Walking the old railway lines after closure.

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

I started to walk along old railway lines when at Bingham Toothill School, there when I wanted to skive off school for a day, near the sports field passes what was the old Bingham to Melton line, all I had to do was make as if I was going to sports and pass through a hedge and I was on the old line then it was a matter of walking to the old Barnstone Station and then home.

Later on in life I walked the line to keep fit because like now I am into hiking and when I was preparing for a hike, I would go from home to the railway line and hike to Melton along it, or at Plungar turn left onto the Grantham canal and go left go to Grantham, or right to Nottingham,

[Rob.L 1,088]

#22

Glad I cleared up our dog's mess before those pics were taken.

[FLY2 10,108]

Hi Melton, when I lived at Saxondale in the mid to late 80's I walked part of that line. It is now called The Linear Walk. However only a couple of miles is accessible as much has returned to farmland. I don't think I got anywhere Barnstone.

Also, parts of the Grantham Canal have been cleaned out and repairs taken place, especially around the Plungar to Stathern area.

The Vale of Belvoir is a beautiful part of the country. Whilst living at Saxondale Village, I worked at Sewstern near Buckminster.

I would vary my journeys to and from work by travelling different routes. Sometimes via Harby or Redmile, gorgeous views.

Local pubs were good. The Chequers at Barkeston Le Vale, which my mates mum owned was always good beer.

In Bingham, I would frequent the Moot House for Thursday nights quiz, the White Lion for Sundays quiz, Sunday dinner at the Haven. Friday night steak at the Manor Arms at Elton, any other times the Wheatsheaf in Bingham. Great days.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Ashley. Lost 2 mates when I was a shunter. One got his head partially severed when an HST power car moved to couple to a barrier wagon while he was in between. A driver mistook his mates signal. The other was a shunter at the Derby Research unit. He fell behind a train he was involved in shunting. He lost an arm and a leg and too much blood. We also began to get increasing numbers of suicides splattered across the front of HSTs when they were hit at 125mph. It wasn't much fun cleaning that lot off.

I remember going around annesley marshalling yard just after it closed. What a mess the vandals left.

[Bilboro-lad 294]

We never lost anyone when I was shunting but we used to take risks coupling up the air hoses when the line of trucks were moving. If you fell in the four foot there was no clearance from the brake gear on the truck that went over you so it dragged you and ripped you up.

When I got promoted and looked after busy stations we had a 'jumper' in the first few weeks. I had to go under train to see if she was still alive. She actually had her head knocked clean off and it was sitting on the embankment looking at me. A woman of about 50 with dark ginger hair. Her body was cut to bits.

That was when I lived in Sydney though. Not here.

[barclaycon 569]

Looking back through this thread, someone posted a link back to another thread:

http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8876&page=2

In post number 34, Compo posted some fantastic pictures of Daybrook station and the severed link to the NSR.

Can you tell me please what book you scanned these from?

Ta.

(I did try PM'ing Compo but it wouldn't work !)

[Bilboro-lad 294]

I've just ordered a book from the library to collect tomorrow about the Nottingham Suburban railways. I'll see if it's in there.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

We used to take risks too. Like leaning under and slinging a coupling over the draw bar while the wagons were still moving. And jumping on and off moving carriages. Pulling the strings and then loose shunting carriages (A great big no no!).

Back to the subject, My scariest railway walk was over the Bulwell Viaduct when it was still in use.

I still try to walk trackbeds now but a lot have been almost obliterated. Those around Mansfield are still there because they have been converted to walkways and cycle tracks.

[Rob.L 1,088]

I'd be interested to know if there's any more pics of the NSR and GNR, mainly because my house now sits where the line ran between Mapperley tunnel and Daybrook station.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Interesting to know that Rob L. In that railway ghost book I mentioned earlier is an item on what they called the October express. In one of the houses near Edwards Lane where the cutting was, they apparently hear a train going through, they smell it and it even shakes the furniture. It only happens once a year in October.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

I'd be interested to know if there's any more pics of the NSR and GNR, mainly because my house now sits where the line ran between Mapperley tunnel and Daybrook station.

So you must be approximately in the middle of here.

In both photos, the train is travelling towards Mapperley Tunnel.

[Rob.L 1,088]

Probably somewhere near the second photo. Difficult to tell with no points of reference.

