1. A run around Rutland-14.02.25

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2025 > 13. A run around Rutland & The Verney Venturer-14 & 15.02.25 > 1. A run around Rutland-14.02.25

Andy picked me up at home followed by a leisurely drive to Oakham in the customary blue Micra now showing 145,000 miles on the odometer! We re-visited the boxes between Oakham and Melton Mowbray followed by visiting the freight only and partially mothballed Leicester to Burton line. Here I managed no fewer than three signal box cops. This seems crazy given that they are no further than sixty miles from home! We finished off the day in Nuneaton where we stayed the night prior to the following day's railtour.
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Images 1-17 of 17 displayed.

DR80209, 10.32 Bedford Engineers Sidings-Peterborough Tamper Sidings (6U29, 7E), Langham Junction level crossing Class YZA-Stoneblower DR80209 has just emerged from the loop at Langham Junction having been held for the passage of a CrossCountry unit and is about to pass the lovely 1890 Midland signal box. Working the 10.32 Bedford Engineers Sidings to Peterborough Tamper Sidings move. The stoneblower will soon cross over and work back past this spot heading east towards its destination. Interestingly, we were also to go into the up loop here at Langham tomorrow afternoon on the Verney Venturer charter but it was to be in the dark on a dismal Saturday evening! Keywords: DR80209 10.32 Bedford Engineers Sidings-Peterborough Tamper Sidings 6U29 Langham Junction level crossing stoneblower Midland Railway
170620, XC 12.22 Birmingham New Street-Stansted Airport (1L40, 11E), Wymondham crossing Catching some very welcome afternoon winter sunshine at the remote Wymondham level crossing the 12.22 Birmingham to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service passes at speed worked by 170620. This is a super spot to enjoy the passing of trains in the company of a very friendly crossing keeper who occupies the small crossing box. As the passage of trains is greater in number than road users the gates are kept closed to the latter as a matter of course. Keywords: 170620 12.22 Birmingham New Street-Stansted Airport 1L40 Wymondham crossing Cross Country
66199, 12.12 Limbury Road-Dowlow Briggs Sidings (4M84, 4E), Wymondham crossing I can rest assured my readers that I am in a safe and legal position here at Wymondham crossing, in fact, standing close to the crossing keeper! 66199 approaches the crossing leading the 12.12 Limbury Road to Dowlow Briggs 4M84 empty aggregates working. 66199 is one of the increasingly few members of the class still in its 'as-built' EWS livery but this one has lost it 'three beasties' from the panel below the cab windows. Keywords: 66199, 12.12 Limbury Road-Dowlow Briggs Sidings (4M84, 4E), Wymondham crossing.jpg
170622, XC 13.22 Birmingham New Street-Cambridge (1L42, RT), Frisby level crossing With the trees displaying a very wintery look 170622 passes Frisby just west of Melton Mowbray working CrossCountry's 1L42 13.22 Birmingham to Cambridge service. I first visited Frisby back in 1981, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29672774204/frisby-station-signal-box but I think that this may be the first (of three taken today) one of a train passing the level crossing! Keywords: 170622 13.22 Birmingham New Street-Cambridge 1L42 Frisby level crossing
170108, XC 12.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street (1N55, 3L), Frisby level crossing 170108 passes Frisby level crossing working the 12.27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street CrossCountry service. The signalman engaged Andy and me in conversation, standing atop his signal box steps to the left of this image and revealed that he was a follower of my activities through this website; nice to know that I'm getting out there! Keywords: 170108 12.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street 1N55 Frisby level crossing. CrossCountry
66614, 11.52 Tunstead Sidings-Elstow Redland Sidings (6D17, 1L), Frisby level crossing 66614 '1916 Poppy 2016' approaches Frisby level crossing leading the 6D17 11.52 Tunstead Sidings to Elstow aggregates train. It is towing a rake of heavily graffitied former HIA coal hoppers now repurposed for stone use. Keywords: 66614 11.52 Tunstead Sidings-Elstow Redland Sidings 6D17 Frisby level crossing 1916 Poppy 2016
66758, 10.28 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall (4M29, 7E), Brooksby level crossing Just as we arrived at Brooksby level crossing between Melton Mowbray and Syston Junction the barriers went down giving me just enough time to set my camera up for the 10.28 Felixstowe to Hams Hall Freightliner. 66758 'The Pavior' is captured a little early in a deliberate move to include the superb former station building to the left of the scene; what a place to live! Keywords: 66758 10.28 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall 4M29 Brooksby level crossing GBRf The Pavior
Brooksby station (Closed 03.06.61) Brooksley station became Grade II listed in 1979 and looking at it as seen here it is clear to see why. It was designed by the renowned architects William Parsons and Sancton Wood opening in 1846. The station building is totally out of proportion size wise for the small village it served finally closing in 1961. Keywords: Brooksby station Closed 03.06.61
222017, EM 14.02 London St. Pancras-Sheffield (1F45, RT), Cossington SK610136 The 14.02 St. Pancras to Sheffield EMR service passes near Cossington worked by 222017. When I last visited this spot in 2007 there was a foot crossing about level with the front carriage of the train but like so many it has been closed by Network Rail. Keywords: 222017 14.02 London St. Pancras-Sheffield 1F45 Cossington SK610136 East Midlands Railway
