LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Old Milverton Lineside Views: lnwr_oldmil1465

Ex-LNWR 7F 0-8-0 'G2' No 9415 has steam escaping from its safety valves as it works the long coal train from Nuneaton to Leamington. The transportation of coal and other goods traffic was a major revenue earner for most railways with perhaps the exception of the Southern Railway which was more associated with passenger traffic. It is perhaps difficult to believe that the Directors of the London and Birmingham were initially very much against the idea of moving coal on their railway. In his book Locomotives of the LNWR Southern Division Harry Jack cites LNWR officials in 1841 declaring "they were not and did not intend to become carriers". He also states that the L & B, of which the Leamington branch was a part, carried only a little cattle and no coal traffic until 1845, apart from six wagons a day between Rugby and the canal at Crick.

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