hello again
i,ll try and get both parts 2 &3 on tonight once the wifes gone to the bingo and i can tap away to my hearts content so on with part 2.
THE EXPLORE
thoresby junction wasnt planned it just sort of came about ...(well you know as you do) on the way back from edwinstowe station i wanted to have a look at the railway bridge on ollerton road just outside edwinstowe to find just an empty track bed and a pipe carrying water to the local farmers field this was the former colliery line to thoresby colliery and there in the distance i spied a signal box and curiosity took over again and set off to find it which was an unmarked right turn opposite the new housing estate walesby vale down the tarmac track for about half a mile which becomes a rutted farm track further on over a wooden bridge and there it was the gate,railway and signal box one of the more accessable parts of this line that doesnt have security fencing.
with no one about and wearing my look alike orange railway vest...(dressing up time again) took plenty of cracking pictures i,d like to share with you
some of the shots arent fantastic as the sun was in the wrong place but the rest show a rural out of the way once busy signal box and former sidings i was going to take one from the top of the signal gantry but i saw headlights further down farm track and abandoned that idea which actually turned out to be nothing
...enjoy.
history
the line itself was opened as a passenger route in 1896 by the lancashire,derbyshire and east coast railway (LD&ECR) i wont say too much as it would spoil the next post later passing to the great central and LNER as a through route from nottingham to lincoln via tuxford and was also connected to the east coast main line.
later serving the mines at welbeck colliery from 1912 to 2010 clipstone colliery from 1922 to 2003 thoresby colliery 1925 to 2015 ollerton 1923 to 1994 and bevercotes from 1965 to 1993 the line was originally planned as a mineral line.
coal trains continued to serve high marnham power station and excursion trains continued to skegness via fledborough & lincoln on to the GE& GNR joint line
until a derailment in febuary 1980 damaged the track beyond reasonable repair and caused the line to be closed between pyewipe jcn and high marnham the track being lifted shortly and the remainder line continued to serve high marnham untill its decommision in 2003.
the line today
the line was shared with the rail innovation and development centre at tuxford from 2009 the double track beyond thoresby becoming a test track for the RIDC which while it appears to be double track is worked as two single lines the signal box still stands along with the semaphores these are set permently at danger and since the closure of the thoresby branch require the annetts key and permission from a mobile signalman to pass the signals at danger the line sees two or three trains a week and occasional railtours the truncated branch ends at tuxford just short of the east coast main line and requires trains to be top and tailed as no run round facility exists.
the test track is able to test any kind of railway vehicle including plant on a special section for brake testing and sharp 80 chain reverse curves and contains a non energised third and forth rail system to emulate the southern region or merseyrail third rail systems but is not currently wired for 25kv overhead power
the line has also been identified by better transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening indeed in 2009 network rail stated that the line will be maintained should passenger services be reinstated at a later date.
i,ll try and get both parts 2 &3 on tonight once the wifes gone to the bingo and i can tap away to my hearts content so on with part 2.
THE EXPLORE
thoresby junction wasnt planned it just sort of came about ...(well you know as you do) on the way back from edwinstowe station i wanted to have a look at the railway bridge on ollerton road just outside edwinstowe to find just an empty track bed and a pipe carrying water to the local farmers field this was the former colliery line to thoresby colliery and there in the distance i spied a signal box and curiosity took over again and set off to find it which was an unmarked right turn opposite the new housing estate walesby vale down the tarmac track for about half a mile which becomes a rutted farm track further on over a wooden bridge and there it was the gate,railway and signal box one of the more accessable parts of this line that doesnt have security fencing.
with no one about and wearing my look alike orange railway vest...(dressing up time again) took plenty of cracking pictures i,d like to share with you
some of the shots arent fantastic as the sun was in the wrong place but the rest show a rural out of the way once busy signal box and former sidings i was going to take one from the top of the signal gantry but i saw headlights further down farm track and abandoned that idea which actually turned out to be nothing
...enjoy.history
the line itself was opened as a passenger route in 1896 by the lancashire,derbyshire and east coast railway (LD&ECR) i wont say too much as it would spoil the next post later passing to the great central and LNER as a through route from nottingham to lincoln via tuxford and was also connected to the east coast main line.
later serving the mines at welbeck colliery from 1912 to 2010 clipstone colliery from 1922 to 2003 thoresby colliery 1925 to 2015 ollerton 1923 to 1994 and bevercotes from 1965 to 1993 the line was originally planned as a mineral line.
coal trains continued to serve high marnham power station and excursion trains continued to skegness via fledborough & lincoln on to the GE& GNR joint line
until a derailment in febuary 1980 damaged the track beyond reasonable repair and caused the line to be closed between pyewipe jcn and high marnham the track being lifted shortly and the remainder line continued to serve high marnham untill its decommision in 2003.
the line today
the line was shared with the rail innovation and development centre at tuxford from 2009 the double track beyond thoresby becoming a test track for the RIDC which while it appears to be double track is worked as two single lines the signal box still stands along with the semaphores these are set permently at danger and since the closure of the thoresby branch require the annetts key and permission from a mobile signalman to pass the signals at danger the line sees two or three trains a week and occasional railtours the truncated branch ends at tuxford just short of the east coast main line and requires trains to be top and tailed as no run round facility exists.
the test track is able to test any kind of railway vehicle including plant on a special section for brake testing and sharp 80 chain reverse curves and contains a non energised third and forth rail system to emulate the southern region or merseyrail third rail systems but is not currently wired for 25kv overhead power
the line has also been identified by better transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening indeed in 2009 network rail stated that the line will be maintained should passenger services be reinstated at a later date.
| then...coal wagons from thoresby colliery wait in the siding.
now...the sidings have now been ripped up with everything else. 
then...a view of the colliery branch line and signal and as a freightliner class 66 runs round the coal trucks.
now... nothing remains of the thoresby branch apart from this shorn piece of track. 
then.... romainian built 56081 passes the box and extensive sidings from the shirebrook junction direction the signalman has possibly come out to give the driver the single line token.
now.... just the box remains the signal gone. 
then....37 099 returns to derby from the tuxford direction with the network rail test train.
now...taken from the signal box stairs little remains apart from the two test tracks. and just a few more photos to finish the report with.
the little used thoresby colliery box.
RIDC track plates show the bi directional nature of the track although they appear to be double track they are actually worked as two single lines the right hand line the former up line is actually the RIDC test track the down leads to the facility at tuxford railtours must use the former down line be top and tailed (a loco at each end) ...and be in possession of the thoresby to tuxford annetts key.
clips left behind after track lifting.
thoresby box looking towards shirebrook jcn.
thoresby still retains some of its old semaphore signals.
a sign tells drivers they are leaving the single line.
a beautifull old semaphore signal stands loftily guarding the line.
and finally in the low late autumn sun its time to bid farewell to thoresby box and do the school run. |
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