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London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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LMS Route: Rugby to Market Harborough
Clifton Mill Station: lnwrclift3350
Brush Type 2 A1A-A1A D5631 is seen approaching Rugby in 1966
having passed the long closed Clifton Mill station. Having just passed through
Clifton Mill station and level crossing on the outskirts of Rugby, D5631 is at
the point where the up and down Market Harborough lines split as they wind
their way in and out of the town. This shot was taken from the overbridge in
Clifton Upon Dunsmore village and the train will pass over the golf course
viaduct (which is still there) before joining the WCML on the 'Northampton
flyover' at Rugby's south end. The train is made up of six old LMS Stanier
coaches and just visible is a four wheeled van tacked on the back end.
Paul Burrows writes 'that by 1971 the track and overhead
equipment had gone. Presumably when it was wired up, the engineers must have
known it was to have been a relatively short-term measure (for changing from
diesel to electric locomotives during modernisation) unless they expected the
associated District Electric Depot (DED) to remain open for years after and
still use the full electrified 'loop' facility - from upside to the downside of
Rugby station. The only question I don't have an answer to (as it is before my
time!) is, did electric loco's (light engine) and Class 304/310 EMU's use the
loop - going up to Clifton Mill and back again - after the line's 6th June 1966
closure date? Or was the electric depot useage curtailed to as far as Butlers
Leap around that date? Potentially - everything could have been closed from
that date?! Anyway, today the wires go as far as the aforementioned Butlers
Leap bridge, and is referred to as "Peterborough Branch Siding"
back
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