Wansford railway station
Encyclopedia
Wansford railway station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway
. The current station building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The locomotive sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground. The station was formerly the junction for a branch to Stamford
, which separated to the north just east of the river bridge at Wansford.
Wansford station and the line immediately either side of it, including the level crossing and the river bridge appeared several times in the James Bond
film Octopussy
.
from Blisworth
to Peterborough
in 1845. Being located on the Great North Road, it was for a few years the railhead for Grantham
, Lincoln
, etc., which at this time were not served by any railway lines. The branch line to Stamford
opened in 1867. The route to Rugby
became available when the LNWR built a line from Yarwell Junction, west of Wansford tunnel, to their existing 1850 Rugby
to Stamford
line at Seaton
. At the same time, the Great Northern began a service from Peterborough North to Leicester Belgrave Road
via Wansford, Seaton and the newly opened Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway
in east Leicestershire
.
The Leicester trains were stopped as a war economy in 1916. The Stamford branch closed in 1929, having never properly recovered from the 1926 general strike
. The station closed for regular passenger services on 1 July 1957 but passenger services from Peterborough continued to use the line to Northampton until 1964, and to Rugby until 1966.
The Rugby line remained open for freight as far as the sand and gravel quarries at Nassington
. When these stopped, the line closed but the track remained in situ, and the line was later reopened as the Nene Valley Railway
heritage railway.
to Wansford on 5 April 1977. The building is of typical LNWR wooden construction. It was originally built in 1884 for use by members of the Royal family when visiting Barnwell Manor
, home of HRH The Duke of Gloucester
.
was built in 1907 by the London and North Western Railway
to replace three smaller boxes. It was originally built with 60 levers and is one of the largest preserved signal boxes in its original location.
in 1933. Originally it was 60 feet long and was installed at Bourne
in Lincolnshire
for use on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
. It continued in use here until 1959 when Bourne shed closed and the turntable was moved to Peterborough East
; its last duties being to turn Travelling Post Office
(TPO) coaches for use on the East Anglian TPO.
In 1977 the turntable moved to Wansford where it was extended by 7 feet to make it 67 feet in length and was commissioned in September 1978. The turntable has been in use ever since to turn the locomotives and carriages at the NVR.
ex 'London's Burning
' coach, number W3227. The main layout, called Hammerton Junction is mainly an 00 gauge but one end is raised up and has a N gauge on it. Also they have a small layout called Iron Sidings built on top of an ironing board.
film Octopussy
, in which Bond (played by Roger Moore
) drove a Mercedes-Benz
car along the railway tracks after its tyres were punctured in pursuit of a train on which the villainous Kamal Khan
(Louis Jordan
) was transporting a bomb. This scene was scripted as being in East Germany.
A station identified by a sign as Wansford appears in the music video for the 1991 single 'The Air that You Breathe' by UK band, Bomb the Bass
.
Nene Valley Railway
The Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length...
. The current station building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The locomotive sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground. The station was formerly the junction for a branch to Stamford
Stamford East railway station
Stamford East railway station was the Stamford & Essendine Railway station in Water Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire. The line was worked by the Great Northern Railway but retained its independence until 1886, when the GNR took the line on perpetual lease....
, which separated to the north just east of the river bridge at Wansford.
Wansford station and the line immediately either side of it, including the level crossing and the river bridge appeared several times in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
.
History
The station opened with the Northampton and Peterborough RailwayNorthampton and Peterborough Railway
The Northampton and Peterborough Railway was an early railway promoted by the London and Birmingham Railway to run from a junction at Blisworth to Northampton and Peterborough.-Origin:...
from Blisworth
Blisworth railway station
Blisworth railway station was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway in Blisworth, Northamptonshire in 1838.-History:The station was opened on 17 September 1838. In 1845 the L&BR opened their Northampton and Peterborough Railway a line which connected Peterborough and Northampton from a...
to Peterborough
Peterborough East railway station
Peterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
in 1845. Being located on the Great North Road, it was for a few years the railhead for 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...
, Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, etc., which at this time were not served by any railway lines. The branch line to Stamford
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
opened in 1867. The route to 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...
became available when the LNWR built a line from Yarwell Junction, west of Wansford tunnel, to their existing 1850 Rugby
Rugby railway station
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
to Stamford
Stamford railway station
Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
line at Seaton
Seaton railway station
Other stations with this name have included Seaton in Cumbria , Seaton in Durham , Seaton Delaval in Northumberland , in Devon and Seaton Park in Adelaide, Australia....
. At the same time, the Great Northern began a service from Peterborough North to Leicester Belgrave Road
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
via Wansford, Seaton and the newly opened Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway
Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway
The Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway was a joint railway owned by the Great Northern Railway and the London and North Western Railway in east Leicestershire.-Location:...
in east Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
The Leicester trains were stopped as a war economy in 1916. The Stamford branch closed in 1929, having never properly recovered from the 1926 general strike
1926 United Kingdom general strike
The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 May 1926 to 13 May 1926. It was called by the general council of the Trades Union Congress in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening...
. The station closed for regular passenger services on 1 July 1957 but passenger services from Peterborough continued to use the line to Northampton until 1964, and to Rugby until 1966.
The Rugby line remained open for freight as far as the sand and gravel quarries at Nassington
Nassington railway station
Nassington railway station is a former railway station in Nassington, Northamptonshire. It was owned by the London and North Western Railway but from 1883 to 1916 was also served by trains of the Great Northern Railway.Former Services-References:...
. When these stopped, the line closed but the track remained in situ, and the line was later reopened as the Nene Valley Railway
Nene Valley Railway
The Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length...
heritage railway.
Barnwell station building
The waiting room on platform two is referred to as "The Barnwell Building" due to it having been moved from Barnwell stationBarnwell railway station
Barnwell railway station is a former railway station in Barnwell, Northamptonshire on the former Northampton and Peterborough Railway line which connected Peterborough and Northampton....
to Wansford on 5 April 1977. The building is of typical LNWR wooden construction. It was originally built in 1884 for use by members of the Royal family when visiting Barnwell Manor
Barnwell Manor
Barnwell Manor is the historic former home of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. It is located by the village of Barnwell, near Oundle, Northamptonshire in England.-The house and estate:...
, home of HRH The Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
.
Old Wansford station building
The original Wansford station is located on platform three and was built in 1844-1845 in Jacobean style for the opening of the railway. This building does not belong to the railway, though the railway is trying to acquire this building.Wansford signal box
The signal boxSignal 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...
was built in 1907 by the London and North Western Railway
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...
to replace three smaller boxes. It was originally built with 60 levers and is one of the largest preserved signal boxes in its original location.
Turntable
The turntable, is located behind the new station building, and was built by Ransomes & Rapier of IpswichIpswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
in 1933. Originally it was 60 feet long and was installed at Bourne
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
for use on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
. It continued in use here until 1959 when Bourne shed closed and the turntable was moved to Peterborough East
Peterborough East railway station
Peterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
; its last duties being to turn Travelling Post Office
Travelling Post Office
A Travelling Post Office was a type of mail train in the UK where the post was sorted en-route. The last Travelling Post Office services were ended on 9 January 2004, with the carriages used now sold for scrap or to preservation societies....
(TPO) coaches for use on the East Anglian TPO.
In 1977 the turntable moved to Wansford where it was extended by 7 feet to make it 67 feet in length and was commissioned in September 1978. The turntable has been in use ever since to turn the locomotives and carriages at the NVR.
Model railway
On platform 4 there is a model railway which has been put together by enthusiasts over 5 years, housed in a converted rail coach. This coach is a BR Mk2e FOBritish Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...
ex 'London's Burning
London's Burning
London's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
' coach, number W3227. The main layout, called Hammerton Junction is mainly an 00 gauge but one end is raised up and has a N gauge on it. Also they have a small layout called Iron Sidings built on top of an ironing board.
