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Rushden Echo, 7th June 1901
Station Accommodation—A deputation from the Urban Council, consisting of the Chairman and Vice-chairman, with Mr. F. Knight and the Clerk, was received by the Directors of the Midland Railway at the Rushden Station on Wednesday morning. The deputation drew the attention of the Directors to the very indifferent station accommodation provided by their Company, and pointed out its total inadequacy to meet the requirements of the town. The Directors expressed themselves as glad to have had the opportunity of having from local gentlemen their views, and promised that the matter mentioned should receive their careful consideration.
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10 January 1902 - Northampton Mercury
CHEAP EXCURSIONS. On SATURDAY, Jan. 18th. to LEICESTER (Pantomime, &c.), leaving NORTHAMPTON at 1.50, Higham Ferrers 1.35, Rushden 1.40p.m.; Returning 11.0p.m. Fare, 2s. 3d. Bills, Week-End Excursion Programmes, &c, may be had the Midland Stations and ...
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| 04 April 1902 - Northampton Mercury
On Friday and Saturday, April 11th and 12th to LEICESTER (Spring Races), leaving NORTAMPTON at 9.15. HIGHAM FERRERS-RUSHDEN 9.40 a.m. Returning 5.0p.m. Fare. 2s. 9d. Bills, Week-End Excursion Programmes, may be had at the Midland Stations.
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Rushden Argus, 30th October 1903, transcribed by Greville Watson
ACCIDENT
A slight accident, which caused some excitement in the High-street, occurred soon after half-past seven on Thursday evening. A large and powerful horse, belonging to the Midland Railway Co., was drawing a heavily-laden dray in the direction of the station, and, when just past the bottom of Queen-street, slipped heavily on the greasy road and fell on the corner shaft. A large crowd quickly collected, but some difficulty occurred in releasing the horse, the broken shaft having to be sawn away before this could be affected. Fresh shafts and another horse were secured, and the animal was taken away apparently little worse.
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Rushden Echo, 11th March 1904, transcribed by Greville Watson
A RAILWAY BREAKDOWN
The passengers by the Midland train which leaves Wellingborough at 4.20 and is due to arrive at Rushden at 4.29 had an exciting experience on Wednesday afternoon. After leaving the main line, and when near Sanders’ Lodge, the train came to a standstill owing to a mishap to the engine. The eccentric rod of the engine had broken, and the broken end pierced the boiler, at once letting all the water out. Most of the passengers walked on to their destination. A message was despatched to Wellingborough, from whence a fresh engine was sent on which pushed the train and the disabled engine forward to Rushden and Higham, arriving about an hour behind time.
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Rushden Echo, 29th April 1904, transcribed by Greville Watson
THE RUSHDEN & HIGHAM BRANCH LINE
Another Railway Train Delayed
We recently reported the fact that a passenger train from Wellingborough to Rushden and Higham Ferrers had been delayed forty minutes through the failure of the tablet instrument at the junction where the Rushden branch line diverges from the main line of the Midland Railway system. As we stated at the time, no train can pass onto the branch line until the driver gets a tablet from the signal box, and, as the failure of the implement made it impossible to procure a tablet, the train was delayed at the junction until Mr. Jones and station-master at Higham Ferrers, could walk through the whole section and declare it safe for traffic.
A precisely similar accident happened on Saturday last to the 9.32pm passenger train from Wellingborough. Mr. Jones again walked through the section and, on finding everything safe, the train was allowed to proceed to Rushden and Higham Ferrers, reaching the latter place at 10.45 – an hour and two minutes late.
The result of the late arrival at Higham Ferrers meant, of course, that the train was late also on its return journey from Higham and Rushden to Wellingborough. There were about a dozen passengers for Kettering, and, as these lost the connection at Wellingborough, the Company ran a special train on to Kettering. The passengers included one for Market Harborough, who was accommodated with a rug at Kettering station and allowed to have a few hours’ sleep, and subsequently an express train was stopped and he was taken onto Market Harborough arriving there at about 3am.
The curious thing about the tablet instrument which has thus failed twice within three weeks is the fact that it was recently put down to replace an older machine which had always acted well, and the reason the new design was put in was because, theoretically, it could not possibly be out of order under any imaginable circumstances!
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Rushden Echo, 21st October 1904, transcribed by Greville Watson
RUSHDEN TRAINS AGAIN DELAYED
Further Failures of the Tablet
Last night the train due into Rushden about six o’clock was delayed for three-quarters of an hour through the failure of the tablet apparatus at the junction, and a great deal of inconvenience was thereby caused.
It is only last Saturday week that a similar delay occurred. An excursion train was returning from Nottingham and reached Wellingborough at 11.30pm, but through the failure of the tablet apparatus the train had to be detained until about two o’clock on Sunday morning.
It is about time the apparatus was discarded, and some reliable system introduced. These frequent delays are a nuisance.
