The Railway that Behaved like a Canal - The Leicester and Swannington.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ย. 2021
- #EveryDisusedStation #abandoned #railway
This week we explore a very early railway and look at how this period of railway building shaped the landscape to come. There really was no blueprint on how to build a passenger carrying railway, so when Stenson and Co realised there was profit to be had... the landscape changed forever.
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Big thanks to Ian Farnfield for his guidance on the day!
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Rebecca looking very nice 👍😉
When I worked on the Stephenson Court estate, I was lucky enough to go inside the tunnel a couple of times thanks to the volunteers that help keep it open,
Yep, we must take the tour one day soon
Thanks to you both I visited my first abandoned railway station today, West Meon. I loved it
Well, this little vid was a nice suprize! I live in coalville, and spend a lot of time down at grace Dieu walking. The leicester and swannington railway is facinating, it was one of the first vids I did. What may interest you, is way before the charnwood forest railway, there was the charnwood forest canal, built in 1794. Parts of the railway were built on top of the canal, but there are still parts of the canal visible in various locations including Grace Dieu. The ironic thing is, that before I watched this video, I was out walking part of the canal! The canal in itself is a facinating story, because in 1799, the Blackbrook reservoir which was built to feed the canal near shepshed, had an earth built dam, that had been poorly constructed, and the overflow weir couldn't cope with the copious amounts of snow melt from the great thawing in the area in I think February 1799. So the dam burst, and fortunately no one died, only live stock I think.
It's great to see you here man. I've been trying to urge paul into visiting the Baddesley Ensor area including the nearby abandoned graveyard, colliery, viaduct, and tunnel (that you've covered in your video).
I hope everyone goes and checks out your channel after watching the Whitewicks tonight.
@@Randomstuffs261 thanks buddy. I enjoy this channel, they make great vids, and they manage to give you so much great information in relatively small vids, it's great.
Yes, my father, a Leicester man, used it and remarked on the small MR carriages with barred windows. He took me to visit places along the line when it was still a goods line (though I did not see the Midland 2F 0-6-0s which were the motive power then. I last visited Bagworth incline and the old formation a few years ago as my first essay out on retirement.
love how how get a bonus of visiting those disused stations almost unintentionally as you journey along the route to your real destination, as if they’re bonuses to the big prize
Your videos brighten my day thank you from NZ
"We are only here for a very short time" - very deep and meaningful on Remembrance Sunday.
Lovely video!
I already appreciate how this is perhaps your best send ever.
X
Love to see that enginehouse rebuild!
Lovely thanks
On my doorstep nearly and I've never been......I better put that right!
Another very interesting video! I'll look forward to seeing any developments at Swannington.
Thank you guys another very interesting vlog and good research which always adds that bit
Brilliant. Live the info and energy of your channel. Glad to have discovered you. 👍🏻. Big fan here. 🚶🏻♂️🚶♀️.
Always interesting to catch up on the local history of the county of my birth! Thanks.
Yet another fascinating video. Another line that used stationery engines was the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway in Kent. George Stephenson designed a locomotive similar to the Rocket but an 0-4-0 called Invicta to haul the trains but it was so underpowered that it needed stationery engines to assist it. Invicta is preserved in Canterbury museum. The line also had the world's first proper railway tunnel, Tyler Hill Tunnel which is still there today. The tunnel is sadly closed off, part of it collapsed when they built the college above it. Sadly the line closed in the fifties, but is still walkable over most of it's length. It's known locally as the Crab & Winkle Line.
Whittick it is. Quite right Paul. There are quite a few of these in Leicestershire: Kibworth - Kibborth, Coalville - Coville, Loughborough - Loofbrer. I expect you probably heard someone say 'Les-tah' in a flat East Midland accent while you were there.The Glenfield tunnel was definitely built for the small locomotives of the 1830s. It was narrow as well as not very high. At the end of its' days they had to keep a number of elderly Victorian locomotives which were small enough to fit through the tunnel. The only section which was actually closed was from the terminus at Leicester West Bridge to the junction at Desford. The rest of the original line to Swannington is now part of the freight-only line from Knighton South Junction to Ashby and ultimately Burton on Trent.
There is an amusing story I know about this line. Some years ago a retired railwayman who lived in a house off the Narborough Road backing on to this line was puzzled by the number of light engine movements in the evening at at weekends when there were not supposed to be any trains. He reported it and it turned out that some kids were joyriding the diesels which were stabled in a siding somewhere and just left unlocked when not in use. A Class 20 freight locomotive is pretty basic 1950s technology, and not much more than a big tractor on bogies and rail wheels with electric transmission.
