About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
About REALLY SideTracked - Mickleover Station
Mickleover railway station is a disused railway station serving the village of Mickleover, Derbyshire, England, (now part of the city of Derby). It was opened by the Great Northern Railway on its Derbyshire Extension in 1878.
History
From Derby Friargate the line climbed at 1 in 100 for two miles southwards. On the outskirts shortly after the present Derby ring road the line entered a deep cutting leading to Mickleover Tunnel. The summit of the climb lay at the other end and, being curved, it presented a particular challenge to train drivers.
The station was about a mile north of the village along Station Road. It was labelled Mickleover for Radbourne, since it was in that parish, albeit some two miles distant. Originally it was spelt "Radburn" and, for a while, "Radbourn".
It was provided with substantial brick buildings; a two-storey station master's house and the usual single storey offices on the platforms. Regular passenger traffic finished in 1939, although it saw excursions until 1959. The station was completely closed in 1964.
The line from Friargate remained open for some years, and was used as a test track