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Comment by Barry Taylor on February 27, 2013 at 15:11

Hi Dick

This becoming a bit of a nightmare!  I quite agree with you in terms of the curvature being wrong - I've only dug these out since the first query appeared and haven't stopped to compare them side by side. In fact the curvature of the 1888 siding fits better with the 1905 - apart from the fact that the siding is on the wrong side of the line!

I'm going to have another look at this whole thing, but in the meantime I've just added a photo of the Inspection report of the 1905 siding (this actually didnt take place until later in 1906 although they had been given provisonal approval earlier). Here you can see that it clearly states that 'an EXISTING ironworks siding on the north side extended eastwards and a new connection with the main line'  also the 1905 plan (Eastern bit) shows in dotted lines where theold points were situated and have been replaced by the new connection into the quarry line (through the engine shed as you pointed out) So - from this it is certain that the 1905 arrangement was an alteration to an existing layout - and thus fits the 1881 siding apart from the line curving the wrong way !

A big puzzle - and we need to get to the bottom of it now having got this far!

More later

Comment by Dick Bodily on February 26, 2013 at 20:26

Barry

Just when I thought everything made sense, I've realised that the curvature for the line and sidings in 1881 and 1888 plans are the wrong way around for whereabouts we think they were located! The 1881 curves the opposite way to the 1905 siding so the 1881 siding can't have been where we thought it was. I've looked at the curvature of the line using Google Maps satelitte image and it seems to me that the 1881 siding might have been near Bridge 5 and the 1888 one near Bridge 4. Please have a look at Google Maps and see what you think. If I'm right then the 1 mile from Blisworth would be about right and the posts that Mike Burrows found near there might have been to do with the chute.

All the best

Dick

Comment by Barry Taylor on February 25, 2013 at 16:51

Dick

You're quite right - a bit worrying !

However I think that they must just have been estimating the distance, which is a bit surprising .

I've just looked back at the correspondence that went with that plan from 1888, and both the Board of Trade inspection report, and the NBJR request for the inspection, state 'about 1 mile' and the NBJR do say that they have moved the siding closer to Blisworth than  the old one.

So I think we have got it in the right place despite the apparent inaccuracy . The BOT report is almost impossible to read, but I'll put up the photo of the NBJR request in a minute or two

Barry

 

Comment by Dick Bodily on February 25, 2013 at 16:27

Barry

 

If I mile from Blisworth and was an accurate measurement that would put it between bridges 3 & 4.

 

Dick

 

Dick