Always something interesting on your channel. Oh and I come from Leicester.
I made this suggestion for video sometime ago, good to see it made it to screen.
We actually filmed it around 4 months ago. Been on a back burner for a while now
Thanks for another little snippet of railway history.
Our pleasure
Fascinating bit of very, very early railway history! I love these early eras of a technology, before they've figured out exactly what the best way to go is. These cornerstones of history are often the most interesting! And, with hindsight, the most entertaining (like Stephenson continuing on despite his broken chimney and the soot covered passengers stopping by the creek to clean themselves off.)
Couldn't agree more! I think we just about scratched the surface here, but enough to inspire me to dig a little deeper.
Between Mount Airy 😊and New Market Maryland there were four planes for a static engine lifts of the B&O Railroad. Plane number four still exist as a place. All were replaced by a long tunnel
Just superb Paul and becky - keep up the grand work - thank you
Love this video.
Must have been in production for some time given Rebecca's hair
Nice video, I always love watching when you're in places that I know, growing up in South Leicestershire, and all this history here is so good to know, thank you. Great video, and some lovely hidden scenery.
Thanks James. Yeah there is a lot here, back again soon to tell more stories.
Part of the Leicester & Swannington is now the Comet Trail, running between Glenfield and Ratby; if you'd followed that as well during your visit, you could have done another closed station - Ratby - and had a pint in it as well!
The Railway Inn at Ratby has a blue plaque on its wall stating that it "was originally the booking office for the Leicester to Swannington Railway. 1832"
Some old buildings were visible at the Loughborough terminus of the Charnwood Forest Railway (Derby Road station) until relatively recently; a Lidl supermarket is now on the site, but its boundary fence includes the names of some of the line's stations, including Grace Dieu Halt
Fascinating. Thanks again.
Potato Lane! lol Nice little video - thanks.
I understand that Glenfield tunnel had very tight clearances so only certain locomotives could be used on that line, also due to the tight clearances gates were fitted at each end of the tunnel to discourage "curious locals". The gates were locked after the last train at night and opened again the following morning. There was another route available and this and the tight clearances in the tunnel played a part in the closure and abandonment of the line.
Gordon had to stop at the Glenfield tunnel and rolled his eyes .
Thomas smiled and looked at Gordon '' You mofo...your too chunky!.
Thomas raced into the tunnel blowing steam as he went.
''Stuck up twat'' shouted Thomas.
@@richardbradley2335 That's so wrong, on so many levels - made me laugh out loud though.😂
@@2H80vids Oooooh yeah !
My Great Grandad was a signalman at the Signal Box ,South of the Glenfield tunnel near Fosse Road bridge and the level crossing on The Hospital Lane ( where the allotments are). He lived on Bonchurch Street which backed onto the West Bridge coal yard and transshipment wharf onto the River Soar & canal
So great to see you do a video close to where I live in Derby. Given me a new location to visit.
Have fun!
Another nice vid. I wonder how tired Paul was at the end. Because he usually is so eagle eyed and spots those small significant clues. Loved how Paul said that they needed a local guide and then quickly corrected himself when at the static engine house upon being made aware of the sign that showed the history of the engine house. Good catch Paul. You just corrected yourself and keep going.
I just wonder when they take my hints about fitness!
Finally my neck of the woods! Great content as always :)
Thanks
@@pwhitewick Will you be doing any other places in Leicestershire? :)
Thanks you two for another super presentation , informative and insightful ,nice to see things in good preservation.
Lovely little Vid Paul & Rebecca - Thank you 🙂 I like the way that you can walk along an actual piece of real railway knowing that you won't get know down by a Loco!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂
Entertaining and informative. Thanks for this adventure. Love it. 🙏 🚇🚆🚂🚂
Thanks for another interesting video, about our historical railways! You never disappoint. I look forward to Sunday afternoon and the arrival of your latest video. Thanks again Paul and Rebecca 👍🏼👍🏼
Fabulous video, for which I thank you. Leicester has a plethora of railway history, way more than most people realise.
