Welcome to my blog, Whats this about then?

This is a place where I will be posting all sorts of things not just things relating to Derby and Derbyshire. On here you will find details of any videos I’ve made of things in Derby and also Time-lapse, stop motion animation, Tutorials etc. If I find some useful software for PC or iPhone then I will feature it here.I’m sure that there will be something of interest to someone on my many posts.Please leave comments on any posts if you like them.
Don’t forget if you are new to my blog and would like to read through the previous posts then see the Blog Archive section on the left side of this page.
Also there is a Search box at the top left of the page if you are looking for something but cant remember where it was. I am a trustee member of "Friends of Friar Gate bridge", aiming to get this bridge restored.

Thursday 22 September 2011

My Derby Friar gate Line Route map updated.

Back in February I started work on a project to accurately map out the complete original route of the former Derby Friargate Railway Line, over the months I have been adjusting certain areas of the map and adding lots of photographs that people have taken along the route.
My project has received a lot of attention from people, with my map being viewed over three thousand times since I created it !

If you have not seen my project then have a look, you may learn something new. I would like to thank the many people that have helped by taking photographs of the route for me and letting me know about any errors. Some recent photographs added are of the Ventilation shafts over Mapperley Tunnel.

I have also added a lot more "quick links" to my project which allow you to go zoomed in direct on major points of interest along the route such as all of the GNR stations : Egginton Junction, Etwall Railway Station, Mickleover Railway Station, Derby Friar Gate Railway Station, Awsworth Railway Station, West Hallam Railway Station, Kimberley East Railway Station, Daybrook Railway Station, Basford North Railway Station, Gedling Railway Station and Netherfield Railway Station.

Here is a link to my project :

My Derby Friargate Line Route Map Project.


or a direct link to the map on Google maps :
Friargate Railway Line Route Map.


Reference Books.
Some of the Railway books I used for reference while working on this project :

Friargate Line: Derby and the Great Northern Railway

Lost Railways of Derbyshire

Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire

There are lots of books on this subject but quite a few are out of print but you may find one on ebay.

Videos.
Here is a video of a train using this former line:


Another video, this one at Breadsall Railway Station :



Best wishes
Andy

7 comments:

  1. Hi Andy

    I took my lad down to Rollersnakes on Mansfield Road at the weekend to buy some skate gear and I was surprised to see train tracks embedded in the concrete of the car park. My assumption is that it’s the original Friargate line – in which case your route map is slightly off. Unless it was a siding of some sort?

    Either way, it must be one of the few remaining bits of track.

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  2. Hi Rob, I know the rails you are on about as I have drived over those lots of times.
    Looking at them on google from above using the link below it looks like thet are a spur off the Midland Line as they seem to connect down on the left where the Midland line runs up.

    http://g.co/maps/f7d9n

    These could be FriarGate line rails but I do not have any accurate maps of that bit. Perhaps someone out there has some good detailed maps of that section.
    Andy

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  3. Hi Rob, yesterday I went to see these tracks and can confirm these are NOT from the Friargate line, they are a spur off the Midland Mainline.
    Also looking at an old OS map of this area I can see that the FriarGate line went OVER the Midland line as the line was on a raised bank all the way from Handyside bridge to Breadsall so there won'y be any tracks left in this section as its all been reduced down to ground level from the east side of Handyside bridge all the way to where the new Great Northern Greenway starts.

    Hope this helps.
    Andy

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  4. Hi Andy

    I think you’re right. I did the same thing. I overlayed an OS map from 1914 on the Googlemap and at first I thought I might have been correct as your line is slightly out and the original line did go more or less where those tracks are. However, the OS map does clearly show it’s on a raised bank so they can’t be the original rails.
    My picture is here:
    http://imageshack.us/f/36/friargaterollersnakes.jpg/

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  5. Thanks RobF, I have adjusted that section down a bit as per your image and marked the rails on my map now.
    Cheers again
    Andy

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    Replies
    1. The rails were part of a siding for the factory known as Parker Foundry. I worked there as an apprentice back in 1970. I'm pretty sure they were used to transfer heavy castings for onward transit.

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    2. Yes highly likely as it ran past there.
      Andy

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