LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington Spa (Avenue)

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

LMS Route: Leamington to Weedon

Leamington (Avenue) Station: lnwrlave1348a

Close up of image 'lnwrlave1348' showing a fully loaded Arley Colliery coal wagon standing in the sidings ready to be transferred to the GWR at Leamington. The wagon fleet was not particularly large, that illustrated was built by the Rugby works of Thomas Hunter in 1927. It was painted red with white letters and black shading.

The Colliery was situated on the Midland Railway between Water Orton and Nuneaton. It was sunk circa 1901 by Messrs Morris and Shaw, who already worked the nearby Birch Coppice Colliery. Arley was very well known for the quality of its house coal, which was widely distributed throughout Warwickshire, the Home Counties and was very popular in reading. A major customer was the Coal Department of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, a surprisingly large distributor. Billing was to its Manchester, London and Bristol offices, the coal sent direct to whichever branch ordered it.

Keith Turton

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