Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British
railway company. From Birmingham
it connected at Derby
with the North Midland Railway
and the Midland Counties Railway
at what became known as the Tri Junct Station. It now forms part of the main route between the West Country
and the Northeast
.
network, indeed, it is suggested they were a factor in its growth as an engineering centre, there were technical problems since Birmigham was on rising ground.
As early as 1824, Birmingham businessmen had been looking at the possibilities of the railway. The London and Birmingham Railway
and the Grand Junction Railway
had obtained their Acts of Parliament in 1833 and a scheme for a line to Gloucester
and Bristol
was in the air. The North Midland had been floated in 1833 and a proposal was made to connect to its terminus at Derby
George Stephenson
surveyed the route in 1835. The bill envisaged the line as running through Whitacre
to meet the London and Birmingham Railway
with a junction at Stechford
to travel into the latter's terminus at Curzon Street. It would also run from Whitacre to Hampton-in-Arden
, where it would join the L&B for connections to London
.
The promoters came into conflict with those of the Midland Counties Railway even before the bills were presented to Parliament since the lines would compete with each other. In the end, the Birmingham and Derby line agreed to withdraw their branch to Hampton if it the Midland Counties withdrew their line along the Erewash valley.
With the active support of the Prime Minister
Robert Peel
, the member for Tamworth
, the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Bill passed through Parliament on 19 May 1836. The Hampton branch had been removed, but when the Midland Counties presented their bill, it still contained the Erewash line (although it was later dropped on the insistence of the North Midland Railway). The Birmingham and Derby people therefore presented a fresh bill in 1840 for the branch as a separate line which later became known as the Stonebridge Railway
.
took on the post of engineer, with an assistant, John Birkinshaw
. Some 42 miles (67.6 km) long, it would need seventy eight bridges and two viaducts, with a cutting at the approach to Derby, consideration being given to the danger of flooding by the River Trent
and there was no gradient steeper than 1 in 339.
The rails were single parallel form, 56 lb (25.4 kg). per yard, set in chairs upon cross sleepers. Although the standard gauge was used to match the other railways it was associated with, the rails were actually set at 4 in 9 in (1.45 m) apart to allow extra play.
and Derby. These were Coleshill
(later renamed Maxstoke), Kingsbury
, Tamworth
, Walton, Burton
and Willington
.
From the start the joint use of Curzon Street terminus, with the London and Birmingham, gave problems. In 1842 a new line was opened with a new terminus at Lawley Street.
This proceeded to Whitacre via Castle Bromwich
, Water Orton
and Forge Mills
(later remamed Coleshill). The line from Whitacre to Stechford which had not been built, was abandoned, and that to Hampton was reduced to single track.
Strong competition between the line and the Midland Counties Railway for transport, particularly of coal, to London, almost drove both of them out of business.
The B&DJR offered a time from Derby to London of around seven hours, but when the MCR began operating it was able to make the journey in an hour less. The B&DJR lowered its fares but this simply resulted in a price war. In a war of "dirty tricks", the MCR made an agreement with the North Midland for exclusive access to its passengers. In retaliation the Birmingham board opposed a bill that the MCR had submitted to Parliament. Both lines were in dire straits and paying minuscule dividends.
The North Midland was also suffering severe financial problems arising from the original cost of the line and its buildings. At length George Hudson
took control of the NMR and adopted Robert Stephenson's suggestion that the best outcome would be for the three lines to merge.
Hudson foresaw that the directors of the MCR world resist the idea and made a secret agreement with the B&BJR for the NMR to take it over. This would of course take away the MCR's customers from Derby and the North and, when news leaked out, shares in the B&DJR rose dramatically.
Hudson was able to give the MCR directors an ultimatum, and persuaded the line's shareholders to override their board and the stage was set for amalgamation.
.
The route to Hampton-in-Arden
immediately lost all importance when the companies merged, since London traffic was redirected through the shorter Midland Counties route via Rugby
. Known as the Stonebridge Railway
, it became a minor branch line
, and struggled on as such with only one daily passenger train until 1917, when this train was withdrawn as a wartime economy measure. The line remained open until 1935 for freight-only closing when one of the original timber bridges failed, thus becoming one of the earliest railway closures. The old Derby Junction station building at Hampton can still be seen.
