Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
Encyclopedia
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway was created by Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 in 1862, to run between Stafford
Stafford railway station
Stafford railway station is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. It serves the county town of Stafford.The present station built in 1962 is a good example of the Brutalist style of architecture - the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and...

 and Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter railway station
Uttoxeter railway station serves the town of Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, England. It is served by trains on the Crewe-Derby Line which is also a Community rail line known as the North Staffordshire line...

 in Staffordshire
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...

, 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 opened for traffic in 1867. It was nicknamed the Clog and Knocker.

It was purchased for £100,000 by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....

 in July 1881 as a means of reaching Wales. The latter thus gained a through route from Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...

 via the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
The Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway was an early British railway company, which opened in 1850.The original aim was to link to the proposed Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway at Ambergate to link Manchester with Boston and the East Coast...

 and the GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension. From Stafford it would reach Shrewsbury by the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was a Company in England, formed in 1846, which managed several canals and a railway. It was leased by the London and North Western Railway from 1847, and bought by it in 1922, but continued to act as a semi-autonomous body, managing the canals until...

 line which had opened in 1849 and continue over the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway.

Passenger services ended on 4 December 1939. The through line closed on 5 March 1951 a stub survived at Stafford to serve the RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford was a non-flying Royal Air Force station in Stafford Staffordshire, England.Originally home to No 16 Maintenance Unit as an Equipment Supply Depot, this part of the station is now run by the Defence Logistics Organisation. No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron, part of Stafford based 85...

 16 Maintenance Unit, that closed on 1 December 1975.

Early schemes

in the early 1840s a number of schemes were put forward to link Stafford and Uttoxeter by rail. Two in particular were planned to extend as far as Derby. Notice of the first of these was placed in 1845. Called the Derby, Uttoxeter and Stafford Railway it was part of plans for a cross-country line from the Eastern Counties to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

. However, another scheme called the Grand Junction and Midland Union Railway was proposed at the same time. This would proceed from the Trent Valley Railway, then under construction, at Carlton Mill north of Rugeley
Rugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...

. This would link with the Birmingham and Derby
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
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...

 line of the Midland Railway
Midland 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....

 at Burton on Trent
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"...

. The Trent Valley line was opened in 1847 without the connection to Burton, and the other project was abandoned.

Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway

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....

 opened its station at Uttoxeter in 1848, while the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was a Company in England, formed in 1846, which managed several canals and a railway. It was leased by the London and North Western Railway from 1847, and bought by it in 1922, but continued to act as a semi-autonomous body, managing the canals until...

 opened its line to Wellington
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...

 from Stafford in 1849, making the link between the two even more logical. Accordingly plans for the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway were submitted in 1861.

In support of the line were the growing shoe-making industry in Stafford and the Leighton Ironworks in Uttoxeter, of the Bamford family, forebears of J. C. Bamford. The latter was destined to become one of the largest agricultural equipment maker in the country. Support came initially from the Shropshire Union Railway, for transport of cattle from Wales, but when it was taken over by the LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

 this was withdrawn, and the line was also opposed by the North Staffordshire. However the Royal Assent was given in 1862.

Construction and operation

Construction began almost immediately. There were problems with the price of land and with labour. The contractors were Brassey and Field and by 1866 the cost had become £10,000 a mile. In addition there would need to be a tunnel at Bramshall
Bramshall
Bramshall is a village to the west of Uttoxeter, within the parish of Uttoxeter Rural. It has a new housing estate to the north of it.-History:It was sometimes known as Bromshall and there was an area to the south called Little Bromshall....

 and a major cutting at Hopton, the latter being 60 feet deep in solid rock. Initially four stations were built, at Salt
Salt, Staffordshire
Salt is a compact village three miles northeast of Stafford, England situated half a mile southwest of the A51 trunk road and lying on elevated ground above the western side of the Trent valley...

, Ingestre
Ingestre
Ingestre is a village and former civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It is four miles to the north-east of the county town of Stafford.Ingestre Hall is a local landmark....

, Stowe
Stowe-by-Chartley
-External links:...

 and Grindley substantial enough to last well into the 20th century.

The line opened for general traffic in December 1867. It owned seven coaches, sixteen wagons and one goods van but, initially, no locomotive. Motive power line was provided by the contractors who had become shareholders in the company. Instead of booking office staff, tickets were sold on the train, and there was little in the way of telegraphic or signalling equipment. The first locomotive was a 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....

 tank engine supplied in 1868 by Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...

 and was named Shrewsbury and Talbot after a local landowner. By 1874, Stafford had expanded northwards and a new station was built at the Common, where there was horseracing, fares and agricultural shows.

Financial problems

From the beginning the company was undersubscribed and in 1865 returned to Parliament with a second bill to authorise the raising of further finance. Even when the line was operating it met continuing opposition from the LNWR and the NSL, not keeping reliable connections at their two stations, and refusing to accept goods for onward transit even if prepaid. This may have contributed to a serious accident in 1873 when a train derailed on the curve at the end of Hopton Cutting. It has been suggested that it had been delayed by five minutes leaving Uttoxeter, on a very tightly timed service, and was speeding to make the connection at Stafford. Both footplate men were killed, the guard and booking clerk were severely injured, and six passengers were hurt. As a result the timing for the journey was extended and, following suggestions by the Board of Trade inspector, the engine was modified to place more weight on the leading wheels.

by 1878 it was clear that operating costs were exceeding traffic receipts and a receiver was appointed. The suggestion was made that, since it seemed likely that the LNWR and the NSR would continue to be uncooperative, approaches should be made to the GNR
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....

 or the Midland
Midland 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....