Although quite a bit of that fencing is still there in the "nature walk" between Arnot Hill Park and Aylesham Avenue. They built to last in those days.

Pity the fence lasted longer than the line.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Probably somewhere near the second photo. Difficult to tell with no points of reference.

Looking at that photo, on the horizon you can just see houses. I've never worked out exactly which road that is; it's somewhere in the direction of Gedling Road - the hill going up to the cross-roads on the Arnold side.

[Ashley 288]

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 old settee's, window frames, an old greenhouse and god knows what else all dumped from gardens of houses high above, at the actual face in a sort of opening, almost a cave, sort of thing kids would dig out sat a large fox! had been watching me approach with a fixed stare, not knowing if cubs were there I did not go to near! either way it did not appear nervous or scared.

[LizzieM 9,507]

From my memories of that line, which was closed before I even knew it existed, the houses you can see in the distance will be Sandfield Road. I used to play around there in the late 50's / early 60's and when I was at Kingswell Junior School Arnold, we were taken on nature walks in that area. From Sandfield Road there was a dirt track leading towards the railway line, very much a country lane. This track is now Greendale Road, lined with houses built in the late 60's. Down this track was a little stream, narrow enough to jump over. We would catch 'toe-biters' in that stream. Then a little further on, in the direction of Mapperley Plains, was the disused railway where we would pick catkins to take home to our Mums. The railway tunnel was there to explore but I can't remember any of us being brave enough to go further than a few yards into it. I've always thought that the stream still exists, along the side of Arno Vale Road.

[Ashley 288]

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/from Victoria Station. The whole route closed in September 1967

[barclaycon 569]

Ashley.

I recall, from reading about Mapperley tunnel, that the roof collapse was in 1925.

All trains had to be diverted over the Suburban line while it was being repaired.

It was probably the busiest that the NSR had ever been!

Even though the tunnel was repaired and re-instated, it continued to suffer problems due to subsidence and was subject to speed restrictions until the eventual closure in April 1960 as you've said.

[Ashley 288]

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 a photo of a Birmingham to Skegness train, 6 coaches pulled by a class 5 45024 exiting the tunnel with the timber supports clearly visible. By the time of my walk through and just remembered a later ride through on a motorbike (both in 1964) said timber had been removed, whether nicked or took out by BR I don't know but it's still standing!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

As stated, the tunnel was a victim of Gedling Colliery and gave trouble over the years. It has, however, been suggested in one of the railway books that it could have been repaired and put back in use but there was a conspiracy to dumb down colwick yard so that it would be easier to transfer all the work to Toton. Remember, pits were being closed in the late 50s and in the 60s. Oil and gas was starting to make their way as the preferred means of heating and power. Without the massive markets previously enjoyed, there was no need to extract coal from money-losing fault ridden mines anymore. Which meant that there was a steady reduction in the density of coal trains needing sorting. Which meant there was a decreasing need for so many marshalling yards. Which was also caused by the slow introduction of block trains with coal wagons all going to the same destination (like the modern merry-go-round trains).

With so many mines up the Leen Valley and beyond, the ex-GNR back line from Bestwood Junction through Leen Valley Junction and Maqpperley Tunnel was a convenient way to get trains to Colwick. But with less density of traffic, the Great Central through Nottingham Victoria Station and Weekday Cross Junction was sufficient.

[Compo 10,328]

Ashley and RobL:

This man is boss of the Friends of the Nottm Suburban Rly and has all the gen. he has published two books on the line too:

davidbirch@osirisltd.co.uk

[Compo 10,328]

In the mid 70s I walked the Great Central from Loughborough throgh to the bridge over the Trent at the Embankment. It was an interesting walk with line as far as Ruddington still in use for goods

[Compo 10,328]

In the mid 60s I paid many visits to the Leen Valley Junction, where condemned carriages were in store on the tracks. Had a great time pulling the communication chords!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Compo, in the mid 60s, me and a friend walked from Daybrook to Leen Valley junction and borrowed some artefacts from the derelict signal box.

[Ashley 288]

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

[Compo 10,328]

In teh early 70s I spent a couple of years living by teh old M&GNR Joint railway. One day as I was walking the line and gathering old wooden noggins for the fire I was approached by the game keeper of the landowner. He informed me that the trackbed now belonged to the estate and that I was stealing. As it happened, he came from Nottingham and we ended up good friends. Pheasant became a regular at my dinner table