Towcesters station,Northants
 

All
What do you know about Towcesters railway station, on the old SMJ? I have a website at www.towcestersrailwayhistory.co.uk and am always looking for more photos, stories and general information aboutthe site at Towcester.
Email at [email protected]

Fluffysausage

Fluffy,
I received the excellent book "Tickets Please" for Christmas and in it there is a picture of an Edwardian postcard that features the Blakesley Hall miniature railway on the Towcester Estate.

Towcester estate?
 

Thanks for that. When you sat Towcester Estate, what do you mean?
Are we talking Easton Neston?
Andy

Andy,
As I know nothing about Towcester and the surrounding area I can only quote what the photos caption says.

"A number of miniature railways were built to serve private estates, the first being that opened at the Duke of Westminster's Eaton Hall, in Cheshire, in 1898. These had both practical and entertainment fuctions. This Edwardian postcard shows the Blakesley Hall line, a working miniature railway built by CW Bartholomew from 1903 to serve his Towcester estate, in Northamptonshire."

The postcard shows a man sitting on a miniature steam loco with tippler wagons in the background.

Thanks
 

Thanks for that John. I'll follow it up!

Andy

The layout looks very interesting. What will happen to it if you do not have it?

Layout
 

RE the layout. Not sure what's going to happen to it. The Towcester 'History Boys' are concerned its too large for the space available. A local guy said he'd make a smaller (gauged) version but that doesnt account for this layout. I did say I could start a campaign, save the Towcester one!!

Andy:D

Towcester model layout
 

It will probably remain in store at Birmingham Science Museum storage facility.

if the Towcester museum does not want the layout, the Birmingham museum may sell it off if an offer is made to them.

I wonder if they will sell 46235 City of Birmingham so it can be displayed properly see photos in my gallery!

I guess that you have Forgotten Railways Chilterns and Cotswolds by R Davies and MD Grant? Published by David and Charles. Potted history and one photo of Towcester station.

The Blakesley miniature railway ran from adjacent to the SMJ station to the former Blakesley Hall which was raized to the ground in either the 1950's or 60's (I can't remember exactly when at the moment). IIRC from my walks of the old line there is a house built across hte formation at Blakesley right across the remains of the platforms!

John

I found out more about it John
Blakesley Station had two railways! Built in 1903, the 15 inch narrow guage line ran the three quarters of a mile from the SMJ station to the nearby 'Blakesley Hall'. The line carried coal, farm supplies and the occasional passenger and when the Hall became a military hospital during the first world war, the line was used to rehabilitate patients. The track was lifted in 1940, the Hall being demolished in 1957"

Andy:rolleyes:

Thanks Thermos, Thanks Andy
Interesting info:)

Apparently the loco used on the line was a 4-4-4 steam shape but petrol driven. Apparently she may well still exist. I will have to do some digging tonight and get back to you.

The source I was reading from stated the loco may survive at the Ravenglas Railway.
Unless the loco has been converted to a 4-4-2 and a tender outline I think that it could be a bust. She was buit by Bassett-Lowke as was the Blakesley loco.
The loco at the "Ratty" is "Synolda" and rescued from Belle View Zoo in 1978. There is little detail on their website.

STOP PRESS from here
"1947 saw owner of the Saltburn Miniature Railway purchase another locomotive, this time in the form of a 4-4-4T named ‘Blacolvesley’ which had been built by Bassett-Lowke of Northampton in 1909 and is believed to be their first and only attempt at building an internal combustion locomotive with a steam outline, their being more famous for their to scale steam locomotives used on many Miniature Railways such as the Ravenglass and Eskdale and Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railways. The engine had started life at the Blakesley Hall miniature railway before its move to Saltburn. THE BLAKESLEY HALL RAILWAY was sited in the grounds of the house of that name near Towcester in Northamptonshire, the line having been built in 1903 by the halls owner Mr C W Bartholomew. The 15” gauge line ran through the grounds as far as the East and West Junction railway’s Blakesley station on the Stratford upon Avon to Blisworth Junction, the line later becoming the Stratford upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway, later part of the LMS, was laid to facilitate the movement of coal and other supplies to the house. As No.7 was becoming in need of repair the new engine renamed ‘Elizabeth’ took over operations on the line. It is not known what happened to No.7 after it left Saltburn, though there are rumours it could still be in existence."

Thermos
 

Thanks for that very useful info, I will follow it up

Andy

Video
 

Just to let you know, I have made a video which I shot a couple of weeks a go on how the Towcester station site looks these day (Tescos and all!) Go and have a look at it. I have embedded it from YouTube ,click on the video twice on my sites home page.

Andy

Towcesters Railway History - New look to site
 

:) Thanks for the help with Blakesley, and the railway. Go and have a look at the new layout for the Towcester site at
www.towcestersrailwayhistory.co.uk
I'm now working on a 'Blakesley Hall page'

Andy

There was a book published about 15 years or so ago (about the S&MJ)
Can't remember author or title but it was published by OPC

Blakesley Hall
 

Gentlemen
The subject of a miniature railway at Blakesley, contected to the 'Main line' caught my imagination so I did some research.

Visit: http://www.andythompson.net/blakesley.htm and take a look

Andy

Blakesley Hall - sorted
 

Gents

The Blakesley bug over-took me so I have been doing some work!

Go to http://www.andythompson.net/blakesley.htm and see what I've been up to

Andy