Melbourne, South Derbyshire

[Aussie_Rail]

Hi Guy's, I hope you can help. Approximately 7 miles south of Derby, or 5 miles west of East Midlands Airport is the small town called Melbourne. I've noticed there is a railway line that runs north-south.

I found it in a map today and after having a look on Google Earth, I can now tell you that it branches off to the right, when traveling North from a main line just North of Willington station and from there it passes through the towns of:

• Stenson
• Arleston
• Barrow-Upon-Trent
• Swarkestone

• (Then it branches in two, the branch appears to be in use and passes:
• Weston-On-Trent
• Hemington
• and goes on from there where it merges to a main line just East of Long Eaton Station)

• Melbourne
• Wilson
• Tonge
• (then the line ends at what appears to be a small quarry)

*On a side note, can anyone explain what the small facility like place is next to the quarry about a quarter mile to the west of it on Breedon Lane?

When it branches off the main line tracks are visible and appears to still be in use (I could be incorrect on that), but later on the tracks seem to disappear and it looks like a road almost. What I gather is the branch that connects with the two main lines could be open while the branch to the quarry that goes through Melbourne is closed.

At the junction just North of Melbourne there appears to be remains of sheds in thick forest where on Google Earth the pictures they show gives reference to a 'Military Railway', which is interesting because the 'facility' that I gave mention to near the quarry looks like a missile silo to me.

So, can anyone tell me more about what that railway was? And any information about it or/and some pictures would be great.

I found an article on Wiki about the town Melbourne, which taught me a few things that I did not know about your Melbourne or mine! But there was no mention of the railway.

I've tried to make my request as clear as possible, so hopefully you can understand what I am on about.

Thanks!

AR

 

[Mojo]

Take a look at the New Adlestrop Railway Atlas, grid reference 27,27

http://www.systemed.plus.com/New_Adlestrop_Railway_Atlas.pdf

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Take a look at the New Adlestrop Railway Atlas, grid reference 27,27

http://www.systemed.plus.com/New_Adlestrop_Railway_Atlas.pdf

Awesome, thanks for that! I was a bit wrong then, damn Google Earth! lol.

Its a shame the line is closed though. What do the coloured lines mean? I gather grey is closed, but what about red and blue?

 

[Mojo]

Red is freight only. There's a full key available on the website: http://www.systemed.net/atlas/

 

[Kneedown]

The line that runs from Sheet Stores Jct (Long Eaton) to Stenson Jct (Willington) is indeed freight only, although passenger trains are often routed over it late evenings or weekends when engineering work is taking place between Long Eaton and Derby. It is informally known to us Locomen as the "Chellaston Branch". Indeed the last time i worked a train over it was during Central Trains days when Pride Park was being constructed at Derby and a suspected WW2 UXB was unearthed, and the B'ham - Nottingham 170 i was working was hastily diverted, although when i was based at Toton it was one of our regular runs.
The Jct at Swarkestone you describe is Worthington Jct and it has been closed for many years. I've never been down the branch and i've been on the railways over 20years. I believe it served a quarry before closure, but as the map shows it went even further at one time. I'm afraid someone with a far better historical knowledge than me will have to tell you more about those days!
Hope this helps, even if only a little.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

The line that runs from Sheet Stores Jct (Long Eaton) to Stenson Jct (Willington) is indeed freight only, although passenger trains are often routed over it late evenings or weekends when engineering work is taking place between Long Eaton and Derby. It is informally known to us Locomen as the "Chellaston Branch". Indeed the last time i worked a train over it was during Central Trains days when Pride Park was being constructed at Derby and a suspected WW2 UXB was unearthed, and the B'ham - Nottingham 170 i was working was hastily diverted, although when i was based at Toton it was one of our regular runs.
The Jct at Swarkestone you describe is Worthington Jct and it has been closed for many years. I've never been down the branch and i've been on the railways over 20years. I believe it served a quarry before closure, but as the map shows it went even further at one time. I'm afraid someone with a far better historical knowledge than me will have to tell you more about those days!
Hope this helps, even if only a little.

Interesting, thanks for that. I'm curious to know what military connection the area had/has seeing as on Google Earth the pictures that someone posted gave reference to a military relation.