Haselour and Elford Station

The picture below shows the former station Elford and Haselour or Haselour and Elford (in its day it was called both). 

Key dates

1 July 1850

Station opens as Haselour

1 November 1855

renamed Haselour and Elford

1 September 1864

renamed Elford and Haselour

1 April 1904

renamed Haselour

5 May 1914

renamed Elford

31 March 1952

Station closes

The station was opened in 1850 by the Midland Railway (one of the largest of the railway companies in the Uk early 20th Century) on the line between Tamworth and Burton upon Trent built by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.

It had 2 platforms on either side of a double track with conventional Midland Railway buildings, it was used by the villages of Elford, Haselour and Harlaston, with nearest stations being Tamworth and Catton. During the war the station was also used to shelter wagons used to transport goods including munitions with the home guard called on to patrol to keep them safe. 

By 1951 the station was running at a loss of £400 a year - equivalent to £15,000 in todays money with only 5 people regularly using the train on a daily basis. Subsidence on the main line meant that to keep the station running would require major investment with the line being raised and buildings demolished and despite a petition signed by over 100 residents the station was closed on 31st March 1952, it reopened for freight traffic and transporting goods from 1954 to 1973. 

This photograph has been shared by Mary Tiso and Mick Brown and would have been taken shortly before its closure.

Stationmasters

• Robert F. Sharpe ca. 1859 - 1891

• James Collins 1891 - 1895 (formerly station master at Branston, afterwards station master at Barton and Walton)

• Zachary Gilbert 1895 - 1902 (afterwards station master at Aldridge)

• W. Beasley 1902 - 1908 (formerly station master at Aldridge)

• Frederick Swain 1908 - 1914 (formerly station master at Croxall, afterwards station master at Desford)

• H. Salt from 1914

• John Molineux 1922 - 1940

• C.C. Clarke 1941 - 1943 (afterwards station master at Borrowash)

• J. Redmond 1943