3 Spies Junction? Coventry - Nuneaton Line

[Metroman62]

I went to school in the Coventry area in the 1970s. We would sometimes go and see what was happening at the sidings at what I think was called 3 Spies Junction. This is where the line from the Kersley Coal Mine joined the Coventry to Nuneaton line. The line went from there over a level crossing on Wheelwright Lane to the colliery. You could sometimes see NCB diesel locos and class 25 locos. I think the sidings are close to where the Ricoh Arena is now.

I was last in the area in 2013 and saw the line was still intact across Wheelwright Lane. I can also see from Google maps it's still there.

Does this line still see any use?

Was the junction called 3 Spies Junction?

Are there any pictures of the area old or new?

Thanks

 

[swt_passenger]

It would be three spires, as in church spires?

 

[59CosG95]

I went to school in the Coventry area in the 1970s. We would sometimes go and see what was happening at the sidings at what I think was called 3 Spies Junction. This is where the line from the Kersley Coal Mine joined the Coventry to Nuneaton line. The line went from there over a level crossing on Wheelwright Lane to the colliery. You could sometimes see NCB diesel locos and class 25 locos. I think the sidings are close to where the Ricoh Arena is now.

I was last in the area in 2013 and saw the line was still intact across Wheelwright Lane. I can also see from Google maps it's still there.

Does this line still see any use?

Was the junction called 3 Spies Junction?

Are there any pictures of the area old or new?

Thanks

I believe it was "Three Spires Junction"; the colliery has now become 'Prologis Park', a business hub occupied by the likes of DHL & The Co-Op. There is an entry for 'Coventry Prologis Park' in Realtime Trains, however there doesn't seem to be any traffic there at the moment.
This might be due to the fact that access is only from the south, and that freight paths from Leamington to Coventry are constrained by a single-track section through Kenilworth, compounded by the fact there's basically no spare capacity on the line from Rugby, or the WCML south of there.

 

[Ianno87]

I believe it was "Three Spires Junction"; the colliery has now become 'Prologis Park', a business hub occupied by the likes of DHL & The Co-Op. There is an entry for 'Coventry Prologis Park' in Realtime Trains, however there doesn't seem to be any traffic there at the moment.
This might be due to the fact that access is only from the south, and that freight paths from Leamington to Coventry are constrained by a single-track section through Kenilworth, compounded by the fact there's basically no spare capacity on the line from Rugby, or the WCML south of there.

More likely just lack of actual demand from the branch itself (one or two paths a day are hardly a massive capacity challenge). There was bottled water going up there a few years back, but has since stopped.

 

[LAX54]

I went to school in the Coventry area in the 1970s. We would sometimes go and see what was happening at the sidings at what I think was called 3 Spies Junction. This is where the line from the Kersley Coal Mine joined the Coventry to Nuneaton line. The line went from there over a level crossing on Wheelwright Lane to the colliery. You could sometimes see NCB diesel locos and class 25 locos. I think the sidings are close to where the Ricoh Arena is now.

I was last in the area in 2013 and saw the line was still intact across Wheelwright Lane. I can also see from Google maps it's still there.

Does this line still see any use?

Was the junction called 3 Spies Junction?

Are there any pictures of the area old or new?

Thanks

Indeed 3 Spires Junction, I worked a Bedlam Lane the nxt box, about 200 yards away.

Three Spires controlled the entrance to Coventry Colliery, and to the Ford Factory, there used to be a daily cat train 4M44. I wasa there in 77/78

Bizarrely we had a coal fire at Bedlam, as did most boxes, and our coal was delivered pre-packed by road.....from Crewe !

Line closed from Dinner Time Saturday to the night shift when it reopened for passenger train diversions, then closed again about 0700 Sunday to 0600 Monday

(The only passenger service were on a Saturday night)

 

[Elecman]

Signal box burnt down replaced by portacabin type unit but even that is now closed,

 

[High Dyke]

Info here: https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/covloopline_3spires.htm

Three Spires Junction

Three Spires Junction was situated between Foleshill station and Longford & Exhall station on the Coventry to Nuneaton line. The Signal Cabin opened on 28th June 1914 with the Coventry Loop line opening on 10th August 1914. The Loop line (also known as the 'Avoiding' line) was built so goods trains, principally coal trains from the North Warwickshire Coalfields, could avoid running through Coventry station as the Loop line rejoined the former London & Birmingham Railway line at Pinley (later renamed Humber Road) Junction. It was also the location where sidings were located to handle the coal traffic originating from the coal fields located between Coventry & Bedworth as well as outward bound traffic from Coventry Colliery.

Different views here: https://www.derbysulzers.com/threespires.html

 

[causton]

Interesting level crossing on the line to Prologis Park!

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

 

[RichA]

The original box was burnt out following an arson attack in November 1998. The picture shows the fire being dealt with, the aforementioned Bedlam lane box and crossing used to be were the bridge in the distance is.

 

[Ianno87]

Signal box burnt down replaced by portacabin type unit but even that is now closed,

The original box was burnt out following an arson attack in November 1998. The picture shows the fire being dealt with, the aforementioned Bedlam lane box and crossing used to be were the bridge in the distance is.View attachment 76741

ISTR the box is effectively switched out, bit can be manned if traffic returns.

 

[Metroman62]

It would be three spires, as in church spires?

Oh thanks, that explains why I could not find any details!

 

[Ianno87]

It would be three spires, as in church spires?

Oh thanks, that explains why I could not find any details!

