Eaton Branch Railway: Difference between revisions
Spinney Hill (talk | contribs) →Route: Further details |
m add {{Use dmy dates}} |
||
| (15 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{for|the stream in [[Missouri]]|Eaton Branch}} |
{{for|the stream in [[Missouri]]|Eaton Branch}} |
||
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} |
|||
{{Infobox rail line |
{{Infobox rail line |
||
| Line 14: | Line 15: | ||
|locale = [[Eaton, Leicestershire|Eaton]] |
|locale = [[Eaton, Leicestershire|Eaton]] |
||
|start = [[Waltham-on-the-Wolds railway station]] |
|start = [[Waltham-on-the-Wolds railway station]] |
||
|end = [[Eaton]] |
|end = [[Eaton, Leicestershire|Eaton]] |
||
|stations = |
|stations = |
||
|routes = |
|routes = |
||
| |
|daily_ridership = |
||
|open = |
|open = |
||
|close = |
|close = |
||
| Line 26: | Line 27: | ||
|linelength = {{convert|3|mi|km}} |
|linelength = {{convert|3|mi|km}} |
||
|tracklength = |
|tracklength = |
||
| |
|tracks = [[Single track (rail)|Single track]] throughout |
||
|gauge = {{ |
|gauge = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}} |
||
| |
|electrification = |
||
|speed = |
|speed = |
||
|elevation = |
|elevation = |
||
| Line 34: | Line 35: | ||
|map_state = collapsed |
|map_state = collapsed |
||
}} |
}} |
||
The '''Eaton Branch Railway''' was a [[standard gauge]] [[industrial railway]] built to serve [[ironstone]] quarries around the village of [[Eaton, Leicestershire|Eaton]] in [[Leicestershire]]. It |
The '''Eaton Branch Railway''' was a [[standard gauge]] [[industrial railway]] built to serve [[ironstone]] quarries around the village of [[Eaton, Leicestershire|Eaton]] in [[Leicestershire]]. It operated from 1884 until 1965. |
||
== History == |
== History == |
||
[[Iron ore]] quarrying flourished throughout the East Midlands ore field throughout the 1860s and 1870s. By the early 1880s, a thriving quarrying industry had established itself in northern Leicestershire, working an outcropping of [[Marlstone]] that ran north-east from the village of [[Holwell] to the edge of [[Belvoir Castle]]<ref>{{cite |
[[Iron ore]] quarrying flourished throughout the East Midlands ore field throughout the 1860s and 1870s. By the early 1880s, a thriving quarrying industry had established itself in northern Leicestershire, working an outcropping of [[Marlstone]] that ran north-east from the village of [[Holwell, Leicestershire|Holwell]] to the edge of [[Belvoir Castle]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Midland Naturalist |volume=VII |date=November 1884 |author=E.W. Badger and W.J. Harrison (eds) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KD84AAAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA95}}</ref> The companies working these ore fields needed better freight transport to take ore to their customers around the [[United Kingdom]]. In 1882, the [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|Great Northern Railway]] (GNR) applied to parliament to build a branch line from their [[Waltham Branch]] immediately south of [[Waltham-on-the-Wolds railway station]] northwards towards Eaton.<ref>{{cite journal |publisher=The Railway News |title=Parliament. 1883 session |date=25 November 1882 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VPE0AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA745}}</ref> |
||
In November 1883, the GNR applied for a second act, extending the Eaton Branch to "''...a field belonging to, or reputed to belong to, His Grace the Duke of Rutland... adjoining the road leading from Belvoir to Eastwell, at a point about 220 yards measured in a north-westerly direction from Shelton's Barn.''"<ref>{{cite |
In November 1883, the GNR applied for a second act, extending the Eaton Branch to "''...a field belonging to, or reputed to belong to, His Grace the Duke of Rutland... adjoining the road leading from Belvoir to Eastwell, at a point about 220 yards measured in a north-westerly direction from Shelton's Barn.''".<ref>{{cite news |title=In Parliament. Session 1884 |date=2 November 1883 |newspaper=The London Gazette |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LyRKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA5570|last1=Britain |first1=Great }}</ref> The branch was under construction in 1883, and opened sometime in 1884. |
||
The branch served a series of quarries along |
The branch served a series of quarries along its short route. The [[Holwell Iron Company]] was quarrying the ore fields to the south and west of Eaton village, while the [[Waltham Iron Ore Tramway|Waltham Iron Ore Company]] worked fields that stretched to the west and north of the branch's northern terminus. |
