Mansfield and Southwell Railway
 

Hi, My late Father in law was a steam loco driver for BR. One of his rosters was the Mansfield to Rolleston Junction route. I am putting together a DVD for Mansfield Reference Library of a photographic history of the line in a "Then" & " Present day" format. While on my travels taking photos for the "Present day" section I came across the following mystery ( at least to me). At Rufford Junction, Rainworth I found this walling section. About 80 paces long and part of it with planking on brackets. Having asked all the local experts, without any definitive answer as to what it was for, I`ve turned to you. Although my project is mostly photos there are amounts of text and all additional info makes for a more interesting item. Black and white attachment copyright of RCTS website, all others are mine. Thank you in advance for any info. Matthudson

Welcome to the forum Matt, your pictures have raised some questions, but unfortunately after searching my local historical OS maps I can't shed ant light on this feature.
The 1924 sheet 120 - 1:50,000 map shows the Rufford branch penetrating a heavily wooded area, but this doesn't give any specific details.
From your pictures it looks like a loading dock of some sort.
Only a guess but could it be connected with the oil trains that traversed the line for many years before it closed?
I will make enquiries with some of my more knowledgeable friends to see if they can offer any information and if we turn anything up I will let you know.

Mystery wall
 

Hi, thanks for your reply. As you say oil trains would have used that route as well as the numerous coal trains. The wall top appears fairly level with the track so I suppose some sort of loading dock is out of the question. The wood planking is on the opposite side of the wall to the tracks and the ground falls away. The track passed over 2 small bridges,1 just past the signal box & the other went under the Rufford Colliery / Clipstone Sidings line, where a road went to a mobile home site set in the woods. Very spooky !!!!!!!!!! so don`t think the mystery wall could have been part of a bridge. Best regards matthudson

Welcome to the forum Matt, I remember the line very well as I lived in Mansfield until 1973 and in the days of steam remember many coal trains and the odd oil train on that line on their way to the main line at Mansfield South Junction the coal trains going to Kirkby sidings and I rather think the oil which was from Eakring oil wells ended up at a refinery in Scotland. Your question on the section of walling might be something to do with one of the five sand quarries that were beside the line between Mansfield and Rainworth.

Hi pbowler, thanks for your input. You`re right there were quarries along the route, but can`t see what use the wall and staging? would have. There appears not to have been any sort of roadway next to the walling. The are the stubs of metal uprights coming out of the wall top, could be a safety fence? maybe cut off for the war effort? or after the line closure? Sorry there are a lot of question marks. Best regards matthudson

Hello again Matt, there was a goods yard at Rainworth that was open till about 1965 might have been something to do with that, by the way have you seen the book "An Illustrated History of Mansfield's Railways" by Paul Anderson Jack Cupit there's a chapter in it about the Mansfield and Southwell line, quite a few photos too, no doubt Mansfield library will have a copy. I bought my copy some years ago and every time I read it it brings back a lot of happy memories of the 1950s and 60s, I've read it so many times it's falling apart.

Hi pbowler, just acquired the book this week. A good read. Never realised that Rainworth station had a goods yard. Was there a signal box there as well? I know that Blidworth Junction had one. I have calculated there were 15 boxes from Mansfield Station (5) and including the one at Fiskerton Junction, on the Rolleston West Junction curve, to Rolleston Junction. If you count anymore please let me know for my project. Regards

You mentioned Fiskerton Junction Matt, if you're interested this Saturday (6thDec) there's a GWR Hall Class steam loco (Rood Ashton Hall) passing through Fiskerton Station at 11-13am on a trip from Tysley to Lincoln. I'll be there to photograph the occasion.

Hi thanks for the info. I`ll do my best to be there. How will we recognise each other? I know !! we could wear a purple flower and meet under the station clock Lol. Regards

I hope to get a spot at the end of the platform near the level crossing, I'll be wearing a black Karrimor jacket, black wool hat and a Lumix G5 camera round my neck, look for the bloke with the least fashion sense and it's bound to be me.
P/S, Don't think there's a clock on the station.