Summary of Services
Sample Train Timetable for April 1910
The table below shows the train departures from Wansford on weekdays in April 1910.| Departure | Going to | Calling at | Arrival | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03.54 | Peterborough East | Peterborough East | 04.05 | LNWR |
| 06.31 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 08.00 | LNWR |
| 08.25 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 09.50 | LNWR |
| 08.29 | Peterborough North | Castor, Overton, Peterborough North | 08.48 | GNR |
| 08.40 | Peterborough East | Castor, Overton, Peterborough East | 09.04 | LNWR |
| 08.45 | Rugby | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Ashley & Weston, Market Harborough, Lubenham, Theddingworth, Welford & Lutterworth, Yelverton & Stanford Park, Lilbourne, Clifton Mill, Rugby | 10.34 | LNWR |
| 08.50 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 09.15 | GNR |
| 09.48 | Leicester Belgrave Road | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne, Hallaton, East Norton, Tilton, Loseby, Ingersby, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Humberstone, Leicester Belgrave Road | 11.22 | GNR |
| 10.19 | Peterborough East | Castor, Peterborough East | 10.37 | LNWR |
| 10.50 | Peterborough East | Overton, Peterborough East | 11.05 | LNWR |
| 10.52 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 11.15 | GNR |
| 11.09 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 12.35 | LNWR |
| 11.42 | Rugby | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Ashley & Weston, Market Harborough, Lubenham, Theddingworth, Welford & Lutterworth, Yelverton & Stanford Park, Lilbourne, Clifton Mill, Rugby | 13.30 | LNWR |
| 11.47 | Peterborough North | Castor, Overton, Peterborough North | 12.06 | GNR |
| 11.55 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 12.20 | GNR |
| 12.28 | Peterborough East | Peterborough East | 12.40 | LNWR |
| 13.05 Fri only |
Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 13.28 | GNR |
| 13.52 | Peterborough East | Castor, Overton, Peterborough East | 14.12 | LNWR |
| 14.14 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 15.40 | LNWR |
| 14.37 | Leicester Belgrave Road | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne, Hallaton, East Norton, Tilton, Loseby, Ingersby, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Humberstone, Leicester Belgrave Road | 16.10 | GNR |
| 14.37 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 15.02 | GNR |
| 14.49 | Peterborough East | Overton, Peterborough East | 15.05 | LNWR |
| 15.56 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 16.21 | GNR |
| 16.02 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 17.38 | LNWR |
| 16.16 | Peterborough East | Castor, Overton, Peterborough East | 16.33 | LNWR |
| 16.37 | Rugby | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Ashley & Weston, Market Harborough, Lubenham, Theddingworth, Welford & Lutterworth, Yelverton & Stanford Park, Lilbourne, Clifton Mill, Rugby | 18.23 | LNWR |
| 17.30 | Peterborough North | Castor, Peterborough North | 17.46 | GNR |
| 18.37 | Northampton Castle | Elton, Oundle, Barnwell, Thorpe, Thrapston, Ringstead & Addington, Higham Ferrers & Irthlingborough, Ditchford, Wellingborough, Castle Ashby & Earls Barton, Billing, Northampton Bridge Street, Northampton Castle | 20.05 | LNWR |
| 18.40 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 19.03 | GNR |
| 19.37 | Peterborough East | Castor, Overton, Peterborough East | 19.58 | LNWR |
| 19.42 | Leicester Belgrave Road | Nassington, King's Cliffe, Wakerley & Barrowden, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne, Hallaton, East Norton, Tilton, Loseby, Ingersby, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Humberstone, Leicester Belgrave Road | 21.11 | GNR |
| 19.55 | Stamford East | Wansford Road, Ufford Bridge, Barnack, Stamford East | 20.20 | GNR |
| 20.11 | Rugby | Seaton, Market Harborough, Welford & Lutterworth, Rugby | 21.32 | LNWR |
| 22.01 | Peterborough East | Peterborough East | 22.15 | LNWR |
| 22.35 | Peterborough East | Peterborough East | 22.48 | LNWR |
Use in film and television
The old station building appeared in the 1983 James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
, in which Bond (played by Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) drove a Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
car along the railway tracks after its tyres were punctured in pursuit of a train on which the villainous Kamal Khan
Kamal Khan
Kamal Khan is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film Octopussy. He is portrayed by Louis Jourdan.Khan is a suave exiled Afghan prince living in India in the Monsoon Palace. He has a penchant for fine food and liquor, priceless jewels, "hunting" humans, and atomic...
(Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
Louis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
) was transporting a bomb. This scene was scripted as being in East Germany.
A station identified by a sign as Wansford appears in the music video for the 1991 single 'The Air that You Breathe' by UK band, Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
.