, who could operate the line bringing in their own traffic. It will be noted that the aim of connecting to Derby had still not been achieved. While the LNWR and NSR were on good terms with the Midland and exercised running powers over its lines into Derby and Burton, the GNR had built a new line in competition with all three - its Derbyshire extension - and was anxious to penetrate further westward.

Great Northern Railway

In 1879 a Bill was approved that allowed the GNR to operate over the Stafford and Uttoxeter, and for both to be able to use the NSR between Uttoxeter and Egginton Junction
Egginton Junction railway station
Egginton Junction railway station is a former railway station in Egginton, Derbyshire.- History :It was opened by the Great Northern Railway on its Derbyshire Extension in 1878, jointly with the North Staffordshire Railway....

, with reciprocal rights for the NSR. This linked with both Derby Friargate
Derby Friargate railway station
Derby Friargate Station was the main station in Derby on the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension popularly known as the Friargate Line.- History :-Friargate Bridge:...

 and Burton upon Trent
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"...

. The NSR also ran trains from Stafford to Nottingham, using the Midland's loop through Castle Donington and Shardlow.

The extra income allowed the Stafford and Uttoxeter to buy a second engine in 1880. This was an 0-4-4
0-4-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles...

 saddle tank by Beyer Peacock, bought second-hand from the North London Railway
North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...

 and named Ingestre. However the end was near for the line as a separate company and, in 1881, the GNR purchased it for £100,000.

Not only had there not been the finance to modernise the line, it was, by this time, completely run down. GNR therefore invested £40,000 in improving the facilities at Stafford Common, providing passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...

s at each station, and block signalling. It made the most of its penetration of rival territory by opening through service from Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...

 via Nottingham
Nottingham Great Northern railway station
Nottingham London Road railway station was opened by the Great Northern Railway on London Road Nottingham in 1857.-History:The station was opened in 1857 by the Great Northern Railway at the terminus of its line from Grantham, originally built by the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern...

 and Derby
Derby Friargate railway station
Derby Friargate Station was the main station in Derby on the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension popularly known as the Friargate Line.- History :-Friargate Bridge:...

 to Stafford
Stafford railway station
Stafford railway station is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. It serves the county town of Stafford.The present station built in 1962 is a good example of the Brutalist style of architecture - the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and...

.

During the First World War economies were made in passenger services and facilities. However there was considerable freight movement westwards from the armament factories at Branston
Branston, Staffordshire
Branston is a village in Staffordshire, England.Branston was originally a small village beside the River Trent and lies to the south of Burton upon Trent. It spread in the 19th century along the main Burton to Lichfield road, which is now the dual carriageway A38. There is much 19th- and...

 and Chilwell
Chilwell
Chilwell is a residential suburb of Greater Nottingham, in the Borough of Broxtowe of Nottinghamshire, west of Nottingham city. Until 1974 it was part of Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having been in Stapleford Rural District until 1935.-History:...

, with Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....

 being drafted in. Afterwards there were plans for extensions, particularly at Stafford Common, but, with the announcement of regrouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...

 by the railways nationally, they were not proceeded with. In 1923, the line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...

.

After Grouping

Between the wars, the line managed to pay its way with excursions to the countryside (particularly to Salt), to the seaside (particularly Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....

) and the races at Uttoxeter and at Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

. The introduction of a bus service from Stafford to Uttoxeter in 1938 marked the beginning of the end and with the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, passenger services were reduced to one train a day.

However, even that was suspended on 4 December 1939. In 1940 the line was closed completely to the public, the only passenger traffic being military personnel. At Stafford was the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

's 16 MU
RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford was a non-flying Royal Air Force station in Stafford Staffordshire, England.Originally home to No 16 Maintenance Unit as an Equipment Supply Depot, this part of the station is now run by the Defence Logistics Organisation. No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron, part of Stafford based 85...

, while there was an army depot at Bromshall. RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford
RAF Stafford was a non-flying Royal Air Force station in Stafford Staffordshire, England.Originally home to No 16 Maintenance Unit as an Equipment Supply Depot, this part of the station is now run by the Defence Logistics Organisation. No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron, part of Stafford based 85...

 built an extensive network of sidings adjacent to Stafford Common yard. This continued in operation until 1975.

In 1939, there was a further incident, when a train from Stafford passed a signal at danger at Bromshall Junction, colliding with a freight on the main line. The Stafford loco overturned trapping the driver. The signalman at Leigh managed to stop an approaching freight which included a number of oil tankers.

Postwar

After the war public freight services resumed until nationalisation
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...

 in 1948, when the line became part of British Railways Eastern Region
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...

, passing to the Midland Region
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...

 in 1950.

The line finally closed to all traffic, apart from the Air Ministry sidings, in 1951 and the stations were closed and the bulk of the signalling removed in 1953. The last train on the line was in 1957, a special organised by the Stephenson Locomotive Society
Stephenson Locomotive Society
The Stephenson Locomotive Society was founded in the UK in Autumn 1909 for the study of rail transport and locomotives.It was originally named The Stephenson Society in honour of George Stephenson. In late 1911 the professional engineers seceded from the Society to form the Junior Institution of...

. The track was lifted between 1957 and 1962.

The junction at the north end of Stafford station is still known as "Uttoxeter Line Junction Number 5"

Places Served

  • Uttoxeter
    Uttoxeter
    Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...

  • Grindley
  • Chartley
    Stowe-by-Chartley
    -External links:...

  • Ingestre
    Ingestre
    Ingestre is a village and former civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It is four miles to the north-east of the county town of Stafford.Ingestre Hall is a local landmark....

  • Salt
    Salt, Staffordshire
    Salt is a compact village three miles northeast of Stafford, England situated half a mile southwest of the A51 trunk road and lying on elevated ground above the western side of the Trent valley...

  • 1874 Stafford Common
  • Stafford
    Stafford
    Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...


External links



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