Middle Forge Junction

Dean Forest Railway

Legend Severn and Wye Railway Parkend Station Crossing Parkend Whitemead Park Crossing Oakenwood No.3 Crossing Oakenwood No.2 Crossing Oakenwood No.1 Crossing Grove Road Crossing Whitecroft Crossing B4234 Whitecroft Mineral Loop on S&WR Tufts Bridge over River Lyd S&WR to Princess Royal Colliery Tufts Junction Norchard High Level/Low Level Middle Forge Crossing Middle Forge Junction Lydney High Street B4234 Lydney Town St Mary's Halt Pidcock's Canal Lydney Bypass Crossing over A48 River Lyd Lydney Junction Link Road Lydney Junction for Gloucester to Newport Line

Middle Forge Junction is an important junction on the Dean Forest Railway.

History

A 1911 RCH map of railways in the vicinity of Middle Forge Junction.

Railways and Canals of the Forest of Dean
Railways legend Waterways legend
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Mitcheldean Road Ross and Monmouth Railway Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Lydbrook Junction Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean Jn Ry Drybrook Quarry Drybrook Halt Nailbridge Halt Lower Lydbrook Steam Mills Crossing Halt Upper Lydbrook Churchway Colliery Whimsey Halt Mineral Loop Drybrook Road Coleford Railway Serridge Platform Cinderford New Wimberry Quarry Whitecliff Quarry Speech House Road Bilson Halt Bicslade Tramroad Ruspidge Halt Bicslade Wharf Staple Edge Halt Eastern United Colliery Coleford (CR) Upper Soudley Halt Coleford (S&WR) Bullo Cross Halt Gloucester to Newport Line Milkwall Newnham Parkhill Colliery Ruddle Road Halt New Fancy Colliery Howbeach Colliery Parkend Forest of Dean Central Railway Whitecroft Awre for Blakeney Tufts Junction & Mineral Loop Norchard River Severn Middle Forge Junction Lydney Town Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Gloucester and Sharpness Canal St Mary's Halt Sharpness Lydney Junction Sharpness Docks Lydney Sharpness Branch Line Upper Forge Lydney Harbour Pidcock's Canal Lydney Canal Lower Forge Gloucester to Newport Line River Severn

The junction is where the Lydney to Parkend (High Level) and Lydney to Norchard (Low Level) lines meet.

The name Middle Forge was chosen because the junction is close to one of three Forges in valley of the River Lyd.

One forge is located near to Tufts Junction and the other past Lydney Junction.

Middle Forge is 450 yards (410 m) away from Norchard and consists of a three lever ground frame locked by a Token.^[1][2][3]

The Norchard Low-Level outer home is located on the Lydney Town side of the junction and is interlocked with the ground frame.

The signal is the longest pull from Norchard 'box and is worked from lever No. 13.^[4][5]

A cable tensioner is located behind the lever frame to help with expansion and contraction of the cable over its length.^[6]

See also

• Dean Forest Railway

References