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Coventry - Nuneaton Line


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I didn't realise so many people were interested in this line. I have a copy of a Signalling Record Society publication British Railways Layout Plans of the 1950s volume 11: LNW lines in the West Midlands. This gives track and signalling details of all the locations between Coventry and Griff. The 1930's plans shown above don't seem to have changed much in the 1950's. I could scan the relevant pages but where do we stand regarding copyright?

 

As a member of the Signalling Record Society I can tell you that as the book is still in print and available easily reproduction on here would be breaching copyright I am afraid. I'm sure Andy will be along to reiterate this. Be warned I am trained in the insertion of male catheters and I'm not afraid to use one!! I will hunt any male to the ends of the earth just to insert a catheter :D

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Hi all

One site that I am surprised not to have seen mentioned is Mike Musson's excellent 'Railways of Warwickshire'

 

Railways of Warwickshire

 

which has many excellent shots of the finest county in the Midlands.... Remember that Coventry was in Warwickshire (well it was when I was born and that was not that long ago) until the fairly recent creation of the West Midlands. Two sections that maybe of immediate interests to readers of this fine topic:

 

Nuneaton- Coventry Line

 

Coventry Loop Line

 

The link below is to Keith Norgrave's site which has a scan of the initial numbering plan for Coventry PSB (NW60003 dated 26-1-60) which shows fringe boxes at Gibbett's Hill, Humber Road Junc, Canley Gates and Coundon Road LC.There is a lot of interesting information on there but be warned- it is ginourmous in size!

 

Coventry PSB numbering plan

 

I was a passenger on this fine line on Saturday evening- 2145 Coventry-Nuneaton formed of the obligatory pair of class 153 units - as is usual at a weekend- why exactly is this does anyone know? Not sure who the guard- sorry train manager- was on this trip but he was a very pleasant and chatty chap- spoke to me about my walkman and said how useful they were an that he had one too. He was cheerful and polite- not bad considering how many times he had no doubt shuttled up and down the line that day and was no doubt tired coming to the end of his duty. I didn't notice his name badge but I am sure you know who is Cov Guard (he was a little portly- apologies if that is you!) but I thought it was nice of him to have a little chat with me. That goes a long way in my book showing an interest in your passengers- sorry customers- and makes you feel more welcome. If you can recognise him from my description then could you pass on my good wishes and appreciation to him and thank him for his time. He certainly made a positive impression on behalf of London Midland.

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  • RMweb Gold

Many thanks Natalie when ever we work the Dogbox as it's more often known between us guards at Coventry depot we always take an interest in our passengers as we often get know many passengers by name it make the job so much easier and quicker .

I will certainly pass on your comments as I'm not sure who it was on that turn ? I do know that the turn was a very short one only three return trips Coventry-Nuneaton I know I did it a couple of weeks ago !!

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Hi all

 

Whilst tidying up my study today I decided to dispose of a pile of old VHS cassettes. Among the pile I sorted out was a programme by Nigel Fletcher titled Vanishing Lines, and Gosford Green was featured on it.

 

The clip starts with a view of red stripe 58030 drawing out of Three Spires yard with a rake of HEAs heading south. Next is a view of a 25 and brakevan scuttling by north, follwed by a 25 on a rake of carflats heading south. The next clip is of Gosford Green yard with a 1976 view of a split headcode 40 working a Rootes container train 4S ?? out of the yard. The remaining clips are photos of the yard after closure, and lifting with a single class 20 and a track relaying machine liftingf track panels out.

 

There are a number of other locations on the video around the country, the only other local one being Baddesley, showing class 58s on MGRs, before the line closed, then scenes of trackless yard, prior to it's recent relaying.

 

 

HTH

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I remember Baddesley Colliery as I had a couple of Great Aunts that lived around the area.(Baddesley, not the Colliery!)

 

My Great Uncle was a senior manager at Birch Coppice pit, and as a result, my Dad used to get to ride on the footplate of the steam locos taking the black stuff across the A5 to the exchange sidings adjacent to the Trent valley line. (Not sure what pit that was from?)

 

Inevitably when we used to visit the Aunts, my Dad and I used to nip off to see what was about.

 

I can recall looking down from the road at a 58 and 56 idling away smoking the place out.

 

Happy days indeed.

 

There are lots of railways that have dissappeared in this area, from the quarry at Hartshill, to the line from Baddesley to where the new intermodal terminal is at Birch etc.

 

Should we start a thread about the branch from Kingsbury Junction to Baddesley? I should imagine that would be fairly interesting?!

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I remember Baddesley Colliery as I had a couple of Great Aunts that lived around the area.(Baddesley, not the Colliery!)

