Jump to content
 

East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line


Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium
26 minutes ago, rodent279 said:

Thanks, that clears it up for me. I always thought that Lambs Siding was the one to the brick works off the DF.

So was Worcester Curve still in use and connected until 1975? Was it connected to the DF, or to the West end of the flyover?

 

Cheers N

 

Lambs Siding was indeed accessed from the Down Fast.

 

Leaving Bletchley heading South, the First Brickyard on the right was at Fletton Sidings and was accessed from sidings off the "Chord Line" (Worcester Curve) and controlled from Fletton Sidings Signal Box which was situated on the Oxford Branch. The Lambs Sidings was further south and accessed from the Down Fast which I seem to recall in the 60's was run by the London Brick Company. There was also sidings at Newton Longville on the Oxford Branch which served the London Brick Company (Bletchley) Works.

Edited by Pannier Tank
  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

This link https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/lmsr/M963.gif shows the Lambs Sidings Signalbox Diagram. 

 

It shows that access was available from the Up & Down Fast Lines.

 

The trackwork was much simplified after Lambs Siding Signalbox Closed (during the WCML modernisation plan), when Bletchley No. 1 took control of access to the Siding via a local Ground Frame at Lambs Siding.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
5 hours ago, Pannier Tank said:

 

Ok, I don't know why that should be. You could try going to the website at:  https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/index.php and then select DRAWINGS / LMSR Index then scroll down and look for S1458 Lamb's Siding

Yes that works. Thanks

I've been on the SRS site before and never had a problem, but for some reason that link throws up the error

 

EDIT It is a computer specific problem.

Laptop with Core i7 Win10, Firefox & Kaspersky IS = OK

Desktop with Core i7 Win 10, Firefox & Kaspersky IS = No Go.

 

Second EDIT: desktop with Ryzen Processor but otherwise similar is also showing "Forbidden"

:scratchhead:

Edited by melmerby
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Apologies for getting the two Fletton's works mixed up. The lesson is don't respond to posts late at night before checking facts! Being born in Fenny Stratford where there were many railway families didn't bring me into much contact with the local brick making industry until I went to Leon Secondary Modern where a good number of fellow pupils had fathers working in one or other of the brick yards.

 

Just to clear up any confusion, there were three brick works in the area of land bounded by the WCML, the Oxford branch, Drayton Road and the local road from Newton Longville to Stoke Hammond which crossed Drayton Road. They all appear to have had different owners and in the case of Lamb's a change of name to Jubilee Works.   

 

Standing on a bed of Oxford clay, Bletchley's first brick works was the other side of the Newton Road railway bridge close to the village of Newton Longville.  According the highly respected local historian (and one time MP) Sir Frank Markham whose two books on the history of the Milton Keynes area are regarded as the go to reference books this is the situation regarding the three brick works.

 

John Thornton Read opened a brick works around 1899 close to the Oxford line. He was later joined by a Richard Andrews and they traded as Read & Andrews. Around 1919 they were joined by A.E. Lamb (whose family owned a builders merchants) and in 1923 the company became known as the Bletchley Brick Company. In 1929 the company was taken over the London Brick Company.

 

The Water Eaton Brick Works (the one in the map off Drayton Road by the Blue Lagoon) was built by Fletton's Ltd and opened in 1929. This is the one accessed off the Worcester curve.

 

The third brick works were built at Skew Bridge, near Slad Farm which will appear on modern maps at Newton Leys.  Mr Lamb, previously a partner in the Newton Road works began building the works in 1933 and shortly afterwards it was sold and became Bletchley Fletton's, who completed the complex. It was sold again to the London Brick Company who named it Jubilee Works. 

 

When the clay close to Jubilee Works ran out, a new clay pit was opened near to the village of Loughton at Cold Harbour farm. This later became the basis for the Milton Keynes Bowl, where many top musicians etc. have performed over the years (although not many recently).

 

In my early days of commuting to London, I would catch the 2235 London Euston to Perth train which was first stop Bletchley. Although late shift finished at 2200, you could be in Bletchley quicker by the Perth train than the local. The Perth had a lengthy lay over in Bletchley to load mail. The drivers on passing Skew Bridge with the chimneys as their marker would start braking for the Bletchley stop. 

 

                                                                     

 

 

  • Like 3
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
57 minutes ago, 1E BoY said:

Apologies for getting the two Fletton's works mixed up. The lesson is don't respond to posts late at night before checking facts! Being born in Fenny Stratford where there were many railway families didn't bring me into much contact with the local brick making industry until I went to Leon Secondary Modern where a good number of fellow pupils had fathers working in one or other of the brick yards.

