Michael J. Smith
With regret I have to report the death of Michael J. Smith, a valued contributor of many years’ standing on Metropolitan Railway and London Transport history. Michael’s last contribution, ‘Caught by the Camera’, appeared in the April issue.
Ed.
Cover picture - February
A correction to the cover photograph on the February issue. The photograph was taken at Morar and shows and tshows an up train from Mallaig.
Keith Fenwick, by email
Lincolnshire's railways
The rationalisation of Lincolnshire's railways (article, March) did not proceed as originally intended. The Midland Nottingham to Lincoln line was slated for closure in the Beeching Report, with Grantham to Lincoln to be kept open. Presumably journeys from Nottingham, as well as King's Cross, to Lincoln would be made via Grantham. These proposals were reversed after a scheme was announced in 1964 for a south to east spur at Newark between the East Coast Main Line and the Midland line. This would allow connections for Lincoln at Newark North Gate and, following closure of the East Lincolnshire line, a direct route for King's Cross to Cleethorpes trains, also iron ore trains from Highdyke south of Grantham to Scunthorpe (via a reversal at Barnetby). The Newark spur was fully opened and Grantham to Lincoln closed, from 1st November 1965. The line from Nottingham to Lincoln was retained, one consideration was the difficulty of serving the small stations west of Newark by a single bus service.
Although intermediate stations closed in 1961, the Peterborough– Spalding–Boston line kept its passenger service until the East Lincolnshire closures of October 1970.
