The Midland Railway Society Library - titles available to researchers at the Study Centre.
The Journal Index - a fully searchable index to the Midland Railway Society Journal.
Midland Railway Society Members - resources available exclusively to MRS members.
Some random images from our catalogue for you to enjoy...
Hover your mouse over the Item Number (or 'long press' on a mobile device) for more information
Item No. 71407
Nigel Hadlow photograph: Matlock 5
Item No. 71577
Nigel Hadlow photograph: Piddington 7
Item No. 61507
This shows Turvey station with both platforms and the station buildings in view plus a signal post with arms for both directions. Also in view is a man with a bowler hat, various members of the station staff plus what is possibly the station master's family and a grounded van body.
Item No. 07312
Official Postcard. SET 1. MR-002-3C (Corr.) Map / The Picturesque Route through England. / High Tor, Matlock.
Overprint pre-printed card for Agent. Stamp rectangle has solid lines with slogan.
Item No. 23842
Midland Railway Gradient and Curvature rolled diagram for Derby to Clay Cross and branches (the branches covered are Ripley, Ripley & Heanor, Wirksworth, Ambergate & Codnor Park and Codnor Park South Curve). Horizontal scale is 2 in: 1 mile. Vertical scale is 1 in: 100 ft. It also gives multiple track locations.
Item No. 77-12355
Large scale plan of Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway station at Tydd printed on linen. Scale 40ft to 1 inch. Stamped 'Midland Railway Chief Engineer's Office' and signed off by a GNR official on 18.9.90. Appears to be in connection with new signal box, locking frame, signals and interlocking crossing gates. Plan No. 916
Item No. 93247
Nailsworth station, around 1880. A southeasterly view from the Up end of the station yard, showing an unidentified 0-6-0T at the platform with its train of four 4-wheeled carriages. The fireman had adopted a relaxed pose by leaning on the boiler whilst standing on the running plate. The driver looked out from the cab. A porter and another man stood on the platform which had a large, framed name-sign fixed to the station fencing, the large letters painted as three-dimensional objects against a light background.
Item No. 06066
Scan of Official Postcard. EARLY LONDON VIEWS. MR-853. British Museum (Natural History). Sepia vignette by Picture Postcard Co. Ltd., 6 Drapers Gardens, London, E.C. Introduced by 6/1900.
THE MIDLAND RAILWAY STUDY CENTRE
Leicester West Bridge — Soar Lane Wharf Lifting Bridge
The Soar Lane Wharf Lifting Bridge, built in 1834 for the Leicester and Swannington Railway, to a design by Robert Stephenson, has been relocated and re-erected at the Mountsorrel Railway, located within the Rothley Community Heritage Centre.
Soar Lane Wharf Lifting Bridge seen from the north west side along the towpath of the Leicester Canal on 9th June 1932. The winding house is partially seen to the right.
It was officially opened on Saturday, 25 April 2026 by Sir Peter Soulsbury, City Mayor of Leicester and the Midland Railway Society were there to support the event. As well as having been restored to full working order — a fact amply demonstrated by its frequent Lifting on Opening Day and even the running of a goods train across it — extensive interpretation has been provided in the winding shelter. This includes a highly detailed scale model by Midland Railway Society member, Graham Speechley, which utilised the resources of the Midland Railway Study Centre, Leicestershire Industrial History Society and Leicester Museums.
Visitors to the Mountsorrel Railway enjoy the spectacle of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0T resplendent in the sunshine, shunting over the newly opened Lifting Bridge.
To mark the occasion and to assist in promoting this wonderfully resurrected piece of railway history, as well as the fantastic site at which it is located, we are delighted to share some of the documentary resources used in its restoration and in Graham’s model.
Rather than us attempt to repeat here the history of the Lifting Bridge, whether in situ at West Bridge, later in “preservation” and its resurrection at Mountsorrel, it is very well documented, with a great collection of images compiled by Nigel Tout on his website.
The Midland Railway Estate Agent created a Two Chains to the Inch scale Land Plan of Leicester West Bridge in 1904 and Soar Lane Wharf can be seen at the top of the sheet. The Lifting Bridge is No.9.
Click the image to download a higher resolution copy
The full set of West Bridge branch Two Chains to the Inch Land Plans (our ref: 88-1971-384 602) can also be downloaded as a smaller Preview PDF — 1.1Mb or as a Full Resolution Download — 26Mb.
This low-res copy sketch of the design of the Lifting Bridge reveals a "hidden" feature... Notice how the rail protecting the bridge deck doesn't extend all the way across its width. Instead, a mounting block is located on the surface of the towpath with a footboard fixed to the bridge deck. This allowed passage along the towpath for pedestrians (albeit across the railway siding!) even when the bridge was lowered. It is believed that the "default" position was up, so railway employees would be present to supervise its use when lowered.
Created very late on in the Lifting Bridge's existence at Soar Lane Wharf, this dimensioned sketch proved immensely useful in modelling the structure. It is notable that while the clearance above the level of the canal is stated, the arguably more crucial for users of the towpath (the hard working horses, especially!) is not accounted-for.
Click the image to download a higher resolution copy
The Midland Railway Study Centre web site
is maintained by Dave Harris, the Study Centre Co-ordinator
Email: enquiries@midlandrailwaystudycentre.org.uk
The Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill
Silk Mill Lane, Derby, DE1 3AF.
Our Privacy Policy.
No cookies are set by us. However, our hosting service adds traffic analysis cookies over which we have no control and have no ability to opt-out from.
Page last updated: Saturday, 25 April 2026