Midland Railway - The Battle of Nottingham

The Battle of Nottingham

In 1851 the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway completed its line from Grantham as far as Colwick, from where a branch led to the Midland's Nottingham station. The Great Northern Railway by then passed through Grantham and both railway companies paid court to the fledgling line. Meanwhile Nottingham had woken up to its branch line status and was keen to expand. The Midland made a takeover offer only to discover that a shareholder of the Great Northern Railway had already gathered a quantity of Ambergate shares. An attempt to amalgamate the line with the Great Northern Railway was foiled by Ellis who managed to obtain an Order in Chancery preventing the GN from running into Nottingham. However in 1851 it opened a new service to the north which, regardless of this, included Nottingham.

In 1852 an ANB&EJR train arrived in Nottingham with a Great Northern Railway locomotive at its head. When it uncoupled and went to "run around" the train it found its way blocked by a Midland engine, while another blocked its retreat. The engine was shepherded to a nearby shed and, for good measure, the tracks were lifted. This episode became known as the "Battle of Nottingham" and, though the action moved to the courtroom, it was seven months before the loco was released.