 

Just to clear up any confusion, there were three brick works in the area of land bounded by the WCML, the Oxford branch, Drayton Road and the local road from Newton Longville to Stoke Hammond which crossed Drayton Road. They all appear to have had different owners and in the case of Lamb's a change of name to Jubilee Works.   

 

Standing on a bed of Oxford clay, Bletchley's first brick works was the other side of the Newton Road railway bridge close to the village of Newton Longville.  According the highly respected local historian (and one time MP) Sir Frank Markham whose two books on the history of the Milton Keynes area are regarded as the go to reference books this is the situation regarding the three brick works.

 

John Thornton Read opened a brick works around 1899 close to the Oxford line. He was later joined by a Richard Andrews and they traded as Read & Andrews. Around 1919 they were joined by A.E. Lamb (whose family owned a builders merchants) and in 1923 the company became known as the Bletchley Brick Company. In 1929 the company was taken over the London Brick Company.

 

The Water Eaton Brick Works (the one in the map off Drayton Road by the Blue Lagoon) was built by Fletton's Ltd and opened in 1929. This is the one accessed off the Worcester curve.

 

The third brick works were built at Skew Bridge, near Slad Farm which will appear on modern maps at Newton Leys.  Mr Lamb, previously a partner in the Newton Road works began building the works in 1933 and shortly afterwards it was sold and became Bletchley Fletton's, who completed the complex. It was sold again to the London Brick Company who named it Jubilee Works. 

 

When the clay close to Jubilee Works ran out, a new clay pit was opened near to the village of Loughton at Cold Harbour farm. This later became the basis for the Milton Keynes Bowl, where many top musicians etc. have performed over the years (although not many recently).

 

In my early days of commuting to London, I would catch the 2235 London Euston to Perth train which was first stop Bletchley. Although late shift finished at 2200, you could be in Bletchley quicker by the Perth train than the local. The Perth had a lengthy lay over in Bletchley to load mail. The drivers on passing Skew Bridge with the chimneys as their marker would start braking for the Bletchley stop. 

 

                                                                     

 

 

 

We used to catch the Perth express back to Bletchley after we had midweek games at Chelsea where I was a ballboy. I remember one night we got to Euston as it was leaving, my dad grabbed me and lifted me up into an open door of the guards van as the train started to move off - that would never happen these days!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, 1E BoY said:

Apologies for getting the two Fletton's works mixed up. The lesson is don't respond to posts late at night before checking facts! Being born in Fenny Stratford where there were many railway families didn't bring me into much contact with the local brick making industry until I went to Leon Secondary Modern where a good number of fellow pupils had fathers working in one or other of the brick yards.

 

Just to clear up any confusion, there were three brick works in the area of land bounded by the WCML, the Oxford branch, Drayton Road and the local road from Newton Longville to Stoke Hammond which crossed Drayton Road. They all appear to have had different owners and in the case of Lamb's a change of name to Jubilee Works.   

 

Standing on a bed of Oxford clay, Bletchley's first brick works was the other side of the Newton Road railway bridge close to the village of Newton Longville.  According the highly respected local historian (and one time MP) Sir Frank Markham whose two books on the history of the Milton Keynes area are regarded as the go to reference books this is the situation regarding the three brick works.

 

John Thornton Read opened a brick works around 1899 close to the Oxford line. He was later joined by a Richard Andrews and they traded as Read & Andrews. Around 1919 they were joined by A.E. Lamb (whose family owned a builders merchants) and in 1923 the company became known as the Bletchley Brick Company. In 1929 the company was taken over the London Brick Company.

 

The Water Eaton Brick Works (the one in the map off Drayton Road by the Blue Lagoon) was built by Fletton's Ltd and opened in 1929. This is the one accessed off the Worcester curve.

 

The third brick works were built at Skew Bridge, near Slad Farm which will appear on modern maps at Newton Leys.  Mr Lamb, previously a partner in the Newton Road works began building the works in 1933 and shortly afterwards it was sold and became Bletchley Fletton's, who completed the complex. It was sold again to the London Brick Company who named it Jubilee Works. 

 

When the clay close to Jubilee Works ran out, a new clay pit was opened near to the village of Loughton at Cold Harbour farm. This later became the basis for the Milton Keynes Bowl, where many top musicians etc. have performed over the years (although not many recently).

 

In my early days of commuting to London, I would catch the 2235 London Euston to Perth train which was first stop Bletchley. Although late shift finished at 2200, you could be in Bletchley quicker by the Perth train than the local. The Perth had a lengthy lay over in Bletchley to load mail. The drivers on passing Skew Bridge with the chimneys as their marker would start braking for the Bletchley stop. 

