Peter @ Meacham

I noticed a link on the Stafford Railway Circle's website last night which has led me to spend some hours looking at these collections of images particularly the Stafford Common area with its long-gone salt works.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/clogandknocker/OldStaffordToUttoxeterRailwayLine

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/JANenFONS/StaffordToUttoxeterRailwayPastAndPresent

 

I'd be interested to try and find out how long some of the PO salt wagons lasted into BR years.

Brings back memories of cycling/walking to school from Holmcroft/Stone Road to Corporation St and Dartmouth St Schools, during 1950's and 60's. Also cross country running over the common from Trinity Fields/Graham Balfour School. 

Keep going back to Stafford from Leamington Spa for regular visits to see all the changes.

Thinking of doing a Railway Model of Common Road Station/Salt works in 'O' Gauge. Trying to keep it down to a manageable size by possibly not doing the goods yard before the station and only limited entrances to both salt works, but with trains running to Uttoxeter and 16MU

The bridge over the lane up to Hopton was demolished in the 90s although the embankments leading up to it went much earlier.

 

When I was at Sir Graham Balfour High School in the 70s my art classroom looked out over Stafford Common and I could see the line alongside it. I well remember spotting an 08 with a trip working to RAF Stafford on a couple of occasions. One of them may well have been the last train up the line. I don't know an exact date but the line was almost certainly not used past 1979 to the best of my knowledge. It would be interesting to know the date of the last passage over this truncated section of the line.

 

I also used to cycle along the line over Doxey Marshes regularly in 1980-81 when I was at Stafford College, having to dismount and carry my bike over the River Sow as the rails were very much in place although a lot of the ash ballast had washed away over the years.

Brings back memories of cycling/walking to school from Holmcroft/Stone Road to Corporation St and Dartmouth St Schools, during 1950's and 60's. Also cross country running over the common from Trinity Fields/Graham Balfour School. 

Keep going back to Stafford from Leamington Spa for regular visits to see all the changes.

Thinking of doing a Railway Model of Common Road Station/Salt works in 'O' Gauge. Trying to keep it down to a manageable size by possibly not doing the goods yard before the station and only limited entrances to both salt works, but with trains running to Uttoxeter and 16MU

Brings back memories of cycling/walking to school from Holmcroft/Stone Road to Corporation St and Dartmouth St Schools, during 1950's and 60's. Also cross country running over the common from Trinity Fields/Graham Balfour School. 

Keep going back to Stafford from Leamington Spa for regular visits to see all the changes.

Thinking of doing a Railway Model of Common Road Station/Salt works in 'O' Gauge. Trying to keep it down to a manageable size by possibly not doing the goods yard before the station and only limited entrances to both salt works, but with trains running to Uttoxeter and 16MU.