I take it refers to the three notable spires that form part of the Coventry City centre skyline (one of which is the ruined cathedral)

 

[PHILIPE]

Indeed 3 Spires Junction, I worked a Bedlam Lane the nxt box, about 200 yards away.

Three Spires controlled the entrance to Coventry Colliery, and to the Ford Factory, there used to be a daily cat train 4M44. I wasa there in 77/78

Bizarrely we had a coal fire at Bedlam, as did most boxes, and our coal was delivered pre-packed by road.....from Crewe !

Line closed from Dinner Time Saturday to the night shift when it reopened for passenger train diversions, then closed again about 0700 Sunday to 0600 Monday

(The only passenger service were on a Saturday night)

The car trains (4M44) ran to and from Gosford Green and between there and Linwood near Paisley.

 

[HLE]

Points to the prologis branch long since clipped. Branch line long overgrown too. Hasn't seen a train for over a decade at least.

Car park C of the Ricoh Arena is now what was Three Spires yard. Bedlam lane LC now a dual carriageway overbridge. Whoever foresaw a station and a 32k seater stadium immediately to the north!

Line up to Coventry Arena (ish) controlled by WMSC, the remainder to Nuneaton by Rugby.
Cov-Nun sees plenty of freight along with hourly passenger services.

Line speed remains 45mph however!

 

[rogercov]

Indeed 3 Spires Junction, I worked a Bedlam Lane the nxt box, about 200 yards away.

Three Spires controlled the entrance to Coventry Colliery, and to the Ford Factory, there used to be a daily cat train 4M44. I wasa there in 77/78

Bizarrely we had a coal fire at Bedlam, as did most boxes, and our coal was delivered pre-packed by road.....from Crewe !

Line closed from Dinner Time Saturday to the night shift when it reopened for passenger train diversions, then closed again about 0700 Sunday to 0600 Monday

(The only passenger service were on a Saturday night)

Interesting.... so you were at Bedlam Lane in 77/78. You must have been responsible for holding me up on my way to work. I remember that you had to leave the box to open and shut the gates by hand.... especially frustrating when a freight train would stop to reverse and occupy the crossing for several minutes. I'm sure you remember that well!

These pics might bring back some memories. These are my own pics of the crossing and box in October 1988. I think they are already permanently closed in preparation for building the new road. I believe that the box is in the course of being demolished in the 4th picture. The 1st picture shows the sidings still in use from 3 Spires junction to the colliery (which later became Prologis Park).

 

[Dr Hoo]

Lovely little YouTube video of the Three Spires at
Coventry The City of Three Spires - YouTubewww.youtube.com › watch
St Michael's was the 'old' cathedral, destroyed in the bombing in 1940.

 

[MadMac]

I remember when it burned down being asked if I could make some enquiries with my contacts at Railtrack in Birmingham to see if there was any prospect of getting some work out of it. The fellow I knew there's response was "They've done us a bloody favour, Mate!".

 

[LAX54]

Interesting.... so you were at Bedlam Lane in 77/78. You must have been responsible for holding me up on my way to work. I remember that you had to leave the box to open and shut the gates by hand.... especially frustrating when a freight train would stop to reverse and occupy the crossing for several minutes. I'm sure you remember that well!

These pics might bring back some memories. These are my own pics of the crossing and box in October 1988. I think they are already permanently closed in preparation for building the new road. I believe that the box is in the course of being demolished in the 4th picture. The 1st picture shows the sidings still in use from 3 Spires junction to the colliery (which later became Prologis Park).

View attachment 76907
View attachment 76908
View attachment 76909
View attachment 76910

Memories indeed, thankyou, must see if I can find some I took too !I joind the Railway in 1972 on the SR, and moved to Coventry in 78, at that time moving regions you had to go to the bottom grade again and start again !
Went from a Class 3 Relief to a Class A Signlaman, however in the 18 months or so I was there, I used more Rules & Regs, than I had ever done in the 6 years previous on the Southern !
Train Divided / Train Running Away / Time Interval system....

 

[AndyB28]

Apologies to the mods if this is wandering off-topic slightly but the temptation for a wallow in nostalgia was too great . That view of what looks like a gasometer (although I was never entirely sure what it actually was) was a regular part of my childhood as we used to use the Lythalls Lane - Bedlam lane - Elmsdale Avenue route to visit my grandad in Barnacle! I remember well the view of the colliery sidings from Lythalls Lane Bridge too. For anyone interested in DMU technology, just on the right-hand side on the approach to Lythalls Lane Bridge if I remember correctly used to be the SCG (Self-Changing Gears) factory. Many thanks to all for the photos and stories.

 

[John Webb]

….That view of what looks like a gasometer (although I was never entirely sure what it actually was) was a regular part of my childhood as we used to use the Lythalls Lane - Bedlam lane - Elmsdale Avenue route to visit my grandad in Barnacle!.....

There are two gasholders visible in that photo. There is one of the more common type where one or more sections lifted upwards as it was filled; in the photo it is at its lowest. The other one was less common - it was fixed in height and had an internal roof that moved up and down piston-fashion as the gas was let in or taken out. I don't know why they had the two types or why one was preferred in some circumstances to the other.

 

[AndyB28]

Many thanks for that John! You know, in all that time I never realised there was a second. It was the fixed-height one that was such a prominent landmark and the one I'll always remember.

 

[cogload]

The water traffic which did use the branch was diverted to DIRFT. So it is still on the railway.

 

[HLE]

Time does fly, it's got to be over 10 years since that branch was last used. Would needs tree surgeons to bring some of it back into use.