Blackburn Forge railway station

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would like to know the full dates of opening and closing and also the actual position of this station on the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway and the names of the stations before and after it.

 

[John Webb]

The only reference I can find, in Wignall's Complete BR Maps and Gazetteer, says that closure was "Pre 1856", the map shows it between Wincobank and Holmes - much closer to the latter station than the former.

 

[deltic]

Butt's Directory of Railway Stations states it opened 1/11/1838 and closed 25/3/1839

 

[DerekC]

The information I have is:

1) The entry in "Wikipedia list of Closed Railway Stations in Britain" shows a date of closure prior to 1866. (Deltic has better info as above)

2) C. J. Wignall's "British Railways Maps and Gazeteer" (1983 edition) - shows Blackburn Forge between Holmes and Wincobank. (I have found this publication quite inaccurate as to location in some cases, but it does show some stations which don't appear in the usual sources). (This is the same reference as John Webb has quoted)

3) The station isn't mentioned in "Drake's Road Book of the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway" which was written in 1840 and includes a very detailed description of a journey on the railway.

4) Blackburn Forge (the forge rather than the station) is shown on the 1854 OS map as on the bank of the River Don, very close to where the Meadowhall Interchange is now. If the station was close to the forge then it would have been at or near the location of the subsequent Wincobank and Meadowhall station.

 

[deltic]

Steam around Sheffield by Mike Hitches mentions Blackburn Forge and states "trains pass Blackburn Forge before reaching Holmes. Between Blackburn Forge and Holmes a little branch took trains to the terminus at Rotherham westgate" which may help you to position the station better.

 

[Senex]

Local newspapers do not mention the intermediate stations in reporting the opening of the line on 1 November 1838. A notice of 24 November shews that there four intermediate stations were served at least from that day if not earlier. Trains from Sheffield on the even hours called at Brightside and the Holmes and those on the odd hours at Grimesthorpe Bridge and Blackburn Forge; in the reverse direction those from Rotherham on the odd hours called at the Holmes and Brightside, those on the even hours at Blackburn Forge and Grimesthorpe [sic].

The closure evidence is clearer. Grimesthorpe and Blackburn Bridge stations were closed "on and after" 25 March 1839 with Brightside and Holmes then being served by all trains.

Grimesthorpe was south of Brightside, and Blackburn Forge was a little to the north of the later Wincobank.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I thank all of you for providing such clear and concise information on this short-lived railway station.