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The Midland Counties Railway (MCR) 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. Derby Midland Station (often called Derby Station) is a main line Railway station serving the city of Derby in England. Spondon railway station serves Spondon in Derby, England. Lying on the Derby - Nottingham line the first station on the Borrowash railway station was a station at Borrowash in Derbyshire. Long Eaton railway station serves the town of Long Eaton in Derbyshire, UK. Long Eaton railway station serves the town of Long Eaton in Derbyshire, UK. Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Beeston railway station serves the town of Beeston in Nottinghamshire, England. Attenborough railway station serves Attenborough in Nottinghamshire, England. The original Long Eaton railway station was built in 1839 for the Midland Counties Railway, which shortly joined the North Midland Railway and the Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Kegworth Railway Station was a station serving the village of Kegworth in Leicestershire, England. Hathern Railway Station was a station serving the village of Hathern in Leicestershire, England. Loughborough serves the town of Loughborough in Leicestershire, England. Barrow-upon-Soar Railway station serves the large village of Barrow-upon-Soar in Leicestershire, England. Sileby railway station is a Railway station serving the village of Sileby in Leicestershire, England. Cossington Gate railway station was a small station serving Cossington village in Leicestershire. Syston railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Syston in Leicestershire, England Humberstone Road station was a station to the north of Leicester, England. Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. South Wigston railway station serves the suburb of South Wigston near Leicester, England The station is located on the Birmingham to Peterborough Line Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. This is about the 19th century railway company For the 21st century train operating company see London Midland The London and Birmingham Railway London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway in Derby at what become known as the Tri Junct Station. The North Midland Railway was a British Railway company which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham (Masborough and Leeds in 1840 The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British Railway company Derby Midland Station (often called Derby Station) is a main line Railway station serving the city of Derby in England. The three later became the foundation of the Midland Railway. The Midland Railway (MR was a Railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London Midland and Scottish
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Origin
The East Midlands had for some years been at centre of plans to link the major cities throughout the country. The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. Derby Midland Station (often called Derby Station) is a main line Railway station serving the city of Derby in England. However, the MCR came about as a result of competition to supply coal to Leicester, a town which was rapidly industrialising and was a valuable market for coal. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The competition was between the Coalville area of Leicestershire, and the Erewash Valley area of Nottinghamshire. Coalville is a town in North West Leicestershire, England, with a population of about 30000 Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics The Erewash Valley is the valley of the River Erewash (pronounced erry-wash) on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as far as the Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire
For many years, the Nottinghamshire coal miners had enjoyed a competitive advantage over their counterparts in Leicestershire, but in 1832 the latter opened the Leicester and Swannington Railway. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian The Leicester and Swannington Railway (L&S was one of England's first railways being opened on July 17 1832 to bring Coal from pits in west Leicestershire
In August of that year, at one of the Nottinghamshire miner's regular meetings at the Sun Inn, at Eastwood the idea was mooted to extend the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway to Leicester. Eastwood is a former Coal mining town in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, England. The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway was an early horse-drawn railway company in the United Kingdom, constructed in 1819 to transport coal between Mansfield and the head Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The decision was taken to involve outside finance, and, on 27 August 1832, a public meeting to attract subscriptions was held at the George Inn at Alfreton and the following month the scheme was formally approved at Eastwood, though at that time the possibility of using steam locomotives had not been discussed. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Alfreton is a town in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, England. The town is in both the Bolsover district and North East Derbyshire
Josiah Jessop was retained as engineer, and reporting in 1833, noted that it would not be possible to put it before Parliament that year. Subscriptions had been obtained from Lancashire investors and with the imminent completion of the London and Birmingham Railway, they insisted that the line should continue to join it at Rugby, Warwickshire. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea This is about the 19th century railway company For the 21st century train operating company see London Midland The London and Birmingham Railway Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. George Rennie was brought in to assess the scheme and plan the southward extension. George Rennie ( 3 December 1791 &ndash 30 March, 1866) was an Engineer born in London, England.
Not surprisingly there had been opposition from Leicestershire to the proposal. In October an alternative plan was proposed of bringing in Nottingham and Derby, as well as Leicester, using a junction at Long Eaton, with the stated aim that it would reduce any differences in coal prices between them. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Long Eaton is a Town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just North of the River Trent about 7 miles Southwest of
At last the plans were ready to put before Parliament in its 1834 session. However investment fell far short of the expected cost of over £125,000. The scheme was delayed for yet another year, during which time Charles Vignoles was asked to review the plans and become the company's engineer. Charles Blacker Vignoles ( 31 May 1793 &ndash 17 November 1875) was an influential early Railway engineer and eponym of the
For the first time, the new railway was referred to as the Midland Counties Railway.
