Prior to the opening of the passenger service on May 7th, 1894 Rushden residents who desired to travel by railway had no option but to walk to Irchester station, a distance of 2½ miles, and goods had also to be sent to the same depot. A few details regarding the development of the goods traffic on the Rushden and Higham Ferrers branch should prove of interest to our readers, as by such details will be shown something of the expansion and development of the staple industry and the consequent growth of the town.

When the branch was first opened Rushden was a large village of some 5,000 inhabitants, whereas it is now a thriving industrial centre with a population of about 14,000.

In the early days five horses and drays were found to be more than sufficient to cope with the goods traffic. At the present time 15 horses and drays are employed in dealing with the town’s output and are found none too many. Not many years elapsed after the opening of the branch before it was found necessary, owing to the rapidly increasing trade of the town, to enlarge the goods yard, and this work was carried out so effectively that the goods depot at Rushden is now one of the finest in the district, and adequate to deal with any amount of traffic.

The Goods Yard

at the present day can accommodate about 250 waggons, although there were originally commodious sidings for coal and goods in addition to a siding laid into the works of the Rushden Gas Company. The original goods shed was a capacious structure 120 feet in length by 38 feet in width, built of red brick, with a slated roof and large overhead sky-light. Horse and cattle pens were situated at the far end of the station platform.

As a matter of course, the rapid growth of the boot and shoe industry brought with it a corresponding increase in the inhabitants of the town, and very soon the demands of the travelling public necessitated a re-modelling of the passenger station. This work was also carried out effectively and has justified the enterprise of the company in taking such steps.

Owing to the above mentioned rapid developments it has, of course, been found necessary to increase the staff from time to time, and the number of railway servants at the present time is nearly three times the number originally employed, viz. 15.

Mr. Henry Pitt, who was recently promoted to be station-master at Cheltenham, was the first station-master and remained at Rushden for 23 years. He has been succeeded at Rushden by Mr. J. C. Gregory, formerly of Hitchin, who at the time of the opening of the railway at Rushden was a clerk on the relief staff and who singularly was sent to Rushden for the opening of the new branch and booked out the first train. It has, of course, been found necessary during the past 21 years to increase the service of

Passenger Trains

from time to time until at the present day the daily service amounts to 14 each way, with an additional train on Saturdays. These excellent travelling facilities were found necessary not only for the convenience of the residents but also on account of the commercial importance of the town.

The portion of the M.R. company’s line which constitutes the Rushden and Higham branch is three miles four furlongs and four chains in length, and is supported by no fewer than 14 bridges, which were constructed in the following order:-

No. 1 - 17 chains from the junction, three-arch occupation bridge over the line.

No. 2 - 36 chains from the junction, three-arch occupation bridge over the stream which passes between the parishes of Rushden and Irchester and by Knuston Hall.

No. 3 - 46½ chains, public road bridge, under Ditchford lane.

No. 4 - 1 mile 1 chain, one-arch occupation bridge under the line.

No. 5 - 1 mile 10 chains, one-arch occupation bridge under the line.

No. 6 - 1 mile 10½ chains, public road bridge, over the road leading from Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers.

No. 7 - 1 mile 54 chains, occupation bridge under the line.

No. 8 - 2 miles 2 chains, public road bridge under the Washbrook-road, Rushden.

No. 9 - 2 miles 22 chains, double seven-foot culvert where stream passes under.

No. 10 - 2 miles, 26 chains, public road bridge which passes over High-street, Rushden. The span of this bridge is 42 feet 3½ inches and its height is 15 feet.

No. 11 - iron foot bridge near the station.

No. 12 - 2 miles 49 chains (beyond Rushden station), two-arch occupation bridge.

No. 13 - three miles 11 chains, three-arch occupation bridge.

No. 14 - Three miles, 27 chains occupation bridge.

In the construction of the line

The Largest Cuttings

the engineers had to contend with were at Irchester Junction, where it was found necessary to cut away the bank in order to connect the new line with the metals on the main goods line, under Washbrook-road, Rushden, and 22 feet of earth had to be cut away all over the Rushden station yard. For the accommodation of the surplus earth, two large spoil banks were erected on the left side of the line coming from Wellingborough, one near the bridge spanning the road from Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers, and the other near the bridge crossing the High-street, Rushden, at the station.

The various gradients along the line are one in 200, one in 120, one in 150, the sharpest gradient being one in 75, and the slightest one in 660.

The station buildings were erected by Mr. Parnell, builder, Rugby. The contract price for the construction of the line was £44,531/19/8 and the average number of men, consisting of masons, carpenters, bricklayers, labourers, navvies, etc., engaged daily in the work numbered 400, in addition to which three steam navvies, better known perhaps as “American devils,” were constantly employed. The contractors were Messrs. Walter Scott and Co., of Newcastle-on-Tyne.