Rothley railway station

's "London Extension". Built to the standard island platform pattern of country stations on the line, it originally opened on March 15th 1899 and has been restored to late Edwardian era condition, circa 1910.

Route description

Climbing south from milepost 97, the formation of the Mountsorrel quarry branch joins the line from the east, crossing over the quadruple spanned bridge 352 to reach "Swithland Sidings". Here, the up and down lines have parted as this site was originally to be the location of a projected Swithland station. The entrance archway from the road below can still be seen from passing trains, even though a platform was never built. [http://www.railwayarchive.org.uk/map/planBookThumb.php?planNo=17 Original surveyor's plan of "Swithland Sidings" and "Rothley station"] , [http://www.railwayarchive.org.uk] ] Swithland has been redeveloped from a single track back into a four-track main line with a number of exchange sidings. Resignalling of the area using Great Western equipment to represent the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway is ongoing.

Shortly south of Swithland the summit is reached, and the line drops sharply again at a gradient of 1 in 176 into "Rothley station". The station consists of a single island platform on which the station buildings sit, with original access from the road passing above. Beneath the stairway from the road is a museum, and beyond the booking hall there is a tea room. "Rothley" has been restored to its late Edwardian condition to represent the line during Great Central days. It is lit entirely by gas and never had mains electricity before closure by British Rail. The station's goods yard now forms the car park, at one end of which is a miniature railway, family picnic area, and historic stores room. At the other is a modern carriage repair works.

Overseeing railway traffic movements in the area is "Rothley Cabin", a signal box recovered from Blind Lane Junction in Wembley and erected facing the station on the west side of the line. [http://www.railwayarchive.org.uk/map/getobjectmap.php?rnum=L3418&mapid=515184.jpg&mlsref=1075&cmn=Wembley&pn=2&mp=2&all=yes Blind Lane Junction and signal box during construction] ] This signal box controls entry and exit to the southern end of the Great Central Railway's unique double track.

After falling to the bridge over Rothley Brook (structure 355), the line begins climbing again towards the summit at Birstall.

The station is grade II listed [http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/environment/rothley.html#Rothley10a]

Current services

*Heritage steam and diesel train services operate to "Rothley" from "Loughborough Central" every weekend and bank holiday of the year. [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk Great Central Railway official website] ]
*Additional services operate on selected weekdays throughout the year.

History

Rothley GCR

Rothley station was built as a part of the Great Central Railway's "London Extension" and opened to passengers on March 15th 1899. The station was built to the standard "London Extension" country station pattern of a single large 'island' platform between the two running lines, on which stood the station buildings, including ticket office and waiting rooms. The platform at Rothley measures 441 feet (134 metres) long and 33 feet (10 metres) wide at its widest point."Main Line, No.5, Summer 1971] Access is made by descending a flight of stairs from a road bridge (structure number 354) that crosses the line.

Rothley station was built partly in a cutting at the north end (across which the bridge 354 crosses) and on an embankment at the south end. A modest goods yard with a goods shed, weigh bridge and coal store were provided on the east side of the station, with train and shunting movements controlled from a signal box a little to the south of station on the west side of the main running lines. A station master's house at the north eastern corner of the site watches over the station from on top of the banks.

The station closed in May 1963, slightly outlasting other local stations on the line which generally closed on March 1st 1963.

References

"Main Line" is the quarterly news magazine of the preserved Great Central Railway.

External links

* [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/gallery/gallrot.htm Gallery of photos around Rothley station]

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