||
The branch had no passenger stations and carried no passenger traffic throughout its life: it operated purely as an [[industrial railway]]. |
The branch had no passenger stations and carried no passenger traffic throughout its life: it operated purely as an [[industrial railway]]. |
||
| Line 49: | Line 50: | ||
== Route == |
== Route == |
||
The Eaton Branch Railway began at "Eaton Junction", immediately to the south of Waltham-on-the-Wolds station. It curved leftwards to run north-west on an embankment, gaining height above the surrounding fields. It then crossed Green Lane on an overbridge. North of this bridge, the line curved to the north, still on an embankment. The [[Eastwell Branch]] left the line at the start of this curve, just north of Green Lane. It is probable that this was never used apart from a short section near to the junction used as a siding. Certainly by 1903 a narrow gauge line had been built on its formation by the Eastwell Iron Ore Company. The standard gauge siding was used to supply equipment to the quarrying company, whose narrow gauge line was extended to serve quarries at Eaton and Branston. All the ore from those quarries and those at Eastwell was taken via the narrow gauge line including a cable operated incline to sidings at the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Line near Harby.<ref>{{Cite web|url= |
The Eaton Branch Railway began at "Eaton Junction", immediately to the south of Waltham-on-the-Wolds station. It curved leftwards to run north-west on an embankment, gaining height above the surrounding fields. It then crossed Green Lane on an overbridge. North of this bridge, the line curved to the north, still on an embankment. The [[Eastwell Branch]] left the line at the start of this curve, just north of Green Lane. It is probable that this was never used apart from a short section near to the junction used as a siding. Certainly by 1903 a narrow gauge line had been built on its formation by the Eastwell Iron Ore Company. The standard gauge siding was used to supply equipment to the quarrying company, whose narrow gauge line was extended to serve quarries at Eaton and [[Branston, Leicestershire|Branston]]. All the ore from those quarries and those at [[Eastwell, Leicestershire|Eastwell]] was taken via the narrow gauge line including a cable operated incline to sidings at the [[Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway|Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Line]] near [[Harby, Leicestershire|Harby]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1923741|title=The Eaton Branch near White Lodge|last=Sutton|first=John|date=20 June 2010|website=Geograph|access-date=10 September 2017}}</ref>{{sfn|Tonks|1992|pages=117, 119}} |
||
North of this siding there was a timber viaduct on the Eaton Branch, which was filled in |
North of this siding there was a timber viaduct on the Eaton Branch, which was filled in during 1955 with slag from Holwell Iron Works to form an embankment which can still be seen.{{sfn|Tonks|1992|page=14}} |
||
The line then entered a cutting and passed under the Eaton to [[ |
The line then entered a cutting and passed under the Eaton to [[Stathern]] road, immediately on the west side of Eaton village. Just past the road bridge, was a loading stage for the tramways of the Holwell Iron Ore Company's tramway. There were pits on both sides of the line as it headed nearly due north. Once more entering a cutting, the railway passed under the Belvoir Road at the junction with Toft's Lane, and terminated in a run-round loop and sidings serving the loading stage of the Waltham Iron Ore Tramway.<ref>{{cite map |title=Leicestershire VII.SE |publisher=Ordnance Survey |date=1931}}</ref> |
||
== References == |
== References == |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
{{refbegin}} |
|||
* {{Tonks ironstone |part=9}} |
|||
{{refend}} |
|||
[[Category:Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)]] |
[[Category:Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)]] |
||
Latest revision as of 20:36, 11 April 2022
| Eaton Branch Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | British Rail |
| Locale | Eaton |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Type | Branch line |
| Operator(s) | Great Northern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
| Number of tracks | Single track throughout |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Eaton Branch Railway was a standard gauge industrial railway built to serve ironstone quarries around the village of Eaton in Leicestershire. It operated from 1884 until 1965.
