Newark & Ollerton Railway

[Chuffinell]

I have been researching the proposed (but never built) Newark & Ollerton Railway (NOR), which was incorporated into the LDECR Act of 1891. I have been perusing the deposited plans in Nottm Archive Office and was presented with a conundrum. There are two sets of NOR plans, one for 1882 and another for 1887. Whilst documentation for both is similar, they both portray different routes – the 1887 route seems to be the same as those marked on LDECR 1891 Act plans, however, the earlier 1882 plan shows a route to the South of the 1887 one.

Anyone have any knowledge as to why this is the case? or care to hazard a guess? I’d be very interested to know.

[rob237]

Rather surprised to read of this projected railway...
Surely it would have virtually paralleled the GN main line?
Cheers
Robt P.

[AndyRush]

The Railways of Newark-on-Trent, Michael A Vanns, Oakwood Press 1999, has a piece on the Newark & Ollerton Railway (pp83-87)

Regards

Andy

[Beechwood]

I have been researching the proposed (but never built) Newark & Ollerton Railway (NOR), which was incorporated into the LDECR Act of 1891. I have been perusing the deposited plans in Nottm Archive Office and was presented with a conundrum. There are two sets of NOR plans, one for 1882 and another for 1887. Whilst documentation for both is similar, they both portray different routes – the 1887 route seems to be the same as those marked on LDECR 1891 Act plans, however, the earlier 1882 plan shows a route to the South of the 1887 one.

Anyone have any knowledge as to why this is the case? or care to hazard a guess? I’d be very interested to know.

These were usually due to the opposition of influential landowners - either outright objection, or extortionate demands for compensation.

[Beechwood]

Rather surprised to read of this projected railway...
Surely it would have virtually paralleled the GN main line?
Cheers
Robt P.

This was a local line, going off at a distinct angle to the main line. Ollerton was a major hop-growing area at one time - maybe this was one purpose of the line, thought the Mansfield & Pinxton Railway proposed a branch from the Mansfield direction very early on.

[Chuffinell]

Rather surprised to read of this projected railway...
Surely it would have virtually paralleled the GN main line?
Cheers
Robt P.

This was a local line, going off at a distinct angle to the main line. Ollerton was a major hop-growing area at one time - maybe this was one purpose of the line, thought the Mansfield & Pinxton Railway proposed a branch from the Mansfield direction very early on.

Expanding markets for agricultural products was the original purpose in part. There was also a projected extension to Worksop which would have afforded the GN a route to Manchester, running powers permitted. Then of course, the prospect of quality coal and in the late 19C the planned large scale collieries in this general area at Ollerton, Edwinstowe (Thoresby Colliery), Bothamsall (Bevercotes), Manton etc gave the LDECR extra impetus and incoporating the NOR would have given shorter access to London coal markets for the established Derbyshire pits and the planned newer ones in the concealed Notts coalfield. Afterall the LDEC was always, in reality a coal carrying line and backed by the big multi-owner Colliery Companies such as Bolsover, Staveley and Butterley. In addition the GN was supportive of the NOR/LDECR line as "getting into bed" with the LDEC would've have given the GN the aforementioned route into Manchester w/o having to gain running powers from the GC - albeit that in the end the GN passed up on this possibility, probably as they thought the liklihood of failure to complete both the NOR and the LDEC west of Chesterfld and loss of investment was greater than their ambition to reach Manchester.

[Beechwood]

I was not aware of the possible extension to Worksop - that might have been challenging, given all the large ducal estates in the Dukeries to get through or around.

Still, the line has lots of modelling potential - especially in conjunction with the LD&EC - and perhaps the only partly-completed Mid-Notts Joint Railway. Ollerton could have become a major junction for passengers as well as coal.

[Chuffinell]

I was not aware of the possible extension to Worksop - that might have been challenging, given all the large ducal estates in the Dukeries to get through or around.

Still, the line has lots of modelling potential - especially in conjunction with the LD&EC - and perhaps the only partly-completed Mid-Notts Joint Railway. Ollerton could have become a major junction for passengers as well as coal.

Interestingly, in the Duke of Portland's papers (in Nottm Archives) there are significant ref's to the Ollerton-Worksop extension to the Newark-Ollerton line and goes into length as to how the route had been planned to avoid as much Ducal conflict as pos!. For anyone that knows that locality (I live near there), the route as planned would've left Ollerton in a NW direction and paralleled the present A616 (about 100 yards to the West), then around the back of Budby village, crossed the current B6034 at Carburton, then paralleling that road, to the east of it, then veering further east, just past Truman's Lodge, through Clumber, to east of the Worksop College, passing between what is now the eastern edge of Manton village and the former site of (at that time the "planned") Manton Colliery (the colliery spoil heap later (and still does) occupy that part of the planned route), then finally crossing on what would've been an interesting viaduct or span of bridges over the B6040, the Canal & River Ryton to form a South to West junction with the GCR (then MSL) Sheff-Lincoln line at Rayton Lane, Kilton. there would obviously have been a later connection into Manton Colliery at some point (and the colliery would not have carried out tipping in that area of the planned route) and maybe the planned colliery at Checker House which was never sunk.

As you say, great modelling potential, with an endless array of private owner wagons from virtually every colliery in Derbys, Notts & S.Yorks.

[Beechwood]

Thanks, that's very interesting! At the end of the day though, it would not have offered a significant mileage reduction over the route from Newark via Retford to Sheffield, I suspect - and with relatively little originating traffic until the collieries were sunk - most of which were quite late, if I remember correctly.

It would probably have needed the extremely enthusiastic backing of a local Duke who was mad on trains to get built at all.

Of course, you could get carried away and build a whole new network...

...if you carried on north from Worksop, through Blyth to Doncaster, there would have been a loop line for the GN to keep all the coal trains out of the way of the expresses. That would also link with the Mansfield Railway, allowing through trains from Doncaster to Nottingham....

I had better stop there