Minories railway station

For the model railway layout, see Minories (model railway).

Minories
Minories railway station, circa 1840
Minories is located in Central London
Minories
Minories
Location of Minories in Central London
LocationMinories
Local authorityCity of London
OwnerCommercial Railway
Key dates
1840Opened
1849Temporarily closed
1853Closed
Replaced byFenchurch Street
Other information
Coordinates51°30′39″N 0°04′30″W / 51.5108°N 0.0749°W / 51.5108; -0.0749
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Minories was the western terminus of the London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR), located on the east side of Minories, a short distance north-east of the Tower of London.[1] The line was operated on a cable-hauled basis with a 400 hp pair of stationary steam engines winding a cable 7 miles (11 km) long, to which the trains were attached on the cable car principle.[2]

It opened on 6 July 1840, as the City of London terminus for the L&BR (then known as the Commercial Railway). The following year, it was supplemented by a new station several hundred yards to its west, named Fenchurch Street, designed by William Tite. However, Minories station continued in use as an alternative terminus;[1] it was closed temporarily between 15 February 1849 and 9 September 1849, before finally closing for good on 24 October 1853.[3]

The station site was later converted into goods sidings, and the lower levels of the old station were converted into the Mint Street Goods Depot.[1] The depot remained open until April 1951; demolition came shortly afterward. The location of the station and winching houses are marked by the Minories public house.[4] The western terminus of the Docklands Light Railway opened at Tower Gateway, just to the south of the site of Minories station, in August 1987.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Christopher, John (30 September 2013). The London & Blackwall Railway. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4456-2187-6.
  2. ^ Christopher (2013), p. 16
  3. ^ McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David (2009). Railways of Britain: London North of the Thames. Ian Allan Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-7110-3346-7.
  4. ^ Christopher (2013), p. 25