Chartley railway station

Chartley railway station served the village of Stowe-by-Chartley, in Staffordshire, England, between 1867 and 1939.

History

The station was opened by the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867. Originally named after the village of Stowe in 1874, it was renamed Chartley and Stowe in deference to nearby Chartley Hall, the residence of Earl Ferrers.
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway was purchased for £100,000 by the Great Northern Railway in July 1881 and the line subsequently passed into London and North Eastern Railway ownership with Railway Grouping in 1923.

Accident in 1882

A special train had been provided for the Meynell Hunt; it left with four horseboxes from the GNR and the MS&LR plus three passenger carriages. At Sudbury, six North Staffordshire horseboxes were added after the first coach, which was behind the engine. Thus only one vehicle was continuously braked.
Although the driver was using care in approaching stations, he was being piloted by the fireman who knew the line, but not that the passing loop at Chartley had just been brought into use. The train approached Chartley at 30 to 35 miles an hour and the leading coach became derailed. This caused the horseboxes to strike the timber platform, causing severe damage and several horses were killed or injured; none of the passengers or crew were hurt. The inspecting officer for the Board of Trade recommended that, in future, the facing points for all passing loops should be straight, with the "S" curve at the trailing end.
Passenger services ended in 1939 and the station was closed.