Rudyard railway station
Encyclopedia
Rudyard railway station served Rudyard, Staffordshire
and was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
(NSR) in 1850 on the Churnet Valley line. In the village the NSR also owned the Rudyard Hotel as part of the company's efforts to develop Rudyard Lake
and its environs as a tourist destination.
In 1926 the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
renamed the station Rudyard Lake and at the same time Rudyard Lake station at the north end of the lake was renamed .
As Rudyard Lake station, it remained open until passenger services were withdrawn from the northern end of the Churnet valley line ( – ) in 1960. Freight services lasted until 1964 when they too were withdrawn and the track lifted.
. One of the locomotives, a model of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
engine No.1 E. R. Calthrope now periodically revisits the current railway at Rudyard.
A further 10.25 inch minimum gauge railway was started in 1985 and extended to a distance of 1.5 mi towards Cliffe Park station. Today the station area is used by the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
as its headquarters and as a public car park. Rudyard station now includes engine and carriage sheds, workshop, signal box
, footbridge, the Platform 2 café and a level crossing
. The railway has five steam locomotives and 11 carriages and a number of wagons and operates year round. This railway celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010.
The original up side standard gauge platform and retaining walls and flower beds are still visible. The Platform 2 cafe now uses this area for its seating and the original waiting shelter foundations for its buildings.
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
(NSR) in 1850 on the Churnet Valley line. In the village the NSR also owned the Rudyard Hotel as part of the company's efforts to develop Rudyard Lake
Rudyard Lake
Rudyard Lake is a reservoir in Rudyard, Staffordshire constructed by the engineer John Rennie, for the Trent and Mersey Canal company in 1797/98 to feed the Caldon Canal....
and its environs as a tourist destination.
In 1926 the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
renamed the station Rudyard Lake and at the same time Rudyard Lake station at the north end of the lake was renamed .
As Rudyard Lake station, it remained open until passenger services were withdrawn from the northern end of the Churnet valley line ( – ) in 1960. Freight services lasted until 1964 when they too were withdrawn and the track lifted.
Subsequent use
In 1978 a miniature railway was built on the west side of the trackbed from Rudyard Station to the Dam. This closed two years later and was moved to the Suffolk wildlife park. and then to Trago Mills in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. One of the locomotives, a model of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
engine No.1 E. R. Calthrope now periodically revisits the current railway at Rudyard.
A further 10.25 inch minimum gauge railway was started in 1985 and extended to a distance of 1.5 mi towards Cliffe Park station. Today the station area is used by the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a minimum gauge railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. The railway runs for on the track bed of an old standard gauge North Staffordshire Railway line. After the NSR line closed down, a small narrow gauge...
as its headquarters and as a public car park. Rudyard station now includes engine and carriage sheds, workshop, signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, footbridge, the Platform 2 café and a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. The railway has five steam locomotives and 11 carriages and a number of wagons and operates year round. This railway celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010.
The original up side standard gauge platform and retaining walls and flower beds are still visible. The Platform 2 cafe now uses this area for its seating and the original waiting shelter foundations for its buildings.