The Rootes freightliner service commenced running on December 19th 1969, typically with ten vehicles, each carrying two containers. At this time electric traction was used between Crewe & Nuneaton, 7629 took the train on to Gosford Green. A road crane dealt with handling the containers pending the introduction of a travelling crane. The daily car train from Linwood to Gosford Green was diesel hauled throughout, frequently in charge of a Class 50 to Nuneaton, where a Class 25 would take over to Gosford Green.
The Gosford Green container terminal was formally opened on February 11th 1970 with the arrival of the first container train behind 1835. Nine trains were scheduled weekly with trains of up to sixteen flat wagons each carrying two containers. Arrivals were twice daily at 04.50 and 19.04 with departures at 06.10 and 17.00.
From October 1970 the Rootes car trains operated three times daily on weekdays and once on Saturdays, details are:
4M34 18.24 Johnstone - Gosford Green
4M49 22.20 (SX) Linwood - Gosford Green
4M41 10.00 (SX) Linwood - Gosford Green
4S30 06.10 (SX) Gosford Green - Linwood
4S31 13.15 (SX) Gosford Green - Linwood
4S33 15.10 (SX) Gosford Green - Linwood
Class 25's continued to handle these trains between Nuneaton & Gosford Green frequently requiring light engine moves to/from the car terminal. One exception was the 4M34 locomotive which after dropping off its train at Gosford Green would run light to Coventry to handle the local job to Nuneaton. For the rest of the week it handled the empty 6E52 morning oil tanks from Bedworth to Nuneaton, with an electric taking the train southwards to Ripple Lane.
Observations in early 1971 showed the car trains running very well loaded. The locomotive for the 4S33 was frequently worked throughout by a Class 47 which ran light from Nuneaton. Such was the volume of traffic that the car transporters were sometimes stored in the sidings at Three Spires Junction. By early summer the workings no longer used electric traction between Nuneaton & Crewe, locomotives diagrammed were either Class 47's or pairs of Class 25's.
During December 1971 a new car terminal was opened at Bell Green, three trains per week were initially running and all powered by Class 47's. The facility opened prior to completion of all the trackwork requiring trains to go forward to Gosford Green, then set back to the new facilities at Bell Green.
The coal miners strikes during the first quarter of 1972 saw traffic over the Nuneaton - Coventry line considerably reduced apart from the car traffic. The car trains proved less fortunate when the 'work to rule' occurred in mid April caused delays to some services due to missing locomotives and other delays caused by signalmen in the Coventry area. The Bell Green workings came from two locations, the 4G40 from Halewood, returning as the 4F30 to Speke and the 4E32 to Dagenham Dock, returning from there as the 4M36. Locomotives for these workings were generally Class 47's from the Birmingham or Stoke Divisions, however the Dagenham Dock workings could from time to time produce an Eastern Region allocation Class 47.
Despite the increasing use of the Three Spires Junction - Gosford Green line for car trains the Coventry City Council were already looking ahead to use the course of this line for a new road! By this time Humber Road Junction at the south end of the line had been closed.
A dispute at the Chrysler plant in May 1973 led to the cancellation of all the Linwood services. Consideration was also being given to moving the terminal to Binley.
From July 1975 electric traction to/from Nuneaton was diagrammed for the Linwood - Gosford Green services, with the WCML electrification almost complete it was time to take advantage of it as much as possible.
In January 1976 the the car facility at Bell Green closed. Additionally the reorganisation of Chrysler at this time would affect the volume of rail traffic at Gosford Green.
After approximately six years in service the facility at Gosford Green was taken out of use when Avenger production at Ryton ceased on July 1st 1976. Much of the plant was then shipped to Linwood by rail! With the loss of this traffic the Gosford Green branch was worked on an 'as required' basis twice weekly using a Class 25 stabled at Coventry. This was the T41 working on Tues & Thurs only calling at the Morris Siding and Gosford Green
During the summer of 1977 Freightliners Ltd laid plans to revive the Gosford Green facility for the shipment of car parts. From the beginning of October a nightly train was established between Gosford Green & Linwood for Chrysler traffic. A daily service to Linwood commenced from December 7th 1977 with 25317 taking away the first train. Plans were also taking shape to reuse the Bell Green facility. (Timeline needs clarification here.)
Service from Bell Green commenced early in January 1978, being combined with the Linwood traffic. Departure was from Linwood at 20.30, arriving Gosford Green at 06.35. The return working headed north at 18.40.
During August 1981 the public freight facilities were withdrawn from Gosford Green. Traffic was now sparse here, the Freightliner service operated infrequently following the loss of the Talbot traffic. The branch from Three Spires Junction to Gosford Green finally closed during September.
Lifting of the Gosford Green branch commenced during February 1982, on February 23rd 25265 was in charge of a demolition train on the branch, although progress was initially extremely slow in the demolition. A vigorous attempt commenced in March 1984 making much better progress than previous attempts in removing the redundant track and infrastructure. Early in September lifting of the line had reached Three Spires Junction, by September 9th 1984 the junction had been removed.
From the Working Timetable
Failure of Communications.
Should there be no communication between the signalman at Three Spires Junction and Gosford Green, a train must not be allowed to proceed on the Up goods line from Three Spires Junction until the time usually taken by the preceding train to clear the section plus an allowance for a train having been stopped and having to run at a reduced speed. Should the guard of a Down train waiting to depart from Gosford Green be unable to contact the signalman at Three Spires Junction he may authorise the train to depart after the time usually taken by the preceding train has elasped and he has advised the driver of the failure and instructed him to travel at caution, stopping at Bell Green if necessary.
The above notice may be a response to the vandalism which plagued the branch in it's later years. Frequently when the trains were standing at the signals the local kids would pull the release valves which would then require the guard to reset the brakes. He would normally travel in the rear cab of the locomotive, but was frequently found riding on the rear vehicle until the train reached the Nuneaton line.
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 | Its August 4th 1971 and 1842 is first noted light engine coming round the curve from Three Spires Junction heading for Gosford Green. In the second view it is regaining the mainline at Three Spires now with its train of mostly empty Cartic wagons in tow. Some of the wagons at the rear of the train are loaded with cars. |