LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

Bulkington

Bulkington station was opened by the London and North-Western Railway at the same time as the Trent Valley line was opened in 1847. The station originally had two platforms when the line consisted of double tracks. On 14th August 1871 a third line, a goods up slow line, was added which resulted in the station having three platforms, an island platform being built between the up slow and up fast lines. A small timber waiting room with a hipped roof and small windows in the gable walls can be seen on the island platform in photographs dating from the late 1920s. In all probability this replaced an earlier structure when the third up goods slow line was opened. On the down platform, a primitive timber waiting room was erected after 1902 and prior to 1912 (see the respective Ordnance Survey maps) as can be seen in image 'lnwr_bulk3948'. This waiting room was, along with the rest of the station much smartened up later, as can be seen in images 'lnwr_bulk1608' and 'lnwr_bulk1610', and probable was undertaken after 1923 when the London Midland Scottish Railway absorbed the London & North Western Railway. The station never had a goods yard so not surprisingly the Railway Clearing House's 1894 and 1929 editions of their Handbook of Railway Stations stated only passenger services were available, not even parcel traffic. Being in a very rural area little passenger traffic was generated resulting in the station finally closing in 1931.

Harry Jack of the LNWR society writes, 'I became interested in this old station building because of the name high up on the front. The style of lettering, with a full-stop at the end, is so unlike the later LNWR nameboards, but there were names in similar lettering ("condensed Scotch Roman" as a printer might describe it) at Rockingham, Theddingworth and Banbury. These stations were opened in 1850 which might suggest when this style was in use, and I'd guess that all the Trent Valley stations opened in 1847 had similarly lettered names at first.'

Ref: lnwr_bulk1606 British Railways Bulkington station's main building which accommodated the station master home and the passenger facilities

Ref: lnwr_bulk1606a British Railways Close up showing Bulkington station's staff, including Stationmaster Turner, posing for the camera

Ref: lnwr_bulk3266 Charles Verrall Stationmaster Turner, his wife and one Bulkington three signalmen pose for the camera circa 1900

Ref: lnwr_bulk3948 LNWR Society Another view of Stationmaster Mr Turner and one of the three signalmen based at Bulkington Signal Cabin

Ref: lnwr_bulk1608 G Edmands Bulkington station viewed from a field opposite looking across to the main station and the timber waiting room

Ref: lnwr_bulk1610 G Edmands The station viewed from the road bridge above the down slow platform as a goods train passes on the up line

Ref: lnwr_bulk1121 LGRP View of Bulkington station after the closure of the station and removal of platform fittings and fixtures circa 1949

Ref: lnwr_bulk3112 Anon The closed station seen during the installation of masts and supports for the overhead catenary

Ref: lnwr_bulk1609 G Edmands The station after closure and the removal of the island platform and the installation of electric light signalling

Stationmaster Turner

Ref: lnwr_bulk2004 B Freeman View of Bulkington Station's stationmaster Mr Turner posed for the camera on the down platform at the station

Ref: lnwr_bulk3114 J Burton Bulkington stationmaster Mr Turner is seen briefing a member of the station's staff circa 1900

Locomotives seen at or near Bulkington station

Ref: lnwr_bulk3265 Charles Verrall LNWR 2-2-2-0 Dreadnought Class No 507 'Marchioness of Stafford' stands at Bulkington station's down platform

Ref: lnwr_bulk1272 WoW An unidentified LNWR 2-4-0 'Small Jumbo' is seen at the head of a down local passenger train at Bulkington station

Ref: lnwr_bulk1122 AW Flowers An unknown LNWR 3P 4-4-0 George V class locomotive at the head of an up express service approaches the station

Ref: lnwr_bulk1129 AW Flowers Ex-LNWR 4-6-0 19 inch goods class No 8736 heads a down fully fitted fast freight racing towards Nuneaton

Ref: lnwr_bulk1123 AW Flowers An unknown LMS 4-6-2 Coronation class locomotive is seen approaching the station on an up express

Ref: lnwr_bulk1127 AW Flowers LMS 2-6-0 'Hughes Crab' No 13117 is seen at the head of an up goods train on the slow line approaching Bulkington

Ref: lnwr_bulk3113 G Edmands An unidentified LMS streamlined Coronation Class locomotive passes Bulkington station's 1936 signal cabin

Ref: lnwr_bulk1128 Weston Collection Ex-LNER A4 No 60034 'Lord Farrington' is seen passing Bulkington signal box on the up Perth express

Ref: lnwr_bulk1607 Weston Collection Ex-Southern Railways 4-6-2 Merchant Navy class No 35017 'Belgian Marine' is seen at the head of an up Perth express

Ref: lnwr_bulk1125 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 8P 4-6-2 No 46203 'Princess Margaret Rose at the head of a down express passing Marston Jabbett

Ref: lnwr_bulk1124 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 6P 4-6-0 Rebuilt Patriot No 455221 'Rhyl' at the head of the up Manxman approaching Bulkington

Ref: lnwr_bulk1126 AW Flowers Ex-LMS 8P 4-6-2 No Princess Louise', a Princess Royal class locomotive, is seen on an up express train near Bulkington

Ref: lnwr_bulk3906 P Leonard An unidentified ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 locomotive heads a Class H' working between Bulkington and Shilton

Ref: lnwr_bulk3944 WoW Ex-LMS 5MT 4-6-0 No 44876 passes through the former Bulkington station in 1957 on an up express service

Ordnance Survey Maps

Ref: lnwr_bulk3945 National Library of Scotland A 1902 25 inch to the mile OS Map of Bulkington station and its relationship to Coventry Road

Ref: lnwr_bulk3946 National Library of Scotland A 1912 25 inch to the mile OS Map of Bulkington station and its relationship to Coventry Road

Ref: lnwr_bulk3947 National Library of Scotland A 1923 25 inch to the mile OS Map of Bulkington station and its relationship to Coventry Road