Midland Railway service Derby-Willington-Burton 1890s

[Tony Whittaker]

Hi

Any timetable historian be able to give me a rough idea of numbers and times of stopping trains to and from Willington, on the Derby-Birmingham line, in the 1890s.

Grateful thanks

Tony

 

[Dr Hoo]

Welcome to the forum!

The Middleton Press reprint of the December 1895 Bradshaw is your friend.

Very loosely Repton & Willington station as it then was had a handful (5-6) of local services in each direction on each of the Derby-Tamworth (-Birmingham) and Derby-Lichfield (-Walsall) axes on Mondays to Saturdays and about 3 trains just on the Tamworth axis on Sundays.

To modern eyes, with concepts of commuting to major centres, day trips, evenings out, student travel and so forth the commercial reasons for the detailed timings seem hard to fathom and they don't lend themselves to easy description. No 'clockface' timetables on the line back then. As a wayside station on a two-track route R&W would always play third fiddle to more important long-distance passenger and freight traffic.

Hope this helps.

I think that you will be able to send 'Personal Messages' (PMs) when you have five posts or more.

 

[Tony Whittaker]

Thanks so much. Just what I was looking for. As well as an interest in railways, I've been doing a local history study on a family in Willington, our village, and just wanted to understand the context of their travel needs in the 1890s. And the level of service sounds not so different from what we have now!

Thanks again

Tony

 

[Tony Whittaker]

Thanks again Dr Hoo. I thought I might get hold of a copy of the 1895 reprint, but find not a single secondhand (or new) copy available online anywhere just now! Please, might I ask, what was the journey time in those days for Willington to Derby. I'm guessing it was just about twice the current 8-10 minutes. Did any of them stop at Peartree in those days too? I'm guessing they terminated in the south bay platform.

 

[Bevan Price]

There was also an August 1887 Bradshaw reprint (by David & Charles) might also be of interest, if you can find a copy.
Most of the trains serving Repton & Willington were by Midland Railway (MR), from / to Derby. There were a few short workings to Burton-on-Trent, but most continued to at least Tamworth or Birmingham.

The London & North Western Railway (LNWR) had running powers into Derby, on its line to Lichfield, Walsall & Birmingham, although many did not run north of Burton. Bradshaw does not always make it clear which are through trains, and which involve connections. Journey times typically 9-10 mins from Derby, but up to 5-10 minutes longer towards Derby. Add about 3 minutes for the few trains calling at Pear Tree & Normanton.

Repton & Willington departures (December 1895 Bradshaw reprint)
(B = Derby / Burton short working; * = called at Pear Tree & Normanton)

MR (South/westbound, from Derby towards Birmingham):
06:35; 08:09(B*); 08:56; 09:34 (B); 10:53*; 13:38; 14:41(B*); 17:28 (B*); 18:10; 19:25; 22:14
(Sundays 06:39; 14:24; 19:23)

MR (North/eastbound towards Derby):
07:20; 09:09; 10:41(B); 12:16; 13:43(B*); 14:35; 15:55(B*); 16:56*; 17:55; 20:30(B); 21:41;
(Sundays 08:59; 17:41)

LNWR services to Lichfield / Walsall or beyond: 11:15; 19:40
LNWR from Walsall/Lichfield line towards Derby: 08:42; 11:31; 12:50; 17:18
(Some LNWR trains ran non-stop between Derby & Burton).
There was also one train each way with request stops for long distance passengers; times at Repton not specified.
08:25 Derby - Walsall (or beyond). Pick up only for passenger for Lichfield or beyond. (Guess about 08:35 at Repton)
18:00 Walsall - Derby. Set down only, for passengers from Stafford or Nuneaton (or beyond) (Repton about 19:05)

No Sunday LNWR service between Lichfield, Burton & Derby.

 

[Tony Whittaker]

Thanks so much Bevan, that's wonderfully helpful. Very grateful. That gives a really good sense of transport from the village.

I found a nice shot of a Birmingham to Derby train, dated just a little later than my specific time period relating to local history, but probably identical loco and coaching stock to Midland Railway service c1895 that would have stopped at Willington. The date was given as 1924, but no details of location. It's not Willington, so somewhere further south. Of course at the time of my interest, Derby had an overall trainshed, as per other pic. I don't know what platform the local trains would have come in on, but if the bay platform was kept for Crewe trains, then 4 or 6? By the way, have you seen the amazing Scottish Library 25inch OS maps which you can drag to anywhere in the country, zoom, or use the blue slider to see the current satellite view? Here it is: link pointing at Derby,
but you can 'travel' anywhere in the country using it. The level of surveying on the 25 inch maps gives a high level of detail, lineside buildings and track layout.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I have only just seen this 'thread revival' question. Glad that Bevan Price was able to give you a comprehensive answer.

The local train picture is a well-known shot of Castle Bromwich. I think that it is on the 'disused stations' website.

Best wishes for your continuing research.

 

[Bevan Price]

If the 1924 date of the photo is correct, then Loco No. 1 was built in 1866 (as No. 156; renumbered to No. 1 in 1907).
It was rebuilt / reboilered several times, and withdrawn in 1930.
It was set aside for preservation, but fell victim to a space clearance at Derby in 1932.

(Data from British Locomotive Catalogue by Baxter & Baxter.)

 

[Tony Whittaker]

Thanks both. Much appreciated.