Wish you could have been at Coalville and Swannington 40 years ago before the powers that be destroyed everything. My uncle was an engine driver before The small lines were discarded and used to regularly do trips on them. If you had gone a bit further North from the incline, you would have come across the tunnel under Peggs Green,which was filled in because they thought it would collapse from mining subsidence. There was a very rich history in that area, and the schools we were at didn’t teach us a single thing about it. All of our acquired knowledge came about post education. I think the Swannington line originally came into existence because of a rich landlord with coal and silver mines at Staunton Harold.
Love what you do.
That was fabulous thanks. Just love the aqua duct it is lovely. Love the history too. Thanks so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care
Many thanks!
Great to see you on the disused station hunt again. Top quality viewing as always.
Thank you for producing very interesting and informative videos please keep them coming.
Very Interesting I know this area and its amazing whats hidden in plain sight.
Thanks Nigel. Yup and we only scratched the surface here!
That track really did have many surviving landmarks! Unusual and lucky 🖖
Just saw the sign for Coalville yesterday driving to north Leicester. Thank you both for another interesting walk and talk.
Great little film as usual ! This is my local abandoned line and my favourite line thanks for sharing guys !
Huh, that's where the name Coalville came from.
I'm surprised I didn't know most of this stuff, considering I'm a huge railway nerd and I lived in leicester for 3.5 years for uni (3 year course plus a resit of 2nd year, then cut short due to lockdown).
Coalville/Leic's NS All Niters, back in 78 were the best, (after Wigan).
Just thought I'd add that.
Fantastic Guys!!. Always a pleasure watching your vids.
Great video 👍
Hello Paul and Rebecca 👋 always love watching your videos as I always find something interesting from them.
Nice one! Yet again, a bit of railway I didn’t know about although I have heard of the tunnel. Thanks once again guys.
Most informative and enjoyable. Thanks!
Brilliant Video Paul and Rebecca, like the disused station of Whitwick.
Great video both !
Loved the vidio really look forward to them jan and Mike
Really interesting and enjoyable. Thank you for your research. Loved the names of the places you visited. Potato lane that’s a good one. Take care keep safe.
Wow.... Fast growing hair Rebecca.... 😲😉
Haha... yup.
Great stuff 👍
Current EDS completion estimate: 18/06/2071
. That's 7 weeks added to the estimate following the "The Railway you weren't Supposed to use! Salisbury and Dorset Junction" video. Running total of 390 stations confirmed ;-).
hi again paul and rebecca , another nice video , love those silly little name changes lol , thank you for another interesting one guys :)
Another fantastic and interesting video - good to have a station nearly named after you!
Different huh
Awesome
Cheers
Another excellent video. Thank you. Grace Dieu priory - a ruin - is also well worth a visit. It has a rather interesting history, and there are stories of the ghost of a woman, possibly a nun, being seen in the vicinity.
You came to Whitwick how brilliant so pleased 😀 I may have mentioned it a few times 🤣
I think the main reason for planning railways like canals also boils down to lack of engineering tools to survey and calculate more complex track alignments. Surveying a horizontal line following a hillside was pretty straightforward, as was having more or less straight sections of constant inclination in between. But embedding gentle inclinations into the landscape wasn't mastered mathematically until a few decades later.
One end of the Cromford Highpeak railway present , loved the video :)
🦁 loved da show foks
..nice boots
You could probably, I imagine, doubled the length of this video, it was brilliant but too short, I would like to see what wasn't included
Agree. Many of the cuts are too short, I'm constantly stopping and rewinding (space bar, left arrow, space bar), and usually have to watch it a couple times. The same coverage could easily be twice as long. Wonderful stuff!
Great video thanks, I live a couple miles from Glenfield.
Very nice. :) I currently live in Leicester and it's always interesting to hear of the history around Leicestershire. :) I'd love to go see what's left of the Leicester and Swannington, so far I've seen Leicester West bridge station and the outside bit of Glenfield Tunnel. :)
If you want some abandoned track there's alot at west carnforth on the ferryhill to Hartlepool line, another railway that owed much to the mine working but in the north east...
Hi Paul and Rebecca, Grace dieu is french for grace god. Grts. from Belgium. ;-) As always nice video.
I was in Charnwood for the Dishley parkrun on Saturday!
You've probably covered it already but the Liskeard to Looe Valley railway and the Liskeard to Looe canal have a very interesting history with the railway company buying the canal company and allowing it to fall into disrepair
Another fabulous video guys, really informative and enjoyable, one aspect I feel has a Star Trekie space-time continuum to the production from the previous video.
Haha.... quite some leap indeed.
