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A few of us were on the Euston - Kidder tour saturday and on passing Berkswell talk of the "Berkswell loop" started. I never did it but many of us have apparently mainly on 304/310 local services being routed out of the way of an Inter City. What services used it, When did it close, assume on down only.

Any Berkswell loop memories to share?

 

thanks

NR

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  • RMweb Gold

Are you talking about the Kenilworth and Berkswell Railway or Tile Hill Loop? 

 

There were no running loops between Coventry and Stechford until the oil siding was provided at Tile Hill in the 1960s. 

At that time a goods loop was laid between Tile Hill and Beechwood Tunnel to facilitate working of the block trains from (IIRC) Thames Haven. 

Following cessation of oil traffic I did a tweak to the interlocking at Tile Hill to enable the loop to be used for passenger trains. The situation was that the Down local trains were booked out of Coventry immediately after the express, in fact if the latter was a couple of minutes late it was customary to draw the local out of platform 4 to the end of the platform loop. Holding the local caused mayhem with the timetable all the way to Wolverhampton and letting it run meant it had to get to New Street before the express could overtake. The alteration at Tile Hill was done to enable the local to get out of Coventry and thus free up platform 4 then be looped two stations later for the express to pass. 

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I would agree.

 

i would get on at Tile Hill heading to New Street, usually the 310 /312 would pull into the loop and let an express by.

 

i was shocked to see it gone many years later (having left home and moved away). Surely a useful piece of track ?

 

the berkswell “loop” was just a siding onto the old berkswell to kenilworth line. I’m sure as a kid the rumour was that the Royal Train had been berthed there at times. Unsure if this is true.


there was a plan to relay the line with the mega pit that was planned.... which didn’t get built. Would have run right past our house..... now destined to be HS2... there was still railway memorabilia along the line during the 80s. 
 

must go back for a walk along it.... very soon.

 

berkswell had the level crossing and a cut through under a VERY low bridge.... long since rebuilt. 
 

likewise Tile Hill... I’d always have my fingers crossed that the barriers would be down... now a bridge in its place. 
 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold
18 minutes ago, rs4 said:

 

i was shocked to see it gone many years later (having left home and moved away). Surely a useful piece of track ?

Looping trains went out of fashion with privatisation. When I first made it passenger Birmingham International didn't exist either.

 

19 minutes ago, rs4 said:

a siding onto the old berkswell to kenilworth line. I’m sure as a kid the rumour was that the Royal Train had been berthed there at times. Unsure if this is true.

Yes, happened a lot in the past. HM (and other Royal Train users) would sleep there overnight when on early morning engagements in the West Midlands.

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  • RMweb Gold
16 hours ago, rs4 said:

I would agree.

 

i would get on at Tile Hill heading to New Street, usually the 310 /312 would pull into the loop and let an express by.

 

i was shocked to see it gone many years later (having left home and moved away). Surely a useful piece of track ?

 

the berkswell “loop” was just a siding onto the old berkswell to kenilworth line. I’m sure as a kid the rumour was that the Royal Train had been berthed there at times. Unsure if this is true.


there was a plan to relay the line with the mega pit that was planned.... which didn’t get built. Would have run right past our house..... now destined to be HS2... there was still railway memorabilia along the line during the 80s. 
 

must go back for a walk along it.... very soon.

 

berkswell had the level crossing and a cut through under a VERY low bridge.... long since rebuilt. 
 

likewise Tile Hill... I’d always have my fingers crossed that the barriers would be down... now a bridge in its place. 
 

 

 

The 'Royal Train' (as a set of vehicles) was definitely stabled there on one occasion in 1985 because I briefed the Train Officer as it was the first time he had ever undertaken that duty on the train.  I'm fairly sure that it wasn't actually a Royal Train as such (it is only a Royal Train if it is conveying the monarch, if it is any lesser member of the Royal Family it is a Special Train -  the formation was too short for a full Royal).

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The Royal train certainly was stabled on the Berkswell siding in the 1970s and 1980s, another popular location was nar Trench on the branch from Wellington towards Donnington.

 

As was said, back in the 1960s the line when it was open from Kenilworth was use for a lot of diversionary traffic whilst the main line between Rugby and Coventry was being electrified. 

 

Also as mentioned, the potential opencast site was to have the line reopened and BR used a class 58 and an air braked officers saloon to wine and dine selected influential individuals on trips from Leamington to Daw Mill colliery, then onto Drakelow or Ratcliffe power stations. Sadly the project was stillborne.   

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  • RMweb Gold

I don't think the good burghers of Solihull, Hampron in Arden and Kenilworth we too keen on the prospect of a super-pit on the doorstep. 

I had a bit of stuff to look at in connection with alterations to the existing railway

 The proposal I was given included a bridge over the main line at Berkswell, running parallel to the Birmingham line to Hampton then rebuilding the original line through Maxstoke to Whitacre. 

Alternative pit proposals were a new mine at Southam and expanding Coventry and Daw Mill to tap the seam which runs from the North Warwickshire area to the Thames Valley.

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