Legbourne Road railway station
Encyclopedia
Legbourne Road was a railway station on the East Lincolnshire Railway
which served the village of Legbourne
in Lincolnshire
between 1848 and 1964. The station was closed to passengers in 1953, and withdrawal of goods facilities took place in 1964. The line through the station is closed. The station once housed a museum containing railway memorabilia; this closed in 1998 and the building is once again a private residence.
which lies to the east on what is now the A157 road
, and renamed in May 1880 in an acknowledgement that there was some distance between the village and the station. It was constructed by Peto
and Betts
civil engineer
ing contractors
who, in January 1848, had taken over the contract to construct the section of the East Lincolnshire Railway
between and from John Waring and Sons. This section was the last to be completed in September 1848 at an agreed cost of £123,000 (£ as of ). The line passed over two level crossing
s before it reached Legbourne village: the first over the A157 and the second over Mill Lane. The station was situated to the south of the first crossing which, despite its distance from the village, was possibly chosen because it was the more important of the two roads crossed.
As with other stations on the line, Legbourne was provided with staggered platforms situated either side of the crossing; a signal box
lay on the northern side of the crossing and as well as controlling the gates, also regulated access to the two sidings
on the down side adjacent to the crossing, which were the station's only goods facilities. The station did not handle livestock. The stationmaster's house is similar in style to that found at other stations on the line and was sited adjacent to the crossing on the down side. The July 1922 timetable saw four up and down weekday services, plus one Sunday service each way, call at Legbourne Road. The station was closed to passengers on 7 December 1953, one of the first such closures on the East Lincolnshire Line, but goods facilities (downgraded to an unstaffed public siding) remained for a further ten-and-a-half years until 15 June 1964.
by the Mablethorpe Loop Line at a point on the edge of Sutton-on-Sea
. The box had survived the closure of both lines and had remained in the middle of a field until the 1980s. A large Great Northern
-style building was constructed near the main station building; this is not original, but was built for the museum. The museum closed in 1998 upon the retirement of the owners and the contents auctioned, but the station remains in good condition as a private residence with the signal box visible from the road.
East Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
which served the village of Legbourne
Legbourne, Lincolnshire
Legbourne is a village and civil parish located about south east of the town of Louth in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Cistercian Abbey:...
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...
between 1848 and 1964. The station was closed to passengers in 1953, and withdrawal of goods facilities took place in 1964. The line through the station is closed. The station once housed a museum containing railway memorabilia; this closed in 1998 and the building is once again a private residence.
History
The station was opened on 3 September 1848 as Legbourne after the village of LegbourneLegbourne, Lincolnshire
Legbourne is a village and civil parish located about south east of the town of Louth in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Cistercian Abbey:...
which lies to the east on what is now the A157 road
A157 road
The A157 is an A-road in Lincolnshire, England. It runs between Wragby and Maltby le Marsh and is single carriageway for its entire length .- Route :...
, and renamed in May 1880 in an acknowledgement that there was some distance between the village and the station. It was constructed by Peto
Samuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
and Betts
Edward Betts
Edward Ladd Betts was an English civil engineering contractor who was mainly involved in the building of railways.-Early life:...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
ing contractors
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who, in January 1848, had taken over the contract to construct the section of the East Lincolnshire Railway
East Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
between and from John Waring and Sons. This section was the last to be completed in September 1848 at an agreed cost of £123,000 (£ as of ). The line passed over two level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s before it reached Legbourne village: the first over the A157 and the second over Mill Lane. The station was situated to the south of the first crossing which, despite its distance from the village, was possibly chosen because it was the more important of the two roads crossed.
As with other stations on the line, Legbourne was provided with staggered platforms situated either side of the crossing; a signal box
Signal 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...
lay on the northern side of the crossing and as well as controlling the gates, also regulated access to the two sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
on the down side adjacent to the crossing, which were the station's only goods facilities. The station did not handle livestock. The stationmaster's house is similar in style to that found at other stations on the line and was sited adjacent to the crossing on the down side. The July 1922 timetable saw four up and down weekday services, plus one Sunday service each way, call at Legbourne Road. The station was closed to passengers on 7 December 1953, one of the first such closures on the East Lincolnshire Line, but goods facilities (downgraded to an unstaffed public siding) remained for a further ten-and-a-half years until 15 June 1964.
Present day
The platforms were removed before closure and the signal box was demolished in December 1970. The main station building was later restored by Mike Legge as a museum housing a collection of railwayana. The museum acquired a signal box which had controlled the crossing of the Alford and Sutton TramwayAlford and Sutton Tramway
The Alford and Sutton Tramway was a steam narrow gauge street tramway between the seaside town of Sutton-on-Sea and the nearby Great Northern Railway line at Alford in Lincolnshire...
by the Mablethorpe Loop Line at a point on the edge of Sutton-on-Sea
Sutton-on-Sea
Sutton-on-Sea is a small seaside village on the coast of Lincolnshire, England. It is close to Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe, and is part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton...
. The box had survived the closure of both lines and had remained in the middle of a field until the 1980s. A large Great Northern
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....
-style building was constructed near the main station building; this is not original, but was built for the museum. The museum closed in 1998 upon the retirement of the owners and the contents auctioned, but the station remains in good condition as a private residence with the signal box visible from the road.