Battlefield Line Railway

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (March 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Battlefield Line Railway
A busy scene from the 2014 Spring Steam Gala at Shackerstone Station
Coordinates	52°36′00″N 1°24′54″W / 52.600°N 1.415°W / 52.600; -1.415Coordinates: 52°36′00″N 1°24′54″W / 52.600°N 1.415°W / 52.600; -1.415
The Battlefield Line as shown on a period map
Commercial operations
Name	London and North Western Railway Midland Railway British Rail
Built by	London and North Western Railway
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by	Shackerstone Railway Society
Operated by	Shackerstone Railway Society
Length	5 mi (8.0 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1873
Closed	1965
Preservation history
1973	Partial re-opening
Headquarters	Shackerstone

Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway
Construction of the Ashby & Nuneaton joint railway near Dadlington using a Manning Wardle tank engine
Route map Legend Leicester– Burton upon Trent line Moira Donisthorpe Coalville Town Measham Charnwood Forest Rly Leicester– Burton upon Trent line Snarestone Hugglescote Heather and Ibstock Shackerstone Junction Shackerstone Battlefield Line Railway Market Bosworth Shenton Stoke Golding Higham on the Hill Trent Valley line (West Coast Main Line) Birmingham– Peterborough line Nuneaton Abbey Street Nuneaton Coventry– Nuneaton line Hinckley Trent Valley line (West Coast Main Line) Birmingham– Peterborough line

The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England.^[1] It runs from Shackerstone (Grid ref

SK 379 065) to Shenton (

 WikiMiniAtlas

SK 396 002), via Market Bosworth, a total of 5 miles (8.0 km). Shenton is near Bosworth Field, (the location of the final battle of the Wars of the Roses immortalised in Shakespeare's Richard III), giving the railway its name.

Overview[]

The railway runs steam and diesel-hauled trains every weekend and Bank Holiday from March to December, as well as a summer mid-week service on Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays in July and August and Wednesdays in September; the latter is operated by the Heritage diesel railcar service. Special events:Christmas Santa Specials and others throughout the year.

History[]

The railway used to be part of the London and North Western Railway and the Midland Railway, who operated the line jointly between and Nuneaton. The first trains ran along this section in 1873. At Shackerstone station, there was once a junction where one section branched off towards Moira and Ashby and the other went towards Coalville Junction. In 1883, the Charnwood Forest Railway was opened, which extended the branch from Coalville Junction to Loughborough's Derby Road station, passing through the villages of Whitwick and Shepshed. In the 1923 Grouping, these lines were assigned to the London Midland and Scottish Railway. In 1931 the last scheduled passenger train went down the Charnwood Forest branch, with the line then only being open to freight and excursions until the 1960s. The Coalville Junction – Shackerstone section was dismantled and closed completely in 1964. The Ashby – Nuneaton line had its last passenger service in 1965, which was an enthusiasts' special, before British Rail pulled the rails up in 1970. In its heyday, Shackerstone was a busy station, with steam trains doing the workings between Ashby and Nuneaton, whilst a railcar did the service between Shackerstone and Loughborough Derby Road.

The line was originally double track but was later singled. Confusingly, part of the line was called the Bluebell Line (the Charnwood Forest Line, Hugglescote to Loughborough Derby Road station; this line was only accessible via the ANJR).

The royal train now in the National Railway Museum went to Shackerstone on its first outing in December 1902. It conveyed King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria on their way to Gopsall Hall, where Handel is reputed to have composed his oratorio Messiah.

Renovation project[]

The Shackerstone Railway Society was set up in 1969 at Market Bosworth, but soon moved to Shackerstone in 1970, as they needed a proper home for their first steam engine. When they got to Shackerstone they found one through line still intact, and their first aim was to build some sidings. Later they reinstated the "down" platform and connected the sidings to the line to Market Bosworth.

In 1973, to celebrate the centenary of the line, a small train of open wagons was hauled to Market Bosworth. Following the successful conclusions of the negotiations with British Rail, a start was made on track rearrangements which created run-round loops at both ends of the line and a number of sidings at Shackerstone.

In the 1980s, the Battlefield Line launched a campaign to extend their line to Shenton. This involved buying 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) of track and in 1992 after a successful campaign, the inaugural service arrived, hauled by the appropriately named 0-6-0 tank engine "Richard III."

Journey[]

The first section of the journey travelling south from Shackerstone is a climbing gradient which continues until the train is clear of the station limits. The signal box on the left is the oldest Midland Railway Co. type one box still in operational use. The train then passes under the first bridge which carries the road to Barton-in-the-Beans, and into open farmland.

Market Bosworth is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Shackerstone. There are usually stored locomotives or wagons here. To the right can be seen the old buildings and signal box which used to control part of the operation of the station.

South of Market Bosworth station, the train passes Aqueduct Cottage and the Ashby Canal aqueduct beyond it. Trains slow as they cross the road bridge between Shenton and Sutton Cheney. As the line curves to the right, the train approaches the terminus at Shenton, just over 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) away from Shackerstone. The station pottery is the only surviving part of the original station. The present station is the reconstructed Humberstone Road station from Leicester. At the end of the line is a headshunt underneath an old cattle bridge. The small bridge was previously used to allow safe passage of farm traffic over the original railway.

Steam locomotives[]

Number & Name	Current Status	Livery	Owner(s)	Date	Description	Image
Sir Gomer	Peckett and Sons class OX1 0-6-0ST	Blue	Shackerstone Railway Society Ltd. (available for sale)	1932	Designed as a powerful industrial, "Sir Gomer", according to findings, is capable of moving a 928-ton train at slow speed on level ground. Boiler certificate has expired and is awaiting overhaul.

