Coleshill (Maxstoke) Station

LMS Route: Hampton in Arden to Whitacre

Coleshill station was the only intermediate station on the route between Hampton and Whitacre. It looked distinctive with its very short platform suffice for two or three four wheel coaches, a station house with booking office and waiting rooms as well as a short goods siding. Whilst photographic evidence confirms only one platform which was sited on the up line, in all probability there was once a second platform on the down line which was swept aside when the track was singled.

The line was originally built with double track when first opened on 5th August 1839 reflecting its importance to the B&DJR as its gateway to London via the L&BR. The line reverted to single track between August 1842 and March 1843 when its importance as a route to and from the North on MR metals was significantly down graded by the opening on the 1st July 1840 of the Leicester to Rugby route and on the 10th February 1842 the Whitacre to Birmingham line.

The number of passenger services never again reached the anticipated volume and because the line was not now fully utilised the line was singled between August 1842 and March 1843. Even after the line was singled, of the three daily services each way, two carried through coaches to London until February 1845. The daily service of three trains each way was reduced to two in 1859, and from May 1877 the service was reduced to a single coach morning train in each direction. This being the minimum level of service required by Parliament.

Colin Maggs in his book 'Branch Lines of Warwickshire' states that "although from 1902 the service often ran without a single passenger the MR could not close the line to passengers". It was not until 1st January 1917 when war time economy measures enabled the MR to enact legislation that the line closed to passenger traffic. Still in use for occasional goods traffic in 1923 the station was renamed Maxstoke, with Forge Mills being renamed Coleshill. On 12th January 1935 the branch line was cut in half when the timber bridge opver the River Blythe was certified as too weak to support a train. Coleshill or now Maxstoke still had a goods service until 30 April 1939 when the line was used to store crippled wagons.

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: mrcm169 RS Carepenter View looking towards Whitacre with the station on the right prior to the level crossing and the goods siding on the left past the level crossing gates

Ref: mrcm177 RS Carpenter Looking towards Hampton with the short single platform station on the left and the level crossing gates in the foreground

Ref: mrcm388 A Cocking View of Coleshill station on the left and the former down line track bed and probable remains of the down platform

Ref: mrcm175 Warwick County Museum View showing the very short platform and the up signal which was operated by the station staff

Ref: mrcm175a Warwick County Museum Close up showing the stationmaster posed on Coleshill station platform which has been raised to the height of the window sill

Ref: mrcm175b Warwick County Museum Close up of the booking office and waiting room complete with a post box in the gable wall

Ref: mrcm389 A Cocking MR 2F 0-6-0 Class 1873 No 3678 is seen at the head of the 8.10am Whitacre to Hampton train as it departs Coleshill station

Ref: mrcm387 Anon View of the station now renamed Maxstoke and operated only as a goods facility

Ref: mrcm170 LGRP View of the station now abandoned with the level crossing in the foreground with the down signal still evident

Ref: mrcm174 JM Ryan View of Coleshill's later Maxstoke station's abandoned siding looking towards Hampton

Ref: mrcm174a JM Ryan Close up showing a Victorian four-wheeled coach probably once used for storage and mess purposes

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