| Northampton steam train water tower restoration back on track - Nov 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:27, 14th November 2026 |     |
This topic was something of a challenge for me: I had to start a new topic here and add a definition on our Coffee Shop forum's 'abbreviations & acronyms' page for NLR. I can only apologize that I hadn't even heard of the Northampton & Lamport Railway before now - but I post here now, for your information and enjoyment.
From the BBC:
Northampton steam train water tower restoration back on track
The water tower once stood at Northampton railway station - Image © Northampton & Lamport Railway
A metal water tower thought to be more than 100 years old that was used to replenish steam locomotives is to be restored by a team of enthusiasts.
Members of Northampton & Lamport Railway have taken delivery from Network Rail of the "parachute-style" water tower that used to stand at Northampton railway station.
After securing a £30,000 grant from the Railway Heritage Trust, the charity said it would be restored over several months and installed at Boughton, just a few miles from its original home.
The group said the tower had lived just north of Spencer Bridge Road for "decades, even following the end of steam". It was moved from the area in the early 2020s and was going to be restored by Network Rail to "serve mainline steam charter trains elsewhere in the country".
The group's Dan Callis said its components had been collected from Tyseley in Birmingham, after it had been donated by Network Rail, and taken to shot-blasters in Brixworth, near Northampton, for cleaning and priming.
"It will then be delivered to the railway where our engineering team will undertake a detailed assessment of the work needed," he said. "There are likely to be a number of parts that need either repair work or complete replacement due to corrosion."
(BBC article continues)
The water tower once stood at Northampton railway station - Image © Northampton & Lamport Railway
A metal water tower thought to be more than 100 years old that was used to replenish steam locomotives is to be restored by a team of enthusiasts.
Members of Northampton & Lamport Railway have taken delivery from Network Rail of the "parachute-style" water tower that used to stand at Northampton railway station.
After securing a £30,000 grant from the Railway Heritage Trust, the charity said it would be restored over several months and installed at Boughton, just a few miles from its original home.
The group said the tower had lived just north of Spencer Bridge Road for "decades, even following the end of steam". It was moved from the area in the early 2020s and was going to be restored by Network Rail to "serve mainline steam charter trains elsewhere in the country".
The group's Dan Callis said its components had been collected from Tyseley in Birmingham, after it had been donated by Network Rail, and taken to shot-blasters in Brixworth, near Northampton, for cleaning and priming.
"It will then be delivered to the railway where our engineering team will undertake a detailed assessment of the work needed," he said. "There are likely to be a number of parts that need either repair work or complete replacement due to corrosion."
(BBC article continues)
Please do read the full BBC article, for more details, if you are interested.
CfN.
