Ashley

The Diesel Loco was responsible for the decline of our once great nation! All national pride ended with the coming of them, plus of course unemployment increased by over a million with the removal of steam, what with the shutting of pits as the demand for coal was no longer there, And another thing, the great train robbery would never have happened with 2 fit men up front armed with shovels and coal hammers! When I come to power one of my first acts with be to reopen the likes of Darlington, Tyseley, Crewe and Derby works producing replica's of Tornado for use on the restored NSR, lol

hmmm, gremlins? wonder where my post went? All my trainspotting was former GCR, Malton Rd field, New Basford Station or Perry Rd bridge, Never even went to Victoria to trainspot but recall rides back as a treat when out with my mam shopping in town and being at the station for train when going on holiday to Mablethorpe or Hull (change at Doncaster where I saw streaks) do recall going to Hull (relations lived there) from Midland once, via Leeds where I saw a blue ex LMS equiv of a streak? didn't even go to Basford Vernon! cept for odd bank holiday ventures into Derbyshire,(well they had "f

some good photos here http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=nottingham+suburban

Yes I had thought "the garage" later became the bike shop, similar rounded design as opposed to 90 degree corners

Cliff Ton, re your post no 5, not sure but suspect earlier photo is of north (Arnold) end of tunnel? (look at cliff above it) also recall seeing remains of burnt out buildings on left first time I walked it in about 1964, at that time could walk right through one end to the other, The Arnold end was dry and in open fields apart from the cutting, southern end back then was like a swamp and we got hassle from Gedling Pit workers on their surface rail lines leading up to loading dock on mapperley plains, Northern cutting still accessable but tunnel mouth banked up with soil

Lol, the joys of motorcycling! Will ask Mick about that trip, but you're not confusing it with his detour through through the open doors of Marks &Spencer Wheeler Gate are you? Had left the market square on that old harley 750, but failed to get round the s bend or manage to stop so through the doors and down the steps inside! hell of a job getting it back up them! good job it was a summer saturday when the doors were open Nice photo Cliff Ton, had a good look myself but couldn't find any, I thought I was right re it being a one time "island", don't recall it as a garage though, more

There was another motorcycles sales shop in the I think former Hooleys car sales that was sort of opposite The Bowling Green seen on the map on post 33 between Greyfriars Gate and Maid Marian Way? in later years it became a Lighting Shop, lamp shades, wall lights, fancy stuff etc, been looking for a photo but no luck, funny how you recall things but at one time think the land it was on was a "traffic island" ? now long gone

or "Rescued" ?

Re the 2 steam loco's running Derby to Nottm and back, at time was unaware, having a break from "trainspotting" and spending weekends on a 23ft clinker ex lifeboat converted to cabin cruiser at Beeston Marina, would go down Saturday, spend day fishing/doing boat up/ have a meal on such the trip round local pubs, back to Marina club then spend night on the boat, amazed next morning to hear chuff chuff chuff, chuff chuff chuff, and steam whistle! thought damn, some steam special has gone through, then same or similar again! spent whole day fishing, cruising, sun bathing living in the past till

still runs downhill, look at height of the telegraph poles?

This is true Stephan but when I come to power I will insist, even make laws that things revert to how they were, ban all trams and re instate a proper railway system using a north to south station somewhere in the city with connections to the NSR, and intigrate the Robin Hood line into it, all loco's would be steam powered thus creating lots of jobs maintaining such and the reopening of local pits, might even introduce back to back workers houses with healthy outside toilets and a "nightsoil" man emptying such via the back passage, (it's no wonder there's lots of ill health with toilets nex

was it the railtour before the tracks were took up? re the photos, great not seen any of those before however the middle one is confusing? the route looks to be going downhill? whereas far I know after a short level stretch on leaving the GNR it was uphill at 1 in 70 inc through Ashwell's tunnel? what an ideal route for a tram line though?

Yes, that was a "public bookshop" are they still there? were about 15 years ago as they stocked my railway book, think the union rd and new basford places just did schools supplies, exercise books, jotters, graph paper type of stuff plus of course pencils, crayons, chalk etc, not sure if they did "tutorial books" from there, the sort either issued to you or got from front of class and shared with your mate, only recall one, "Pendleburys" which I think was a maths book?

