[41235]

Hello everyone, I know we are here for Model railways, but does anyone know, especially those in the Midlands whose been "into" railways for some years, when the LEAMINGTON SPA to WEEEDON branch line closed ? I did not know, despite my railway service, that thee was ever a branch line between those two places.
They say "you learn something new every day".

Cheers.

 

[Chinahand]

Hi 41235,

I found the following reference on Wikipaedia.

This line was opened on 1 August 1895 as an extension to the line from Weedon to Daventry. A new junction at Marton was constructed for the connection of the line to the Leamington to Rugby line.

Passenger services were withdrawn in 1958.

http://

After closure to passengers, the lines were used to transport material between the Southam and Rugby plants of Rugby Cement. As the line south of Marton Junction had been lifted the trains would reverse here. This practice ceased in 1985 when it was replaced with road transport.

Hope this helps,

Expat.

 

[John Webb]

Additional to Expat's info:
The LNWR branch from Coventry to Leamington was opened in the 1840s to try and deter the GWR from Leamington - that did not succed and the GWR line opened at Leamington in 1852. The LNWR branch was extended to Rugby in 1851. So the Marton/Weedon line was virtually a 'branch off a branch'.
However the book I have ("Warwickshire Railways" by Mike Hitches, published by Sutton Publishing in their 'Photographic History of Railways' series in 1997) says the Weedon line was closed in 1959.

This book only has pictures of Leamington (Avenue) station - there are no photos of any of the other stations on the line to Weedon.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[41235]

Ok thanks for that,all very interesting to find or hear of a branch line that one never knew existed and which closed before the end of steam so as not to suffer the diesel era.

 

[John Webb]

According to the same book the passenger services in the last few years were DMU operated.

Regards,
John

Phew! my 1000th posting

!

 

[7113]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 18 Apr 2008, 11:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

41235 at Leamington Avenue

I found this by using Google - the site is http://warwickshirerailways.com

Hope this helps

Regards

 

[John Webb]

In the late 1940s/1950s I had one set of grandparents living in Royal Leamington Spa and we visited them a couple of times a year from South London via SR to Charing Cross and GWR from Paddington. But I cannot recall the Avenue station whatsoever! I do recall seeing a train crossing the bridge over the Grand Union canal near Radford Semele locks, but only being about 5 years old wasn't yet into trainspotting and did not pay it much attention.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[41235]

QUOTE (John Webb @ 18 May 2008, 22:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>According to the same book the passenger services in the last few years were DMU operated.

Regards,
John

Phew! my 1000th posting

!
One thousand....well done John

 

[41235]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 19 May 2008, 09:22) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I found this by using Google - the site is http://warwickshirerailways.com

Hope this helps

Regards

"Aaargh" "Me old girl", she looks in good "nick" don"t she.

 

[7113]

I guess she was fairly new when the photo was taken.

Did you find the site of interest?

Regards

 

[John Webb]

There seems to be some disagreement between the website and the book I mentioned above about DMU usage. The book only implies their use, so I'd be inclined to go with the Web-site as that says more positively that they were not used.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[41235]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 21 May 2008, 08:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I guess she was fairly new when the photo was taken.

Did you find the site of interest?

Regards
Yes I did find it extremely interesting, thank you.

 

[41235]

QUOTE (John Webb @ 21 May 2008, 18:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There seems to be some disagreement between the website and the book I mentioned above about DMU usage. The book only implies their use, so I'd be inclined to go with the Web-site as that says more positively that they were not used.

Regards,
John Webb

Sorry John, you have lost me mate.

 

[John Webb]

Sorry about that. The book I mentioned in post#3 ("Warwickshire Railways") suggests that by the late 1950s all the branch lines were being serviced by DMUs, not steam-hauled stock. But the website positively states that the Leamington-Weedon line closed to passenger trains before DMUs could be used on it.

I just thought I'd mention this difference of opinion and express my thought that the website seemed the more accurate in case someone was considering making a model of part of this line. If it were to be an accurate model they ought not to run DMUs, it would seem.

Regards,
John

 

[7113]

It's strange how differences of fact emerge from different sources, and, as time goes by the number of people who remember facts and events get fewer and memory itself becomes more blurred. Perhaps more of this ibnformation should be captured before it's to late.

Regards

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 22 May 2008, 13:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>and memory itself becomes more blurred.
Regards
In some cases within minutes

 

[41235]

Well I dont know if ever any of you have seen it, but I have a book, nearly all pictures, called STEAM AROUND NUNEATON, I have just looked in there and it mentions the last day of steam working on the Nuneaton, Coventry Leamington Spa branch line service.
Ivatt 2-6-2 No 41228 worked the last steam on this service on the 11 June 1959 and DMU"s then took over using two car sets and Terminating at the now demolished Leamington Spa Avenue station.