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Ilkeston Railways - Help with a little reasearch

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Heinz57

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Ilkeston
Hi all,

I was wondering if you could perhaps help me out with a bit of reasearch.

Just recently I've gained a big interest in the railways around Ilkeston, and I'm trying to find out more.

At the moment, I understand there were three main stations at Ilkeston - Ilkeston Junction & Cossal, which was on the Midland Main Line, it was at the bottom of station road, near where the Armstrong Mills outlet is today. This section of the line of course still exists today but there is vertualy no evidance of the busy station that once stood.

There was Ilkeston Town on the great northern/LNER railway (I think?), this stood roughly where Tescos is now at the bottom of Bath Street (anybody familiar with the area may be interested to know that the location of the tills at Tesco is roughly where the Ilkeston Town footbridge was).

Finaly there was Ilkeston North, this stood roughly near where the police station is now and was on the old Derby Friagate line. The next station along the line to this was as I understand it; West Hallam station, which is another old station I am interested in. It stood on the corner of Cat and Fiddle Lane and Station Road, essentialy next door to the Felix bus depot. The station building is still there and is now a garden centre of some sorts.

Some people also count Trowell Station as one of Ilkestons, this stood on the MML, at the bottom of Nottingham Road, just before Trowell Village.

So thats about all I know, I'm interested in knowing more. Where exactly did the lines go, what were the stations like, what services were they - with what and where did they go? That sort of thing. I'd be interested in seeing some old aireal photos of the area (if they exist), this will be interesting to see how everywhere has changed.

I'd be very greatful if you could help me out. Perhaps you know of a website which has some infomation and possibly photos of the railways in the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire area?

Its such a shame that Ilkeston no longer has a station, particularly when the MML skirts right past the town and which the main London service occasionaly travels down. I beleive Ilkeston has the title of biggest town in the area with no station? We have brilliant bus links to the rest of the area, all thanks to trentbarton. But where are our trains?

Cheers,

Heinz
 
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Ilkeston Town was an MR station situated on a short branch from the Erewash line which I believe was worked in the same way as the Sutton (-in-Ashfield) and Stourbridge branches. Ilkeston North was the GNR station. The GNR also had a branch from Ilkeston to Heanor which went through what became the American Adventure amusement park.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Hi all, I was wondering if you could perhaps help me out with a bit of reasearch. Just recently I've gained a big interest in the railways around Ilkeston, and I'm trying to find out more. There was Ilkeston North, this stood roughly near where the police station is now and was on the old Derby Friagate line. The next station along the line to this was as I understand it; West Hallam station, which is another old station I am interested in. It stood on the corner of Cat and Fiddle Lane and Station Road, essentialy next door to the Felix bus depot. The station building is still there and is now a garden centre of some sorts.Some people also count Trowell Station as one of Ilkestons, this stood on the MML, at the bottom of Nottingham Road, just before Trowell Village.

Cheers,

Heinz

It is interesting that you mention Ilkeston North station, as this appeared in a very early journey on "The Closed Stations Journey Quiz" on the Quiz Forum.

This station lay on the Great Northern Railway "Derbshire and Staffordshire Extension", which linked Burton-on-Trent with both Nottingham London Road and Nottingham Victoria stations. From Burton-on-Trent, there were stations at:-

Horninglow
Stretton and Claymills
Rolleston on Dove
Egginton Junction
Etwall
Mickleover for Radbourn
Derby Friargate
Breadsall
West Hallam for Dale Abbey
ILKESTON NORTH
Awsworth
Kimberley
Basford and Bulwell
Daybrook

South of this area, the line bifurcates with one route calling at:-
Sherwood
St Ann's Well
Thorney Wood

Other stations on the other lines were not really directly a full part of this line, which then entered the Nottingham area. I know this is just the names of the railway stations in the settlements that were served, but you may find these station names helpful with your researches.
 

flymo

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Geordie back from exile.
From 1922 Bradshaw's

Ilkeston (GN) was served predominantly by trains from as far away as Kings Cross via Grantham, Nottingham (London Rd and Victoria) and going on to Derby with extensions to Uttoxeter and Stafford. (and vice-versa). Interestingly to note it was just referred to just as Ilkeston, not Ilkeston North in this TT.

Also there was a Mon - Sat service from Ilkeston (GN) to Heanor with an intermediate stop at Marlpool. (and vice-versa)

Ilkeston Town and Ilkeston Jn & Crossall (both Midland) saw services predominantly from St. Pancras to Sheffield (and vice-versa)
 

Wyvern

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Ilkeston Town was just a terminus to the branch from the ERewash Line opened (I think) when the GNR station opened, competeing with the Midland Ilkeston Junction.

The Derbyshire and Stafordshire Extension joined on to the Grantham line at Colwick, originally the only part built of the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway

At the other end it joined the NSR at Egginton Junction, then joined the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway (the "Clog and Knocker") which had been bought by the GNR and gave it a path into Wales.
 
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South of this area, the line bifurcates with one route calling at:-
Sherwood
St Ann's Well
Thorney Wood

This line was the Nottingham Suburban Railway which was an independent line built by local businessmen but run by the GNR. 10 years after completion it was sold to the GNR but closed to passengers as a 'temporary measure' during the Great War but never re-opened.

From Daybrook to Nottingham London Road there was also Gedling & Carlton and Netherfield & Colwick.
 

Saltleyman

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Re Ilkeston you may be interested in these maps.

ilk1001.jpg


ilk2001.jpg
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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From Daybrook to Nottingham London Road there was also Gedling & Carlton and Netherfield & Colwick.

After Netherfield & Colwick but before Nottingham London Road Low Level station, was Nottingham Racecourse railway station that was opened on 3rd October 1857 and was closed on 8th December 1959.

These stations were on the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway, which although launched as a railway proposal with great hopes, only received minimal subscriptions, with some investors reneging on their pledges. In the end, the line itself was only ever opened from Nottingham to Grantham. The Parliamentary approval was granted in 1846 and the line construction engineer was John Underwood. The line opened for passengers on 15th July 1850.
 

Heinz57

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4 Aug 2009
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646
Location
Ilkeston
Thanks for your replies, some interesting infomation there.

What sort of locos were expected to pass through Ilkeston? Are we looking at mostly smaller Stanier 2-6-4s and other simaler sized locos, or could perhaps some of the larger locos also be expected? Further to this, what would serve the service along the Friargate line to Kimberly to the east and Derby Friargate to the west?

@Saltleyman - thanks for the maps, its interesting to see the amount of lines that used to pass through the area, and now there is only one
 
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