Forty Bridges or Giltbrook/ Kimberley/ Awsworth Viaduct

[Neil 2]

[Neil 2]

[BulwellBrian 107]

Loco looks too big to be one of the ubiquitous J6's...could be a larger Gresley J39, from 1926 onward. With a newish pair of NE 21 tonners, at 8 & 9, and private owner wagons dominating - I'd guess it dates from the 30's...

Cheers

Robt P.

Could it be a GNR 0-8-0, it looks like a GN tender with coal rails that would rule out a J39.

[susyshoes 69]

im a bit confused (again).

As you drive down awsworth rd at the bottom of cotmanhay, just before you come to the awsworth bypass, you can see the span of the viaduct to your left. is this part of the same viaduct that is shown in the earlier photos near The Gate Inn Awsworth? Or were there 2 seperate viaducts? if its part of the same one, it was a long way from The gate Inn. Did it really span that far (literally the length of the awsworth by pass?) where did it start and finish if it is all the same one. Trying to visualise it on Google maps but not having much luck.

[Fynger 841]

Black Bridge....is the Bennerley Viaduct....Not 40 arches.....That one was where Ikea is now

[susyshoes 69]

ah right, thank u. is there anything left of the 40 arches now?

[BulwellBrian 107]

ah right, thank u. is there anything left of the 40 arches now?

No. I think they opencasted where is stood. The line went to Pinxton. The line over the Iron viaduct went to Derby, Burton on Trent & Stafford.

[BulwellBrian 107]

I went over 40 bridges ftom Vic to Pinxton & back just for the ride. Many tons of coal must have come down that line to Colwick. It was really built for the coal, Passengers were a side line!

[susyshoes 69]

Fascinating thank you

[susyshoes 69]

My link

[Ashley 288]

There is/was (in 1990's) part of an arch, just looking like a wall in the lorry breakers yard that's at the right of the bypass Awsworth end

[mick2me 3,029]

Can you find it on Goole Street View Ash?

[ravintrainman 10]

There is/was (in 1990's) part of an arch, just looking like a wall in the lorry breakers yard that's at the right of the bypass Awsworth end

Somewhere in the dim, distant past I have seen mention of that, not sure it is (was) Rail related at all. I have a feeling it was something industrial.

If it was rail related it would have been something on the Awsworth-Derby line rather than the Kimberley-Pinxton line which went over Giltbrook viaduct (40 bridges).

The petrol station on the Giltbrook-Ilkeston road is built pretty much on the line of the viaduct, indeed the firm opposite, used to deal in second hand pallets, had their address as Viaduct Works!

[Ashley 288]

Too far from road for street view, been on google earth but nothing seen in scrap yard, not familiar with the actual routes, pinxton/bennerley junction etc but the "last bit of the viaduct" was said to me by Jim Bamford (sadly killed in that yard a few years ago)who been there years, also the brickwork doesn't appear to be in line with either the iron viaduct or Awsworth Station site, if you saw the brickwork you'd say definate railway construction, could do with old map over new one type of thing

[philby 21]

Too far from road for street view, been on google earth but nothing seen in scrap yard, not familiar with the actual routes, pinxton/bennerley junction etc but the "last bit of the viaduct" was said to me by Jim Bamford (sadly killed in that yard a few years ago)who been there years, also the brickwork doesn't appear to be in line with either the iron viaduct or Awsworth Station site, if you saw the brickwork you'd say definate railway construction, could do with old map over new one type of thing

allow me ash!-

you can clearly see where the remains of the lines continue off both ends of the superimposed map, dated 1921, and i never realised that from here on towards eastwood the A610 is on the trackbed of this line!

pic from here-

My link

to any admin reading this, can this site be made into a sticky? maybe in the maps section, or in the transport section

thanks!

[Ashley 288]

That's great Phil, looking at your map plus a blown up version of such I'd say that "wall" was part of the 40 bridges as Bamford's yard is north of the modern A6096 between the A610 Island and the one on the map just to the right of words "Silo Way" That is IF the viaduct went as far as that point?

[ravintrainman 10]

That 'wall' could be something to do with the erstwhile Midland route, 40 bridges was too far east. The origial route to the site of Bamfords yard was along Station Road, past the station (big red dot) then turn right over a level crossing at the end of the platforms.

