The Railways of Telford
 

A recent gift (December 2021) from a valued colleague, to mark my pending retirement and my move to Telford, was 'Railways of Telford' by David Clarke

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2021/12/2...-a-book-review

This is my review of the book which, as you will read, should become a primer for me for exploring Telford and Wrekin and the wider area of East Shropshire!

Interesting stuff Roger, I recall passing through that area, on the A5, when it was a blot on the landscape of one of two prettiest counties in England, with the friendliest people. It was rumoured that the strategic steam reserve was there, not sure if it was a myth or not. I could get carried away on this, plenty to look up. It was known as Madeley or Dawley New Town until they decided on Telford, after Thomas Telford, he built the Shropshire Union Canal. I see there is no mention of the “Coalport Bridge” being the world’s first iron bridge. It seems they cashed in on this fact renaming the place Ironbridge. The museums are well worth a visit. Good luck there.

Thank you, Hereward.

The Wellington & Severn Junction Railway (W&SJR) - Part 1


This is the first post about the different railway routes in Telford. The W&SJR ran through Lawley and Dawley which are within a mile or so of our home in Malinslee, Telford.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/07/07...n-to-horsehay/

“The Wellington and Severn Junction Railway … was built between 1857 [and] 1861 and formed part of the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway. For much of its working life, it was operated by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways.”

The previous post on this thread looked at the length of the W&SJR from Wellington Station to Horsehay & Dawley Station. This next post covers the length from Horsehay & Dawley Station to Lightmoor Station. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/?p=34673

This post completes the review of the Wellington & Severn Junction Railway route. .....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/07/18...n-to-buildwas/

The LNWR Coalport Branch - Part 1

After the construction of the Wellington and Severn Junction Railway (W&SJR) and it being included in the GWR network, the LNWR found it necessary to take an interest in the Shropshire Canal as an alternative means of accessing the area.

The industrial areas immediately North of the River Severn were served by a whole series of tramroads which linked to the River Severn or to the Shropshire Canal and eventually to the W&SJR. Increasing problems with the Shropshire Canal led the LNWR to conclude that it needed to replace it, and the Coalport Branch was the result.

This is the first of a series of articles about the line:

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/03/14...s-lee-station/

The LNWR Coalport Branch again. ...

Just after publishing the first article about the branch, I received an email from David Clarke offering some photos from his collection This prompted another look for photos on my part.

This addendum to the first article is prompted by David's email and includes a few other items as well. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/03/24...ranch-part-1a/

The LNWR Coalport Branch - Part 2

This second length of the Branch runs from what was Malins Lee Station (although the area is now known as Malinslee) to Madeley Market Station. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/03/14...arket-station/

The LNWR Coalport Branch - Part 3

The final length of the Branch running from Madeley Market Station to Coalport East Station

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/04/03...-east-station/

The Coalport Branch once more ....

Another addendum which focusses on the first, the northern, section of the Branch. .....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/04/08...um-oakengates/

The Coalport Branch again. .....

Immediately after publishing an article about the most southerly length of the Coalport branch, I was contacted by Ian Turpin who had constructed a model of Coalport East Station. This addendum is written with his kind permission using photos of his model. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/04/12...ranch-part-3a/

This next article is about The Humber Arm of the Newport Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and the Lilleshall Company's tramways, and later mineral railway, which connected the Arm to Old Lodge Furnaces and to a number of coalmines and ironworking sites around Donnington in present day Telford and Wrekin.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/08/01...st-shropshire/

The Lilleshall Company's Railways and Tramways served Old Lodge Furnaces and Granville Colliery. This next article looks at that part of their private rail network. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/08/18...ille-colliery/

Buildwas to Much Wenlock. ....

This article follows on from three other articles which covered the Wellington to Severn Junction Railway and which reached as far along the line as Buildwas.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/10/19...o-much-wenlock

​​​​​​​The Lilleshall Company's Railways again. ...

This next article covers the length of the Lilleshall Company railway network from their Grange Colliery to the Hollingswood Sidings which connected to the GWR main line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. ...

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/01/1...swood-sidings/