 

My Great Uncle was a senior manager at Birch Coppice pit, and as a result, my Dad used to get to ride on the footplate of the steam locos taking the black stuff across the A5 to the exchange sidings adjacent to the Trent valley line. (Not sure what pit that was from?)

 

Inevitably when we used to visit the Aunts, my Dad and I used to nip off to see what was about.

 

I can recall looking down from the road at a 58 and 56 idling away smoking the place out.

 

Happy days indeed.

 

There are lots of railways that have dissappeared in this area, from the quarry at Hartshill, to the line from Baddesley to where the new intermodal terminal is at Birch etc.

 

Should we start a thread about the branch from Kingsbury Junction to Baddesley? I should imagine that would be fairly interesting?!

 

The pit would have been Baddesley which was connected to the MR via Kingsbury and LNWR north of Atherstone. The MR line also served Birch Coppoice, Hall End and Kingsbury collieries.

 

There is an interesting IRS article on Baddesley from 1966 on the IRS website:

 

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/11/william_francis.htm

 

Happy to contribute to a new thread

 

Regards

Mike

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  • 3 weeks later...

A few more pics, this time from Three Spires. In the '80s Three Spires yard handled incoming coal from the Nottingham area for the Homefire plant and outgoing MGR traffic to Didcot Power Station, Garston Docks and household coal tripped to Bescot (and later Washwood Heath).

 

Here 45048 "The Royal Marines" departs from Three Spires on 12th August, 1983 with 8D85, the 0918 empties to Toton, while 56065 arrives light from Saltley for the 7V44 0939 MGR to Didcot Power Station.

 

post-891-12577164394276_thumb.jpg

 

 

56065 then departs from Three Spires Junction Yard on 12th August, 1983, with 7V44.

 

post-891-12577168565435_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Mike

 

This is a fascinating thread. Some wonderful pictures.

 

The Class 56 shots brought back some memories. I remember being at school in the early 80s watching one coming off the Nuneaton line with a loaded MGR train and some of the hoppers slowly derailing just before it entered the main line through Cov Station. Wandered off the school grounds to get a better view and got a detention for the privilege ??“ seemed a bit harsh at the time!

 

I imagine most people know about it, but old-maps.co.uk allows you to look at maps of the UK from the late 1800s until pre WWII in 1:2,500 and 1:10,560 scale. Can see all the old collieries and yards along the line.

 

Mark

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  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

Bit of an update on this great little branchline

as I'm sure there are many keen photographers on here I was wondering if anybody has seen any supicious activity going on ?

As atleast half a dozen times now since Christmas there have been some attacks of vandalism where the persons have stolen the lineside cableing causing thousands of pounds in damage and disrupted journeys.

It really annoys us traincrew who work the branch as we get the backlash from the fare paying passengers !!

So if anyone sees anything that doesn't appear to be right then please report it to the police ?.

Many thanks for reading this post .

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post-12-126782810303_thumb.jpg

Class 25 heads along the Nuneaton to Coventry line 1980?I thought I took this at Charringtons sidings but thinking about it the background for there is wrong?I now think it could be the Murco.The train is heading for the Gosford Branch.I have now sussed out how to get photo's to upload so will dig some more out.any help with location welcome. B)

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Looks like it might be taken from behind Hawksbury Lane SB to me.

I reckon that is the bottom of the handrail to the box steps just visible to the left of the portaloo.

Also think that is the M6 on its elevated stilts in the background.

 

Scott

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I must say Iive always had a real soft spot for the Cov-Nuneaton line, and particular interest in the avoiding line from Three Spires-Humber Road. There is a lack of photographic material from the avoiding line it's true.......i stumbled across a photo in a book in Rugby library last week of an RCTS Tour (The Mercian, 2/6/57) in charge of Black five 45091 passing Gosford Green with a rake of LMS stock en-route to Rugby. I think it was taken by Michael Mensing, i'll see if I can find the publication.

 

I was an air cadet at 163 squadron during the late 70's which was based around the old Ordnance works at the Bottom of Smith Street. Parts of the old rail system that ran through there, from the avoiding line through to the Coventry/Nuneaton line via Courtaulds were still visible inside the works, and some of the rails are still visible in the yard at the back of the industrial estate on Red Lane/Waterman Road, and it's nice to contrast some of the photo's from the Warwickshire Railways site to the area as it now stands. I remember the overgrown avoiding line from the Swan Lane bridge, and have some distant recall of seeing a single class 20 on the line opposite what is now Morris Common....I've always assumed it was part of the demolition, which was a bit piecemeal during the early 80's, but have still yet to find any photo's of the demolition. Again, the DerbySulzers page on the line is very interesting as well, with some fine photographs.

