requirements of this station changed dramatically as the nearby White & Poppe shell filling factory increased in size and started to generate thousands of workers daily. Heavy traffic on the Nuneaton-Coventry line and the limited size of the old Foleshill station caused this to be demolished, a new road bridge built and a larger station erected to cope with thousands of passengers a day. The station was open 365 days a year. Foleshill shared a stationmaster with Coundon Road. World War II with its reduction in road traffic due to petrol rationing also caused a surge in passenger traffic at Foleshill.

Foleshill station in BR days. The long canopies sheltered thousands of workmen that used this station every day arriving and departing from the many motor works and engineering firms in the area.

A moment captured in time as BR Class 4 4-6-0 Nr. 75063 enters Foleshill station with a local train heading towards Nuneaton. 75063 was allocated to Nuneaton in May 1963.

A 2 car Park Royal DMU forms the 7.10pm Nuneaton-Leamington calling at Foleshill station in the 1960's. (Michael Mensing)

A view from the roadbridge at Foleshill looking towards Coventry. Note the extensive goods yard which now lies under an industrial estate. There were sidings on the right serving the WW1 shell filling factory of White & Poppe.

A "Super D" 0-8-0 Nr. 49439 passes Foleshill on 24th June 1961 heading towards Nuneaton with a mixed freight. (Michael Mensing)

The photograph above and below illustrates a slight mishap when Coventry based ex MR 0-6-0 Nr. 3725 Class 2F has become derailed outside the Foleshill premises of Campton & Sons Ltd. What seems to have happened it has derailed on the points at the throat to Foleshill goods yard and then run several yards on the ground before it could be stopped. The crew await the re-railing gang. This loco survived to become 58306 and was eventually withdrawn in February 1957.

See caption below (Michael Mensing)

Class 8 2-8-0 Nr. 48686 moves chemical tankers out of the sidings at Foleshill station. 48686 was at Nuneaton shed for 10 years between February 1956 and May 1966. (Michael Mensing)

Type 4 diesel on very meagre duties. Nr. D339 heads through Foleshill towards Coventry with a loose coupled freight in the 1960's. (Michael Mensing)

The Foleshill Railway

"Rocket" a Peckett 0-4-0ST (1722/1926) of the Foleshill Railway has been drawn of the loco shed on the Foleshill Railway in 1969. This loco was transferred to the Tyseley Railway Museum for preservation on 3rd June 1974. More information on the Foleshill Railway will appear under the heading of industrial railways. (Maurice Billington)

Coundon Road

The original track plan of Coundon Road station c. 1850 "as built". (CNR archive)

(Geoff Edmands)

Coundon Road Station in the 60's. (Geoff Edmands)

A black 5 4-6-0 brings a stopping train into Coundon Road station in the 1950's. Nr. 44915.

Coundon Road Goods Yard in the 1960's. Main Coventry to Nuneaton line on the left, station beyond.

Radford Station

Radford was a passenger station that was built for the Coventry-Nuneaton branch but never opened. There were letters to the Coventry newspapers requesting that the LNWR be made to open it, but it never was, which is strange. But I do seem to remember that the station building still stood in the 1960's but cannot remember seeing photos of it. (CNR Archive)

The former Radford station, the station that never opened. As it looked in the 1970's before demolition. (Bill Randle)

Spon End Arches, Coventry's famous viaduct which fell down in the early hours of Monday 26th January 1857. The story is below. The arches were originally started to be built in June 1848. and were completed in June 1849.

A poor newspaper photo taken in January 1857 of the rubble with Sir Richard Moon, chairman of the LNWR, standing amongst it. The line did not re-open until 1st October 1860. (Coventry Graphic)

A view towards Coventry city centre from a train travelling over Spon End Arches in the 1950's.

The Coventry line junction with the London to Birmingham line at Coventry station. The C&N comes in from the right. The large goods yard on the right has been cut back since then and built over. The Station 6 retail park occupies the site today.

 The South Leicestershire Railway - Nuneaton to Leicester  

Midland Junction signal box where the Midland Railway from Birmingham joined the South Leicester branch of the LNWR. About 1980. This box was said to be haunted! (Peter Lee)

An 8F crossing Weddington Road before the road was widened and the bridge renewed.

