Railway gallery | Victorian Kenilworth

Gallery (there will be regular additions)

Many of these images I have collected over the years, mostly from the internet, and without recording the source. Please contact me if you have or know of the origin of any of the photographs.

A marvellous photograph taken from the Station Steps showing the nurseries of Henry Whateley. The Singer advertisement on the water tower, left distance, dates this to after 1906. The photograph is fully discussed here: Warwickshire Railways, 4081 (John Alsop Collection)

The station footbridge has been raised ready for he proposed electrification, but the original Station Steps has yet to be replaced, dating this to prior March 1963. The Station Steps was always a popular place to watch the railway’s coming and goings, and spectators can be seen. The main building and canopy, left, has been shortened at the Milverton end.

The new Station Steps footbridge is in place, dating the photograph between the summer of 1963 and closure in January 1965. (This photo by Geoff Dowling)

An earlier view than those above; the footbridge has still to be raised and the glass removed from the canopy during the war has yet to be replaced. Also, the main building, left is still its full length.

The 1884 signal box, built more or less on the site of an earlier signal frame, was tall so the signalmen could see over the station buildings towards St Johns and the approach to the coal yard. The raising of the footbridge partially blocked the view.

Soon after closure, the builders merchants took over the goods depot

The signal box in the fork of the two lines at the common became a children’s playground; youngsters are seen leaving the box. (Photo by Jim Cook)

An unusual view by local photographer Amos Elkington looking down Station Road to the station. Elkington was in business in Kenilworth between 1906 and 1909, thus giving a date for the photograph.

A delightful view of a local passenger train at the Common.

4472 Flying Scotsman passes through Kenilworth in 1964 on The Farnborough Flyer. (Photo by Ken Blackham)

One of only two colour photographs I have seen of the inside of Kenilworth station; probably in 1964. (Photo by Ken Blackham)

A passenger train comes off the Berkswell branch heading for Kenilworth……..

……and a train of similar formation pulls into the station. Both photos, 1950s.

The new Station Steps footbridge is in place, dating the photograph after the summer of 1963, and before January 1964 when the loco, Patriot 45523 Bangor, was withdrawn.

A colourisation by David P Williams of the original black and white photograph showing ex-LNWR 3P 4-4-0 Precursor class No 25319 ‘Bucephalus’ stands at Kenilworth’s down platform with a Leamington to Coventry local passenger service circa 1938. Harry Jack, note railway author writes, ‘the station nameboard ‘Kenilworth‘ with black letters would have been on a yellow ochre base rather than white. I saw lots of LMS (ex-LNWR) boards in the older style – white letters on a black background – but those repainted by the LMS with black letters always had a yellow background‘. Built as LNWR NO 990 at Crewe works in April 1906, No 25319 was renumbered by the LMS twice, first in July 1927 as No 5319 and again before February 1937 – when a Stanier Black 5 took over the number – as No 25319, which it did not retain for too long as it was withdrawn from service in December 1940. Original photograph from Gordon Coltas’ collection

Photograph and information are taken from Warwickshire Railways.

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