M&GNJR
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway owned and managed the railway line between Bourne and Little Bytham. This stretch of line was the western extreme of the M&GNJR which extended east to Norwich and Great Yarmouth with branches from Sutton Bridge to Peterborough and from Melton Constable to Cromer and then Norwich.
The following map shows the extent of the M&GNJR network. Little Bytham is located at the extreme western edge of the network (we’ve marked it with a red dot) but is unnamed as the M&GNJR had no station or goods facilities in the village. West of Little Bytham the line continued through Castle Bytham, where there was a station and goods yard, to Saxby as part of the Midland Railway.
The route of the line is still very clearly in evidence today although the rails themselves have been lifted.
Added : 30/10/05 : Last Updated : 03/02/11 : MG
Are there any photographs of the Saxby – Bourne Railway infrastructure available to view and include? Particularly the Bridges, Stations and Trackwork? My current Project is the creation and publication of a Track ‘Survey’ in keeping with the Track Surveys by the LNER, M&GN and N&SJt. of 1937 – 1941. Any and all Infrastructure in these Surveys are itemised with a ‘Distance’ in Miles, Chains and Yards. The Tracks are itemised as a straight line for each Track. Curves in the Track are itemised as: ‘Curve to L begins’ and ‘Curve to L ends’ or, of course, to R. Such photographs, with permissions and attributions may be included in the Book which will cover the entire Railway from Little Bytham end-on Junction between the M&GN and the M.R. through to Leicester London Road Station as it was in 1956 before the closure of the M&GN.
Michael Gamble.