Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway Beighton Branch

The Beighton Branch was a railway branch line built by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) in north eastern Derbyshire, England.

LD&ECR Beighton Branch
The Branch and Its Branches: Sheffield (Mid) via SDR Worksop Sheffield Vic-Lincoln Beighton Junction  North end of Branch Beighton Sidings Glovers Siding Killamarsh South Jn Upperthorpe and Killamarsh Westthorpe Colliery  Branch 1920-1984 Spinkhill Spinkhill Tunnel Park Hall Colliery  Branch 1906-8 Hazel Colly & Bricks  Branch 1909-1917 Whitwell Barlborough Colliery  Branch 1896-1921 Southgate Colliery  via MR 1896-1929 Clowne South Markland Grips BRIDGElr; STR2+4 Creswell & Welbeck Elmton & Creswell STR+4; STRrg; lBSTl ABZgr+r; lBSTr Creswell Colliery (Branch 1896-1966) Norwood Crossings 3KRZu- Langwith Colliery (Branch 1896-1969) MR also Langwith to Chesterfield (Market Place) Shirebrook North South end of Branch Langwith Jn Shed  Davis's Wagon Wks KBSTe; lDSTc2; STRc1 Bridge 37 to Warsop "New Found Out"  Curves to Warsop Shirebrook West Shirebrook South GNR to Nottingham Vic MR to Mansfield 9 January 1967 Diversion: Open Lines Closed 1967 Spur Rotherham Masborough Cottam & W Burton Power Stations Beighton Junction  North end of Branch Killamarsh South Jn Upperthorpe and Killamarsh Westthorpe Colliery  Branch 1920-1984 Spinkhill Spinkhill Tunnel Whitwell Clowne South Markland Grips BRIDGElr; exSTR2+4 Creswell & Welbeck Elmton & Creswell exSTR+4; exSTRrg; lBSTl ABZgr+r; lBSTr Creswell Colliery (Branch 1896-1966) Norwood Crossings 1967 SPUR 3KRZu- Langwith Colliery (Branch 1896-1969) MR also Langwith Formerly to Chesterfield Shirebrook North South end of Branch Locoshed (closed)  Wagon Wks (open) eKBSTe; lDSTc2; STRc1 Bridge 37 to Warsop exSTRrf grey "New Found Out"  Curves lifted c1945 to Warsop Shirebrook West Shirebrook South ex-GNR to Nottingham Vic ex-MR to Mansfield 11 November 1974 Diversion: Open Lines Closed 1974 New lines Rotherham Masborough Cottam & W Burton Power Stations Beighton Junction  North end of Branch Killamarsh South Jn Upperthorpe and Killamarsh Westthorpe Colliery  Branch 1920-1984 Spinkhill Spinkhill Tunnel Whitwell Clowne South Markland Grips BRIDGElr; exSTR2+4 Creswell & Welbeck Elmton & Creswell exSTR+4; exSTRrg; lBSTl ABZgr+r; lBSTr Creswell Colliery (Branch 1896-1966) Norwood Crossings 1967 Spur e3KRZu- Langwith Colliery (Branch 1896-1969) MR only 1969-78 Langwith Shirebrook North Headshunt only Wagon Works  includes ex-shed Bridge 37 removed  E-N Chord built to Warsop "New Found Out"  S-W curve relaid to Warsop Shirebrook West Shirebrook South ex-GNR Closed 27 May 1968 ex-MR to Mansfield

Starting article

This is a "starting article" aiming to give readers of linked articles access to the associated route diagram. I intend to return to this article not later than September 2013. Other people are, of course, welcome to chip in before then.

History

The line was a little over 12 miles long and ran from Langwith Junction in Derbyshire to Beighton Junction which is now in South Yorkshire.

Building started in 1892. The line opened in stages up to 1900.

The branch was occasionally referred to as the "Sheffield Branch", but the name "Beighton Branch" stuck and was widely used.

A sparse and circuitous stopping passenger service used the route to connect Sheffield with Mansfield, this was withdrawn on the outbreak of World War II.

The line closed in stages, as shown in the attached route diagram:

• 1967, middle section closed and lifted
• 1974, southern end closed and lifted
• 1984, northern end closed and lifted, except for a short length at the very end, retained as a siding.