There's a nice detailed site on the railway at Castlethorpe and the Wolverton Works near Milton Keynes. http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/cv/docs/railway/railmain.html
The London to Birmingham railway was opened in 1838. It passed near to the village of Castlethorpe cutting the outer earthworks of an 11th century castle from which it got its name. Castlethorpe station opened in 1882 and south of it were laid water troughs that steam locomotives on the West Coast Main Line could pass over to refill at speed. A scoop was lowered from the engine and this had to be timed very precisely in fog or in the dark. This stretch appears to have a high incidence of accidents either involving workmen on the track or mechanical failures at speed. Castlethorpe station was closed in 1964 despite protests organised by a prospective Labour MP named Robert Maxwell.
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| http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/cv/docs/railway/watertower.html |
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| crop of copyright image: click through to view |
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crop of copyright image: click through to view
A British Transport film shows the A4 locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley in service as the Elizabethan Express picking up water. Sir Nigel is now preserved.
