Difference between revisions of "Ironbridge and Broseley"

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[[File:Ironbridge-Southbound-Passenger-1961-08-01.jpg|thumb|300px|An Eastbound passenger train calls at Iron Bridge and Broseley in August 1961]]
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[[File:Ironbridge-Southbound-Passenger-1961-08-01.jpg|thumb|300px|An Eastbound passenger train calls at Iron Bridge and Broseley in August 1961 (Sellick Collection)]]
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[[File:Ironbridge railway station in 1963.jpg|thumb|300px|Another view of the station looking westward in 1963]]
 
[[File:BritainFromAbove Ironbridge.jpg|thumb|300px|right|An aerial view of Ironbridge in 1934, looking West. The station is visible on the left near the famous Iron Bridge, and the [[Albert Edward Bridge]] can just be seen at the top. Image from [http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw046398 Britain from Above] ]]
 
[[File:BritainFromAbove Ironbridge.jpg|thumb|300px|right|An aerial view of Ironbridge in 1934, looking West. The station is visible on the left near the famous Iron Bridge, and the [[Albert Edward Bridge]] can just be seen at the top. Image from [http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw046398 Britain from Above] ]]
 
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Ironbridge and Broseley, re-named "Iron Bridge and Broseley" in 1895 and often abbreviated to simply "Ironbridge", was a station situated 27 miles from [[Hartlebury]] and 13¾ miles from [[Shrewsbury]].  The station was built on the west bank of the Severn, immediately south of Abraham Darby’s bridge after which the town was named. The station was probably used more by the people of Broseley, situated about ½ mile away on the same side of the river, and the site of tile and clay pipe making industries.  Ironbridge town itself is on the north bank, and crossing the bridge required payment of a toll until 1950, a fact that undoubtedly discouraged passengers from Ironbridge using the station. Nearby Coalbrookdale, also on the north bank, had its own station on the Wellington-Much Wenlock line.
+
Ironbridge and Broseley, re-named "Iron Bridge and Broseley" in 1895 and often abbreviated to simply "Ironbridge", was a station situated 27 miles from [[Hartlebury]] and 13¾ miles from [[Shrewsbury]].  
 +
   
 +
==Location==
 +
Ironbridge, like all the stations north of [[Victoria Bridge]], was built on the west bank of the [[River Severn]]. The river runs almost due east-west at Ironbridge, and thus the station was situated on what was effectively the south bank, immediately south of Abraham Darby’s bridge after which the town was named. The Gorge is very narrow at this point, and much of the station lay on an embankment and plateau supported by a 15 metre high retaining wall.<ref name = "Vanns38">[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998/2013)]] p. 38.</ref>
  
At opening on 1 February 1862, the station was the second of five crossing points south of Shrewsbury ([[Buildwas]] being the first and [[Bridgnorth]] the next). In 1895, [[Coalport]] became a crossing point, and in 1956 the signalbox at Ironbridge closed, ending its use as a crossing point.
+
The station was probably used more by the people of Broseley, situated about &frac12; mile away on the same side of the river, and the site of tile and clay pipe making industries.  The 1861 census showed the population of Broseley as 4,724, larger than Ironbridge (3,154). Ironbridge town itself is on the north bank, and crossing the bridge required payment of a toll until 1950, a fact that undoubtedly discouraged passengers from Ironbridge using the station.<ref name = "Vanns38" /> Nearby [[Coalbrookdale]], also on the north bank, had its own station on the Wellington-Much Wenlock line.
 +
 +
[[File:OS Map IronBridge.JPG | 500px]]
  
The station closed along with the Severn Valley Line in 1963, and the site today has become a pay and display car park for Ironbridge visitors, with few traces of the station remaining.
+
==History==
 +
At opening on 1 February 1862, the station was the second of five crossing points south of Shrewsbury ([[Buildwas]] being the first and [[Bridgnorth]] the next). Like all the main stations, Ironbridge had a goods yard and goods shed, although the latter was built of wood rather than stone.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998/2013)]] p. 41.</ref>
  