The line into Lawley Street remained important, however, for passengers to the South West, who would join the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
at Camp Hill station
or, from 1841, Curzon Street.
, via Derby and Birmingham New Street, to the south West at Bristol
. Arriva Cross Country is now the principal operator on the line.
See also Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Locomotives
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
railway company. From Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
it connected at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
with the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
and the Midland Counties Railway
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
at what became known as the Tri Junct Station. It now forms part of the main route between the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and the Northeast
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
.
Origins
Although Birmingham was served by an extensive canalCanal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
network, indeed, it is suggested they were a factor in its growth as an engineering centre, there were technical problems since Birmigham was on rising ground.
As early as 1824, Birmingham businessmen had been looking at the possibilities of the railway. The London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
and the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
had obtained their Acts of Parliament in 1833 and a scheme for a line to Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
was in the air. The North Midland had been floated in 1833 and a proposal was made to connect to its terminus at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
surveyed the route in 1835. The bill envisaged the line as running through Whitacre
Whitacre Heath
Whitacre Heath is a small village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England.It is one of 'The Whitacres' - Whitacre Heath, Nether Whitacre and Over Whitacre. Whitacre Heath is actually the heath of Nether Whitacre and not a separate parish.Whitacre Heath is newer...
to meet the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
with a junction at Stechford
Stechford railway station
Stechford railway station serves the Stechford area of Birmingham, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland. It lies at the junction between the Birmingham to Coventry line, and the predominantly freight-only Stechford-Aston spur...
to travel into the latter's terminus at Curzon Street. It would also run from Whitacre to Hampton-in-Arden
Hampton-in-Arden
Hampton-in-Arden is a village and civil parish located within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands of England. The village was previously located within the county of Warwickshire, until the 1974 county boundary changes. It lies in the countryside between Birmingham and Coventry...
, where it would join the L&B for connections to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
With the active support of the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
, the member for Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Bill passed through Parliament on 19 May 1836. The Hampton branch had been removed, but when the Midland Counties presented their bill, it still contained the Erewash line (although it was later dropped on the insistence of the North Midland Railway). The Birmingham and Derby people therefore presented a fresh bill in 1840 for the branch as a separate line which later became known as the Stonebridge Railway
Stonebridge Railway
The Stonebridge Railway was opened in 1839 in Warwickshire, England as part of the main Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.The line ran from Whitacre Junction to Hampton and had an intermediate station at Coleshill...
.
Construction
George's son Robert StephensonRobert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
took on the post of engineer, with an assistant, John Birkinshaw
John Birkinshaw
John Birkinshaw was a 19th Century railway engineer from Bedlington, Northumberland noted for his invention of wrought iron rails in 1820. Up to this point, rail systems had used either wooden rails, which were totally incapable of supporting steam engines, or cast iron rails typically only 3 feet...
. Some 42 miles (67.6 km) long, it would need seventy eight bridges and two viaducts, with a cutting at the approach to Derby, consideration being given to the danger of flooding by the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
and there was no gradient steeper than 1 in 339.
The rails were single parallel form, 56 lb (25.4 kg). per yard, set in chairs upon cross sleepers. Although the standard gauge was used to match the other railways it was associated with, the rails were actually set at 4 in 9 in (1.45 m) apart to allow extra play.
Competition
The B&DJR opened on 12 August 1839 with the line into Hampton, where the trains would reverse for Birmingham. There were six stations in addition to HamptonHampton-in-Arden railway station
Hampton-in-Arden railway station serves the village of Hampton-in-Arden in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the West Coast Main Line between Coventry and Birmingham. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland....
and Derby. These were Coleshill
Maxstoke railway station
Maxstoke railway station opened in 1839 as Coleshill by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway on its original route from Derby to Hampton-in-Arden meeting the London and Birmingham Railway for London....
(later renamed Maxstoke), Kingsbury
Kingsbury railway station
Kingsbury railway station was a railway station which served the village of Kingsbury in Warwickshire, England.It was opened in 1839 with the building of the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway. The station closed in 1968. The station building has since been demolished, but the station master's...
, Tamworth
Tamworth railway station
Tamworth railway station is located where the Cross Country Route passes over the West Coast Main Line, in the United Kingdom, although there is no rail link between the two lines...
