Spinkhill Tunnel

History

The 501 yards long tunnel was opened by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (later part of the Great Central Railway and subsequently the LNER) on 21 September 1898.[1] It was the only tunnel on its Beighton Branch (occasionally referred to as the "Sheffield Branch") which ran north westwards from Langwith Junction to Beighton Junction. The LD&ECR and its successors always referred to Spinkhill station, tunnel and signalbox as "Spink Hill", though the spelling "Spinkhill" is now universal. See, for example, railway tickets in the Glynn Waite collection.[2]

The Beighton Branch lost its local passenger traffic at the outbreak of World War II[3] but remained in use for excursions,[4] diversions and relief, together with its prime purpose - coal. Spinkhill station had an extra role - schools specials at the start and end of term at Mount St Mary's School[5] in Spinkhill.

The line through the tunnel was closed on 9 January 1967[6] and was subsequently lifted, though tracks almost to the tunnel mouth from the north remained in use until 1984 for wagon storage and shunting at Westthorpe Colliery, Killamarsh.[7][8]

Relics

At 2007 the tunnel had not been infilled and could be accessed on foot, though it is not a public right of way. By 20 July 2013 foliage had finally rendered the northern portal invisible from the former railway bridge on the Spinkhill to High Moor road known as "Station Road." As of 2015, the tunnel portals have been sealed with possible infilling to take place 53°18′23.7″N 1°18′53.58″W[9]

References
  1. Dow 1971, p. 167.
  2. Spink Hill ticket via Old Miner Archived 16 June 2013 at Archive.today
  3. Cupit & Taylor 1984, p. 42.
  4. Kingscott 2007, p. 134.
  5. MSM: via their website
  6. Little 1995, p. 67.
  7. DVD2 2005, 7 mins from start.
  8. Booth 2013, p. 46.
  9. Howard Anderson 1973, pp. 209-210.
  • Booth, Chris (2013). The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway A pictorial view of the "Dukeries Route" and branches. Blurb. 06715029.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Cupit, J.; Taylor, W. (1984) [1966]. The Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway. Oakwood Library of Railway History (2nd ed.). Headington: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-302-8. OL19.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Dow, George (1971) [1965]. Great Central, Volume 3, Chapter 7. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0 7110 0263 0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • DVD2 (2005). Diesels Along: The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway - Memories of a Lost Route. Chesterfield: Terminus Publications.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Howard Anderson, P. (1973). Forgotten Railways: The East Midlands. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 6094 9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kingscott, Geoffrey (2007). Lost Railways of Derbyshire. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 978 1 84674 042 8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Little, Lawson (1995). Langwith Junction, the Life and Times of a Railway Village. Newark: Vesper Publications. ISBN 0 9526171 0 2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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