Turvey & The Railways

The coming of the railways changed the little village of Turvey, like it did most villages and towns in Britain.  Many new jobs were created and people were able to travel like they never had  before.

This is the lovely Turvey Station building as it is in December 2000.

Turvey railway station opened in 1872 and was part of the Bedford and Northampton Railway Company. The first train ran on June 10th 1872.The first timetables show that five trains ran in each direction every day. There were never any Sunday trains.

The population of the village rose to 1,117 with the coming of the railways.

When 200 'navvies' were sent to Turvey to construct the railway many wondered where the little village would find beds for them all.  Mr Charles Longuet Higgins lept into action and had a row of cottages built in Baker's Close for their use.  Colonel Higgins of Picts Hill built a working men's room in Bamford's Yard, which he supplied with magazines and newspapers. It was converted from a barn. This was a popular place for evening entertainments and somewhere they could meet of a Sunday.  It later housed the Boy Scouts in 1928-35.

Train Crashes at Turvey!

There have been a few 'dodgy'; incidents at Turvey.  Here are some I have discovered.

In 1930, a heavy goods train bound for Bedford split into two when pasing over the top at Ravenstone.  The driver did not realise he had lost half his train and continued to Olney. The rear part of the train, meanwhile, gathered speed and collided with the front wagons in Olney station.  No one was hurt but I bet the driver had a few questions asked of him!

On June 17, 1960, a driver mistakenly moved  his

freight train out of Turvey station.  He collided with

some empty coaching stock and Engine No. 48616

was derailed and rolled down the embankment!

Luckily no one was hurt.

This photo was used in the local newspapers.  One

of the two observers near the train is my grandfather.

There were railway related deaths reported in the local newspaper, the Beds Mercury on:

13 September 1870

1 November 1871

7 February 1871

21 February 1871  Charles Puddiphat, aged 29, whilst working on the railway.

In 1969, Quenby Price the grain merchants moved into the old station buildings and yard.  They did not alter the beautiful station but did remove the platforms.

The last passenger train left the station at 9.20 pm on March 3rd 1962.

The three signal men worked shifts. One did 6am until 2pm, then there was 2pm until 10pm and finally 10 pm until 6 am again.  It was important work and quite well paid.

By the 1950's there were four trains a day but they were hardley used.

Carr Bailey was the Station Master at this time.