Nutt's Lane signal box on the way to Hinckley which is in the distance. This was quite close to the junction with the old line which once went to Stoke Golding which was never used for traffic, but had nothing to do with that line, as the cabin was not erected until a private siding was put in to Nutt's Lane power station. The old line had a signal box when built to control the junction which functioned for some years despite the fact that no trains were routed over it. It had to remain in use as it was wired up as part of the signalling system on that stretch of line and as a fringe box for Hinckley. It was not until the junction was removed in the late 1880's that the old box was removed.

Hinckley Station on the South Leicester line in the late 1860's. I must thank Gordon Webster for finding this picture, and he thinks it might have been taken by Hinckley photographer - Edward Houlston. The Nuneaton-Hinckley branch railway opened in 1862 and was then extended through to Leicester in 1864, with a branch to Birmingham being opened at the same time making the Leicester to Birmingham line a major route. ((Both Hinckley station and the Leicester-Birmingham line are still open and the station buildings we see here are still in use). This lovely old engine was a 2-2-2 saddle tank originally built for the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway as their Nr. 21 by Sharp Stewart (Works Nr. 771/1851 or 1852) and it entered service on that railway in April 1854. It was acquired by the London & North Western Railway on the 20th April 1860. when they absorbed the B,L & C Jct line. The LNWR renumbered the engine 316 and named it "Prince Eugene" The name was removed in 1862 and in 1868 it was rebuilt as a saddle tank in the form we see here, and the condition it is in suggests that this rebuild was quite recent. The photo must have been taken in the period 1868-1874 when the loco was renumbered in the duplicate list in April of 1874 as Nr. 1821. It was scrapped in September 1877. It is a curious fact that the loco is running wrong line. I cannot figure out the reason for this unless it was working a short Hinckley to Nuneaton service. At this time though one train used to work both the Nuneaton-Coventry service and the Nuneaton - Leicester service with an engine shedded at Nuneaton so it is possible that it was a Nuneaton engine. In fact it is more than likely.

Hinckley Station (Pre-1923)

Hinckley station staff.

A Nuneaton bound train draws into Hinckley station behind a Fairbairn 2-6-4T. (Michael Mensing)

A Leicester bound DMU calls at Hinckley station. (Michael Mensing)

A LNER Class B1 4-6-0 Nr. 61204 on a Cleethorpes-Birmingham train. Passing Blaby station. (Michael Mensing)

The Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway (A joint line operated by the LNWR and the MR. South of Shackerstone Junction the LNWR were responsible for maintenance from the 1880's onwards)

The junction at Nuneaton with the Ashby line in the foreground. Judkins sidings to the right. c. 1980 after this short section of the Ashby line had been left in solely to service this siding. (Peter Lee)

A view looking in the opposite direction to the one above along the former Ashby line trackbed. The judkins siding trails off on the left. (Peter Lee)

A "Peak" approaches Weddington Junction with an excursion over the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint sometime in the late 1960's. (Peter Lee)

An ex LMS 4F 0-6-0 brings a coal train from the Leicestershire coalfield into Nuneaton Abbey Street station over the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint with Judkins siding on the left.

The Ashby & Nuneaton Joint line passes over the Weddington Road bridge over the A444. The loco is an 8F returning empty coal wagons to the Leicestershire collieries in connection with the A&N Jt. Sometime in the 60's.

Lifting operations on the Ashby line. The bridge over the A444 is reached. (Alan Cook)

The A444 bridge being prepared for detonation. 1972. (Alan Cook)

Weddington Road bridge is prepared for demolition. Large piles of sand are being tipped onto the tarmac to deaden the blast and stop the soft tarmac being damaged by the bricks as the bridge is blown down. (Geoff Edmands)

The moment of detonation of the A&N Jt. bridge over the A444 on 21st July 1972. (Alan Cook)

Weddington Junction signal box c. 1960's. (Alan Cook)

A Black 5 4-6-0 44862 at Weddington Junction Light Engine. Its difficult to say which way it is heading. (Michael Mears)

Weddington junction in a derelict condition 1970. The view is towards Market Bosworth. Line off to the left to Nuneaton Abbey Street station, that in the foreground towards Ashby Junction on the Trent Valley main line. (Peter Lee)

Another 1970's view of the derelict track bed with the line down to Trent Valley Ashby Junction in the foreground. The Abbey Junction line off to the left. (Peter Lee)

A view towards Ashby Junction (left) and the trackage to Abbey Junction (right) after closure. (Alan Cook)

Higham on the Hill station.

The only building remaining of Higham on the Hill station is the station house. The platform buildings were taken down in the 1930's.