, Walton, Burton
Burton upon Trent railway station
Burton-on-Trent railway station serves the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was known as simply Burton until 1903 when it became Burton-on-Trent, by which it has been known for many years, in spite of the town's charter of 1878 which was for "Burton upon Trent"...
and Willington
Willington railway station
Willington railway station serves the village of Willington in Derbyshire, England. The station is 10 km south west of on the Derby to Birmingham New Street line....
.
From the start the joint use of Curzon Street terminus, with the London and Birmingham, gave problems. In 1842 a new line was opened with a new terminus at Lawley Street.
Lawley Street railway station
Lawley Street railway station was opened in Birmingham in 1842 by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.The B&DJR had opened on 12 August 1839 with a line to Hampton, where it met the London and Birmingham Railway for passengers from Derby and the North East...
This proceeded to Whitacre via Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich railway station
Castle Bromwich railway station was a railway station in Birmingham opened by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway in 1842.It was on the line into Birmingham Lawley Street from Water Orton....
, Water Orton
Water Orton railway station
Water Orton railway station serves Water Orton in Warwickshire, near Birmingham, England. It is owned by Network Rail, and managed by London Midland...
and Forge Mills
Coleshill railway station
Coleshill railway station was a station on the Birmingham to Peterborough Line in England.It was originally opened in 1842 as Forge Mills by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway on its line from Whitacre Junction to Lawley Street and renamed in 1923...
(later remamed Coleshill). The line from Whitacre to Stechford which had not been built, was abandoned, and that to Hampton was reduced to single track.
Strong competition between the line and the Midland Counties Railway for transport, particularly of coal, to London, almost drove both of them out of business.
The B&DJR offered a time from Derby to London of around seven hours, but when the MCR began operating it was able to make the journey in an hour less. The B&DJR lowered its fares but this simply resulted in a price war. In a war of "dirty tricks", the MCR made an agreement with the North Midland for exclusive access to its passengers. In retaliation the Birmingham board opposed a bill that the MCR had submitted to Parliament. Both lines were in dire straits and paying minuscule dividends.
The North Midland was also suffering severe financial problems arising from the original cost of the line and its buildings. At length George Hudson
George Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
took control of the NMR and adopted Robert Stephenson's suggestion that the best outcome would be for the three lines to merge.
Hudson foresaw that the directors of the MCR world resist the idea and made a secret agreement with the B&BJR for the NMR to take it over. This would of course take away the MCR's customers from Derby and the North and, when news leaked out, shares in the B&DJR rose dramatically.
Hudson was able to give the MCR directors an ultimatum, and persuaded the line's shareholders to override their board and the stage was set for amalgamation.
Midland Railway
In 1844, the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway, the Midland Counties and the North Midland Railway merged to form the new Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
.
The route to Hampton-in-Arden
Hampton-in-Arden
Hampton-in-Arden is a village and civil parish located within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands of England. The village was previously located within the county of Warwickshire, until the 1974 county boundary changes. It lies in the countryside between Birmingham and Coventry...
immediately lost all importance when the companies merged, since London traffic was redirected through the shorter Midland Counties route via Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
. Known as the Stonebridge Railway
Stonebridge Railway
The Stonebridge Railway was opened in 1839 in Warwickshire, England as part of the main Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.The line ran from Whitacre Junction to Hampton and had an intermediate station at Coleshill...
, it became a minor branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
, and struggled on as such with only one daily passenger train until 1917, when this train was withdrawn as a wartime economy measure. The line remained open until 1935 for freight-only closing when one of the original timber bridges failed, thus becoming one of the earliest railway closures. The old Derby Junction station building at Hampton can still be seen.
The line into Lawley Street remained important, however, for passengers to the South West, who would join the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
at Camp Hill station
Camp Hill railway station
Camp Hill railway station was a railway station in Birmingham opened by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840 and was its first terminus.Subsequently the line extended to join the London and Birmingham Railway to the latter's Curzon Street terminus....
or, from 1841, Curzon Street.
Present day
It is now part of the main line from the North West and NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, via Derby and Birmingham New Street, to the south West at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Arriva Cross Country is now the principal operator on the line.
See also Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Locomotives
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Locomotives
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway ordered twelve 2-2-2 passenger locomotives in 1838 and two four-coupled goods in 1841 from various makers:2-2-2 Passenger* Mather, Dixon and Company, Liverpool: 'Barton','Tamworth' and 'Hampton'....