At this point, the citizens of Northampton campaigned for the line to pass through their town rather than Rugby. This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market Not surprisingly, at that late stage, it was refused. It has been suggested that, having opposed the London and Birmingham, they had seen the error of their ways. Such a line would have been longer and more expensive, shortening the journey to London by very little, but extending that to Birmingham excessively.
By that time, the North Midland Railway and Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway had been formed with the intention of meeting at Derby. The line to Pinxton threatened it, particularly as, in 1834, the Midland Counties had mooted the possibility of an extension to Clay Cross. Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Clay Cross is a former mining village and Civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, on the outskirts of
At the same time, the Birmingham and Derby link with the London and Birmingham Railway in a southwards direction at Hampton-in-Arden, threatened the Midland Counties. This is about the 19th century railway company For the 21st century train operating company see London Midland The London and Birmingham Railway Hampton-in-Arden is a Village located within the borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands of England. The two railways came to a private agreement to withdraw the competing lines from their Bills.
At last in 1836 the Midland Counties Railway Bill went before Parliament and survived its passage through the House of Commons. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords However there were still powerful interests ranged against it. Firstly there were the canal owners with which it was being built to compete. Secondly, the Bill still included the Pinxton line, to the extreme annoyance of the Birmingham and Derby line's directors. There was a distinct possibility that the Lords would insist that the North Midland was connected to it instead of proceeding to Derby, losing the NMR some twenty miles of line and its connection to Birmingham and the West Country. Accordingly it was dropped.
The Bill was finally passed on 21 June 1836, without the connection to Pinxton. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Pinxton is a village on the eastern boundary of Derbyshire in the Bolsover district England. Since this was the original reason for building the railway, one can imagine the feelings of the Nottinghamshire miners. Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire
Construction
Construction work on the whole line began immediately. Most easy was the section from Derby to Nottingham, which was proceeded with a quickly as possible, to gain some revenue. The only obstacle was the Derby Canal which would need to be diverted near Spondon, the canal owners asking £2 for every hour that it was closed. The Derby Canal ran 14 miles (23 km from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone to Derby and Little Eaton, and to the Erewash Canal Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, up until the modern era Spondon was a Village separate from the City of Derby. However quick action allowed the work to be completed, when a drought fortuitously occurred, closing the canal. Initially it ran into a temporary platform at Derby, but at Nottingham a magnificent terminus had been built in Carrington Street.
The section to Leicester had three main obstacles, the first being the crossing of the Trent. This was done by means of an elegant three arched bridge built by the Butterley Company. Butterley Engineering are an engineering company based in Ripley Derbyshire. Immediately following this was Redhill Tunnel, provided with elegant castellated portals to placate the local landowner. The bridge was replaced with the present girder bridge in 1900 when the line was quadrupled, and a second bore was provided for the tunnel with identical portals. Finally a substantial cutting was needed at Sutton Bonington. Sutton Bonington (ˈsʌtən ˈbɒnɪŋtən is a Village lying along the valley of the River Soar in the Borough of Rushcliffe, south west Nottinghamshire
While the Derby-Nottingham tracks had been supported on stone blocks, the section to Rugby used kyanised timber sleepers. John Howard Kyan (1774-1850 was the inventor of the 'kyanising' process for preserving wood. At Leicester there was another magnificent station in Campbell Street, originally planned as a terminus on a spur from the main line. However, it was built as a loop with a single long platform next to the through running lines. It was replaced by the present London Road station in 1892.
Progress to Rugby was hampered by wet weather and the need for several long cuttings and embankments. There were two tunnels, at Knighton and near Ullesthorpe and a bridge over the River Avon and the Oxford Canal at Rugby. Ullesthorpe is a small Village in south Leicestershire, England. The Oxford Canal is a 78 mile (130 km long narrow Canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and This last was not completed in time for the opening and, for seven weeks, passengers had to alight at a temporary platform, to be taken by road into Rugby.
