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LMS Route: The Shakespeare Route

Kineton Station: smjk86

An early 1900s view of Kineton station as a train from Fenny Compton is seen passing under the road bridge

An early 1900s view of Kineton station as a train from Fenny Compton is seen passing under the road bridge to arrive at the down platform. The track formation has the ballast above the sleepers which was standard practice from the middle of the 19th century until early in the 20th century. Careful examination shows that the rails are chocked with wooden keys on the inside of the rails, another Midland Railway practice found on the SMJ and its E&WJR forerunner. This practice was not widely adopted by the majority of Britain's railways because the advantage of being able to walk in the centre of the track and inspect the keys of both rails simultaneously was out-weighed by the degree of accuracy required in laying the track in the first place. Chairs where the wooden key was placed on the outside of the rail allowed a greater degree of flexibility and adjustment during track laying.

Close up of image 'smjk86' showing what is thought to be SMJ 2-4-0T No 5 at the head of the train in the early 1900s. There are two letters on the bufferbeam but they are too indistinct to make them out. The up platform waiting room is the original structure which being smaller than its replacement stood entirely on the platform. The colour scheme of the waiting room is darker than adopted on its larger replacement with a very dark colour on the fascia and a lighter colour on the sides. See image 'smjk26a' for a comparison.

Close up of image 'smjk86' showing Kineton station's main station building in its E&WJR colour scheme and condition. The fascias are also dark matching the waiting room opposite as is the paint work to the timber 'lean to' and the side windows. The ivy seen on the side clearly grew up the front too as it can be seen on top of the roof gable. To the extreme right can be seen the railings to a set of steps leading to Wellesbourne Road by which passengers wishing to travel from the other platform must ascend. The station building has yet to receive its short canopy that was constructed over the entrance to the booking hall and waiting rooms and between the outer sections as seen in image 'smjk27a'.

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