The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire. History Overview The Midland Railway – Butterley lies on the Ambergate to Pye Bridge line of the old Midland Railway, a line once connecting the Derwent Valley branch of Midland Main Line to the Erewash Valley. A branch leading to the south to Ripley station was in use from 1889 until 1923. The sole historical station on the line is Butterley, which opened in 1875. The current line extends westwards from Codnor Park Junction on the Erewash Valley Line, although the present-day heritage line terminates at Hammersmith. The line currently runs for from Hammersmith via Butterley, Swanwick Junction and Riddings to Ironville. It is operated and maintained by the Midland Railway Trust. Use The Ambergate to Pye Bridge line, during its operation, was used to serve the collieries of Marehay, Hartshay, Pentrich, Swanwick and Britain Pit. The current Swanwick Junction station lies on the former site of Brand's Colliery. The line also provided rail access for the site of the Butterley Company. The railway is also home to the narrow gauge Golden Valley Light Railway, which opened in 1991. It partially lies on the trackbed of a former plateway built by the Butterley Company in 1813 to connect its iron works facilities in Butterley to nearby Codnor Park. Closure and restoration The line was closed in 1968 and the process of restoring the line started in 1973. Much of the former track bed was razed in 1976, when the nearby section of the A38 was constructed between Ripley and Alfreton; the route of the A610 between the Ripley roundabout and Buckland Hollow lies mostly on the route of the former line. The first preservation services started operating in 1981. Stations and attractions of the Midland Railway - Butterley Hammersmith Hammersmith is the western terminus of the line; the station consists of two platforms and the secondary line is used as a run-around loop. A signal box is present at the eastern end of the station and the A38 is visible from the platform to the west. Butterley Butterley is the headquarters of the Midland Railway – Butterley. The station consists of a double platform and the station building; the original brick-built buildings were demolished after the line closed. The new station building, acquired from Whitwell railway station, is made of stone and contains a shop