The fascinating story of how the coming of the railway impacted a small Leicestershire village is told in a beautifully illustrated hardback book.
The Railways of Wigston Junction, by John Stevenson, of Birstall, is surely a must for railway and history enthusiasts alike with its 150 pages packed full of photographs, drawings and maps.
It is 178 years since the Midland Counties Railway launched its route from Leicester to Rugby in June 1840, opening a station for Wigston just under a mile to the west of the village.
Looking back at Leicester's past
John said: “The arrival of the railway proved to be a significant moment in the development of Wigston, as before 1840 the village had changed very little since the Middle Ages.
"In the next 50 years, it was to grow into the conurbation that we know today and much of this expansion can be directly attributed to the railways that were established in the local area.
“In 1857, the Midland Railway selected Wigston as the starting point for its new direct line to London via Hitchin.
"This decision was to prove significant, as it put Wigston on the railway map as an important junction.
“This status was to be further enhanced just a few years later when the South Leicestershire Railway opened its line from Nuneaton to Leicester in 1864 and, once again, Wigston, was the point at which the new route connected with the existing main line.
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“The growing importance of Wigston as a railway junction was finally confirmed less than a decade later when the Midland Railway added a connecting south curve in 1871 to complete the triangle and improve route availability for trains.”
The book, priced £25, is available at The Signal Box model railway shop in Anstey. Email southcurve1871@gmail.com for further details.
