Description:
Images NTGM022250-NTGM 022256 are all thought to show members of the Houlden family, believed to be of Ranby, Nottinghamshire (see NTGM022248 and NTGM022249). It is presumed that they had family connections at New Bolingbroke.
A Muir-Hill tractor (CFW 859 - a registration issued by Lincolnshire (Lindsey) County Council from 1945 onwards) in the goods yard at New Bolingbroke station. Looking west with the platform buildings in the background.
Muir-Hill were a Manchester firm based at Old Trafford, first established in the early 1920s. They built initially rather basic narrow gauge railway locomotives and agricultural and construction plant based on Fordson tractors, but from 1927 particularly specialized in manufacturing dump trucks and shovels, again based on Fordson vehicles. During the Second World War 14,000 dumpers were made for the Ministry of Supply and after the end of hostilities Muir-Hill bought up surplus machines in order to stop the market being flooded and converted them for farm use as the 'Powercart'. This example was very probably one such and is seen here apparently fitted with a tipper body. The rake or fork lodged behind the numberplate might give a clue to the nature of the load being delivered to or collected from the railway station.
New Bolingbroke was situated on the ex-Great Northern Railway 'New Line' from Kirkstead to Little Steeping, a 15-mile 'cut-off' that linked Sheffield and Lincoln directly with Skegness without the need for a detour southwards and a reversal at Boston. It was a very late addition to the railway network, not opening until 1913. New Bolingbroke was temporarily closed as a wartime economy measure from 1915 to 1923 but then lasted for goods traffic until 1964 and passengers until 1970, when the line closed completely.