==Sources==
+
The station had a footbridge, adjacent to the station building, connecting the two platforms. The station building was on the platform to the north of the line (nearer Ironbridge), while the goods shed was to the south of the line. A road level crossing was situated immediately west of the station; this can be seen beneath the carriages in the Sellick photograph. The road led to [[Bower Yard Lime Kilns Siding | Bower Yard]] and also to the Iron Bridge.
The Severn Valley Railway, John Marshall<br>
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Severn Valley Railway, A View from the Past, MA Vanns
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A Great Western Type 5 brick signal box was commissioned in 1894 at a cost of around £1,545.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books | Marshall (1989)]] p. 131.</ref>  This was located adjacent to the level crossing on the west side.
 +
 
 +
On 9 November 1895 the name of the station was changed from 'Ironbridge and Broseley' to 'Iron Bridge and Broseley' on the recommendation of the General Manager.<ref Name = "Marshall110">[[Bibliography#Books | Marshall (1989)]] p. 110.</ref> The reason for this is unclear as the town is normally referred to as 'Ironbridge'; however the latter name for the station continued in use as may be seen in [[Timetable: Severn Valley and Tenbury Lines 1959 | working timetables]] and on the running-in board in the Sellick photograph.
 +
 
 +
Provision of an additional goods siding at a cost of £90 was authorised in April 1908, and the signal box interlocking frame, level crossing gates, point and signal connections were renewed in 1916<ref Name = "Marshall110" />.
 +
 
 +
[[SVR staff in 1922#Severn Valley Railway (North of Bridgnorth)|GWR staff records for 1922]] show the station had a staff of 17, including those working at [[Jackfield sidings]] and [[Maw and Co's Siding]].
 +
 
 +
In 1926 a truck weighbridge was installed.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1927</ref>
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 +
On 25 November 1956 the signal box at Ironbridge was closed and the down line and platform were taken out of use, ending the station’s use as a crossing point.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books | Mitchell & Smith (2007)]] 91</ref> By 1962 the upper floor of the box had been removed and a small ground frame was installed outside the door.
 +
 
 +
The station closed to passenger traffic on 9 September 1963 when through traffic ended on the Severn Valley Line between Shrewsbury and Bewdley.  However the goods yard remained open until 1 December 1963.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books | Mitchell & Smith (2007)]] 93</ref>
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 +
The site today has become a pay and display car park for Ironbridge visitors, with few traces of the station remaining.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable
 +
|+ Early Station Masters at Ironbridge prior to 1939
 +
|-
 +
!Name!!Born !! data-sort-type="date" | From !! data-sort-type="date" | To !! Comments
 +
|-
 +
|Richard Young||22 September 1839, Shipton, Oxfordshire|| August 1863|| October 1866||Joined West Midland Railway September 1853. Station Master at Stourport in September 1866. Died 26 July 1906
 +
|-
 +
|Charles William Coldicott||26 June 1844, Honeybourne, Gloucestershire|| October 1871|| October 1897||Joined West Midland Railway July 1859.
 +
|-
 +
|Robert George Eaton||19 September 1861, Witney, Oxfordshire|| January 1906|| 1913||Retired 1913. Died 23 March 1936
 +
|-
 +
|George William Chadwick||1862, Marple, Cheshire|| By 1917|| ||Joined Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway July 1876. Died January 1934
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Traffic statistics===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+ [[Traffic statistics in commercial service]] for Ironbridge, selected years 1903 to 1952
 +
|-
 +
! !! colspan="3" | Passenger Traffic !! colspan="2" | Freight Traffic !!
 +
|-
 +
! Year !! Tickets issued !! Parcels despatched !! Revenue (&pound;) !! Tons received &amp; despatched !! Revenue (&pound;) !! Total revenue (&pound;)
 +
|-
 +
|1903||style="text-align:right"|29,845||style="text-align:right"|19,240||style="text-align:right"|3,314||style="text-align:right"|75,457||style="text-align:right"|24,895||style="text-align:right"|28,209
 +
|-
 +
|1913||style="text-align:right"|24,247||style="text-align:right"|19,681||style="text-align:right"|2,719||style="text-align:right"|65,253||style="text-align:right"|18,948||style="text-align:right"|21,667
 +
|-
 +
|1923||style="text-align:right"|32,384||style="text-align:right"|17,827||style="text-align:right"|4,742||style="text-align:right"|62,216||style="text-align:right"|29,153||style="text-align:right"|33,895
 +
|-
 +
|1933||style="text-align:right"|19,195||style="text-align:right"|21,354||style="text-align:right"|3,276||style="text-align:right"|40,780||style="text-align:right"|18,322||style="text-align:right"|21,596
 +
|-
 +
|1938||style="text-align:right"|23,637||style="text-align:right"|23,712||style="text-align:right"|3,151||style="text-align:right"|27,170||style="text-align:right"|11,969||style="text-align:right"|15,120
 +
|-
 +
|1942||style="text-align:right"|33,466||style="text-align:right"|16,395||style="text-align:right"|5,083||style="text-align:right"|27,794||style="text-align:right"|X||style="text-align:right"|X
 +
|-
 +
|1947||style="text-align:right"|30,767||style="text-align:right"|13,278||style="text-align:right"|4,533||style="text-align:right"|13,792||style="text-align:right"|X||style="text-align:right"|X
 +
|-
 +
|1952||style="text-align:right"|16,392||style="text-align:right"|18,953||style="text-align:right"|4,656||style="text-align:right"|X||style="text-align:right"|X||style="text-align:right"|X
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
X: Information not recorded
 +
 
