Bardney
Bardney, on the Great Northern Railway Boston to Lincoln line was also a junction for Louth, until that line closed to passengers on 5th November 1951, and to goods, when the branch was truncated to end at Wraby, on 1st December 1960. Bardney lost its remaining passenger service on 5th October 1970. By this time the line, after Boston services ceased from 17th June 1963, was effectively worked as an extension of the former "New Line" with services between Lincoln and Skegness/Firsby/Tumby Woodside.
The following photos were taken in autumn 1980, when the line was still open for freight bringing coal to the nearby British Sugar Corporation factory. This traffic ceased the following year.
The once extensive sidings at the neighbouring British Sugar factory.
I pre-arranged a visit to the BSC factory to photograph their own diesel shunter hard at work.
Ruston & Hornsby 32794 was built in 1954 and purchased by the BSC fir £8,213, being delivered to their Bardney Factory on 15th October 1954. There it would replace Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST 1604, built in 1928. 32794 worked there until August 1982, and was then transferred to BSC's King's Lynn factory. On 7th February 1997 it was purchased by Great Eastern Traction to work at Hardingham Station in Norfolk, although was purchases on 28th June of that year by the Ironstone Railway Trust in Northamptonshire. In 2007 it was purchased by the Helston Diesel Trust and currently enjoys an active retirement on the Helston Railway in Cornwall.
Despite having Listed status, the station house was dismantled in 1993 with the intention of reconstructing it at Railworld on the Nene Valley Railway. This has sadly never happened. In its place, the Bardney Heritage Centre now stands, although the original goods shed remains. A replica station was constructed close to site of the original. The following photos were taken on 20th August 2020.
Further information about the station can be seen here.