Passing an autumnal Moira West box is 66232 with 6G52 08.17 Toton Up Side - Bardon Hill Quarry empty MEA's. The loaded train returned to Gascoigne Wood in connection with a widening scheme on the A1.

Ballast for the virtual quarry at Crewe is sent from Bardon Hill. Here 6P02 10.21 Bardon Hill - Basford Hall passes Moira West box with stone loaded in Network Rail "JNA" Falcon wagons hauled by FLHH's 66505.

66509 passes Moira West with 6P02 - unusually the train was formed of EWS MHA and MTA wagons.

60007 waits for its train of HAA's to be loaded before running-round and departing as 7A15 Swains Park - Ratcliffe Power Station.

Whilst appearing to be an NX panel, Moira West actually has an IFS panel. The points are set on the switches then the route called by pressing what would be the 'entrance' button.

Moira West MW1150 signal - this was first commissioned over the weekend of 14th June 1969 when Moira became a fringe box to the new Derby PSB. Originally the signal was numbered MW23 and also possessed a position 4 route indicator applying to moves to the Up Branch towards Market Bosworth and Nuneaton (controlled by lever 20). The position light signal was added in 1978 when the connection to Rawdon Colliery was remodelled. With the closure of the truncated branch to Donisthorpe and Measham, and the subsequent closure of Overseal Sidings the position 4 indicator was removed during 1985. With the introduction of the panel in Moira the signal was renumbered MW1150.

The trees around Moira West box are looking particularly autumnal in this November 2007 view. The box was open waiting for 66051 on the late running 6D76 14:21 Bardon Quarry - Toton Up Side conveying ballast for the HOBC.

Opened on 14th June 1896, the MR Weekly Notice announced - "The old Signal Box will be closed and the new Box opened. The home signals for the up main line, worked from Moira West Junction, and the distant signal for the up main line, worked from Moira East Junction, will be superseded by a three-armed bracket signal; the right-hand arm will be Moira West Junction home signal applicable to trains and engines gong towards Moira South Junction, the left-hand upper arm will be Moira West Junction home signal applicable to trains and engines going towards Moira East Junction, and the left-hand lower arm will be the Moira East Junction up main line distant signal. The home signals for the lines from the East Junction and from the South Junction, worked from Moira West Junction, and the distant signal fixed near Moira West Junction and worked from Woodville Junction, will be superseded by a four-armed bracket signal, the upper arms being home signals worked from Moira West Junction, and the lower arms distant signals worked from Woodville Junction; the right-hand upper and lower arms will apply to trains and engines approaching from Moira East Junction, and the left-hand upper and lower arms will apply to trains and engines approaching from the South Junction".

Moira West Junction box is seen in the summer sun with the signalmans Commer Cob van parked outside.

1986 saw major changes on the KSL. in connection with the M42 motorway a bridge was constructed to carry the line over the new road, built to single track formation the line was singled from a new location known as "Lounge Junction" to Mantle Lane East. Involved in the same scheme was a new opencast disposal point, also known as Lounge [a cross between the place names 'Lount' and 'Tonge']. To control the new track layout the existing lever frame and switch panel in Moira West were replaced by this IFS panel seen here. It was commissioned in December 1986.

60024 ambles past Gresley with its load of MOA's forming 6D76 14:21 Bardon Hill - Toton, the ballast is destined for Doncaster Wood Yard.

Having emerged from the 623yd Gresley Tunnel, 66178 at the head of 6F78 09:34 Toton - Bardon Quarry stands at Moira West Up Home signal (MW1152) whilst waiting for a T3 possession to be given up following the removal of a rail defect.

Bardon Hill Quarry is currently sending out two trains per day with ballast for the Manchester Metrolink relaying project. Here, 66136 sits outside Moira box waiting a relief driver with 6Z78 16:44 Bardon Hill - Arpley stone conveyed in a mix of MTA's, MHA's, MFA's and ZCA's. Unlike the sun, good luck did not shine on the train which sat for two hours at Alrewas trapped by a points failure at Lichfield TV.

Making its six monthly trip over the line is the Network Rail class 150 track recording unit - 950001. The working was 2Z08 Derby to Derby via Matlock, Burton and Knighton South Jct. It is seen here leaving the single line from Lount at Mantle Lane East.

Reinstated into service two days before, 60091 "An Teallach" is seen regaining the double track at Mantle Lane with 6G52 08.17 Toton Up Side - Bardon Hill Quarry MEA's.

A busy scene at Mantle Lane. The early running 6P02 10.35 Bardon Hill - Basford Hall headed by 66951 waits at ML16 for 66249 and 6G52 08.21 Toton - Bardon empties to clear the single line from Lount before resuming its journey to Crewe via Branston Junction and Lichfield TV Junction.

Mantle Lane East signal box was opened by the Midland Railway on 27th February 1910 and is a MR type 4c. originally controlling a very busy level crossing this was abolished in 1912 and replaced by an underpass.

Mantle Lane is seen from signal ML16. This signal was erected as a semaphore signal in connection with the provision of the Down Goods No2 from Coalville Crossing as part of the Coalfields Farm opencast scheme from 14th June 1976. It was converted to a colour light during work to abolish Mantle Lane West GF which involved the provision of IFS switches 29 - 31 on the block shelf, this ocurred on 16th December 1981.

