Yardley Chase MOD, Northants.

[bILLOO]

I was a little too young to remember; however back in the 1960/70/80's a line ran from Northampton to Yardley Chase MOD which ultilised the old Northampton to Bedford line as far as Piddington.

History of this line is limited from what I can find apart from stories that MOD trains ran until the early 1980's and used a token system.

Apparently, some track does survive at the MOD base!

These days, the track has all but gone from the line apart from a tiny section just south of Northampton Castle station.

Would love to learn more about this line along with any photos from it's latter life!

 

[DerekC]

Wikipedia's article on this line is quite good and has lots of useful-looking links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford%E2%80%93Northampton_line

It includes the interesting fact that there was a serious proposal to reinstate the line as an extension of Thameslink.

Also that in December 2014 Network Rail stated that the reopening of the line "would provide a considerably shorter, and already partially electrified, cross country route to the West Midlands". Oh, and in February 2014 the council decided that the projected decommissioning of the remaining track by Network Rail would enable them to build a road on part of it. Looks as though the story of the line still has some way to run!

 

[70014IronDuke]

Wikipedia's article on this line is quite good and has lots of useful-looking links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford%E2%80%93Northampton_line
...

The wiki piece seems generally ok, but it may contain errors. A small point, but it says:
For a time, four Class 127 suburban DMUs were used for crew training on the line in preparation for their introduction on the Bedford to St Pancras line.

Well, I can't say I know this is false, but the way it is written implies these crew training runs took place in 1962. In fact, the Class 127s were introduced in late 59 I believe, so if any crew training took place, it was surely undertaken in that year, not in 1962. But I wonder if there was the capacity for crew training runs when the line was still fully open (in 1959).

However, around 1962-3, after closure to passenger traffic, it was used for crew training on Class 27 Type 2s (note, not 127s!) - which would take 6-7 I think generally LMS carriages up the line a couple of days a week.

 

[westcoaster]

Does Geismar still use the fenced of section?

 

[The Planner]

Also that in December 2014 Network Rail stated that the reopening of the line "would provide a considerably shorter, and already partially electrified, cross country route to the West Midlands". Oh, and in February 2014 the council decided that the projected decommissioning of the remaining track by Network Rail would enable them to build a road on part of it. Looks as though the story of the line still has some way to run!

Thats a bit of spin, the council approached NR, we would have just left it there.

 

[bILLOO]

Does Geismar still use the fenced of section?

The track there looks rather used, yes! A big pity that it is now isolated from the network.