The Causeway

The building of the CC & WR involved major earthworks to enable the railway to cross the northern end of what is now Chasewater. Now known as "The Causeway", these earthworks started as a simple embankment, crossing a valley and the Great Crane Brook. It was only when the dam at the south end of the reservoir was raised from its' previous height, early this century, to enlarge the holding capacity for the Birmingham Canal Navigation, did the Causeway find itself with a lake on each side. The northern pool is known as "Jeffrey's Pool" or "The Swag", and the larger lake, Chasewater, was known as "Norton Pool" until the 1960's.

The Causeway had to be regularly strengthened as the water movement had the effect of washing it away. The colliery company used side-tipping "Jubilee" wagons loaded with excavated colliery shale to carry out this operation. The closure of the mines in the 1960's saw the cessation of coal traffic. The end of rail traffic over the Causeway and the abandonment of the line, combined with the effects of the weather and erosion from the high water in the reservoir, caused the Causeway to fall into a state of serious disrepair.

Thus in 1982 the Preservation Society was forced to lift the track on the Causeway and commence work on an ambitious rebuilding scheme. Sadly owing to the Society's finances and lack of support, the scheme collapsed and the Preservation Society was forced to close to passenger traffic for a number of years, even though work continued on basic restoration at the Brownhills West site.

A scheme to restore the Causeway commenced in May 1993, with the basic engineering elements being completed some 11 months later. Approx. 120,000 tons of fill material were imported on to the site for grading and compaction. With the completion of one of the largest civil engineering schemes in railway preservation to be carried out to date, work was able to proceed with the opening of Norton Lakeside Station. The station was opened in December 1995.