I've walked this line as far as was possible, Rugby to Leamington many years ago. I also walked from Marton Junction to Model Village. Thanks for bringing back memories.
I can Rugby Cement still using this in the very early 80’s and climbing up the embankment to have a nose! You’d see the occasional train come down. This was at the back of the “Admirals Estate”. The Rugby Western relief road now runs parallel with it. Makes me feel old!
The junction you were exploring was called Marton Junction, the spur line to the right of the fork continued past Daventry to join the West Coast Main Line at Weedon in Northamptonshire. The large bridge just west of the junction over the line carrying the bridleroad has a 3 tonne weight limit on it and has for years - even the period photos of trains on line from the 1980s?? shown on your footage feature the spindly cradle of girders under the bridge, which was was not an original feature but put in place to support the bridge deck and extend its life as it isn't the strongest form of bridge construction. After closure of the lines between Rugby, Leamington, Daventry and Weedon to passenger traffic, the line from Rugby was retained as far as Marton Junction, and freight trains serving the Southam cement works used to reverse there to reach the works at Long Itchington.
This line lasted quite a time for cement and inbound coal traffic based on the cement works near Long Itchington. This works was on the line going off from Marton Junction.
I remember walking this at Marton as a kid in 1984 when the track was still in situ and used, then went back in the summer of 1986 and it was lifted just leaving the ballast. there was hope it would be reopened in 2000 and something to transport the quarry material from Long Itch to Rugby but it never happened, instead Rugby cement opting for 100's of lorries per week, Rugby council built the western relief road but left the railway corridor free for future reopening however I don't believe this will ever happen. I even remember the local MP telling me they looked at a narrow gauge option to keep costs down
Marton Junction. A great video, it reminded my when some friends took me there around the mid to late 60's. Some track had freshly been removed but the signal box was still there. I might be wrong but I seem to remember a colour light was still switched on but there was no track.
Not so long ago you could walk from outskirts of Rugby along past Dunchurch(a guy I know lives in the old station house) then skirting Thurlaston Golf Course on past Birdingbury Station now a private residence but with platforms intact.I have cycled along here as it is(was?) part of a Sustrans cyle route.You can then pick the track bed up again past Marton station(platforms still there) with a Lotus specialist in the old station yard(or there was?) then on until you hit the Fosse Way.I stand ready to be corrected as I have,nt been along here for a while although I,ve done the bit running parallel with the relief rd recently.
I lived in the area for 25 yrs and always wanted to do the walk from the Foss Way to Marton Junc as trains were still running to the cement works in the late 70's. Now I live in Canada and you've taken me there via RU-vid. If you click my logo you will see my tourist attraction railway which started on a door near Rugby station in '79.
That looks like a lovely day out, I do really enjoy walking an old railway line when it's frosty. I totally understand why they tarmac the track bed for cyclists, wheelchairs etc, but I do wish they would leave it untouched.
Great to see the progress. Does anyone know when the Lias line route to Rugby is due to be completed. I rode it a year or so back (from Rugby), and got stuck just before the Marton Junction. If they have progressed even half a mile back towards Rugby then it should be passable on a MTB. Here's hoping!
Hi dude , respect to your cool history !!!!!!! , ps ,yes one cool ,!!!!!!! Wow, ART work in revited metal work bridge, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Thanks for covering part of this line! very interesting! ( was a train spotter on Leamington S'tn in the 60s)Hope one day you will cover the SMJR between Stratford & Fenny Compton all though will only be assessable in parts!, many thanks.