 

Gosford Green yard has some sort of development on it, and I think is reachable off the Binley Road alongside the remains of the old embankment which overlook the traffic island on the A444. It is interesting to compare the photo's on the DerbySulzers site with Google maps satellite images!

 

Haven't been able to find any photo's of Bell Green yard (corner of Foleshill Road/A444) either, which has just been redeveloped into another industrial estate including a new Post Office complex in the last couple of months.

 

Incidentally, there is still a short section of rail in the old Dunlop site , as part of the line that ran across Burnaby Road and joined the Coventry/Nuneaton line at Lockhurst Lane bridge. Until a couple of years ago the trackbed was overgrown between the houses opposite where it came out of the Dunlop, then it would have crossed between 24/26 Yelverton Road and down to the Cov line. This short part of trackbed has now been encroached on by householders extending the properties (how legally is another matter). I think there was a yard (Foleshill Station?) that served a number of local firms at this point, which I think is now the Endermere industrial estate (or part of it). There is a photo in existence of the yard being shunted by an 8F I think. I assume this would have been a marshalling point for some of the Courtaulds traffic.

 

The area does offer some great scope for modelling, it's a pity that there are not more period photographs.

 

Guy

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I must say Iive always had a real soft spot for the Cov-Nuneaton line, and particular interest in the avoiding line from Three Spires-Humber Road. There is a lack of photographic material from the avoiding line it's true.......i stumbled across a photo in a book in Rugby library last week of an RCTS Tour (The Mercian, 2/6/57) in charge of Black five 45091 passing Gosford Green with a rake of LMS stock en-route to Rugby. I think it was taken by Michael Mensing, i'll see if I can find the publication.

 

I was an air cadet at 163 squadron during the late 70's which was based around the old Ordnance works at the Bottom of Smith Street. Parts of the old rail system that ran through there, from the avoiding line through to the Coventry/Nuneaton line via Courtaulds were still visible inside the works, and some of the rails are still visible in the yard at the back of the industrial estate on Red Lane/Waterman Road, and it's nice to contrast some of the photo's from the Warwickshire Railways site to the area as it now stands. I remember the overgrown avoiding line from the Swan Lane bridge, and have some distant recall of seeing a single class 20 on the line opposite what is now Morris Common....I've always assumed it was part of the demolition, which was a bit piecemeal during the early 80's, but have still yet to find any photo's of the demolition. Again, the DerbySulzers page on the line is very interesting as well, with some fine photographs.

 

Gosford Green yard has some sort of development on it, and I think is reachable off the Binley Road alongside the remains of the old embankment which overlook the traffic island on the A444. It is interesting to compare the photo's on the DerbySulzers site with Google maps satellite images!

 

Haven't been able to find any photo's of Bell Green yard (corner of Foleshill Road/A444) either, which has just been redeveloped into another industrial estate including a new Post Office complex in the last couple of months.

 

Incidentally, there is still a short section of rail in the old Dunlop site , as part of the line that ran across Burnaby Road and joined the Coventry/Nuneaton line at Lockhurst Lane bridge. Until a couple of years ago the trackbed was overgrown between the houses opposite where it came out of the Dunlop, then it would have crossed between 24/26 Yelverton Road and down to the Cov line. This short part of trackbed has now been encroached on by householders extending the properties (how legally is another matter). I think there was a yard (Foleshill Station?) that served a number of local firms at this point, which I think is now the Endermere industrial estate (or part of it). There is a photo in existence of the yard being shunted by an 8F I think. I assume this would have been a marshalling point for some of the Courtaulds traffic.

 

The area does offer some great scope for modelling, it's a pity that there are not more period photographs.

 

Guy

 

Hi Guy.Thanks for this,as a Cov kid that still lives in this neck of the woods I found your piece fascinating.The only bit I recall is seeing the line go over Burnaby Rd back in the 70s.I use what was the Three Spires trackbed of the railway everyday to go to work as its now the A 444.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello there.This is THE thread I have been looking for , for I am fascinated by railways in Cov.Theres excellent stuff on here, thanks to all the contributors.

 

I used live in coventry, off Acacia ave,near Gosford Green and I also remember railways at the Ordnance works and Kingfield rd where used be a bridge; the line was for Webster brick works.