Bardon Hill signal box (Mid, 1899) My first signal box cop of the day and it's only just over fifty miles from home! Bardon Hill box is on the freight-only section of the line from Leicester to Burton-on-Trent and controls the regular aggregate trains that enter and leave the nearby quarry. The Midland box that dates from 1899 is in a shocking state with much rotten timber work in evidence. The rear is supported by a huge steel lintel that is itself attached to a pair of steels buried in the ground. This makes me wonder how much time it has left in service? Keywords: Bardon Hill signal box Midland Railway 1899
Mantle Lane signal box (Mid, 1910) Mantle Lane signal box, despite its name, is in the centre of Coalville. The box looks to be in good condition when compared to its sister boxes at Bardon Hill to the east and Moira West to the west. The 1910 Midland box controls various freight movements on this section of track and the appropriate stabling of aggregate wagons. There remains considerable pressure to reopen the station at Coalville and a number of others between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent with the reinstatement of the route to become the Ivanhoe Line. However, after positive developments and government backing for the scheme it was announced in July 2024 that the new Labour administration had cut it, and most of the other re-openings for that matter, due to budget constraints. Keywords: Mantle Lane signal box Midland Railway 1910
Moira West (Junction) signal box (Mid, 1896) In the gathering gloom of a February evening, Andy and I managed to find Moira West signal box. It is currently mothballed and protected by security fencing and palisade fencing through which I am taking the photgraph. According to a signalman that we spoke to later, this section of the Ivanhoe Line west of Coalville is currently unable to be used due to no signalling being operational as a result of persistent cable theft. The future of the 1896 Midland signal box is surely in the balance given the recent decision by the new Labour Government to withdraw the funding for the reopening of the line through Moira to Burton-on-Trent. Keywords: Moira West Junction signal box Midland Railway 1896
Andy & Moira West (Junction) signal box (Mid, 1896) Andy crouches down to get his image of Moira West or Junction signal box, to give it its correct name. The box sits at the western side of a once triangular junction with a closed line heading southeast to a point where it once was part of the now-operating heritage line at Shackerstone. I suspect that the line behind the box that is now mothballed will not ever open again despite the best efforts of the Ivanhoe reopening organisation, see.... https://www.ivanhoeline.org/ Keywords: Moira West Junction signal box Midland 1896
Looking south-east, Moira West (Junction), Spring Cottage Road bridge Looking southeast from the Spring Cottage overbridge towards the once-busy Moira Junction reveals that the West Junction signal box still stands. However, everything in this scene is mothballed and non-operational since the withdrawal of freight along this route with all remaining stone traffic from the quarries near Coalville heading east to connect with the MML. Hidden in the undergrowth to the left is the long siding that led off up the steeply graded section to Radon Colliery. Martin Loader (aka The Hondawanderer) has a number of photographs taken in happier times, for example, see..... http://www.hondawanderer.com/56025_Moira_West_Junction_1989.htm Keywords: Looking south-east, Moira West (Junction), Spring Cottage Road bridge .jpg
Looking north-west, Moira West (Junction), Spring Cottage Road bridge A dismal and depressing view looking northwest from Spring Cottage Road near Moira Junction in deepest Leicestershire. It shows the redundant and ultimately now doomed remains of the former Midland route between Leicester and Burton-on-Trent the eastern end of which still sees stone traffic. Huge amounts of coal traffic used to traverse this route up until the late 1980s with two pits once visible looking in this direction alone! In the distance is Gresley Tunnel not named after the erstwhile engineer and former LNER CME but the two villages nearby, Castle and Church Gresley and, not least, the wood that atops the tunnel itself. Fellow railway photographer Martin Loader has presented a number of images looking in this direction with the comparison being quite marked, for example, see.... http://www.hondawanderer.com/56018_Moira_West_Junction_1991.htm Keywords: Looking north-west, Moira West Junction Spring Cottage Road bridge
Alrewas signal box (LNW, 1899) I last visited Alrewas in 2014, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30015978864/alrewas-signal-box. Then it was hot and sunny summer's day rather than a dismal February evening as is the case today! The fine LNWR box dates from 1899 and controls the short section of track that links the WCML at Litchfield TV with the Midland route at Wichnor Junction. We were invited into the box by the signalman and he explained that since my last visit in 2014, traffic had increased particularly at night with CrossCountry Voyagers traversing the route as empty stock heading to and from their large maintenance facility at the Central Rivers depot. He also said that he enjoyed working this box due to its quiet location despite being fairly close to the A38 dual carriageway that runs behind the trees in the background. Keywords: Alrewas signal box LNWR 1899 London Northwestern Railway
196001, LN 20.40 Leamington Spa-Nuneaton (2G95, 1E), Bermuda Park station Pioneer Civity 196001 'Graiseley Wolves' pauses at Bermuda Park station working the 20.40 Leamington Spa to Nuneaton service. Andy and I had just had our customary evening curry and were heading back to our accommodation when passing the station we realised that a train was due. Having no camera, this image was captured using my mobile 'phone hence the questionable quality! Keywords: 196001 20.40 Leamington Spa-Nuneaton 2G95 Bermuda Park station civity

Images 1-17 of 17 displayed.