Nottingham Arkwright Street railway station
Encyclopedia
Nottingham Arkwright Street was a railway station in Nottingham
on the former Great Central Main Line
which ran from Manchester Piccadilly
to London Marylebone. The station opened with the line in 1899 and closed in 1963 as part of rationalisation; it reopened four years later upon the closure of Nottingham Victoria railway station
, only to close in 1969.
and opened in 1899. It formed part of the long approach viaducts to the south of the city, running from Queen's Walk Yard to Thurland Street Tunnel. As a result of being atop the viaducts, it was one of only two examples of the original intermediate stations (together with Carrington
) on the Great Central's London Extension not to be constructed to the favoured island platform
design which facilitated future development. Arkwright Street was instead built with twin side wooden platforms which were cantilevered out from the viaduct and approached by steps leading up from Arkwright Street.
Whilst the line was only double track through Arkwright Street, immediately to the south for a distance of some half a mile the railway was quadrupled. This bisected an area of roughly 33 acres (133,546.4 m²), running parallel to Queen's Walk, and hence the area was known as Queen's Walk Yard. A carriage shed and locomotive depot, including a shed capable of accommodating 16 engines, were constructed on the up side, and a warehouse and goods, coal and timber yards on the down side. The engine shed closed in 1909 due to the higher water rates imposed by Nottingham City, with locomotives moved to the larger Annesley shed to the north of the city. The goods yard boasted one of the first goliath travelling cranes
in England
; it was electrically driven with a span of 60 feet (18.3 m), a headroom of 21 feet (6.4 m) and capable of lifting a full load of 25 tons at a rate of 5 feet per minute. From Queen's Walk Yard there was also a short branch line to Clifton colliery.
Passenger services commenced on the Great Central on 15 March 1899 with Arkwright Street as the line's temporary northern terminus pending the completion of Nottingham Victoria.
In 1966, however, the Great Central Main Line was closed as a through-route, with the only passenger trains to be retained being a DMU service between Nottingham and Rugby
. Consequently, British Rail
closed Nottingham Victoria station in 1967 (selling the lucrative city centre property for redevelopment), and hence Arkwright Street station was hastily reopened (one platform only) to provide the northern terminus of this truncated route. The station was served by six DMUs
mainly during peak hours.
All passenger trains on the line were withdrawn in May 1969, and Arkwright Street station consequently closed on a permanent basis.
.
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
on the former Great Central Main Line
Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line , also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , is a former railway line which opened in 1899 linking Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester.The GCML was the last main line railway built in...
which ran from Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
to London Marylebone. The station opened with the line in 1899 and closed in 1963 as part of rationalisation; it reopened four years later upon the closure of Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
, only to close in 1969.
Opening
Nottingham Arkwright Street was built by the Great Central RailwayGreat Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
and opened in 1899. It formed part of the long approach viaducts to the south of the city, running from Queen's Walk Yard to Thurland Street Tunnel. As a result of being atop the viaducts, it was one of only two examples of the original intermediate stations (together with Carrington
Carrington railway station
Carrington railway station was a railway station in Nottingham on the Great Central Railway main line, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London...
) on the Great Central's London Extension not to be constructed to the favoured island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
design which facilitated future development. Arkwright Street was instead built with twin side wooden platforms which were cantilevered out from the viaduct and approached by steps leading up from Arkwright Street.
Whilst the line was only double track through Arkwright Street, immediately to the south for a distance of some half a mile the railway was quadrupled. This bisected an area of roughly 33 acres (133,546.4 m²), running parallel to Queen's Walk, and hence the area was known as Queen's Walk Yard. A carriage shed and locomotive depot, including a shed capable of accommodating 16 engines, were constructed on the up side, and a warehouse and goods, coal and timber yards on the down side. The engine shed closed in 1909 due to the higher water rates imposed by Nottingham City, with locomotives moved to the larger Annesley shed to the north of the city. The goods yard boasted one of the first goliath travelling cranes
Gantry crane
Gantry cranes, bridge cranes, and overhead cranes, are all types of cranes which lift objects by a hoist which is fitted in a hoist trolley and can move horizontally on a rail or pair of rails fitted under a beam...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; it was electrically driven with a span of 60 feet (18.3 m), a headroom of 21 feet (6.4 m) and capable of lifting a full load of 25 tons at a rate of 5 feet per minute. From Queen's Walk Yard there was also a short branch line to Clifton colliery.
Passenger services commenced on the Great Central on 15 March 1899 with Arkwright Street as the line's temporary northern terminus pending the completion of Nottingham Victoria.
Decline and closure
The more centrally-situated Nottingham Victoria was to supersede Arkwright Street which was to close in 1963 having been recommended for closure in the Beeching Report along with many other local stations on the route.In 1966, however, the Great Central Main Line was closed as a through-route, with the only passenger trains to be retained being a DMU service between Nottingham and Rugby
Rugby Central Railway Station
Rugby Central was a railway station serving Rugby in Warwickshire on the former Great Central Main Line which opened in 1899 and closed in 1969....
. Consequently, British Rail
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
closed Nottingham Victoria station in 1967 (selling the lucrative city centre property for redevelopment), and hence Arkwright Street station was hastily reopened (one platform only) to provide the northern terminus of this truncated route. The station was served by six DMUs
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
mainly during peak hours.
All passenger trains on the line were withdrawn in May 1969, and Arkwright Street station consequently closed on a permanent basis.
Present day
The station and viaducts carrying the railway were demolished around 1975 and the area was comprehensively redeveloped leaving no trace of the railway that ran through the MeadowsThe Meadows, Nottingham
The Meadows is an area of Nottingham, England located south of the city centre.- Overview :The area is close to the River Trent and is connected to West Bridgford in the Borough of Rushcliffe by Trent Bridge and the Wilford Suspension Bridge...
.