Visiting locos[]

Number & Name	Class	Livery	Owner	Date	Description	Image
7822 - Foxcote Manor	GWR 7800 Class	British Railways Black	Foxcote Manor Society	06/11/21	N/a	N/a

Diesel shunters[]

Number & Name	Works number	Class	Current Status	Livery	Date	Image
No. 2 Nancy	263001	Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0	Stored (Privately owned) (available for sale)	Dark Blue	1949
No. D2867 Diane		Class 02	Operational. Used as shed shunter (Railway owned)	Green	17/11/1961
No. 04110 (D2310)		Class 04	Operational within station limits (Railway owned)	BR Blue	22/12/1960
Hercules		Ruston 0-4-0DE	Under overhaul (Private owner)	Yellow and Pink
Mazda	268881	Ruston 0-4-0DE	Operational	Green with Yellow ends and Wasp Stripes	1950
Davy	1901	British Rail Class 08/10 Hybrid	Awaiting overhaul (Railway owned)	Green with Wasp Stripes	Late 1950s
No. 12083		Class 11	Stored at Market Bosworth (Privately owned)	BR Blue	30/11/1950
Big Momma		Barclay Shunter 0-6-0	Stored out of use at Market Bosworth station (Privately owned)	Light Green
No. 422 Hot Wheels		Andrew Barclay	Stored out of use at Market Bosworth station (Privately owned)	Blue	1958

Ex. mainline heritage diesels[]

Number & Name	Class	Current Status	Livery	Owner	Date	Image
No. 20087	British Rail Class 20 Bo-Bo	Undergoing Repair	BR Blue with Yellow Warning Panels	Harry Needle Railroad Company	1961
No. D8110	British Rail Class 20 Bo-Bo	Operational	BR Green with Yellow Warning Panels	Harry Needle Railroad Company	1962
No. 33019 Griffon	British Rail Class 33 Bo-Bo	Out of service	Grey & Yellow	Private owner	1960
No. D6508 Eastleigh		Undergoing restoration	BR Green	Private owner	1960
No. 33201		Operational	BR Blue with Yellow Warning Panels	Private owner	1960
No. D6593		Awaiting repair from the Watercress Line	BR Green	Watercress Line	1960
37906	British Rail Class 37 Co-Co	Undergoing overhaul	Railfreight Large Logo Grey	Private owner	1963
No. 47640 University of Strathclyde	British Rail Class 47 Co-Co	Out of service	BR Large Logo Blue.	Private owner	1966

Diesel multiple units[]

Number & Name	Description	Current Status	Livery	Image
DMBS No M55005.	Class 122	Operational, used on passenger trains regularly (Railway owned). Built in 1958.	BR Blue & Grey
DMS No 51321	Class 118	Under Overhaul, undergoing mechanical and bodywork repairs (Railway owned). Built in 1960.	BR Blue & Grey
DMBS No 51131	Class 116	Operational, used on passenger trains regularly (Railway owned). Built in 1958.	BR Blue & Grey

Electric locomotives[]

Number & Name	Works number	Wheel arrangement	Year of manufacture	Current Status	Livery	Image
Spondon Power Station No. 1	E905	4wd battery/Overhead Electric Loco	1935	Operational	Green

Coach stock[]

British Railways Mark 1 coaches[]

The original A&NJR closed long before the formation of British Railways, but as very few suitable period carriages were preserved, BR Mark 1 coaches form part of all Battlefield Line passenger trains today. They are a renowned design of standardised rail stock, being both durable and high-capacity vehicles.

Number & Name	Class	Current Status	Livery	Owner(s)	Date	Description
M1104	Mark 1 RE	Overhauled in 2015 and now in service	BR lined Maroon	Shackerstone Railway Society Ltd.	1952	Converted into a Griddle buffet from RF No. 301 while working for BR, and was later preserved.
M81428	Mark 1 BG	Operational			1957
M25729	Mark 1 SK	In Service			1961
M4918	Mark 1 TSO	Operational			1962
M4939		Operational			1962
M4989		Operational	BR Blood & Custard		1962
W13313[2]	Mark 1 FK	Operational	BR Chocolate and Cream	Private owner	1961
W13474	Mark 2 FK	Operational	BR Maroon.	Shackerstone Railway Society Ltd.	1968
W34935	Mark 1 BSK	Awaiting repair.	BR Blood & Custard (West side). BR Chocolate & Cream (East side)		1956
34953		Awaiting a major overhaul	Maroon		1956
ADB975459		Originally numbered 34136 until conversion into a departmental coach. Docked in the Shackerstone bay siding as volunteer accommodation.	BR lined Maroon		1952
1816	Mark 1 RMB	In use as mess room at Shackerstone			1959
3087	Mark 1 FO	Away for overhaul			1959
1505	Mark 1 RKB	Numbered ADB977084 after becoming part of the original Crewe Test Train. In storage awaiting overhaul.			1960
81470	Mark 1 BG	At present in use as a parts store.	InterCity		1958
W93701	Mark 1 GUV	Presently at the end of the Shackerstone north siding complex as a storage vehicle.	BR Rail Blue.	Private owner	1959
94142	Mark 1 CCT	Awaiting overhaul in the Shackerstone south siding.	Maroon	Private owner	1960

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battlefield Line Railway.

• Battlefield Line Official Web