A curious arrangement existed at Higham on the Hill station with the main station building and circulating area stood back on the bank away from the platforms. This must have made it difficult to get down to an arriving train on an icy or wet day having to descend the ramp on the left. (Celia Hornbuckle Collection)

Higham on the Hill station the down platform. (Celia Hornbuckle Collection)

The site of Higham on the Hill station after the track was taken up in the early 1970's. The sleepers are still present ready to be removed although the rails have been removed.

Looking back towards Nuneaton from Stoke Golding where the junction with the former branch to Hinckley can be seen. This line was laid in at the insistence of the Midland Railway who had plans to divert all their coal traffic from the Ashby canal over it, to increase their monopoly of the canal traffic. (they owned the Ashby canal) but the reason for the line to be laid in was thwarted by the Leicestershire colliery owners who did not want their product to become subject to punitive tarriffs if the Midland had a complete monopoly and the line's reason for construction was never realised. The line lay unused and derelict from 1873 when laid in until it was taken up in the late 1880's to re-use the rails elsewhere. Although formal abandonment did not come about until 20 years later. (Maurice Billington)

Stoke Golding station in the late 1950's. The signal box is still manned at this point and the goods yard in daily use. At this period passenger trains in the form of excursions still stopped at the station. (Maurice Billington)

A platform view of Stoke Golding when the goods yard has been cleared of track and its days as a occasional stopping point for excursion traffic over. (Geoff Edmands)

A bleak and wintry day sees Ivatt 2-6-0 Nr. 43002 head towards Shackerstone on an excursion. (Reg. Bull)

Lifting the redundant track on the Ashby & Nuneaton joint line at Stoke Golding station 1973. (Alan Cook)

Shenton station in its early days. The track looks in very good order in the finest tradition of LNWR permanent way maintenance. By this time the LNWR was responsible for the infrastructure south of Shackerstone junction. (Roger Carpenter Collection)

Shenton in BR days (mid 60's probably). It is still possible to put a van in the bay at this time. (Geoff Edmands)

The main station building at Shenton looking decidedly run down. (Geoff Edmands)

Car parking encroaching on Shenton station platform. Shenton Station. 13th October 1974 (Geoff Edmands 1/25:F.16 Nr. 4976)

A LNWR DX class 0-6-0 calls at Market Bosworth station c. 1890. Note the dumb buffered private owner wagons. The coal in the left hand wagon has been stacked beautifully as was often the case with these old dumb buffered wagons. The loaders were paid to ensure the coal reached its destination in the lump sizes despatched from the colliery. Heaven help them if the coal was reduced to slack en route. It would reduce the value of the load and this would be deducted from the loaders pay. The first truck next the engine has either been loaded with small coal or ballast. It is heading in the Nuneaton direction and has probably originated in the Ashby/Coalville area.

A good panoramic view over Market Bosworth station in the early 1900's (or earlier) A light engine has departed northwards. The goods yard looks busy. A full compliment of railway staff line up for the photo. A nice MR 2-4-0 has brought in a typical passenger consist of the period.

Another MR train this time with a 0-4-4T ready to depart.

Market Bosworth Station looking north in the 60's.

The well known LRS tour of lines in the West Leicestershire area included a trip over the Charnwood Forest line to Loughborough Derby Road. Ivatt 2-6-2T Nr. 41321 has called at Market Bosworth.

Market Bosworth in the 50's with wooden lean to and sheds provided by the military in WW2 when a petrol supply depot operated from the station and this building became its office accomodation. (Maurice Billington)

A view looking back towards Nuneaton. Still in BR use but obviously some work going on. The platform copings on the right hand side have just been removed. The station roof looks in poor condition. (Geoff Edmands)

Market Bosworth was later sold for private occupation and looks in quite good order here. It was used as a car repair garage depot. (Alan Cook)

Shackerstone Junction (Junction for the line direct to Burton On Trent, and to the right Charnwood Forest Junction and Loughborough Derby Road.)  

One of the earliest views we have of Shackerstone junction with two LNWR locos in the station. (c. 1880)

A post nationalisation view of Shackerstone Junction with the Junction box in the distance. (Maurice Billington)

Shackerstone Junction in the 50's. The junction can clearly be seen with the branch turning off to the right towards Coalville East and Loughborough Derby Road.

Taken from the footbridge over the line with the junction off to the right disused and the track lifted. The right hand signal has been taken down. The line towards Measham and ultimately Burton is still in use (c. 1961)