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Early Days |
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( page 1 of 3 at the NVR )
Class 5 City of Peterborough at Wansford station at an Early open day.
Note the short platform and no second platform.
The Peterborough Locomotive Society had been formed with the aim of getting the National Railway Museum at Peterborough together with a 13 mile railway line to Oundle from Peterborough. The National Railway Museum in the end went to York (NRM). But the seeds for a preservation heritage railway at Peterborough had been set.
Could The Peterborough Locomotive Society reopen the line to Oundle them selfs? Helped by the Peterborough Development Corporation about ?£61,000 was paid for one the two tracks between Orton and Wansford the line having been double track. The name The Nene Valley Railway was now given to this bit of line.
The Peterborough Locomotive Society had used the sidings at the Peterborough Beet factory to store its rolling stock. It had had a lease one open day in these sidings which I went to but did not take a camera.
The Peterborough Beet factory has now closed and the site is a housing estate.
When The Peterborough locomotive society was able to use Wansford station, it started by having open Sundays (weekends?) betwee 1974 and 1976 at Wansford station and running trains towards Yarwell. On the Sunday evening the stock and engines were returned to the Peterborough beet factory
90432 and the class 5 at Wansford station early open day
The two photos above were taken at Wansford station. They were taken be for the Peterborough locomotive society (Nene Valley Railway) started running trains to Peterborough (Orton Mere at first).
The station building signal box and crossing gates are as today (2009) but what a change. I thing I am standing in what is today the bay platform with what is today the engine sheds behind me.
No second platform and bay .....No footbridge..... No wooden LNWR station building that came from Barnwell... No new station building... No turntalbe...no shed yard.
Class F 0-6-0 no.656 at Wansford.
This engine came from Denmark it was built by Frichs Aarhus in 1949
0-6-0ST No.1539 Derek Crouch
Derek Crouch no.1539 is a Hudwell Clark 0-6-0ST built in 1924. This photo was taken on one of the open days at Wansford be for the Nene Valley started running to Orton Mere. Note that the engine sheds which are now behind the this train have not yet been built. The A1 bridge can be seen with the tunnel beyond that.
Class 5 at Ferry Meadows with stock train to the Peterborough Beet Factory.
The photos above and below were taken at the time when the Peterborough Locomotive Society started having open days at Wansford between 1974 and 1976.
It had used the sidings at the Peterborough Beet factory to store its rolling stock from 1971.
On this Sunday evening the stock was being returned to the Peterborough beet factory. The photo above is of the level closing gates which are lights at the entrance to the Ferry Meadows Park. Note both tracks are still in place here. One of the tracks was later lifted.
These gates were used when the Nene Valley Railway was first open. (some one from the Nene Valley had to be a gate man and open the gates here)
The other two gates (there were 4 in all here) on the other side on what was then a very quite road were in worst state than the two in the photo.
Trains had to stop while the gates were opened in the last few BR years befor the line was closed.
This crossing which is now at the entrance to Ferry Meadows Park is an now an open crossing with flashing lights.
The stock was later moved from the Peterborough Beet factory to Wansford when the sidings and engine shed at Wansford were ready for them.
The Peterborough Beet factory has now closed and the site is a housing estate.
90432 is getting some oil in one of the bearings while the level crossing gates are being shut. The 2nd track has yet to be removed
Note the oil lamp on the coupling hook at the rear of the train.
The photo above was taken of the rear of the train above after it had gone over the level crossing. While the gates were being closed 90432 is getting some oil in one of the bearings with the driver/fireman looking on hoping they will get back ok. Were the train is stopped is now the site of Ferry Meadows station.
Next pages are on NVR wagons for last page in this part
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Page updated 3/1/2020