Colwick38A

An interesting thread and I do like the effort that has gone in to Nottingham Victoria. I see that this thread is mainly about the GC and there was a mention of Netherfield Lane and the singling of the Gedling branch. Can I point out that the line wasn't singled during 1966 that was done during the early 1971. When Colwick closed during 1970 the breakers moved in and dismantled the yards between Colwick North Junction and Rectory Junction rendering the Gedling Branch purely under the control of Netherfield Junction. A single line token was used and bi directional running from the former junction at the east end of Netherfield & Colwick station to as far as the crossover adjacent the box where the signal fixed at Danger once stood.. Netherfield Lane became a unmanned gate box with it original unaltered 4 gate double track crossing. It was operated by the duty shunter who would travel by van from Nottingham to Netherfield Lane Crossing and open the box to allow the train up the branch and off of it when it arrived at the Home and fixed Distant. This continued until the box was closed during early spring of 1983 and the gates and box abolished to be replaced by an automatic open level crossing. This did catch out a bus driver not long after the new crossing had been commissioned on the Number 46 route when his Nottingham City Transport Double-Decker was hit broadside on and shoved for over 25 yards towards Netherfield Junction by a pair of Class 20's with a loaded train for Spondon coming off the branch. This wouldn't be the last time something like this were to happen as there was a car hit and dragged by a train heading towards Gedling in 1990, yet again a pair of Class 20's with an empty M.G.R train to a car out driven by a driver that hadn't long passed her driving test. The crossing was never upgraded and with the closure of Gedling Colliery in 1991 the line was mothballed and fell into disuse. It wasn't until 1999 E.W.S invested money along with Railtrack to upgrade the line in order to extract coal from the slag heaps at Gedling. Netherfield Lane crossing was also upgraded and gates were installed 8 years after the original crossing gates were abolished along with the box! The reason long gates were installed was to ensure that line was protected from all road traffic and pedestrians with the overlap when closed to rail traffic. This is because the gate posts are closer together covering a single line formation as opposed to the original double track. A little bit of useless information for you!

Hi all, after reading this tread I couldn’t resist and I had to have my say too. I too am of the opinion of why should I restrict myself to just BR Blue? I have always admired the designs of Locomotives of yesteryear before C.A.D took hold whether they were a rip roaring success to those that were complete flops. I didn’t want to restrict myself to a given era so I did a compromise and gone from the mid 60’s to the mid 90’s which gives me 4 decades to work with where locomotive types can overlap decades and liveries are not just Blue. I admit most of my loco’s are Blue but every now and again a splash of colour is needed so long as it can carry the “Arrows of indecision” I’m happy! Regards Michael

Hi there, I too am all for the “corporate era”. I suppose it all came about from my Dad who worked for BR first with Steam at Colwick M.P.D then finished during the 80’s at Nottingham. I was spoilt for choice when it came to Loco Types ranging from 08’s, 20’s, Peak’s to the mighty Deltics. For me being born in the early 70’s BR Blue dominated but there were some that still carried the very faded BR green. As for modelling, it all started with steam, as Dad was trying his hardest to convert me to his era on the railway by showing me pictures in books and being dragged around the baron waste land of the former Colwick Loco I was always drawn to the Diesels simply because they were there and I could watch them from the end of our street! There are times where I wish I could turn the clock back just to re-live some of the sights and sounds that I experienced as a kid, but alas we all can but wish. Today I am able to re-live some of those moments be it in 00 as I have taken some brave pills and between me and my brother have constructed a layout of “Grimsby Town”, an area of the Eastern Region where anything goes so to speak!