Rebecca has an amazing power, has anybody else noticed.
I wish my hair grew as quick as that :)
No, I'm glad mine didn't over lockdown.
At last my local haunt
Nice video showing another quercky english railway, when can we see Rebecca reading her stories in her shop i so enjoy them roy from denmark 🇩🇰.
Mispronouncing place names is a Leicestershire thing. You were very near to the Vale of Belvoir (pronounced Beaver) and the village of Groby (Grewbee or Grewbeh depending on how Lestah you are)
I live in a place in Belfast called Belvoir pronounced beaver funny when someone gets on the bus an asks for Belvoir
Finally got round to watching this.
Left live stream early as my video was getting out of sync with the chat comments. I never seem to remember to watch live streams on a device other than my PC in order to avoid this 🙄
As some people in the comments have mentioned, the Charnwood Forest Railway was built on much of the earthworks of the former Charnwood Forest Canal, which was constructed in the 1790s by William Jessop and abandoned by the c.1840s. Interestingly, the Charnwood Forest Canal was built at a much higher level than the nearby Soar Navigation at Loughborough. To transfer goods between the two canals, a horse-drawn tramway was built between the CFC's wharf at Nanpantan and the Soar Navigation's wharf at Loughborough. What is fascinating about this tramway was an early edge railway, the design preferred by the engineer. Thus, Loughborough could claim to have once had one of the earliest railways in the world.
Thanks Alex, yes we did have a consideration to covering this as well, but for the time that remains a future BIG video
@@pwhitewick Cool! I look forward to that. Keep up with the good work guys! Excellent content as always.
I'd like to emphasize that again: I love (Rebecca's) open - and long - hair.
I like Becky she's funny 😄..
I enjoyed your informative video, have you ever covered the Longmoor Military Railway? in Hampshire I believe.
The Glenfield tunnel is sometimes open to visitors, I’ve been inside it.
All the info about open days will be on the net.👍
👍😊
Guy's never walk on the sleepers as they can be wet and slippery, always walk on the ballast.
A1 vid
👍
2:29 I wonder what was getting torn down, behind the Heras fencing? Was it a railway related building?
Oooh didn't see that
Interesting video, Hair today gone tomorrow?
Hi, where is that bit of disused track? Trying to find it on google maps
Could do with a PW team and sleeper replacement.
When walking along an old railway, it's difficult to stay on the sleepers as they're not a comfortable stride apart!! You d think they'd have thought of that wouldn't you!!!?? 😆
Railway safety training is very clear that you should never step on sleepers, you walk next to the track, not on it, because the sleepers are a slip and trip hazard.
Could you fo the swadlincote loop
Yes... I have notes written already, just need to get back up there!
The original locomotive had to be fitted with a steam powered whistle, adapted from an organ pipe. This was due to a number of accidents at level crossings on the route, caused by locals not hearing a train approaching. No gates?.......
This is HiStory which is very different from the past.
Yawn
Grace dieu, I think it would probably pronounced in a french tone so roughly Grasse dieu (I have no clue if there's a tone in english that's similar to the french "eu")
Well it is French and means the God's Grace. The viaduct takes its name from the long gone Grace Dieu Priory.
I come from Leicester and I have only ever heard it pronounced 'Grace Dew'. Even by local radio presenters. Although Leicester has become a thoroughly multi-ethnic community it has had no effect on the local accent.
You've asked for a comment. SO here is one! As ordered...nothing rude. Personally I'm shocked that you would think I would give you one!
Needing extra power to get the train up inclines sort-of explains the canal-style building with flats and inclines. It's possible they didn't know how to make a mobile engine good enough to handle any sort of gradient at all. Steam engines had very poor traction. Even right to the end of the steam era, traction was poor. See the Metropolitan Railway's Decapod, a little steam engine with _ten_ driving wheels. To back up a rather false claim, it had to to demonstrate equality with electric engines, and it needed all those wheels to do so. The steam engine needed 10 wheels to do what an electric engine of the time could do with 4. The problem is the pistons and connecting rods. No matter how you counterweight them, they exert forces on the wheels which are opposed to maintaining traction.
Edit: Later research indicates the Decapod couldn't have legitimately met the targets it claimed to, matching electric engines. The test carriages must have been unloaded. (Research by Dr W.A.Tuplin in 1960s, and more recently John Gardner of the Great Eastern Railway Society, cited in the LNER Encyclopedia online.)