The steepest gradient was 1 in 330, with the largest earthworks being on the Rugby line at the Leir cutting and embankment. There were 148 bridges in all, and three tunnels. The rails were double headed in 15 foot lengths at 77 lb. per yard at a gauge throughout of 4 foot 8½ inches. These were laid either on gritstone blocks from Cromford, laid diagonally, or on embankments, timber sleepers of oak or kyanised larch. Cromford, in Derbyshire, England, is a large Village that is one of the significant sites in the development of the Industrial Revolution For a length near Rugby, Evans's dove-tailed bridge rails of 57 lb per yard, were tried, mounted on longitudinal Memel fir timbers with pine cross sleepers. Klaipėda ( ˈklaɪpɛdə Memel is a City in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea
History
The line was finally opened in three stages (1):
One notable event was the first large organised excursion by rail, got up by the Nottingham Mechanics' Institute. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year A week later the Leicester Mechanics' Institute returned the compliment to Nottingham. After Thomas Cook began the tourist business, the MCR began organising excursions on its own account, on one occasion conveying some 2,400 people in a single train of 65 four-wheeled carriages and wagons. Thomas Cook ( 22 November 1808 &ndash 18 July 1892) of Melbourne Derbyshire, founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook The fact that MCR's locomotives were all either single driving-wheeled or 0-4-0s, and small at that meant that the heavier the train, the more were added. The excursion must have been a sight to behold.
Competition
Initially the Midland Counties Railway did not prosper due to competition from the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway which also transported coal from the East Midlands to London, via Hampton-in-Arden. The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British Railway company The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Hampton-in-Arden is a Village located within the borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands of England. An ensuing price war between the two companies almost drove both of them out of business.
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 buiddings. 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. George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 - 14 December 1871) English railway financier known as the "Railway King" was born
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 Railway. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Midland Railway (MR was a Railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London Midland and Scottish
The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway was finally connected in 1847, and the extension to Chesterfield was built in 1862. The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway was an early horse-drawn railway company in the United Kingdom, constructed in 1819 to transport coal between Mansfield and the head Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Chesterfield is a historic Market town and local government district in Derbyshire, a County in England. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday Now known as the Erewash Valley Line, it joined near where the three original lines met at Trent Junction, crossing to the up (London) line on the level at Platt's Crossing. The Erewash Valley Line runs from south of Chesterfield along the Erewash Valley to Trent Junction at Long Eaton, joining the Midland Main Line This potentially dangerous arrangement was removed when Trent station was built in 1862 and the whole junction was remodelled. Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday
This underwent many changes over the years, the station finally closing in 1968. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Legacy
Most of the original Midland Counties line between Nottingham, Derby and Leicester is still operating today as part of the Midland Main Line. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. The original line into Derby, through what later became the site of Chaddesden Sidings, closed in 1969. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also part of the original route was abandoned when track alterations were put in with the opening of Trent Station in the 1860s. Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was completed in 1869 The stretch between Leicester and Rugby was closed in 1961. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The line between Trent Junction and Chesterfield, known locally as the Erewash Valley Line, is still today the second most busy in the East Midlands, with freight to the south east of the country. Trent railway station was situated near Long Eaton in Derbyshire at the junction of the Midland Railway line from London to Derby Chesterfield is a historic Market town and local government district in Derbyshire, a County in England. The Erewash Valley Line runs from south of Chesterfield along the Erewash Valley to Trent Junction at Long Eaton, joining the Midland Main Line The daily southbound Master Cutler travels along it directly from Sheffield to London, while a few expresses divert at Trowell just north of Trent, to call at Nottingham, before travelling to London. Trowell is a Village and Civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. Although the old North Midlands through Derby is the main express line (since trains have to reverse at Nottingham), there is still a half-hourly service from Nottingham itself to London. Derby (pronounced "dar-bee" /dˈɑːbɪ/ is a city in the East Midlands of England. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
See also Midland Counties Railway Locomotives
References
- Anon. In its short life the Midland Counties Railway bought nearly fifty locomotives from a number of manufacturers (1979 [1839]) The Nottingham and Derby Railway Companion, Radford, J. B. (intro. ), Occasional paper : Derbyshire Record Society, 3, [first publ. : Nottingham : R. Allen], ISBN 0-9505940-4-0
- Anon. (1989) The Midland Counties Railway : 1839-1989 a pictorial survey, Midland Railway Trust, ISBN 1-872194-00-1
- Billson, P. (1996) Derby and the Midland Railway, Derby : Breedon Books, ISBN 1-85983-021-8
- Ellis, C. Hamilton (1953) The Midland Railway, London : Ian Allan, 192 p.
- Williams, R. (1988) The Midland Railway : a new history, Newton Abbot : David and Charles, ISBN 0-7153-8750-2
- Whishaw, F. (1969 [1842]) Whishaw's railways of Great Britain and Ireland, (1842) [The railways of Great Britain and Ireland], 2nd ed. reprint with a new introduction by C. R. Clinker, Newton Abbot: David and Charles, ISBN 0-7153-4786-1
Further reading
- Williams, Frederick Smeeton (1876) The Midland railway: its rise and progress
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