History
[edit]Iron ore quarrying flourished throughout the East Midlands ore field throughout the 1860s and 1870s. By the early 1880s, a thriving quarrying industry had established itself in northern Leicestershire, working an outcropping of Marlstone that ran north-east from the village of Holwell to the edge of Belvoir Castle.[1] The companies working these ore fields needed better freight transport to take ore to their customers around the United Kingdom. In 1882, the Great Northern Railway (GNR) applied to parliament to build a branch line from their Waltham Branch immediately south of Waltham-on-the-Wolds railway station northwards towards Eaton.[2]
In November 1883, the GNR applied for a second act, extending the Eaton Branch to "...a field belonging to, or reputed to belong to, His Grace the Duke of Rutland... adjoining the road leading from Belvoir to Eastwell, at a point about 220 yards measured in a north-westerly direction from Shelton's Barn.".[3] The branch was under construction in 1883, and opened sometime in 1884.
The branch served a series of quarries along its short route. The Holwell Iron Company was quarrying the ore fields to the south and west of Eaton village, while the Waltham Iron Ore Company worked fields that stretched to the west and north of the branch's northern terminus.
The branch had no passenger stations and carried no passenger traffic throughout its life: it operated purely as an industrial railway.
The branch became part of the London and North Eastern Railway in the railway grouping of 1923. It then became part of British Railways in 1948. It continued in operation until closure and lifting in 1965.
Route
[edit]The Eaton Branch Railway began at "Eaton Junction", immediately to the south of Waltham-on-the-Wolds station. It curved leftwards to run north-west on an embankment, gaining height above the surrounding fields. It then crossed Green Lane on an overbridge. North of this bridge, the line curved to the north, still on an embankment. The Eastwell Branch left the line at the start of this curve, just north of Green Lane. It is probable that this was never used apart from a short section near to the junction used as a siding. Certainly by 1903 a narrow gauge line had been built on its formation by the Eastwell Iron Ore Company. The standard gauge siding was used to supply equipment to the quarrying company, whose narrow gauge line was extended to serve quarries at Eaton and Branston. All the ore from those quarries and those at Eastwell was taken via the narrow gauge line including a cable operated incline to sidings at the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Line near Harby.[4][5]
North of this siding there was a timber viaduct on the Eaton Branch, which was filled in during 1955 with slag from Holwell Iron Works to form an embankment which can still be seen.[6]
The line then entered a cutting and passed under the Eaton to Stathern road, immediately on the west side of Eaton village. Just past the road bridge, was a loading stage for the tramways of the Holwell Iron Ore Company's tramway. There were pits on both sides of the line as it headed nearly due north. Once more entering a cutting, the railway passed under the Belvoir Road at the junction with Toft's Lane, and terminated in a run-round loop and sidings serving the loading stage of the Waltham Iron Ore Tramway.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ E.W. Badger and W.J. Harrison (eds) (November 1884). "The Midland Naturalist". Vol. VII.
{{cite news}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ "Parliament. 1883 session". The Railway News. 25 November 1882.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Britain, Great (2 November 1883). "In Parliament. Session 1884". The London Gazette.
- ^ Sutton, John (20 June 2010). "The Eaton Branch near White Lodge". Geograph. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ Tonks 1992, pp. 117, 119.
- ^ Tonks 1992, p. 14.
- ^ Leicestershire VII.SE (Map). Ordnance Survey. 1931.
- Tonks, Eric (1992). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 9: Leicestershire. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-085.