Clay Cross railway station
Encyclopedia
Clay Cross railway station was a railway station built by the North Midland Railway
in 1840. It served the town of Clay Cross
in Derbyshire
.
It was originally planned to have been built within the Clay Cross Tunnel
, however it was clear that it would be impossible to ventilate it effectively, so instead it was built at the northern entrance - nearer to Tupton
.
The original station was the usual Francis Thompson
Italianate design. In 1879 the line from the Midland Counties Railway
was built through the Erewash Valley
meeting the North Midland at the station, which had platforms serving two passenger lines, with two goods lines passing to the east, which continued the whole way down the Erewash Valley. The station was rebuilt in the Midland Railway style and, at some time, it was enlarged to serve four tracks, with two outer platforms and an island platform in the middle.
The station was closed in 1967. There is no longer any trace of the station ever being there. There is talk of re-building the station, but plans are only in their infancy.
North of Clay Cross, there developed very busy Coal sidings, particularly those serving the Avenue Coal Carbonisation Plant. A locomotive shed
was built at Hasland
in 1861 with at one time as many as sixty engines. In the 1960s it supported sixteen Garratt
2-6-6-2
locomotives used for the coal traffic from Yorkshire
.
The next station northwards was at Chesterfield
.
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
in 1840. It served the town of Clay Cross
Clay Cross
Clay Cross is a former mining town and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, about six miles south of Chesterfield. It is directly on the A61, the former Roman road Ryknield Street...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
It was originally planned to have been built within the Clay Cross Tunnel
Clay Cross Tunnel
Clay Cross Tunnel is a 1,784-yard tunnel on the former North Midland Railway line near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, England now part of the Midland Main Line....
, however it was clear that it would be impossible to ventilate it effectively, so instead it was built at the northern entrance - nearer to Tupton
Tupton
Tupton is a village in North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire, England, south of Chesterfield. It lies just north of Clay Cross on the A61 which runs from Chesterfield to Alfreton. It comprises the areas of Old Tupton and New Tupton. However, it is generally referred to as Tupton...
.
The original station was the usual Francis Thompson
Francis Thompson (architect)
Francis Thompson was an architect particularly well known for his railway work.He was born in 1808 in Woodbridge in Suffolk, England, to a family of builders. He married Anna Maria Watson in 1830 at Woodbridge church and emigrated to Montreal in British North America . Their son Francis Jacob...
Italianate design. In 1879 the line from the Midland Counties Railway
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway 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. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
was built through the Erewash Valley
Erewash Valley
The Erewash Valley is the valley of the River Erewash on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as far as the River Trent. It runs along the boundary of the southern end of the Derbyshire hills and the more rolling Nottinghamshire country...
meeting the North Midland at the station, which had platforms serving two passenger lines, with two goods lines passing to the east, which continued the whole way down the Erewash Valley. The station was rebuilt in the Midland Railway style and, at some time, it was enlarged to serve four tracks, with two outer platforms and an island platform in the middle.
The station was closed in 1967. There is no longer any trace of the station ever being there. There is talk of re-building the station, but plans are only in their infancy.
North of Clay Cross, there developed very busy Coal sidings, particularly those serving the Avenue Coal Carbonisation Plant. A locomotive shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
was built at Hasland
Hasland
Hasland is a suburb in the south-east of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. Although many local residents refer to it as a village, it expanded greatly during the 20th century and now merges with Chesterfield itself.- Churches :...
in 1861 with at one time as many as sixty engines. In the 1960s it supported sixteen Garratt
LMS Garratt
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Garratt was a class of Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2 steam locomotive designed for heavy freight. A total of 33 were built from 1927, making them the most numerous class of Garratt in Britain.-Overview:...
2-6-6-2
2-6-6-2
In Whyte notation, 2-6-6-2 refers to a railroad steam locomotive that has two leading wheels followed by six coupled driving wheels, a second set of six coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels...
locomotives used for the coal traffic from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
The next station northwards was at Chesterfield
Chesterfield railway station
Entrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
.