Shackerstone railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shackerstone
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|---|---|
| Station on heritage railway | |
| Location | Shackerstone, Hinckley and Bosworth England |
| Coordinates | 52°39′20″N 1°26′29″W / 52.6555°N 1.4413°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Key dates | |
| 1873 | opened |
| 1931 | passenger service withdrawn |
| 1965 | completely closed |
Shackerstone railway station is a special train station in Leicestershire, Central England. It's not a regular station anymore. Instead, it's a preserved station and a museum!
"Preserved" means it has been saved and kept in good condition. It is now part of the Battlefield Line Railway, which is a "heritage railway." This means old trains run on it for fun and education. Shackerstone is the main station for this railway. It has the Shackerstone Railwayana Museum, a place to eat, a shop, and where the trains are kept. The Ashby Canal is also very close by.
The Story of Shackerstone Station
Shackerstone station first opened in 1873. It was built by the Midland Railway company. The station was designed by an architect named John Holloway Sanders. It was an important spot on the railway line.
A Royal Visit to Shackerstone
In December 1902, something very exciting happened! King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra came to Shackerstone station. They arrived on the new LNWR Royal Train. The platform was made a bit higher to help the King and Queen get off the train easily. However, the King's door didn't open! The royal family had to use a different door further down the train. You can still see this raised part of the platform today. People call it the 'platform hump'.
Station Changes Over Time
Passenger trains stopped using Shackerstone station in 1931. The station then fully closed in 1965. But luckily, it was saved! In 1989, Shackerstone station became a 'Grade II listed building'. This means it's an important historical building that must be protected.
Where the Trains Live: The Sheds
The loco shed is where the railway's locomotives (train engines) are stored and repaired. You can find it by walking from Platform 1 through the old goods yard. Some parts of the shed and workshops are closed off for safety reasons.
The shed itself is quite interesting! It's made from parts of old buildings. These include sections from local coal mining buildings and even a piece of a cinema from Nuneaton.
The shed has two main areas. The biggest part is the "running shed." This is where trains that are currently in use are kept. It has an inspection pit, which is a trench under the tracks. This allows workers to look at the underside of the trains. The second area has two tracks. It's used to store trains that are being worked on for a long time.
In early 2023, the railway announced plans to build a new, bigger engine shed. They are currently raising money to make this happen.
Images for kids
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Shackerstone station looking south toward Market Bosworth
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Shackerstone Station
