Eardington
| Up (towards Kidderminster) | Down (towards Bridgnorth) |
|---|---|
| Hampton Loade (2¼ miles) |
Bridgnorth (2¼ miles) |
Contents
The station
Eardington is a disused station, located mid-way between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade at milepost 147¾. In the earliest days of the SVR, when those two stations formed the limit of operations, it was used as an intermediate stopping point and watering place and became known as Eardington Halt (it was never deemed a Halt during GWR/BR days). During the period of Sir Gerald Nabarro's chairmanship it was closed in connection with the possible rebuilding of Eardington as the northern terminus on the line. It later re-opened in March 1981, but last appeared in the timetable as a request stop in 1982[1], after which it was removed from regular use due to the steep gradient, short platform, and low passenger numbers[2]. The halt has since been cosmetically restored by the Friends of Eardington Station, and is occasionally opened to visitors on gala days. The southern end of the platform was cut back after it collapsed, however the Friends fundraising appeal to replace the missing part is ongoing[3].
A dead-end siding is situated at Eardington, usually used for storing Permanent Way rolling stock, accessed by a two-lever ground frame at the south end. This is released by the Highley-Bridgnorth long section token, and was commissioned in 1976[4]. The siding had been removed by BR in 1964 after closure of the line, but was reinstated in the early days of the SVR. In 1973 under Sir Gerald Nabarro's chairmanship, the siding was converted by contractors to a run-round loop at the then not insignificant cost of £8,000. This was seen as part of the plan to abandon Bridgnorth, which led to much unrest on the SVR at the time. In fact the connection at the north end would have been too tight for most locomotives, and was soon removed[5].
The Eardington Explorer
On April 17th 2015 and April 22nd 2015, the 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust ran a special fundraising train, the Eardington Explorer[6]. This ran between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, calling specially at Eardington. This was the first time that a stop had been timetabled at Eardington for several years.
History of Eardington before preservation
- 1864: A siding connection to Lower Forge was proposed but never built. Upper Forge and Lower Forge were two local ironworks, located respectively west and east of the line and joined by a 750 yard long navigable canal tunnel.[1].
- 1868: Eardington Station opened on 1 June 1868, some six years after the opening of the Severn Valley Railway[7].
- 1893: The station platform was extended[1].
- 1899: The ironworks closed[1].
- 1949: BR reduced the station to unstaffed status after 1 April 1949, though did not designate it as a Halt.[7].
- 1959: The goods loop was reduced to a siding, accessed from the south end only[7].
- 1963: The station closed when passenger traffic ceased on 9 September 1963[7].
- 1964: The former goods loop siding was completely removed[7].
Points of Interest
Locomotive watering facility
The water tank at Eardington was acquired by the SVR Society from Withymoor, Netherton (near Dudley) in the summer of 1967, and installed in time for the 1968 Steam Gala. The decision to install the SVR’s first proper watering facility at Eardington rather than Bridgnorth was due to Eardington having naturally soft water compared with very hard water at Bridgnorth.
At opening in 1970, the timetable allowed a 5 minute stop southbound at Eardington for locomotive watering; passengers frequently took the opportunity to photograph the locomotive or buy pop and sweets which were sold at the station. Once watering facilities were installed at Bridgnorth, this was reduced to one minute, effectively ending this practice.
Gallery
Ex-GWR Pannier 3788 calls at Eardington in November 1960 (Sellick Collection)
A BR DMU at Eardington in September 1962 (Sellick Collection)
A similar view of Eardington, taken in March 2015
