MRS Journal No. 10 (Spring 1999)

Table of Contents

• “Another Melancholy Accident” — Early accidents on the Midland Railway: 1844 (Part 2) / By Chris Rouse
• Midland Railway Literature (8) / By Ted Hancock
• Locomotive Aesthetics / By Jack Braithwaite
• The Centenary of Warsop Curve / By Roger Brettle
• In Memoriam — Cudworth, 19th January 1905 / By Peter Holmes
• Comments on Items in Previous Journals
  • Saltaire : its origins and growth [No. 9, p.10]
  • Kegworth — April 1914 [No. 9, cover]
  • Wellingborough provender store [No. 9, p.17]
  • Platelayers brick cabin [No. 9, p.20]
  • The Midland Railway Institute at Hasland [No. 8, p.13]
• Query Corner
  • Query 13 : Can you identify this station – 3
  • Query 14 : The Hawes branch
  • Query 15 (new query) : The working of the “Jellicoe Specials” over the Midland
• Letters from S. W. Johnson
• The Career of an early Midland employee / By William Seals
• More Memories of George Pratt
• Midland Railway standard drawings – Standard clearances for new bridges

• Front cover
  150 years ago, on the 4th June 1849, the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock & Midlands Junction Railway opened its only section of line from Ambergate to Rowsley. As the line was projected to pass through Chatsworth Park, the station at Rowsley was built on such an alignment. However, subsequent development led to the opening of a new route through Bakewell in 1862, together with a new sation at Rowsley. The original terminus then became a goods depot. This evocative view of the old station was taken around the turn of the century. It was closed on 1st July 1968 and is now the centre-piece of a recently opened retail park.

Rear cover
The proximity of Chatsworth House, and to a lessor extent Haddon Hall, attracted excurtionists to Rowsley from the outset. This handbill of c.1875 illustrates the station’s importance. At that time the term for Matlock referred to the area covered by both Matlock Bath and Matlock Bridge stations, although the former was of far greater importance for excursion traffic. The extent of this traffic can be gauged from the notices for Whit. Monday 1914 when 26 additional trains called at both Rowsley and the Matlock stations. The war brought an abrupt end to this tradition and it was another 6 years before excursion trains were re-introduced, and then only in a limited form. The development of the internal combustion engine, however, prevented a return to the pre-war levels of patronage. Nevertheless, Rowsley remained an important destination for Bank Holiday excursionists until 1966.