 +
==Historic maps of Ironbridge and Broseley station==
 +
 
 +
*1883 map with original 1862 passing loops
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*1902 map with 1894 signal box
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*1927 map with additional goods siding
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 +
<gallery>
 +
File: OS_Ironbridge_1883.JPG | 1883
 +
File: OS_Ironbridge_1902.JPG | 1902
 +
File: OS_Ironbridge_1927.JPG | 1927
 +
</gallery>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership# Map of the Route and Nearby Railways | The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]<br>
+
*[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership# Map of the Route and Nearby Railways | The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]
[[Maps#Map 1 - Shrewsbury to Hartlebury | Pre-1965 Map]]
+
*[[List of signal boxes#List of historical Signal Boxes and Ground Frames | List of historical Signal Boxes and Ground Frames]]
 +
*[[Maps#Map 1 - Shrewsbury to Hartlebury | Pre-1965 Map]]
 +
*[[Shropshire Historic Environment Record]]
 +
*[[Variant spellings of SVR station names]]
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
 +
{{StationNavbox}}
 +
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Revision as of 15:41, 20 December 2022

An Eastbound passenger train calls at Iron Bridge and Broseley in August 1961 (Sellick Collection)
Another view of the station looking westward in 1963
An aerial view of Ironbridge in 1934, looking West. The station is visible on the left near the famous Iron Bridge, and the Albert Edward Bridge can just be seen at the top. Image from Britain from Above
Next stations pre-closure
Towards Hartlebury and Kidderminster Towards Shrewsbury
Coalport (2 miles)
via Jackfield Halt (from 1934)
Buildwas (1½ miles)

Ironbridge and Broseley, re-named "Iron Bridge and Broseley" in 1895 and often abbreviated to simply "Ironbridge", was a station situated 27 miles from Hartlebury and 13¾ miles from Shrewsbury.

Location

Ironbridge, like all the stations north of Victoria Bridge, was built on the west bank of the River Severn. The river runs almost due east-west at Ironbridge, and thus the station was situated on what was effectively the south bank, immediately south of Abraham Darby’s bridge after which the town was named. The Gorge is very narrow at this point, and much of the station lay on an embankment and plateau supported by a 15 metre high retaining wall.[1]

The station was probably used more by the people of Broseley, situated about ½ mile away on the same side of the river, and the site of tile and clay pipe making industries. The 1861 census showed the population of Broseley as 4,724, larger than Ironbridge (3,154). Ironbridge town itself is on the north bank, and crossing the bridge required payment of a toll until 1950, a fact that undoubtedly discouraged passengers from Ironbridge using the station.[1] Nearby Coalbrookdale, also on the north bank, had its own station on the Wellington-Much Wenlock line.

