The remains

Unfortunately there are not many tangible remains of the test track today.

At the Mickleover end the station buildings survive as a private residence but the cutting which leads east from the station under Station Road and up to the western portal of Mickleover Tunnel has now been completely filled in

Click on the pictures for a bigger image - all pictures are the author's unless otherwise credited

Tunnel

The western portal of Mickleover tunnel in 1982 - prior to its being filled in.

Author's collection

The eastern portal of Mickleover tunnel

Nick Wheat collection

That was a cutting once

The view today looking towards the tunnel

Mickleover

A recent aerial photograph showing the original tunnel mouth on the right and the station buildings on the left

Google

Turn left for the test track

Station Road bridge in 2004 -  entrance to former station on left. A new footpath has now been built on the outside of the LH parapet

The area of the original Research sidings remains and there is evidence of its former use.

The workshop

The shed was still standing in 2002 - this was the rear looking from the road

Tom O'Flaherty

From the front This was the business end

Tom O'Flaherty

General view

The general view of the former sidings looking east in September 2004 Workshop base The base of the former workshop and adjacent recessed track. There was never a concrete floor in the workshop, just two tracks on ballast
Wind tunnel remains The remains of the scale track used within the wind tunnel to test the APT-E model Wind Tunnel A general view of the remains of the wind tunnel in 2003
Overbridge The remains of the overbridge at the western exit from the station area All gone The site looking towards the former station buildings

The track bed from this point has been converted into a cycle way connecting Derby with Burton and Ashbourne.

Station approach The station approach looking towards the road - the gate was installed when the cutting was in-filled Half a mile? This appears to be the remains of a milepost
Station buildings The former station buildings in 2004 Station buildings A recent aerial photograph showing the original station buildings at Mickleover

Google

Cycle track signpost The strange sign marking the start of the cycle track is adjacent to the former station building

The line ran across country and generally away from any road access but did cross the road from Etwall to Radbourne near Etwall

Overbridge near Etwall The bridge over Heage Lane from Etwall to Radbourne

and again

The bridge from the opposite side
Bridge A recent aerial photograph showing the bridge and the road

Google

Etwall Station yard was used for many years by a farm machinery supplier and the station buildings survived as offices. However a recent visit showed that the firm had built offices on the site but that they had also re-located . The area is much overgrown and the view from the road bridge reveals nothing but heavy undergrowth.

The line is now severed by the A516 dual carriageway, built to join up with the A50 road between the M1 and the Potteries. This is just to the east of Etwall station.

 

Etwall station Etwall station in 1968 with agricultural sales office and stock in station yard

Courtney Haydon copyright RCTS

Station approach

The view in 2004 looking towards the site of the station at Etwall. The line ran across the picture behind the fence and the signal box was on the opposite side. I remember it still being there in the 1970's
Overbridge The overbridge which used to carry the original A516 over the railway adjacent to Etwall station - looking towards the west

Etwall

A recent aerial photograph showing the original station site at Etwall

Google

 

To Egginton The view along the old trackbed looking towards Egginton from the road overbridge

To Mickleover

The view along the old trackbed looking towards Mickleover from the road overbridge

The station building at Egginton is still in existence, it was used as the headquarters of the National Federation of Anglers (NFA), but is now a payroll company's offices. The building has had extensive alterations carried out to accommodate the change of use from its origins. The dairy buildings are still there and the junction signal box still survives in operation on the Derby-Crewe line today (2015).

Station The former station at Egginton

Former dairy

The site of the original dairy from the road side
Dairy A recent aerial photograph showing the original dairy at Egginton

Google

 

Egginton

A recent aerial photograph showing the original station buildings at Egginton

Google

Overbridge The road overbridge

Traffic on the line

Egginton station in 1968 with a mineral train heading west

Peter Green copyright RCTS

Towards the station The overgrown trackbed looking towards the station

Dairy

The view in 1968 - track in dairy sidings lifted

Courtney Haydon copyright RCTS

To Etwall The trackbed looking towards Etwall - the original dairy chimney is on the right Main line The view along the Crewe line with the signalbox in the distance

'The Great Northern' public house still stands on Station Road next to the road overbridge which used to cross the line near the station at Mickleover. It did have a nice picture of a steam locomotive on the sign board but has recently been made over and is now as bland as the next pub. There are a couple of pictures of what it looked like in 1975, 2004 and 2008 on the 'stations' page.

 

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