GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Leamington South Junction

Leamington South Junction was located adjacent to the Great Western Railway's Engine Shed. The junction was opened on 10th July 1908 to provide a connection to the LNWR. This would facilitate an East – West passenger route from Cardiff to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. After nationalisation the usage of the link line was insufficient to justify this junction and it was disconnected from the ex-GWR main line on 2nd July 1961.

Ref: gwrls3947 WoW A Great Western Railway Permanent Way Length Gang seen working at Leamington South Junction

Ref: gwrls3972 GWR Internal Letter A post 1961 external view of Leamington South Junction Signal Box showing the coal bunker to the left

Ref: gwrls3973 GWR Internal Letter A post 1961 internal view of Leamington South Junction Signal Box showing a large number of white levers

Ref: gwrls806 Anon Ex-GWR 2-6-2T Prairie No 5170 runs light engine past Leamington East Junction Signal Box

Ref: gwrls3968 P Kingston Looking towards Leamington along the L&NWR branch from Rugby with the L&NWR Signal Cabin on the left in 1958

Ref: gwrls2053 R Postill Ex-GWR 68xx Class 4-6-0 No 6879 'Overton Grange' runs light engine to Leamington shed on 13th March 1965

Ref: gwrls3948 GWR Appendix to STT Extract from GWR Appendix to No 13 Section of the Service timetables on instructions for the working of the line

Ref: gwrls3952 GWR Magazine A poster advertising the new joint through service from South Wales to the East Coast in July 1908

GWR and L&NWR Correspondence

Ref: gwrls3946 GWR Internal Letter Two letters, dated 19th March and 25th April 1907, regarding the proposed direct junction with the L&NWR

Ref: gwrls3967 British Railways An internal letter, dated 24th January 1908, regarding the proposed direct junction with the L&NWR

Ref: gwrls3949 GWR Internal Letter Letter about preparations for the new through passenger service from Cardiff to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft

Ref: gwrls3951 L&NWR Internal Letter Letter regarding a trial over the Leamington South Junction taking place on the 15th July 1909

Ref: gwrls3950 GWR Internal Letter Letter about the cancellation of the new through passenger service from Cardiff to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft

Ref: gwrls3969 GWR Internal Letter Two letters, dated 4th June 1909 and 9th July1909 regarding the reopening of the junction with the L&NWR

Ref: gwrls3970 GWR Internal Letter Two letters, dated 9th October 1909 and 29th August 1910 regarding the junction with the L&NWR

Ref: gwrls3971 RCH Junction Plan An RCH Plan of the two junctions between the GWR and L&NWR eitherside of their Leamington stations

Aerial Views of Leamington South Junction

Aerial Views in 1934

Ref: gwrls3935 Britain from Above Aerial photograph of the short link line between the GWR’s main line and the L&NWR line to Rugby

Ref: gwrls3940 Britain from Above Aerial photograph of the area around the GWR's Leamington locomotive depot and carriage sidings in 1934

Ref: gwrls3941 Britain from Above An aerial view of the southern approaches as the Warwick & Napton Canal passes under the LMS & GWR lines

Ref: gwrls3942 Britain from Above A close up of the area south of the canal showing the large plot of land purchased from Lord Guernsey in July 1852

Ref: gwrls3943 Britain from Above Close up of showing the area between the L&NWR and GWR main line on the north side of the canal

Aerial Views in 1937

Ref: gwrls3944 Britain from Above Aerial view of the GWR SignalBox 1937

Ref: gwrls3936 Britain from Above Close up of the aerial photograph showing the link line between the GWR and the L&NWR line in 1937

Ref: gwrls3937 Britain from Above Aerial view of shed signal box 1937

Ref: gwrls3939 Britain from Above Aerial view of the southern approaches in 1937 showing the L&NWR and GWR parallel lines and link line

Ref: gwrls3956 Britain from Above Aerial view of shed 1937

Aerial Views in 1949

Ref: gwrls3938 Britain from Above Aerial view of shed from South East 1949

Ref: gwrls3945 Britain from Above Aerial view of northern approach to Leamington in 1949, with the link line at the top of the photograph

Maps and notices

Ref: gwrls2166 J Copsey A schematic plan showing the layout of Leamington shed, coaling stage, turntable and carriage sidings

Ref: gwrls2044 Ordnance Survey Map showing Leamington shed and the carriage sidings which were adjacent to the main line to Paddington

Ref: gwrls2125 Ordnance Survey Part of the 1939 OS map showing Leamington's second engine shed located between the LNWR's and GWR lines

Ref: gwrls3955 British Railways A BR 1:1250 Scale Map of the GWR Shed located in the 'V' of the L&NWR and the GWR main line in 1952

Ref: gwrls3905 SRS A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Leamington Spa South Junction Signal Box

Leamington East Junction Signal Box

Robert Ferris writes, 'In researching this Signal Box I noted that the Signalling Record Sociiety (SRS) stated that this was originally called Leamington East Junction Signal Box. My information from the GWR's name plate ordering records is that the Signal Box did change name in circa 1913, but the name change was from Leamington South to Leamington Spa South (see information in 'gwrls3905'). I can find no evidence that the name 'East' was ever used'.

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