Coalville Crossing Confusion (1)

 A Moving Story?

Last Sunday, Leicester chum, David, had a day out from Groby. He went to the above and fbb will examine what he examined in a later blog. 

But, at first, fbb was baffled. 

The event took place at Snibston Colliery, the entrance for which is just a short stroll along the Ashby Road from the bustling town centre of Coalville. Only it doesn't bustle too much on a Sunday!

Parts of the colliery have reopened post Covid ...

... and part of the area is a pleasant park.

But things are somewhat confusing to an outsider.

As you enter the former colliery gates from the main road ...

... there, in front of you, is a very tall Midland Railway signal box. It even features in the Snibston on-line publicity complete with obligatory smiling young gell.

Look left as you totter towards the box and there is an odd selection or crossing gates, beyond which is some track and a few wagons.

This infrastructure appears to fizzle out at another gate in the far distance.  Turn through 180 degrees and there is another small crossing gate. Note that none of the gates protects a crossing of any kind. But there, beyond the little gate, is the huge signal box with projecting cabin, overseeing nothing.

The name board on the front f te box is clearly a fake, not Midland Railway style at all.

Now; fbb thinks that he has travelled by train via Coalville

Coalville is about halfway along the line that linked Leicester Midland (now just Leicester) with Burton-on-Trent. fbb has ridden the line in about 1961 and remembers that it was slow and very industrial. The line got diesel units in 1958 ...

... and was closed to passengers in 1964.

It was not long before the station was demolished.

An old map extract shows us where it was.

If we motor slowly westwards along what would be the A511 if Coalville centre had not been by passed ...

... we will cross across Coalville crossing. And yes, it still carries trains, but no longer anything for passengers. You might see a stone train from Bardon Hill Quarry or perhaps a Notwork Rail test train which uses the line to test the testing equipment!

The white building was the Railway Hotel, now a childrens' day care centre ...

... and that patch of scrub on the right ...

... is where the station building once stood. Swing round a bit further to the right and ...

... there isn't Coalville Crossing signal box.

But there are pictures of this esteemed edifice on-line. This is looking from the roadside and across the tracks towards where the station isn't.

Here we look back from across the crossing and opposite where the station entrance isn't ...

... and here we are a bit further away in distance and years with the station entrance in all its glory!

A more modern view from further back shows the box and the footbridge which  threads its way behind the signalman.

We are looking east in the above shot. Back looking west (ish!) are the access steps to the foot bridge from the other side.

Here a view of the actual bridge for feet ...

... from which you could, back in the day, take good pictures of steam trains.

Of course, the signal box was moved in two large chunks ...

... and rebuilt at Snibston.

Mystery and most of the confusion removed!

To conclude this post, a picture or three of The Notwork Rail test train testing Coalville Crossing.

Wig wags flash red ...

... barriers descend ...

... and the train trundles slowly by ...

... in the Burton-on-Trent direction.

The former Railway Hotel peeps in on the right.

Tomorrow we see the buses on show at Snibston and explore a lesser known level crossing. There is a link!

 Next Crossing Confusion blog : Sat 13th Sept