The superimposed map clearly shows the viaduct passing over the route of the new road between the A610 island and the link road to the old Kimberley-Awsworth road, where the petrol station now stands. I was thinking about this on my way home from work and having thought it over I realised that the 'wall' isn't on the alignment of the Kimberley-Ilkeston GN line either.

Edit:Having studied the map again I'm almost certain it's nothing to do with the Midland route either, thst appears to me on the other side of the canal, so I'll go back to my ouriginal theory of it being something industrial, although there does appear to be some kind of line in the right area, maybe a colliery line?

[Ashley 288]

Yes, see what you mean ravintrainman, I had dropped a clanger getting location of that yard mixed up, thinking such is on first industrial area between those islands, wheras it's west of the 2nd one, you obviously know a lot more re the area and routes than me, was merely going on Bamfords say so, (which is why my first post on the "wall" apart) I have said likes of "IF" "maybe" "appears to be" etc I just do not know. I remember seeing the viaduct, cycling under such etc and later seeing the embankments at side of new A610 before they were cleared or vanished beneath undergrowth etc, I only went the once to that yard, in my "boating era" (someone told me there was an inboard marine engine for sale, there was, but bigger than my boat!) early 1980's. If I knew how to do it I'd put a red X where I think Bamfords is on that map

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

Not my part of the world, but nobody seems to have mentioned THIS image on Picture the Past.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Not my part of the world, but nobody seems to have mentioned THIS image on Picture the Past.

What a great map, I drove about the area in the early 1970's but didn't look very closely. There was a lot that went on in that part of the world. There was Bennerley Ironworks and later on the same site Bennerley Opencast disposal point, there was a colliery line between Awsworth station ond the Midland railway line this connected a number of collieries, Awsworth, Speedwell, Giltbrook, New London, Lodge. The Nottingham Canal shows up well on the old map. Finally much of the area was opencasted, then the new road was built. Quite a industrial history.

Incidently I think a length of the new A610 north of Eastwood was still on the line of the GNR Pinxton branch.

[susyshoes 69]

Not my part of the world, but nobody seems to have mentioned THIS image on Picture the Past.

that bungalow keeps cropping up in all the photos. Does anyone know if its still there?

[BulwellBrian 107]

The write up in pictures past is of course wrong we have established that it was the Nottingham to Pinxton line not the line to Derby. A good photo though.

[littlebro 233]

that bungalow keeps cropping up in all the photos. Does anyone know if its still there?

No, the bungalow is long gone, it was where the Awsworth Motor Company now stands, next door to Bridges Van Hire.

[Fynger 841]

Bridges Van Hire.

bet they were peed off when the bridges went... !rotfl!

[ravintrainman 10]

Yes, see what you mean ravintrainman, I had dropped a clanger getting location of that yard mixed up, thinking such is on first industrial area between those islands, wheras it's west of the 2nd one, you obviously know a lot more re the area and routes than me, was merely going on Bamfords say so, (which is why my first post on the "wall" apart) I have said likes of "IF" "maybe" "appears to be" etc I just do not know. I remember seeing the viaduct, cycling under such etc and later seeing the embankments at side of new A610 before they were cleared or vanished beneath undergrowth etc, I only went the once to that yard, in my "boating era" (someone told me there was an inboard marine engine for sale, there was, but bigger than my boat!) early 1980's. If I knew how to do it I'd put a red X where I think Bamfords is on that map

Lived in the area for nearly 35 years now, but most of the railway infrastructure had gone by the time we moved here.

looked up Alf Henshaw's book to see if it could throw any light, as Bulwellbrian says there were lots of pits and Bennerley Ironworks in the area. There was a branch that dropped steeply from west of Awsworth station to the ironworks, although looking at the couple of photos the main line and branch bridges are quite close together but posssibly in the right place. The junction signal box was closed and lines lifted in May 1954.

I never saw the viaduct in real life only in pictures, a very impressive structure, which in a report dated 1970 was described as a 'fine piece of engineering' and the report's author 'should like to see it preserved'. That was not to be and it was demolished in 1973.