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Rushden Echo, 11th August 1905, transcribed by Greville Watson
HOLIDAY TRAFFIC—The chief bookings from the Rushden Midland Station for the holidays this week have been:- Friday and Saturday: Broughton 21, Portsmouth 7, Hunstanton 10, Yarmouth 68, Blackpool 81, Scarborough 40, Isle of Man 26, and London 15. Sunday: Felixstowe (Volunteers) 113. Monday: London 20. Tuesday: Blackpool 52, Clacton (Band of Hope trip) 452, Manchester and Liverpool 15, Matlock 25, and Leicester 79. Wednesday: Hunstanton 49.
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Rushden Echo, 27th August 1909
VISITORS TO RUSHDEN—Nearly 2,000 people came into Rushden on Saturday last, for the cycle parade, by the Midland Railway. A few booked from Leicester, Finedon, and Isham, some from Luton; a fair number from Bedford; the majority being from Kettering, Northampton, and Wellingborough. On the other hand the bookings from Rushden to Wellingborough, contrary to the usual Saturday experience, were almost nil. All the roads to Rushden on Saturday were thronged with cyclists.
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This 1916 Railway Guide has an advert for Edwards' Furnishers of whom we know nothing more than they were at Wellingborough, Kettering, Rushden & Finedon.
They did not advertise in the 1920 trade directory.
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Rushden Echo, 22nd December 1916, transcribed by Gill Hollis
Trains Delayed
Rushden passengers to Northampton on Saturday afternoon suffered considerable inconvenience through the delay caused by a waggon being derailed at Castle Ashby. People leaving Rushden by the 1.19 train did not arrive at Northampton until 5.10. The 5.15 from Northampton to Wellingborough did not run at all, passengers having to travel by the 5.53 train. The train due at Rushden at 8.33 p.m. did not arrive until after nine o’clock.
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Rushden Echo, 22nd June 1917, transcribed by Kay Collins
A Load of Coal arrived in Rushden Station on Monday morning and was being unloaded when it was discovered that a robin’s nest was built in the truck. In the evening it contained one egg, and on Tuesday morning two more.
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Rushden Echo, 2nd August 1918
The Prodigal Son – A youngster named Sibley, aged 2½ years, whose mother is residing in Queen-street, got himself into a dangerous situation on Monday, when he was found about 11.30 a.m. straying along the Midland Railway branch line from Higham Ferrers to Wellingborough. The little lad was found by one of the company’s employees, and was taken to the police station, where he spent a merry time with the Inspector’s children. About 1 o’clock his mother came to inquire about the missing child, when he was just having his dinner. Inspector Osborne carried him out to his mother, who said “Come along, Sonny.” Evidently Master Truant had been having a good time, for he replied “Me no coming.” It is fortunate there were no trains about whilst the little chap was engaged in his exploring stunt.
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Rushden Echo, 20th June 1919, transcribed by Kay Collins
Wymington - A Huge Gun, mounted on two railway wagons, passed through the village on the Midland Railway goods line towards London on Tuesday afternoon.
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Rushden Echo, 10th October 1919, transcribed by Kay Collins
The Railway Strike—Wymington’s fortunes are wrapped up in those of Rushden, and as the strike affects the latter town so are Wymington people directly affected. Every householder in the village has to get supplies of food and coal from Rushden, although Wymington is in Bedfordshire for most administrative purposes. Rationed foods are not sold in Wymington. During the whole time of food and fuel rationing, Wymington has felt the pinch of hand-to-mouth living through being so far away from supplies. Consequently the present stocks of coal in the village are in a seriously low state. A good many of the villagers are factory hands working at Rushden. Therefore, general unemployment is not likely to prevail at Wymington as long as Rushden boot manufacturers can keep going. Two or three trains—mixed passenger and goods—passed through Wymington on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on the passenger line. In normal times trains go in both directions every few minutes.
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Rushden Echo, 10th December 1920, transcribed by Kay Collins
Overturned Trap—A horse belonging to Mr. W. James, butcher, Rushden, were standing outside the Station on Monday whilst Mr. James was unloading meat from the 6.11p.m. train, and as the engine started off, the horse took fright and bolted down the station yard towards High-street, it was unable to make the turn at the bottom, owing to the great speed, and horse and trap overturned completely in the roadway. Ex-P.S. Beale, passing at the time, ran and held the horse down until Mr. James and others released it from the trap, the wheels of which were broken off. Fortunately the animal was not greatly injured. When the horse and cart overturned the effect, to use an eyewitness's phrase, was "like a play of fireworks," because of the sparks caused by the impact.
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The Rushden Argus April 1st 1921, transcribed by Susan Manton
Rushden Railwaymen at Footer
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| Good Friday is practically the only day in the year when railwaymen can enjoy a game at football together. The Good Friday match in which the Rushden Railwaymen take part is always a popular attraction, and this year’s game was no exception. Corby was the visiting eleven and in common with several games in the district, the result was a draw of 3-3. The gate money was devoted to the Railwaymen’s Benevolent Fund. |
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Rushden Echo 16th September 1921, transcribed by Susan Manton
Accident—At about 8.15 this morning as Mr. Spriggs, carrier, of Higham Road, was cycling up the M.R. Station yard at Rushden, his machine broke in two and he was thrown to the ground. His face was badly cut, but happily, no bones were broken, and after receiving first aid at the station he was able to return home.
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