This bridge, carrying the Lincoln Avoiding Line over the River Witham in the foreground and the drain beyond, behind the garages, was the City's longest railway bridge. It was 96 metres, (315 feet), long.

The Firth Road premises of what is now Siemens can be seen through and beyond the bridge.

The Avoiding Line opened in 1882 as a railway bypass around the City, part of the route of the Great Eastern and Great Northern Joint Railway carrying trains between East Anglia, to south Yorkshire and beyond.

This part of that route was closed in 1983 and dismantled the following year, at which time this bridge was demolished.

Peter Grey Archive, 1984

The Lincoln Avoiding Line opened in 1882 as a railway bypass around the City centre to carry, principally, goods trains.

Using this through trains did not require the closure of the level crossings and trains from most directions could also access the Lincoln Holmes Yard, again avoiding level crossings.

It was closed in 1983 and the route dismantled the following year. Much of the track bed has disappeared under housing and commercial redevelopments.

Peter Grey Archive, 1984

The Lincoln Avoiding Line opened in 1882 as a railway bypass around Lincoln City centre.

At its eastern end was Greetwell Junction, the place where the new route connected with the line to Sleaford, also opened in 1882, together with a new line eastwards to link with the line to Boston, opened in 1848.

The Avoiding Line closed in 1983 and in this view the demolition train can be seen in the left background.

Peter Grey Archive, 1984

For 102 years, 1882 to 1984, the lower end of Lincoln High Street was crossed by this bridge.

It carried the Lincoln Avoiding Line at a high level around the south of the City, providing a route for trains not needing to disrupt traffic by passing over the level crossings in the City centre.

his bridge will be well remembered for the inspired advertising slogan it carried in its later years, shown in this view.

Peter Grey Archive, 1984

Work starts on building Lincoln's new bus station on land previously occupied by the Grand Hotel and Norman Street.

Ongoing work to a new 1,000 space multi-storey car park visible in the background.

DB 23 March 2017

Ongoing construction of the new bus station and multi-storey car park beyond.

DB 17 July 2017

Date stone on the 1978 bus station photographed while demolition was ongoing.

DB 15 September 2016

View from Platform 4 with the St Mary le Wigford Church visible in the background to the left.

DB Cargo 66 051 "Maritime Intermodal Four" passing through the station.

DB 30 July 2019

"Railway station with attached footbridge, platform building, yard walls and railing. 1848, with later C19 and C20 alterations. Possibly by Joseph Cubitt or JH Taylor of London for the Great Northern Railway Co."

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1388752 

DB 31 January 2013

"High Street Signal Box was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1874.

It is an early surviving example of a GNR box, the oldest being Barnby Moor & Sutton of 1872.

GNR signal boxes were the least standardised of any of the major railway companies because they were often contracted out to local builders.

While the design was broadly set in 1871 - including gabled roofs with elaborate bargeboards and finials - there were many variations in detail and almost every box built in the 1870s was slightly different.

High Street combines the typical gabled roof and finials with unusual fleur-de-lys ridge cresting.

As well as controlling railway signalling, the box controls the level crossing barriers and traffic signals.

In 1925, when the crossing gates were electrified, an extension was built to the west to meet these operational need"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392292 

No longer in use. 

DB 30 July 2019

"JOHN GREENFIELD RUDDOCK 

1916 - 1997

THIS PLAQUE IS PLACED IN MEMORY OF JACK RUDDOCK, FORMER COUNCILLOR OF THE CITY OF LINCOLN. RESPECTED LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND ENTHUSIASTIC RAILWAY HISTORIAN, AUTHOR AND COLLECTOR. 

UNVEILED 17 OCTOBER 1998 ON THE 150" ANNIVERSARY OF LINCOLN CENTRAL STATION"

Author of Lord Willoughby's Railway, The Railway History of Lincoln, Boothby Graffoe and Somerton Castle, Clayton Wagons Ltd: Manufacturers of Railway Carriages and Wagons 1920 to 1930 & Alesia de Lacy, 1281-1348. 

DB 30 July 2019

Now on display at Lincoln Central Railway Station however a plaque beneath explains :-

"The above plaque was originally located at Lincoln St Marks Station and was removed when that Station closed.

A rededication ceremony was performed by the Right Reverend the Bishop of Lincoln on Sunday 5 May 1985"

DB 30 July 2019

"East Holmes Signal Box was opened by the Great Northern Railway in May 1873. It is the second oldest GNR box to survive, the earliest being Barnby Moor & Sutton (1872) ... 

