Waterhouses (Staffordshire) railway station
Encyclopedia
Waterhouses railway station was a railway station that served the village of Waterhouses
, Staffordshire
. It was opened jointly by the North Staffordshire Railway
(NSR) and the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
(L&MVLR) in 1905 and closed in 1943.
and the narrow gauge L&MVLR from . Both lines were authorised on 1 March 1899 by the Leek, Caldon Low, and Hartington Light Railways Order, 1898.
From Leekbrook junction, Waterhouses station was distant. The branch rose until it reached a summit of 1000 feet (304.8 m) near making that the highest point on the NSR. From there the line fell to until Waterhouses was reached at an elevation of 725 feet (221 m). The descent necessitated a steep gradient of 1 in 40 (2.5%) that ended only at the end of the station platform. The station itself was on a falling gradient of 1 in 260 (0.38%).
The other end of the L&MVLR at Hulme End was away but construction of the L&MVLR proceeded faster than that of the NSR line and Waterhouses was reached in 1904 but until the joint station was ready the L&MVLR used a temporary station located slightly to the east between its opening on 27 June 1904 and 1 July 1905 when the NSR line opened.
The goods facilities were very basic and the main interest was the three interchange sidings allowing standard gauge wagons to be rolled off the end of the siding onto the transporter wagon
s used, uniquely in the United Kingdom, by the L&MVLR. The signal box, of 10 levers, situated at the Leek
end of the NSR station controlled all the points and signals on the NSR line but only the home and starting signals on the L&MVLR. All the other signals and points on the L&MVLR were hand controlled. Apart from water columns on both lines, there were no other locomotive facilities. On the L&MVLR platform the platform sign simply read "Waterhouses" but only the NSR side they read "Waterhouses, alight for the Manifold Valley and Froghall Quarries"
In NSR days the station staff comprised a Station Master
, 2 porters
, a porter/signalman
and a booking office clerk. The NSR employed a permanent way gang of five men as did the L&MVLR.
at Waterhouses. On Sundays there was a single train each way.
Freight services were equally sparse with just one goods train per day from the station on market days and two on other days. The most important traffic between the two lines was milk from the creamery
at Ecton
, most of which was destined for London. In 1911 222598 gallon were brought in from the L&MVLR growing to 717332 gallons (3,261,055.8 l) in 1922. Initially all the milk was carried in churns which had to be manhandled across the platforms but after the First World War the churns were loaded into standard gauge vans taken to and from Ecton on the transporter wagons. Eventually milk tankers were also used, again being transferred between Ecton and Waterhouses on the transporters. The importance of the milk traffic was such that between 1919 and 1926 a special milk train ran direct between Waterhouses and London, rather than the vans being shunted between various trains until the milk reached its ultimate destination.
Waterhouses, Staffordshire
Waterhouses is a village in the south of the Staffordshire Peak District.It is around 8 miles from Leek and Ashbourne, being nearly the halfway point between the two towns on the A523 road, which roughly follows the southern boundary of the Peak District National Park...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. It was opened jointly by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
(NSR) and the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
(L&MVLR) in 1905 and closed in 1943.
Construction and opening
The station was the terminus of two separate railway lines; the NSR branch from Leekbrook JunctionLeek Brook railway station
Leek Brook railway station is a closed passenger station in Staffordshire, Great Britain.-History:Leek Brook railway station was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1904. It consisted of a island platform with two faces on the line from and and a single platform on the down Leek Brook...
and the narrow gauge L&MVLR from . Both lines were authorised on 1 March 1899 by the Leek, Caldon Low, and Hartington Light Railways Order, 1898.
From Leekbrook junction, Waterhouses station was distant. The branch rose until it reached a summit of 1000 feet (304.8 m) near making that the highest point on the NSR. From there the line fell to until Waterhouses was reached at an elevation of 725 feet (221 m). The descent necessitated a steep gradient of 1 in 40 (2.5%) that ended only at the end of the station platform. The station itself was on a falling gradient of 1 in 260 (0.38%).
The other end of the L&MVLR at Hulme End was away but construction of the L&MVLR proceeded faster than that of the NSR line and Waterhouses was reached in 1904 but until the joint station was ready the L&MVLR used a temporary station located slightly to the east between its opening on 27 June 1904 and 1 July 1905 when the NSR line opened.
Station layout
The two lines approached the station from opposite directions; the NSR from the west and the L&MVLR from the east. Each served a single platform which were back to back to each other but at different heights; the L&MVLR platform being lower than the NSR one. This resulted in the platforms being separated by railings to prevent passengers and staff falling off one onto the other.The goods facilities were very basic and the main interest was the three interchange sidings allowing standard gauge wagons to be rolled off the end of the siding onto the transporter wagon
Transporter wagon
A transporter wagon, in railway terminology, is a wagon or railroad car designed to carry other railway equipment. Normally, it is used to transport equipment of a different rail gauge...
s used, uniquely in the United Kingdom, by the L&MVLR. The signal box, of 10 levers, situated at the Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
end of the NSR station controlled all the points and signals on the NSR line but only the home and starting signals on the L&MVLR. All the other signals and points on the L&MVLR were hand controlled. Apart from water columns on both lines, there were no other locomotive facilities. On the L&MVLR platform the platform sign simply read "Waterhouses" but only the NSR side they read "Waterhouses, alight for the Manifold Valley and Froghall Quarries"
In NSR days the station staff comprised a Station Master
Station master
The station master was the person in charge of railway stations, in the United Kingdom and some other countries, before the modern age. He would manage the other station employees and would have responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station...
, 2 porters
Porter (railroad)
A porter is a railway employee assigned to assist passengers aboard a passenger train or to handle their baggage; it may be used particularly to refer to employees assigned to assisting passengers in the sleeping cars....
, a porter/signalman
Signalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...
and a booking office clerk. The NSR employed a permanent way gang of five men as did the L&MVLR.
Services
Passenger services were never high and the NSR ran three trains between Leek and Waterhouses, increasing to five on market days in Leek. These services were all matched by a L&MVLR service to Hulme End and in publication such as Bradshaws services were shown as through services, without mentioning the interchangeInterchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
at Waterhouses. On Sundays there was a single train each way.
Freight services were equally sparse with just one goods train per day from the station on market days and two on other days. The most important traffic between the two lines was milk from the creamery
Creamery
In a dairy, the creamery is the location of cream processing. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk....
at Ecton
Ecton, Staffordshire
For the village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, see EctonEcton is a hamlet in the Staffordshire Peak District . It is on the Manifold Way, an 8 mile walk- and cycle-path which follows the line of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway....
, most of which was destined for London. In 1911 222598 gallon were brought in from the L&MVLR growing to 717332 gallons (3,261,055.8 l) in 1922. Initially all the milk was carried in churns which had to be manhandled across the platforms but after the First World War the churns were loaded into standard gauge vans taken to and from Ecton on the transporter wagons. Eventually milk tankers were also used, again being transferred between Ecton and Waterhouses on the transporters. The importance of the milk traffic was such that between 1919 and 1926 a special milk train ran direct between Waterhouses and London, rather than the vans being shunted between various trains until the milk reached its ultimate destination.