MANTON JUNCTION TO KETTON.
MANTON JUNCTION OPENED AS 'MANTON FOR UPPINGHAM' ON 20/3/1848 FOR GOODS & 1/5/1848 FOR PASSENGERS. JUNCTION STATION OPENED 1/12/1879, LINE REALIGNED TO SMOOTH CURVE ON MAIN LINE TO KETTERING IN 1888 WITH NEW SIGNAL BOX. PRESENT SIGNAL BOX OPENED 9/11/1913. STATION CLOSED TO GOODS 4/5/1964, TO PASSENGERS 6/6/1966.
REMAINS AT SITE: BOTH STATION BUILDINGS IN INDUSTRIAL USE, WATER TOWER & JUNCTION SIGNAL BOX.
A BIRMINGHAM TO NORWICH TRAIN NORTH OF MANTON TUNNEL IN 1984....A CLASS 31 AND SIX MARK 1 COACHES WERE TYPICAL OF THESE TRAINS AT THIS TIME.
A 'NATIONAL' BUS HEADS FOR UPPINGHAM AROUND 1975, PASSING UNDER THE MAIN LINE NORTH OF MANTON TUNNEL. THE ROAD BRIDGE WAS REBUILT WHEN THE ROAD WAS STRAIGHTENED IN THE 1960'S.
A CLASS 58 HEADS FOR KETTON CEMENT WORKS WITH A TRAIN OF EMPTY WAGONS.
MANTON TUNNEL.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE 1904 DATE ON THE PLAN ABOVE IS WRONG, IT SHOWS THE STATION BETWEEN 1879 WHEN THE NEW MAIN LINE OPENED, AND 1888 WHEN THE JUNCTION WAS ALTERED TO MAKE THE KETTERING LINE THE MAIN ROUTE. THE PLAN BELOW SHOWS THE POST 1888 LAYOUT. THE UPPER PLAN WAS TAKEN FROM THE 1904 OS MAP, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HADN'T BEEN UPDATED!
POSTCARD OF MANTON STATION TAKEN FROM ABOVE THE TUNNEL MOUTH, CIRCA 1900.
M.R. FIRST CLASS TICKET MANTON TO PETERBOROUGH.
A LOCAL FROM PETERBOROUGH PULLS INTO MANTON STATION BEHIND No 75040 ON 18th MAY 1963. PHOTO G.D. KING.
ARRIVING AT MANTON FROM PETERBOROUGH IS 'CLAUD' 62957 ON 19th JUNE 1959...NOTE THE CATTLE DOCK ON THE RIGHT. PHOTO G.D. KING.
ON 18th MAY 1963 THE RCTS MIDLANDS RAILTOUR ARRIVES AT MANTON BEHIND 42087 AND 45283. PHOTO G.D. KING.
EVEN INTO THE 1960'S THE GARDENS ON THE STATION WERE BEAUTIFULLY KEPT.
THE ORIGINAL S&P STATION BUILDING WHICH REMAINED IN USE WHEN THE STATION BECAME A JUNCTION.
THE PICTURES BELOW WERE TAKEN IN APRIL 2008:
THIS POSTER BOARD AND ANOTHER LIKE IT SURVIVE AT MANTON; THEY ARE STILL IN LMS LIVERY OF BLACK & WHITE, INDICATING THAT THE STATION WAS NEVER REPAINTED BY B.R. INDEED, THE BUILDINGS STILL CARRY LMS GREEN & CREAM PAINTWORK.
EXTRACT FROM WORKING TIMETABLE ISSUED 1st OCTOBER 1960.
PILTON IRONSTONE SIDINGS OPENED 11/7/1920 SIGNAL BOX CLOSED CLOSED 26/5/1957, SIDINGS CLOSED 19/7/1970.
THE EXCHANGE SIDINGS IN DECEMBER 1967 WITH A CLASS 25 DIESEL WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL. PHOTO G.D. KING.
APPROACHING THE LOCO SHED WITH A TRAIN OF EMPTY WAGONS.
CLIMBING THE GRADIENT FROM THE EXCHANGE SIDINGS.
A TRAIN OF LOADED WAGONS APPROACHING THE LOCO SHEDS.
THE QUARRY AFTER CLOSURE; THE SUNKEN SURFACE SHOWS WHERE THE IRONSTONE HAS BEEN REMOVED.
LUFFENHAM OPENED 20/3/1848 TO GOODS, 1/5/1848 TO PASSENGERS. CLOSED TO GOODS 4/5/1964, TO PASSENEGRS 6/6/1966. LNWR BRANCH OPENED 2/6/1851, CLOSED 6/6/1966. STATION BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED IN 1983.
REMAINS AT SITE: SIGNAL BOX, ROW OF RAILWAY COTTAGES.
BY THE TIME I VISITED LUFFENHAM ALL THAT REMAINED WAS THE SIGNAL BOX & A ROW OF RAILWAY COTTAGES BEYOND THE LEVEL CROSSING. A HAULAGE FIRM IS BASED IN THE STATION YARD.
KETTON OPENED TO GOODS 20/3/1848, TO PASSENGERS 1/5/1848. CLOSED TO GOODS 26/4/1965, TO PASSENGERS 6/6/1966.
REMAINS AT SITE: SIGNAL BOX IN USE, GOODS YARD BUILDINGS, FORMER MIDLAND HOTEL. FOOTBRIDGE. STATION BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED IN 1973.
SADLY KETTON'S LOVELY STATION BUILDING WAS DEMOLISEHD IN 1973, LONG BEFORE I FIRST VISITED THE STATION, BUT ALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS REMAINED REMARKABLY INTACT. THE STATION BUILDING DRAWINGS HAVE BEEN MADE FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND SITE MEASUREMENTS OF THE FOUNDATIONS. THE SINGLE STORY WAITING ROOM SECTION WAS ADDED IN 1872.
THE WAITING SHELTER WAS BUILT IN 1872 AT THE SAME TIME AS THE SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO THE STATION BUILDING; HAPPILY THE MIDLAND WERE VERY GOOD AND BLENDING IN NEW WORK WITH THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
KETTON WAS ONE OF THE PRETTIEST STATIONS ON THE WHOLE OF THE MIDLAND RAILWAY - IT WOULD MAKE A DELIGHTFUL MODEL.
THE YARD OFFICE BUILDING DESIGN WAS USED AGAIN AT HELPSTON.
THE BUILDING IN THE CENTRE WAS THE MIDLAND HOTEL, WHICH AT ONE TIME HAD A GAS WORKS. A SIDING ENTERED DIRECTLY FROM THE GOODS YARD TO DELIVER COAL.
KETTON CEMENT WORKS OPENED AS WARD'S SIDINGS 25/8/1928. SIGNAL BOX OPENED 24/6/1930, CLOSED 8/12/1963 & GF SUBSTITUTED.
TWO OF THE STEAM LOCO'S USED AT KETTON, FOLLOWING WITHDRAWL.
I BELIEVE THE LIVERY WAS LIGHT GREEN WITH YELLOW & BLACK LINING & LETTERING.
BELOW IS AN EXTRACT FROM THE SIGNAL BOX OPENING HOURS BOOK FOR THE EASTERN REGION DATED JUNE 1963 - THE KETTON CEMENT BRANCH WAS KNOWN AS 'WARD'S SIDINGS'. THE EASTERN REGION OF B.R. CONTROLLED THE LINE AS FAR AS KETTON STATION.