The signalman at Mantle lane enters the times in the TRB for the passing of 6G52 from Toton.

Mantle Lane has a 28 lever MR Tappet frame, here the road is set for an up train.

Mantle Lane lies beneath a scatterring of snow, winter 2005.

During the brief time FM Rail used Mantle Lane yard, 31454 is seen here shunting PGA's.

Fragonsets 33103 is seen in the summer sun sorting PGA's for FMR's Daw Mill to Rugeley coal train trial.

Thought to be a first on the KSL, DRS 37's 37606 and 612 top and tail the UTU running as 4Z10 09:23 Derby RTC ~ Derby RTC via Leicester Junction, Knighton Loop, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.

6F76 06:58 Toton - Bardon Hill ballast empties are seen passing Mantle Lane East in the morning sun. the loco is 60089 "The Railway Horse" [formerly "Arcuil"] and is hauling one of its first trains since reinstatement from store in January 2006.

47145 "Myrddin Emrys" arrives at Mantle Lane yard with 60 PGA wagons having brought them as 6Z59 from York Yard.

FLHH have begun to use Mantle Lane Down Reception to stable a set of box wagons inbetween turns. here 6Z79 from Luton Crescent Road enters the reception line hauled by 66564. The loco departed light via the west end to Bardon Hill FP. 5th march 2008.

Its days speeding round the countryside on mail trains at an end, 67015 finds itself pottering sedately onto the single line to Lount past Mantle Lane box with 6Z90 Bardon Hill - Sandiacre engineers ballast train.

Mantle Lane Yards longest serving resident (apart from Mr Hill) HEA 361026 is craned out for its final journey to C.F.Booths scrapyard in Rotherham.

Mantle Lane East box just after opening at 22:00 for the night shift. The only movement that night was 66617 running round 6Z59 Bardon Hill Quarry - Theale.

Bardon Hill was opened by the Midland Railway Co on 27th August, 1899. It is a MR type 2b and originally contained a 16 lever MR tumbler frame and gate wheel.

The afternoon sees three trains of empties return to Bardon Hill off the nocturnal departures to Harlow Mill, Angerstein Wharf and Thorney Mill. Here the Thorney Mill empties (6M54) pass the box with 66617 in charge.

During a period on loan to Freightliner, 66407 of DRS arrives at bardon with the empties from Angerstein Wharf - 6M79.

Activity at Bagworth junction. 66513 working 6F08 Basford Hall - Stud Farm has cleared the single line and backed into the refuge siding. It was followed on the single line by 6G52 Leicester - bardon Hill, seen disappearing in the distance. 66508 then has the road to proceed wit 6P27 Stud Farm - basford Hall leaving 66513 to then make its way into the quarry.

The "Front Road" at Bardon Hill is occasionally used to stable locomotives, here 66601 "The Hope Valley" is seen after arriving with 6F64 SO Washwood Heath - Bardon Hill. It was later coupled to 66603 which arrived back on empties from Angerstein Wharf, the pair running light to Rugby for the weekend.

Bardon Hill - 6M54 arrives back from Thorney Mill hauled by 66605, it passes 66621 stabled on the front road which had arrived earlier from Harlow Mill with 6M14. Once the train has been shunted, the two locos will couple and return light to Rugby.

The current layout at Bardon Hill. The switches were added in connection with the closure of Bagworth box from 26/08/1979 at which time Bagworth Colliery gained new loading facilities. The box then worked AB to Coalville Crossing and TCB to Desford Colliery Sidings. The majority of equipment was then controlled from the switches beneath the diagram, the lever frame remained controlling the up home 1 and 2 signals and the points and ground disc on the front road. Further alterations from 29/06/1986 saw the lever frame removed and the line from Bagworth Junction singled. From that date the box worked TCB to Leicester SCC and Mantle Lane.

The track layout outside Bardon Hill box has remained the same for virtually the entire life of the box, now worked by clamp-locks the points are controlled by switches that even bear the same numbers as the levers before removal of the frame.

Bardon Hill GF is a 3 lever LNW SK80 style frame and controls the connection into the quarry sidings. It is electrically released by switch 28 in Bardon Hill box.

Signal BH6 at Bagworth Junction controls the entry to the single line to Knighton South Jn (slotted by Leicester SCC) or with the position light routes into the refuge siding.

Soon after joining the single line at Bagworth Jct, GBRf's 'Medite' liveried 66709 "Joseph Arnold Davies" accelerates past the site of Bagworth and Ellistown station with 6E90 09:30 Stud Farm - Doncaster which after running round at Knighton Junction is routed via Nottingham, Netherfield Jct, Newark and Gainsborough.

First photograph of 2008... 60094 "Rugby Flyer" begins to fly down the single line [in a lucky little burst of sun] past the site of Bagworth & Ellistown station with 6G21 11.46 Stud Farm Quarry - Bescot. 9th Jan 2008, twenty seven years to the day of the opening of Uttoxeter box - see North Staffs line gallery.