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The Great Central in and around Nottingham


Mallard60022
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The original plan was to keep the lines through Victoria open until around 1970 and close them after Trent Power box was complete. However the traffic was falling off rapidly and I am sure the Victoria Centre developers made is worthwhile to BR to close the line early before they had got too far in the building process.  Even though most of the traffic went in May 68 the GN line between Netherfield and Trent Lane remained in use until Jan 1970 when it was closed along with the remaining signal boxes on the GC and the remaining lines singled.

 

Somewhere on the RCTS site there is a reference to this by someone much more knowledgeable than me - I will try to search it out later today. 

 

 

Rob

 

I found the reference on the RCTS site - look at picture B-70-04 http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=basford&page=5&serial=94&img=B-70-04 Mark Higginson says that the decision to close north of Weekday Cross was taken in Feb 68. Mark is the author of the excellent book "The Friargate Line" - so he does know a lot about those lines. On seeing that it made me recall that I had seen that bit of info. a long time ago - I just don't know where. The only thing I can think of is that I believe there was an article about the GN in Nottingham in the mid 70's in the Railway Magazine - perhaps it was in there.

 

On the subject of these freight lines under Victoria Center - I wonder if they planned to vent them, if so how, if not then it would not have been pleasant down there (especially as Victoria Street isn't vented).

 

Rob

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...

  Even though most of the traffic went in May 68 the GN line between Netherfield and Trent Lane remained in use until Jan 1970 when it was closed along with the remaining signal boxes on the GC and the remaining lines singled.

...

Rob

 

Thanks Rob, I never knew the link between Netherfield & Trent Lane was kept past the diversion of the Grantham line into the Midland Station.  On the 1976 OS map I mentioned above, it shows a short length of siding towards Racecourse stn, I assumed this was a headshunt to retain access to the Down Sidings GF, as shown on the Trent signalling plan.

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Thanks Rob, I never knew the link between Netherfield & Trent Lane was kept past the diversion of the Grantham line into the Midland Station.  On the 1976 OS map I mentioned above, it shows a short length of siding towards Racecourse stn, I assumed this was a headshunt to retain access to the Down Sidings GF, as shown on the Trent signalling plan.

 

I am not sure why it was retained but as both tracks were retained for a short distance with a cross over at the end it could have been to allow trains from/to Gedling to run around if they wanted to go east as well as the siding headshunt. As for the siding - I have no clue what that was for! I also don't know when these tracks were finally removed. I do remember seeing them in the 70's but I never saw anything on them.

 

Rob

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  • 3 months later...

If I may I would like to post some WIP screenshots of our digital version of the Nottingham Victoria Station, it's slow progress but we will get to Derby Friargate eventually.

14012933631_47708624b3_c.jpg

 

11783695973_f690621c65_c.jpg

 

13988993153_01451a36f4_c.jpg

Edited by briyeo
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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Nottingham used to be such a wonderful city - then the 70's planners came and utterly destroyed it. So much history lost to the stroke of an architect's dream.

On the other hand if Victoria was still open it suspect it would be akin to Birmingham New Street. The 60s/70s redevelopment did not thankfully reach its full impact, the opening of Maid Marian Way ( a dual carriageway that split the Castle from the City Centre) was met with such outrage that the remainder of the city centre dual carriageway network was abandoned, although some buildings to the east of the city centre around the Lace Market were felled for a road that never got built. Voted Britains ugliest road MMW has been improved by reducing its carriageway width - glad I was at college when it was still in its original form as the third, hardly used, lane made a good cycle track!

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The 60s/70s redevelopment did not thankfully reach its full impact, the opening of Maid Marian Way

Another shock to my system returning there in the early 70's (fading chilhood memories of the trolley buses and bus station of the 60's) was walking across the square and down the alley way to come out next to the church (name escapes me) walking towards the Midland station only to find the Broad Marsh shopping centre (C&A's) dropped across the road like an alien spaceship. Walking through and expecting to come out next to the Midland station only to be disorientated and finding myself in the bus station. I know it was the 60's and may have been a little light headed - but what a mess.

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On the other hand if Victoria was still open it suspect it would be akin to Birmingham New Street. !

 

I'm sure that when the Victoria Centre opened the sign above the Milton Street/Parliament Street entrance proclaimed it as the entrance for the Victoria centre (obviously), station and bus station.

There are a couple of images on http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/ but nothing clear enough. I'm sure I've seen a picture somewhere of this 'oddity'

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... 

walking towards the Midland station only to find the Broad Marsh shopping centre (C&A's) dropped across the road like an alien spaceship. 

 

And it really was right across the road, obstructing a right of way. As a result, they had to allow 24 hour a day access through the Broad Marsh, past shuttered shops and bored security guards.

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  • 2 years later...

Apologies for bumping up a 2 year old thread, but I have recently acquired, thanks to Ebay, a copy of the 1969 WTT.  Hope these extracts are of interest.

 

Rugby to Arkwright Street

post-1762-0-50590800-1469714045_thumb.jpg

 

and for the complete workings between Weekday Cross Jn/Trent Lane/Nottingham

post-1762-0-67356800-1469714137_thumb.jpg

post-1762-0-11840500-1469714165_thumb.jpg

 

Sadly, that year also came with a supplement, this scan is incomplete, but you get the pattern...

post-1762-0-81580600-1469714382_thumb.jpg

 

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  • 1 month later...
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Nice to see the revival of something I started and then, mainly due to not being very well on and off for nearly two years, having lost touch with. I had forgotten just how good the Graphics are in that Digital programme.

Thanks all.

Phil

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You can say the same about Leicester. I live abroad now, and when people ask if I would like to go back to where I grew up I have to say I can not, it does not exist any more.

When my parent's visited me 30 years ago(both deceased now), they told me never go back to Derby, I just would not recognize so much of it.

Sad really as I hold so many parts dear in the memory.

 

Mike

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  • 3 years later...

Bumping up this thread again, no apologies...

Clearing out during lockdown, I came across these photos.  I took them just as the demolition of the Trent viaduct had begun, must have been about 1983...

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  • 2 months later...

During a wander around the area whilst on a break I came across some work being done under the tram bridge over Canal Street in Nottingham. Built on the alignment of the original GC viaduct, which it connects to on the other side of the road, some older foundations had been revealed.

 

IMG_20200908_123328755.jpg.88ca0ef0bdd038b4dfe28eb11ae38b5b.jpg

 

IMG_20200908_122904425.jpg.6658e6bdc7f7f2a9b22b7f77c1666787.jpg

 

 

IMG_20200908_123334744.jpg.91899cf42e0a264cbde9e8907e59272a.jpg

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