The Mansfield & Pinxton Railway ran from the end of the Pinxton Canal at Pinxton Wharf to Bulls Head Lane, Mansfield (7¾m.), with a branch at Upper Portland running Southeast to Kirkby Woodhouse Wharf Yard (¼m.). Owned by the Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Co., it opened in 1819 with edge rails (special type) track, but the gauge is not known with certainty. Engineer: William Jessop. Traffic: general; passengers carried from 1832. It was purchased by the Midland Railway in 1848, closed and rebuilt for locomotive traction, and reopened on 09 October 1849 as part of its Nottingham and Mansfield branch. Baxter was unable to find traces of three abandoned sections or “cut offs” of the old tramroad. There was a branch 1½m. long from the western end of the tramroad to the Cromford Canal at Codnor Park which avoided the Pinxton Canal. This was not used by the Midland Railway when it took over, and considerable portions of it could still be traced in the mid-20th century.
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Map (0)
From The Railway Magazine, Vol 95, 1949, Page 228Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Map (0)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Boat Inn at Pinxton Wharf (1)
The Boat Inn is located on the canal at Pinxton Wharf which is at the top end of the Pinxton Branch of the Cromford Canal. The Inn was built in 1795 when the canal was first cut. Subsequent to this photograph presumably from the 1960s the Inn fell into disrepair. It has since been repaired, restored and extended. The Boat Inn re-opened in December 2018. Grid Reference: SK452542Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Boat Inn at Pinxton Wharf (1)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Old Rail & Stone Sleeper Blocks (2)
“Mansfield & Pinxton R Co.” cast in the rail. Note how the fishbelly rails overlap and interlock at the joints.Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Old Rail & Stone Sleeper Blocks (2)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Old Fishbelly Rail (2a)
“Female” end of the fishbelly rail, showing the rail seat and the locating hole for the “male” end of the adjacent rail, and the pin fixing it to the stone sleeper.Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Old Fishbelly Rail (2a)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Drawing of a section of 3ft Edge Rail (2b)
Drawing illustrating how the rails interlocked and were spiked by wooden plugs into stone blocksMansfield & Pinxton Railway. Drawing of a section of 3ft Edge Rail (2b)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Coach for Second and Third Class Passengers 1820 (23)
The service was operated by William Epperstone of Pinxton (Boat Inn, Pinxton Wharf). Market Days (Thursdays) only - One Journey Each Way. Drawing Scale 4 feet to 1 inch. Stone Sleeper Blocks Each 16" x 16" x 10". Rails each 3'-0" Long, secured by 6" Dogg Spikes to the Stone BlocksMansfield & Pinxton Railway. Coach for Second and Third Class Passengers 1820 (23)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton Wharf. 13 April 1947 (3)
General view of the now dried up terminal wharf of the Pinxton Canal. A complete air of desolation and dereliction surrounds this district once thriving and industrious, which it would be hard to parallel anywhere else. Grid Reference SK467592Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton Wharf. 13 April 1947 (3)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton Wharf. 13 April 1947 (4)
The derelict Pinxton Wharf in 1947. The old tram-road to Mansfield would have commenced from this point, and the later Midland Railway branch from Pye Bridge that superseded it can be seen on the left of the picture. Grid Reference SK467592Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton Wharf. 13 April 1947 (4)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Commencement of the railway at Pinxton South Station. August 1962 (5)
Pinxton South Station was the terminus for the Pinxton branch of the GNR Derbyshire & Staffordshire extension, which came up from Awsworth Junction to Pinxton. Grid Reference SK 45399 54347Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Commencement of the railway at Pinxton South Station. August 1962 (5)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton. August 1962 (6)
Deviation alongside new line (on left). Grid Reference SK 45399 54347Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Pinxton. August 1962 (6)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. View near Portland No. 2 Pit (Jerry) (7)
Looking along the original alignment of Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. The present line is on the right of the hedge. The Name Jerry for Portland Pit No. 2 comes from Jeremiah Lowe who was the sub-contractor that contracted with the Butterley Company to get the coal out at a set price. Grid Reference SK483542Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. View near Portland No. 2 Pit (Jerry) (7)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Original Bridge near Kirkby Mill. 22 May 1949 (8)
Original Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Bridge carrying the line over Mill Lane near Kirkby Mill. View from the south side looking north. The bridge has been subsequently reinforced. Grid Reference: SK 49058 54766Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Original Bridge near Kirkby Mill. 22 May 1949 (8)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Original Bridge near Kirkby Mill. 22 May 1949 (9)
Original Mansfield & Pinxton Railway Bridge carrying the line over Mill Lane near Kirkby Mill. View from north side looking south. The bridge has been subsequently reinforced (and not for the better). Grid Reference SK 49058 54766Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Original Bridge near Kirkby Mill. 22 May 1949 (9)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. 10 September 1949 (10)
Deviation at Grives Wood, view looking south. The present railway is on the left. There was a significant 'straightening' of the Pinxton & Mansfield Railway in this area as the original line for horse & cart required a route with a significantly gentler gradient. Approx Grid Reference SK 49655 55163Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. 10 September 1949 (10)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. August 1962 (11)
Deviation across Bentinck Colliery Siding. Approx. Grid Reference SK 49655 55163Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. August 1962 (11)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. 10 September 1949 (12)
Deviation at Grives Wood View looking North. The present railway is on the right. The track in the centre between the two gates is a modern colliery siding to Bentinck Colliery Siding (see next image). Approx Grid Reference SK 49655 55164Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. 10 September 1949 (12)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. (13)
Deviation near Kirkby. The original alignment is on the left of the fence; the present alignment on the right. The view is looking North from beyond the fences seen in previous images. Beyond the Signal Box the old line crossed to the other side of the railway and the deviation was continued on that side (see next image). Approx Grid Reference SK 49655 55164Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Grives Wood. (13)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (14)
Deviation on east side of line behind Signal Box seen in previous image Approx Grid Reference SK 49739 55297Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (14)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (15)
View looking northwards from point beyond curve shown in previous image. Approx Grid Reference SK 49739 55297Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (15)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (16)
View of North End of the Portland Wood Deviation. Approx Grid Reference SK 49739 55297Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Portland Wood. August 1962 (16)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kirkby-In-Ashfield. 22 May 1949 (17)
Deviation view looking South from level crossing with Urban Road at corner of Erewash Street. Approx Grid Reference SK 50431 56072Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kirkby-In-Ashfield. 22 May 1949 (17)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kings Mill Viaduct, Mansfield (18)
Kings Mill Viaduct (originally known as Portland Viaduct) opened on 13th April 1819 and remained in use (as a siding) until 1970. Some restoration took place in the 1990s and the viaduct is now used as a footpath. Grid Reference SK 51968 59795Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kings Mill Viaduct, Mansfield (18)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kings Mill Viaduct, Mansfield. August 1962 (19)
Kings Mill Viaduct (originally known as Portland Viaduct) opened on 13th April 1819 and remained in use (as a siding) until 1970. Some restoration took place in the 1990s and the viaduct is now used as a footpath. Grid Reference SK 51968 59796Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Kings Mill Viaduct, Mansfield. August 1962 (19)
Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Hermitage Lane. 10 September 1949 (20)
Deviation near Hermitage Lane east of Hermitage Cottages looking towards Sheepbridge Lane. Approx Grid Reference SK 52527 59980Mansfield & Pinxton Railway. Hermitage Lane. 10 September 1949 (20)