 

"Incidentally, there is still a short section of rail in the old Dunlop site , as part of the line that ran across Burnaby Road and joined the Coventry/Nuneaton line at Lockhurst Lane bridge. Until a couple of years ago the trackbed was overgrown between the houses opposite where it came out of the Dunlop, then it would have crossed between 24/26 Yelverton Road and down to the Cov line. This short part of trackbed has now been encroached on by householders extending the properties (how legally is another matter). I think there was a yard (Foleshill Station?) that served a number of local firms at this point, which I think is now the Endermere industrial estate (or part of it). There is a photo in existence of the yard being shunted by an 8F I think. I assume this would have been a marshalling point for some of the Courtaulds traffic."

 

Where exactly is this track please? I couldnt find it on Google Earth.At 40 Burnaby rd, theres looks like whats is remains of a siding or am I wrong?

 

Thanls

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Hello there.This is THE thread I have been looking for , for I am fascinated by railways in Cov.Theres excellent stuff on here, thanks to all the contributors.

 

I used live in coventry, off Acacia ave,near Gosford Green and I also remember railways at the Ordnance works and Kingfield rd where used be a bridge; the line was for Webster brick works.

 

"Incidentally, there is still a short section of rail in the old Dunlop site , as part of the line that ran across Burnaby Road and joined the Coventry/Nuneaton line at Lockhurst Lane bridge. Until a couple of years ago the trackbed was overgrown between the houses opposite where it came out of the Dunlop, then it would have crossed between 24/26 Yelverton Road and down to the Cov line. This short part of trackbed has now been encroached on by householders extending the properties (how legally is another matter). I think there was a yard (Foleshill Station?) that served a number of local firms at this point, which I think is now the Endermere industrial estate (or part of it). There is a photo in existence of the yard being shunted by an 8F I think. I assume this would have been a marshalling point for some of the Courtaulds traffic."

 

Where exactly is this track please? I couldnt find it on Google Earth.At 40 Burnaby rd, theres looks like whats is remains of a siding or am I wrong?

 

Thanls

 

 

Track work was part of the short branch into the Dunlop site, and crossed Burnaby Road at that point. It's still visible next to the house. I'm not sure if rails are still within the concrete further inside the old Dunlop site, and that's shortly to be redeveloped. You can't really see from Google Earth where the line went between the houses due to foliage and extensions, and it crossed Yelverton Road. All signs of the railworks have disappeared on that side. I remember seeing a photo many years ago in a local publication of wagons actually being tripped across Burnaby Road into the site.

 

On a personal note i'm still looking for photographs etc of Bell Green goods yard, but it just doesn't appear to have been photographed.angry.gif

 

Guy

 

 

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Thanks for the reply, at 24/26 yelverton rd on google earth, there appears to be track next to a house,its fenced off.You can see grass growing in its place.

 

I have ordered a video: Disappearing lines, and it features the Gosford branch.I have also ordered an old map of Cov from 1961, that might have some info as well.Will keep you posted with any further info.

 

Thanks

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Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Unfortunatly I don't own a VCR (anymore!)

 

Any chance of screen shots (or a DVD ripoff tongue.gif)

 

***EDIT*** Hardcore. Found one on Ebay and me mum's got a video. Hopefully £2.99 is a winner!

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  • 8 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Hi all

 

Everytime I search the internet for "Coventry avoiding line" I come back to this forum and ironically know "Cov Guard" well, Hi Col!! I can remember living in Stoke Heath in the late 70's and hearing a train on the avoiding line near the Morris Engines factory whilst on Stoke Heath Common and running to the fence to see it but unfortunately not seeing the engine but just lots of wagons with cars on them. Ever since I have tried to find as much info / photos / videos as possible about this line that I was just too young to find out about. I knew the line very well after it had closed as I used to cycle along it to get to work to a factory that Cov Guard will know and love!!! I see that this forum hasn't had much activity for a while but hope that all that have contributed so far may have since dug up some hidden away photos or info etc. that I would love to know about.....

 

Thanks

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  • RMweb Gold

Oh yes the famous factory !! many thanks for the reminder I do know that my uncle was on the very last train to go over the avoiding line well it was reclaiming track panels at the time and if I remember rightly in a copy of Traction magazine there was an article about the avoiding line with my uncle in one of the photo's !!

One person who might have more information maybe a certain Nigel Fletcher of Lieutennant Pigeon fame his house used to back onto the avoiding line on Kingsway in Ball Hill the DVD's Ive got are narrated by him I spoke to him about a year ago on the Coventry-Nuneaton dogbox !!

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Hi all

 

I've only just found this topic and really enjoyed it

 

Can I post a link to my photos of the remains of the line at

http://coventryinphotographs.zenfolio.com/coventry_to_three_spires_junction

which include a 1982 view from Lythalls Lane bridge

 

Cheers

 

 

Revised link posted 14.1.12

 

Is it me or is this link not working?

I would like to know and see more about this line

Thanks

John (nobby)

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