Mansfield and Pinxton Railway - Opening

Opening

The first load of coal arrived in Mansfield on April 13, 1819 and was taken to the marketplace to be ceremoniously burnt. Costing less than £25,000 to build, its original purpose had been to carry stone and lime from Mansfield, but it soon proved its worth carrying coal. It facilitated the opening of a number of new pits, for which branches were provided, along with a branch to the Butterley Company's works at Codnor Park. Another important cargo was moulding sand from Mansfield. Although, in the long term the railway would bring prosperity to Mansfield, it initially caused a great deal of distress to the horse dealers and wagon masters, many of whom lost their livelihood. In 1832 a coach was introduced each Thursday (the market day) for second and third class passengers from the Boat Inn at Pinxton Wharf.

Lack of transport had for a century put the Leicestershire miners at a disadvantage, but in 1832, they opened the Leicester and Swannington Railway. The Nottinghamshire miners, therefore proposed extending the M & P.R. via the Erewash Valley, to Leicester, but found it difficult to raise finance, being still well-served by the canal network. Meanwhile there were a number of ambitious railways schemes in the air. In the early 1830s the M & P.R. had been approached by the proposed London Northern Railway, and in 1833 another abortive venture, the Midland Grand Junction Railway, proposed to take it over. The M & P.R. owners therefore decided to promote a connection between Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, to be called the Midland Counties Railway.