The Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway
and Tuxford Wagon Works
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| We are very fortunate in having our workshop and shop in a former railway building.
The offices were built in 1897 by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) as part of Tuxford Wagon Works.
As its name suggests, the railway was originally intended to link Manchester with the East Coast at Sutton-on-Sea.
Ultimately, only the section of the line between Chesterfield and Lincoln was actually constructed and this was absorbed into the Great Central Railway in 1907.
The works at Tuxford, which were responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of wagons and coaches, closed over 50 years ago.
However, most of the workshops, including the office building, still survive as part of Lodge Lane Industrial Estate.
The site office, which was built in a similar style to that of the station buildings along the route, was home to the Chief Mechanical Engineers of the line and various office staff.
We have been collecting images of the works during its operating days
and since closure and some of these pictures are included on this
page. if you have any images of the works or further information
about the site, we would be very interested in hearing from you.
In the meantime, please enjoy these images.
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This plan above shows the east - west
LD&ECR and the north - south East Coast Main Line at Tuxford.
It clearly shows the connecting chord with the Loco Depot within the
triangle. The Wagon Works are situated outside the curve on the northern
side of the LD&ECR. The platforms of the twin level Dukeries
Junction Station was situated on and below the bridge over the ECML.
All of the pictures below were taken within the area included on the
map. |
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^ Tuxford Loco Depot in 1945 with J11 5214
basking in the sunshine |
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| ^ Part of the LD&ECR's locomotive
works at Tuxford where originally nearly 130 men were employed in the
repair and maintenance of engines and rolling stock. Most
prominent are the 'sheer legs' for hoisting large parts such as boilers
from locomotive frames. To the left of these are two steam engine
boilers from a Sheffield firm and next to them, two four wheeled
passenger carriages, which had been bought second hand from the Great
Eastern Railway. |
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| ^ An LD&ECR 6 wheel brake 3rd on the
traverser at Tuxford Wagon Works |
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| ^ O4 63722 stands on the LD&EC
Mainline outside Tuxford Works |
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| ^Pictured outside the offices now
occupied by our model railway shop, this image was taken in 1930.
It shows the employees attending an 'improvement class'. |
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| ^ Dukeries
Junction station photographed about 1920 looking south with the GNR main
line to the right. This footpath, half a mile from the nearest road to
Tuxford, was the only pedestrian access to the station. All LD&ECR passenger
trains running between Chesterfield and Lincoln stopped here and at the
company's Tuxford station, compared with only a selection of GNR local
trains, that company being more interested in maintaining a service to
and from its own Tuxford station. |
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| ^ Dukeries Junction Station closed in
July 1955, this is a view looking north along the ECML. |
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^ Taken in 1975, this picture shows the
now closed works with the track lifted.
Thanks to Phil Whitehead for the above
images.
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| ^The now empty offices await their next tenant. |
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| The following pictures, taken by Chris
Austin in 1975, show the works in a rather dilapidated condition. |
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The building in which we now have our shop and workshop,
back in 1975. |
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| 1992, the wagon works have a new lease
of life as an industrial estate. |
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January 2013: Passengers return to
Tuxford and the LD&ECR.
A special train, top and tailed by class 66's, passes Tuxford
Wagon Works as it heads for High Marnham |
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A New Signal Box for Tuxford.
The former Midland Railway Type 4c Signal Box from
Sneinton was to be re-erected at Tuxford as part of continuing
developments at the Network Rail, Rail Innovation and Development
Centre. After almost 100 years in its previous location near
Nottingham, the box which dates from 26th July 1914 arrived at Tuxford
in early August 2013. It was proposed that the box would have a
new lease of life as part of the RIDC, however its future use is now
more uncertain. The
picture shows the top half of the structure shortly after arrival. |
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Passengers again on the LD&ECR
On Wednesday 14th June 2017, The Great Central Lament
railtour operated along the remaining section of the former LD&ECR
including that used by the Rail Innovation and Development
Centre. The train was top and tailed by class 66 locomotives and the
picture above shows 66182 on the return journey, 66074 is on the
rear. (photo by courtesy of David Goodger). |
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A Class 50 on the LD&ECR
On Thursday 5th August 2017, Class 50, 50008 THUNDERER
becomes the first member of its class to visit the LD&ECR and the Rail Innovation and Development
Centre. The loco had arrived, light engine, from Derby to
collect one of the new Rail Grinding Units. The image above shows
the loco and unit at Tuxford preparing for departure back to
Derby. The loco, which was built in 1968 as D408 and withdrawn in
1992 as 50 008, currently carries the British Rail Laira blue livery it once carried during its final years of service whilst allocated to the Laira DCWA Civil Engineer's pool. |
