The History of Nottingham's Railways up to 1990

[firbeck 860]

It was suggested in the Bulwell Viaduct topic that I publish more maps and information from a book that I have.

This is the book:-

It's quite unique in that all the text, as well as the maps, are all hand written, it deals with other railway centres as well as Nottingham and is a fantastic read, I thoroughly reccomend it if you can find a copy.

I also have another book 'Complete British Railways Maps and Gazetteer 1830-1981' which is also worth a look.

Anyway, I'll run through it in page order, it was difficult to copy:

[firbeck 860]

Lets hope so!!

[Limey 242]

VERY cool! I had no idea at the importance of Trent (a popular spotting location as a kid), and Toton sidings!

[Ashley 288]

Yes Trent was important, but what a place to build a station! Never really took an interest in Toton being a GCR/GN Fan (though in BR days) but when you think of there plus Colwick and Annesley I'm surprised Nottingham wasn't more of a Rail centre? though I do realise the reasons why it never got the routes in the early years, it's no coincidence that the first railway here is the one that remains, by the time the GCR came along with it's true main line (who the hell wanted to go to Newark, Grantham, Trowell or Langley Mill?) the capabilities of getting into Nottingham direct were there but with them went the high running costs etc, so it's no wonder that route closed? anyway a nice, if model railway look, of Toton Yard, no idea of year etc

[firbeck 860]

Yes Trent was important, but what a place to build a station!

Agreed Ashley, it really was remote, it would be interesting to know if any of the station logs had survived to tell us how few tickets were ever issued there.

I know it was a theoretical transit point but I can never remember the place swarming with passengers. It was a great place to go as a kid, we used to cycle there regularly, the few station staff were very friendly and it was an attractive station in a pretty setting. Even in winter it was worth going as you could be guaranteed a roaring fire in the waiting room which we used to top up from a giant coal bucket that we used to help out and fill from the tenders of passing locos.

Considering that I didn't live far from Toton, we didn't go very often until the later days of steam when it used to be the storage place for withdrawn loco's, it was easy to get round the sheds then without any fuss, either from a path directly from the canal or the road in from Sandiacre station, I have many photo's taken there from those times.

Christ, it all happens here, a Russian 'Hind' helicopter gunship in grey camo has just flown across the bottom of the garden, whats all that about then?

[Fynger 841]

Would Toton have been very important if Chilwell Depot wasnt there tho ?

[rob237 89]

Recall reading a John Henton article in my 50's TI set, re Trent station history.

Gist of it was the MR were so certain that new housing and industrial development would ensue around the major convergence of so many of their new lines that the 'speculative' station building was prioritised...

Their early confidence was such that they even considered, but quickly rejected, their own local building speculation.

Classic case of "misjudging the situation"...

Also spent many happy hours there with the wheezing Garratt's, overworked 8f's and the rather alarming Crosti's and, like yourself, was never injured by jostling passengers in platform crushes...

Cheers

Robt P.

[rob237 89]

Would Toton have been very important if Chilwell Depot wasnt there tho ?

Yes indeed it would...the Depot was hardly relevant.

I'd guess that 95%+ of its traffic was King Coal...

Cheers

Robt P.

[Beefsteak 305]

Christ, it all happens here, a Russian 'Hind' helicopter gunship in grey camo has just flown across the bottom of the garden, whats all that about then?

It's a Czech Mi-171 inbound to Waddington and then on to Donna Nook Range for Flare testing then into an exersize called "Low Rider"

[firbeck 860]

French Super Puma just flown the opposite way on the same course.

[Limey 242]

I'd guess that 95%+ of its traffic was King Coal...

Even by the late 60's when rail traffic was rapidly diminishing, I would guess that coal was 80% of the traffic at Toton. On a clear summer evening you could distincly hear the sounds emanating from the sidings! We would go over there from Dockholme lock from time-to-time, but from a young lad's point of view there wasn't much interesting to see - mostly diesel shunting engines!

[butlerhenderson 0]

Trent did serve as an interchange station with passengers changing for Nottm/Leic/Derby/Sheff between trains. Even train going from Derby to Leicester could stop there due to the sharp curve shown on the 1905 map. It was possible for two trains to be there both going to (or coming from) London in opposite directions to each other.

[rob237 89]

The Derby - Leicester option certainly possible, but never used in practice after the 50's.

Return option not possible, as it would mean a loco change of ends...Sheet Stores left curve always single track, with no trail at the junction. Curve in 50's use to facilitate brief light engine Derby ex-works running in turns.

Can't really visualise the London permutations...

Cheers

Robt P.

[Ashley 288]

Looking at those 1848 and 1854 maps it seems to me the MR duplicated the lines north? Also as railways in those days seemed to be a north to south "thing" why build a "west to east station"? seems the driving force behind such was coal traffic so why venture on to Lincoln? I read no road existed to the "new" midland station, so built in open land? had they cranked the station round 90 degrees it would have been pointing towards the surely already planned now Robin Hood line which could have been built as a main route north. One always thinks of stations (at least I tended to) as "fitting in" with surrounding still there housing shops etc, in alot of cases the latter came after the railway though and had the station been for example N to S in the Wilford Road area would the later development, shops, houses Carrington Street etc been switched to that area and grown around the station? Victoria Station was an example, I guess I first saw such 1950? and from then (till I found out diffferent) it had "always been there", the streets shops houses etc fitted in around it, I knew nothing of the demolition needed for it to be built, an adult stranger to the city would have thought the same? I don't know what was in The Meadows etc are pre 1830's but imagine the MR having left Beeston then swinging as far south as The Trent allowed before turning to enter Nottingham pointing north

[firbeck 860]

The Derby - Leicester option certainly possible, but never used in practice after the 50's.

Cheers

Robt P.

We used to make a point of going to Trent in the late 50's/early 60's on a summer saturday afternoon when all the holiday traffic was returning. I clearly recall one train during the late afternoon coming off of the Sheet Stores Loop, stopping at the station then heading south, I can only assume that it had come from the coast via Derby and probably went round the loop there as well.

To recall, I believe that the 'Thames Clyde Express' used to stop shortly afterwards, which must have been about 5:00pm, that must have been the only named express to stop there, I'm sure the Midland Pullman didn't.

Limey, I lived in Wollaton and if the wind was in the right direction I could also hear the trains clanking away down the Erewash Valley on their way to Toton, the Austerities were the noisiest, the piston rods always sounded loose to me. It's interesting to see the example in action on the North Norfolk Railway, a sight and sound I always thought had gone forever.

Incidentally, when we used to go spotting at Trowell Junction, we would always wait for the 'Thames Clyde Express' and by then, the coal trains descending on Toton would often be backed up for miles, stopped at every signal down the line, it must have been a nightmare trying to sort that lot out in the yards.

[Limey 242]

we would always wait for the 'Thames Clyde Express'

When I was at Long Eaton Grammar School, they used the "Grange" School on Station Road as an annexe. If we had classes there, we would ride our bikes from the main school across town to the Grange. If our last class of the day was at the Grange, we could often get down Station Road to the crossing to see the "Thames-Clyde Express" go through - typically around 4:15 - it was an amazing sight!

From Long Eaton Station (the real one on Station Road), there was a footpath that ran along the side of the railway all the way to Trent Station. There is a good write-up on the Sheet Stores HERE. Canals and railways coming together - always an irresistable attraction to a young lad!