Rowington Junction

GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: Lapworth to Henley in Arden Branch Line

Rowington Junction was opened by the Birmingham and Henley in Arden Railway Company when the single line branch line to Henley in Arden commence passenger services on 6th June 1894. Rowington Junction was one mile fifty chains south of Lapworth née Kingswood station. Despite the branch being made redundant in 1908 with the opening of the North Warwickshire Railway's station at Henley in Arden and with most passenger traffic being re-routed over this new line, the branch line to Henley in Arden remained open for a number of years. The branch obviously had some operational benefit to the GWR because some passenger and goods services continued to use the branch until it was closed to passenger traffic on 1st January 1915 and to goods during the following year on 1st January 1916 although the formal closure date was 1st January 1917 with the track being lifted in May and June 1917. A Trailing Crossover on the Main line was added north of double junction in December 1913.

The double Junction was retained and forty chains of the double track section of the branch was kept as sidings (one siding from each main line), but these did not appear in the STT as refuge sidings (see image 'gwrha2798'). The double junction was altered to a trailing junction to two sidings from the down main only in 1925. The truncated branch was used to store surplus or crippled wagons or carriages. A crippled wagon describes the name given to wagons that are deemed not in a good enough condition to complete their journey. They may have a 'hot box' where the oil or grease in the axle box has run dry causing it to over heat. They would be stopped and pulled out of their train after cooling down until it could be moved to Rowington Junction. Here it would remain until it had been given sufficient attention to make a once only journey to the wagon works. The trailing crossover on the Main Line was removed on 30th December 1956. Rowington Junction Signal Box was closed on 13th October 1957 being replaced with a Ground Frame. The Ground Frame, Junction and Sidings were eventually taken out of use on 9th June 1968. It is believe that the track bed of the Branch was retained initially, in case it was needed to be reinstated and was only sold in 1930s.

Ref: gwrrj264 P Hopkins Looking towards Leamington Spa with the signal box controlling the branch to Henley on the right

Ref: gwrrj264a P Hopkins Close up showing the junction in greater detail including Permanent Way huts and the branch signal box

Ref: gwrrj264b P Hopkins Close up showing the long line of crippled wagons which were stored on the branch after 1st January 1915

Ref: gwrrj2774 Rowington Records Looking along the branch towards Henley in Arden and Rowington Junction Signal Box with a PW hut on the left

Ref: gwrrj2774a Rowington Records Close up showing the brick built PW hut and the lean-to store and Rowington Junction Signal Box

Ref: gwrrj2772 R King An unidentified King Class locomotive passes Rowington Junction with a down express on 3rd March 1961

Ref: gwrrj2773 R King An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 locomotive passes Rowington Junction on a southbound freight on 3rd March 1961

Ref: gwrrj2771 Rowington Records Ex-LMS 0-6-0 Class 4F No 44219 is seen departing the former branch line at Rowington Junction

Ref: gwrrj1936 Rowington Parish Records A posed photograph of the workmen who worked maintaining the lines around Rowington Junction Signal Box

Ref: gwrrj2780 Rowington Records A gang of platelayers are seen at work on the main line near to Rowington Junction Signal Box in 1950

Ref: gwrrj2772 R King An unidentified King Class locomotive passes Rowington Junction with a down express on 3rd March 1961

Ref: gwrrj259 P Hopkins GWR 2-8-0 No 2878 is seen working hard near Rowington Junction as it climbs towards Birmingham Snow Hill

Ref: gwrrj2765 P Garland GWR Banana Van converted from a 10 ton covered Wagon telegraph code 'Mink' stored at Rowington Junction

Ref: gwrha3221 R Maund The stop blocks at the Henley in Arden end of the sidings looking south-westwards to Finwood Rd overbridge

Ref: gwrrj2248 SRS A low resolution version ofthe Signalling Diagram for Rowington Junction Signal Box in 1912