OS Map IronBridge.JPG

History

At opening on 1 February 1862, the station was the second of five crossing points south of Shrewsbury (Buildwas being the first and Bridgnorth the next). Like all the main stations, Ironbridge had a goods yard and goods shed, although the latter was built of wood rather than stone.[2]

The station had a footbridge, adjacent to the station building, connecting the two platforms. The station building was on the platform to the north of the line (nearer Ironbridge), while the goods shed was to the south of the line. A road level crossing was situated immediately west of the station; this can be seen beneath the carriages in the Sellick photograph. The road led to Bower Yard and also to the Iron Bridge.

A Great Western Type 5The British Railways classification for diesel locomotives of 3000 bhp or more brick signal box was commissioned in 1894 at a cost of around £1,545.[3] This was located adjacent to the level crossing on the west side.

On 9 November 1895 the name of the station was changed from 'Ironbridge and Broseley' to 'Iron Bridge and Broseley' on the recommendation of the General Manager.[4] The reason for this is unclear as the town is normally referred to as 'Ironbridge'; however the latter name for the station continued in use as may be seen in working timetables and on the running-in board in the Sellick photograph.

Provision of an additional goods siding at a cost of £90 was authorised in April 1908, and the signal box interlocking frame, level crossing gates, point and signal connections were renewed in 1916[4].

GWR staff records for 1922 show the station had a staff of 17, including those working at Jackfield sidings and Maw and Co's Siding.

In 1926 a truck weighbridge was installed.[5]

On 25 November 1956 the signal box at Ironbridge was closed and the down line and platform were taken out of use, ending the station’s use as a crossing point.[6] By 1962 the upper floor of the box had been removed and a small ground frame was installed outside the door.

The station closed to passenger traffic on 9 September 1963 when through traffic ended on the Severn Valley Line between Shrewsbury and Bewdley. However the goods yard remained open until 1 December 1963.[7]

The site today has become a pay and display car park for Ironbridge visitors, with few traces of the station remaining.

Early Station Masters at Ironbridge prior to 1939
Name Born From To Comments
Richard Young 22 September 1839, Shipton, Oxfordshire August 1863 October 1866 Joined West Midland Railway September 1853. Station Master at Stourport in September 1866. Died 26 July 1906
Charles William Coldicott 26 June 1844, Honeybourne, Gloucestershire October 1871 October 1897 Joined West Midland Railway July 1859.
Robert George Eaton 19 September 1861, Witney, Oxfordshire January 1906 1913 Retired 1913. Died 23 March 1936
George William Chadwick 1862, Marple, Cheshire By 1917 Joined Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway July 1876. Died January 1934

Traffic statistics

Traffic statistics in commercial service for Ironbridge, selected years 1903 to 1952
Passenger Traffic Freight Traffic
Year Tickets issued Parcels despatched Revenue (£) Tons received & despatched Revenue (£) Total revenue (£)
1903 29,845 19,240 3,314 75,457 24,895 28,209
1913 24,247 19,681 2,719 65,253 18,948 21,667
1923 32,384 17,827 4,742 62,216 29,153 33,895
1933 19,195 21,354 3,276 40,780 18,322 21,596
1938 23,637 23,712 3,151 27,170 11,969 15,120
1942 33,466 16,395 5,083 27,794 X X
1947 30,767 13,278 4,533 13,792 X X
1952 16,392 18,953 4,656 X X X

X: Information not recorded

Historic maps of Ironbridge and Broseley station

  • 1883 map with original 1862 passing loops
  • 1902 map with 1894 signal box
  • 1927 map with additional goods siding

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Vanns (1998/2013) p. 38.
  2. Vanns (1998/2013) p. 41.
  3. Marshall (1989) p. 131.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Marshall (1989) p. 110.
  5. Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1927
  6. Mitchell & Smith (2007) 91
  7. Mitchell & Smith (2007) 93