 

                                                                     

 

 

Sir Frank Markham has a school named after him IIRC? A lot of my mates at Wolverton College went there.

Regarding MK Bowl, I got thoroughly microwaved there one sunny day, watching various bands, including The Stranglers and OMD, culminating in the unforgettable ZZ Top. Lying in the grass, no suncream, beer flowing steadily was a recipe for the Swan Vesta look the following day! (For those too young to know, Swan Vesta was a brand of matches, with a bright red tip. It isn't a good look, take my advice, don't go there).

I also remember the Northampton cobblers, the first 1 of the evening, 1B06 1714 Euston-NH, would scream through LB, past Stoke Hammond, then as we went past Lambs brickworks, which then still had the chimneys standing, the anchors would go on, for a nice neat stop in BY DF platform.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
On 08/03/2020 at 12:36, mike morley said:

It was the era when Forders was still in use and apparently on one occasion a hopper train broke down half way across one of the crossings (Stewartby?) 

 

I used to live in Ampthill (16 years ago now - where does time go?) so used to see the "Bin Liner" trains regularly. Haven't been back around Stewartby since and, while I am aware that the works has been gone for some time, I had wondered if the Bin Liners still operated. From your comment and looking at Google Earth it looks to be the case that Forders is no longer used for such trains (or anything else). Could someone let me know when all that finished please? Thanks.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
16 hours ago, highpeakman said:

 

I used to live in Ampthill (16 years ago now - where does time go?) so used to see the "Bin Liner" trains regularly. Haven't been back around Stewartby since and, while I am aware that the works has been gone for some time, I had wondered if the Bin Liners still operated. From your comment and looking at Google Earth it looks to be the case that Forders is no longer used for such trains (or anything else). Could someone let me know when all that finished please? Thanks.

I think it was sometime around 2005 that the last Cricklewood-Forders binliners ran. This was one of the last, in April 2005, seen here rolling down the hill from Sharnbrook past Oakley, after running round at Wellingborough.

66532_Oakley__April2005

 

Edited by rodent279
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
15 hours ago, rodent279 said:

I think it was sometime around 2005 that the last Cricklewood-Forders binliners ran. This was one of the last, in April 2005, seen here rolling down the hill from Sharnbrook part Oakley, after running round at Wellingborough.

 

 

Thanks very much for that. I hadn't realised that it stopped so long ago.

 

Again, while I recognised that they had to run round before going to Forders, I didn't realise at the time that they went all the way to Wellingborough to do that.

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
8 minutes ago, highpeakman said:

 

Thanks very much for that. I hadn't realised that it stopped so long ago.

 

Again, while I recognised that they had to run round before going to Forders, I didn't realise at the time that they went all the way to Wellingborough to do that.

They used to run round in Bedford station until about 2003. I assume they changed it to release platform space in Bedford.

  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
13 minutes ago, rodent279 said:

They used to run round in Bedford station until about 2003. I assume they changed it to release platform space in Bedford.

 

Thanks.

That makes sense. It seems to have changed about the time I left the area. I had always thought I had seen a run round in Bedford at some time before that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

Were those the ones that had a rather crudely adapted Freightliner container as a guard's position for use when propelling?  

They were.

 

I might have a picture somewhere......just have to find it...

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

Were those the ones that had a rather crudely adapted Freightliner container as a guard's position for use when propelling?  

Is this what you were thinking of? If so, then it may have been an EWS item, which got ditched when Freightliner took over, sometime in 2001. This photo was taken on that fateful day in October 2000, when the term "gauge corner cracking" suddenly became a news item.

 

66061_Bfd_17102000

 

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
26 minutes ago, Ian Smeeton said:

Forget the date & the 66, what is that in the background jus to the left of the loco?

 

Looks Gresley-ish.

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

It was the the rear coach of a tour hauled by a certain big green steam engine. The coach has an observation verandah.

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The new access to the east side of the flyover viewed from the Lambs Sidings (NR) slip road was being widened today.

 

The main work site was quite noisy during the day (you could hear it from our house) with what sounded like piling but may have not been. The activity can be seen in the first picture. 

20200601_155150.jpg

20200601_155736.jpg

Edited by 1E BoY
change of picture order
  • Like 10
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The latest edition of Moden Railways has managed to cross the channel to me and has a good short article on what is happening  with the flyover. I'll re read it today and try and precis it. It answers some questions.

 

Jamie

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...