Sisson & Parker schools supplies was a very well known firm, wasn't a shop as such more a warehouse but they did have a trade counter as I recall being sent there on my pushbike to collect a tin of blackboard paint in 1962 when I worked at Blackburn&Starlings Previously S&P had a big mill type building on I think Mount St. New Basford, hard to recall exact location as it burnt down one Saturday night I think in 1959? much to the delight of local kids who myself included helped themselves to the masses of books, talking of great big bales of them mostly undamaged that were remo

Borrowed? Quote "To obtain or receive (something) on loan with the promise or understanding of returning it or its equivalent." lol Like the signal lamp I found in weekday cross tunnel, incidently I was spotted coming out of the tunnel carrying a ladder and said lamp by a council gardener working in that little park by the steps, who informed me he was fetching the police, this was some 18 years after the route closed! whether they came I've no idea

Yes, the big one was on Jan 23rd 1925 and the line was closed east of Daybrook for several weeks whilst "the crown of the tunnel was repaired" " In the late 1950's the crown of the tunnel again failed at the eastern end and had to be shored up with timber as a temporary repair, the extent and cost of permanent repair to the tunnel, the fact that mining subsidence was distorting the line in general and that there was the alternative route led to the decision of closure of the line from April 4th 1960. Info from Railways In And Around Nottingham by Forster and Taylor, said book also contains

Lizzie, Mapperley tunnel closed far as I know in 1960 after a roof fall, (though I saw no evidence of such when I walked through it) and from then on all traffic reaching Basford & Bulwell (Basford North) heading east/south was diverted via bagthorpe junction through Victoria Station, Daybrook and Gedling Stations closed on April 4th 1960 and coal trains to and from Gedling pit then went back and forth to/from Colwick. Former GNR Passenger trains from/to the north/west called at the then named Basford North station till it closed Sept 7th 1964 using the rathole/bagthorpe junction to/f

It's still possible (or was, as over 10 years since I did it) to walk down that cutting to the Arnold end of the tunnel, well at least to where earth has been banked up over the mouth, for those who don't where it is/was behind a scout hut/residents centre on Weaverthorpe Road about 20 metres from junction with Woodford Rd (said hut etc might now be the Good Shepard pre school) When I went one mid week morning merely asked if ok to go down the path, woman said ok, was very boggy then, (mid summer) so hate to think how flooded now, the route was like a tip, everything from grass cuttings to o

Recall going in those "shells of houses", as I recall just four walls, holes for windows and doors, no stuffed dummies to bayonet as lead to believe! (was reminded many year later of the place watching the competition shoot out in the film Magnum Force) (Dirty Harry)

If you believe in ghosts, a fair bet some railways are haunted given the high number of deaths on such in times gone by? in 1938 for example nationwise 622 people were killed on the railways, 30 were passengers, 210 suicides, 40 killed at crossings and the rest, all 342 of them were railway staff. (if those figures seem high the same year 8,172 were killed on the roads!)

I had a well turned ankle once, on crutches for weeks!

Thanks for replies, had seen that map before, not being ungrateful but doesn't give any idea of style shape how made etc? something a photo would do, bet theres one somewhere? or a sketch ?

Would have loved to see the line from St Ann's station over Wells Rd to and through the tunnel to Thorneywood, very few photos exist of that bit, in fact The NSR in total! that split embankment sounds the same, no photos understand there was a bridge walkway between the 2 and the signal box but hard to visualize even after walking there (long after closure but whilst bridge over mansfield rd at Daybrook still there) maybe someone here could do sketch or diagram of the walkway thingy?

Walked Mapperley Tunnel in 1960's, rode motorbike through tunnel Woodthorpe Park to Wells Rd , then through to Daybrook bridge, plus lots of the old lines inc later M1 route mentioned earlier, Walked New Basford to Victoria (post Viccy Centre) then Weekday Cross over Midland Station to west of Arkwright St. after that most bridges already down but rejoined route to cross the Trent, (nearly fell off bridge "rescuing" signal arm and diamond circuit sign) another time I think 17 years? after closure got the blue "go" cast iron signal lamp from high up the wall in weekday cross tunnel, originall