In 1910 the original lever frame was replaced with a 35-lever one by McKenzie & Holland ...

East Holmes is unusual in being constructed entirely of timber".

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1391954 

DB 18 September 2019 

Visiting special trains are usually parked opposite Great Northern Terrace for the duration of their stay.

"4965 Rood Ashton Hall is a 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive ...

The engine operates in its Great Western Railway green livery, and performs regularly on the Shakespeare Express, operated by Vintage Trains, between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as various excursions ...

This locomotive was previously identified as 4983 Albert Hall, having been rebuilt in 1962 using parts from both original engines Albert Hall and Rood Ashton Hall"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_4900_Class_4965_Rood_Ashton_Hall 

DB 8 December 2012

Visiting special trains are usually parked opposite Great Northern Terrace for the duration of their stay.

Scots Guardsman "6115 was built in 1927 by the North British Locomotive Company in Springburn, Glasgow.

It was named Scots Guardsman in 1928 after the Scots Guards.

After receiving smoke deflectors, it starred in the 1936 film Night Mail.

6115 was rebuilt in 1947 with a new tapered type 2A boiler, and was painted in LMS 1946-style black livery.

It was the first of the rebuilt engines to receive smoke deflectors and the only one to run with them as an LMS engine.

It was renumbered 46115 by British Railways in 1948 and was withdrawn in January 1966"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Royal_Scot_Class_6115_Scots_Guardsman 

DB 9 November 2014 

Level crossings in Lincoln have been the subject of controversy in the City since 1848 when the City Council received a petition expressing concern from a number of townspeople.

Since that time they have been a controversial issue and remain so today.

Details can be found in The Railway History of Lincoln, by Ruddock and Pearson, 1974.

Over the years their number has been reduced but that over the High Street remains.

Here, in 1982, the traditional crossing gates were being replaced with lifting barriers, an improvement to reduce street closure times.

Peter Grey Archive, 1969

The Great Central Railway opened their new warehouse on Holmes Yard on 8 July 1907 but it became surplus to requirements after the Railway Grouping in 1923.

At that time, along with the Great Eastern and the Great Northern Railways in the City they all became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).

The LNER decided to concentrate their sack hire service to farmers at four locations, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, York and Lincoln and this became the Lincoln sack depot.

It closed in 1963, becoming for some years a builders' merchant, in which guise it is seen here.

It survives today but now as the Library of the University of Lincoln which occupies the site of the former Holmes goods yard.

Peter Grey Archive, c.1980

Lincolnshire's first main railway station, originally called simply "Lincoln", it was renamed Lincoln St Marks in 1950.

Opened in 1846 and built by the Midland Railway the attractive architecture of the lines buildings was particularly impressive.

It became the City's main station in 1965 when trains to London were diverted here from the City's other station.

With major alterations to the railway layout in Lincoln in 1985 it was closed but this building has been successfully converted as part of the shopping centre here and this view is little changed.

Peter Grey Archive, 1981

Former Wheelhouse controlling the level crossing gates across High Street.

Central Methodist Church, further down the High Street, just visible at the right hand edge of this image.

Building now occupied by Mr. Chippy. 

DB 30 July 2019 

"RAILWAY WHEELHOUSE 

BUILT IN THE 1880's AS ACCOMMODATION FOR THE LEVEL CROSSING KEEPER FOR THE MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.

FROM 1926 IT HOUSED THE MACHINERY AND OPERATOR FOR THE MECHANICALLY OPERATED CROSSING GATES ON THE APPROACH TO THE FORMER LINCOLN ST MARK'S STATION.

THIS USE CEASED IN 1985 WHEN THE RAILWAY CLOSED"

DB 29 July 2019  

This undated photograph shows the workers' car of a Lincoln tram passing over the level crossing on High Street by St Mary le Wigford Church, Lincoln.

"THE OPENING OF THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS 23-11-05"

Gatehouse Inn, Bracebridge pictured in the background.

Card postmarked 1st March 1906

Former Tramway Depot on the corner of Newark Road and Ellison Street. 

"The electric tramway system belongs to the Corporation and is being converted (1920) to the overhead trolley system"

"ELECTRIC TRAMWAY Between Lincoln and Bracebridge every few minutes"

"Tramway Depot Stanley Clegg manager"

Directory of the City of Lincoln published by JW Ruddock & Sons in 1919. 

DB 28 January 2019

Circa 1951 British Railways Map of Lincolnshire by Blake - displayed at National Railway Museum, York.

DB 12 January 2020