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The Coalport branch line was a standard gauge
Telford and Wrekin Council guide
Retrieved 11 January 2017 It runs south of the former Malins Lee railway station to just north of the former Coalport East railway station.
an
Geograph 1963 photos of Coalport East
Geograph 1964 photoGeograph photo of Madeley Market StationMadeley local history with photoLNWR Society history
Closed railway lines in the West Midlands (region) Rail transport in Shropshire London and North Western Railway Railway lines opened in 1861 Railway lines closed in 1964 1861 establishments in England 1964 disestablishments in England {{England-rail-transport-stub
The Coalport branch line was a standard gauge London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom.
In 1923, it became a constituent of the ...
branch line in Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
, England, which ran between Hadley Junction near Oakengates
Oakengates is a constituent town and civil parish in Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. The towns parish population was recorded as 8,517 in the 2001 census.
Etymology
The name is not derived from "oak" or "gates" but is derived from the ...
on the Stafford to Shrewsbury line and a terminus at Coalport East railway station on the north bank of the River Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_ ...
at Coalport.
Commercial history
The branch line opened on 17 June 1861. Passenger services were little used, with the line's existence being mainly supported by freight traffic. There were sidings at locations including Blists Hill Ironworks and theCoalport China
Coalport, Shropshire, England was a centre of porcelain and pottery production between about 1795 ("inaccurately" claimed as 1750 by the company) and 1926, with the Coalport porcelain brand continuing to be used up to the present. The opening i ...
factory of John Rose and Co.
The line was closed to passengers in 1952 and to regular freight on 5 December 1960, the line to Stirchley finally closed to even sporadic traffic on 6 July 1964.
Preservation
On 9 April 1980 the gaugeTelford Town Tramway
The Telford steam tram at the Telford Steam Railway of the Telford Horsehay Steam Trust, runs on a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge track. This follows a short circular route, part of which runs near to the lake known as Horsehay Pool. Prior t ...
was opened by the Reverend W. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997) was an English Anglican minister, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He was best known for creating Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas and several other characters he created appeared in ...
on the trackbed of the Coalport branch alongside Randlay Pool in Telford Town Park
Telford Town Park is a park and Local Nature Reserve in Telford in Shropshire. In 2015, it was voted "UK's Best Park" in the inaugural public competition organised by Fields in Trust
History
The Anglo-Saxon period saw the first real chan ...
. The tramway only lasted a few years before it closed in the mid-1980s. The tram has since been preserved by the Telford Steam Railway
The Telford Steam Railway (TSR) is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.
The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas ...
running on its own circular track by Horsehay Pool.
The interchange siding at Blists Hill now forms part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is an industrial heritage organisation which runs ten museums and manages multiple historic sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire, England, widely considered as the birthplace of ...
’s Blists Hill Victorian Town site.
Four miles of the former trackbed now form part of the Silkin Way, a cycling and walking route managed by Telford and Wrekin Council.Retrieved 11 January 2017 It runs south of the former Malins Lee railway station to just north of the former Coalport East railway station.
References
External links
an
Geograph 1963 photos of Coalport East
Geograph 1964 photo
Closed railway lines in the West Midlands (region) Rail transport in Shropshire London and North Western Railway Railway lines opened in 1861 Railway lines closed in 1964 1861 establishments in England 1964 disestablishments in England {{England-rail-transport-stub