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Number 1379 (Items 1662 - 1777 & MR 100 - 108) (E-BLN 100 PAGES) 26 Jun 2021

BRANCH LINE NEWS

Distribuendi notitia, verbi disseminandi
Published 24 times a year by the Branch Line Society; founded 1955.

branchline.uk https://www.facebook.com/BranchLineSociety/

Membership queries: Lisa Sheppard [email protected]
186 Anlaby Park Road South, Hull, HU4 7BU. 07873354464

British Isles news from members; an international section is available.
Opinions are not necessarilyathvaoislaebolef .the Compilers or the Society.

.. BLN 1380 is dated Sat 10 Jul; all contributions by Wed 30 Jun please.

1662] :IMPORTANT MESSAGE:: A reminder that material in the 'Members only' part of our website
is for the personal use of our members only please - that is anything you have to log in to view.
It was surprising and very disappointincigettyo. Sfoincidetyt.hat a member had recently shared a file with a
Facebook group of over 5,000 members without permission. Not only is this discourteous, to say the
least, but it also heightens the potential for a third party to breach the copyright of the original
photographer/s and may discourage people from submitting photographs for BLN in future.

.Date Event and details….... Please book online BLN Lead Status
Fri 2 Jul OPEN
The Europort Explorer, Edinburgh - Carlisle - York 1374 MG

Sat 3 Jul The Sinfin Syphon railtour, York - Sinfin - York 1374 MG Waiting list

Sun 4 Jul The Primary Colours railtour, York - Crewe - York 1374 MG Waiting list

Mon 5 Jul The Zuzzy Syphon tour, York - Falkirk Grahamston 1374 MG Waiting list

Sun 18 Jul Ashton Packet Boat Yard NG Railway, Guide Bridge 1356 MG Waiting list

19-21 Jul The Great Scott (service train tracker) 1376 TG OPEN

Sat 31 Jul The Thanet Thunderer Class 50s to Margate 1374 MG OPEN

Sun 8 Aug NEW DATE The Castleton and Woodside Light Railways 1367 MG Waiting list

13-17 Aug BLS Silesian Explorer (Poland) PLEASE SEE BELOW 1369 IS POSTPONED
Mon 30 Aug 09.30 Scunthorpe Steel Works railtour No22 1364 MG Waiting list

Mon 30 Aug Normanby Hall Miniature evening running TBA MG POSTPONED

16-19 Sep Niedersachsen Explorer PROVISIONALLY 22-25 Apr 2022 1370 PG POSTPONED

Sat 20 Nov Provisional AGM weekend, location to be advised 1371 TBA Claimed

MG = Mark Gomm (back page); IS = Iain Scotchman (back page); PG = Paul Griffin; TG = Tom Gilby (back page).

1663] European Tours: With the current major uncertainty regarding travelling to Poland or Germany
(or indeed anywhere), confidence in any overseas travel is understandably at a low ebb. Although this
situation may change in July with the potential introduction of Covid Passports for travel (the existing
NHS app may fulfill the role), this will be too late for our European tours planned for this summer, the
Silesian Explorer (13-17 Aug 2021) and the Niedersachsen Explorer (16-19 Sep 2021). To allay these
ongoing concerns over travel, we have made the decision to defer both these railtours.

Furthermore, we have recently been advised that the planned routing of the Niedersachsen Explorer
would now be affected by major track replacement which will close one of the lines on our planned
dates. The Bundeswehr lines are currently not available due to the pandemic, making deferral the best
option. The provisional dates for the Niedersachsen Explorer are 22-25 Apr 2022 (note four days).
New dates for the Silesian Explorer are under discussion and will be announced as soon as possible.
To maintain your booking pending the announcement of our new dates, take no further action.
Alternatively if you now wish to cancel and receive a full refund, please contact our bookings officer.

1379 BLN GENERAL (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
1664] Early Railway Memories (55); Michael Yardley, Part 1: (Member 300) Railways were peripheral
to my life in Liverpool, growing up in the 1950s. All local travel was by bus, our neighbourhood having
frequent services. The Cheshire Lines Committee Aintree line passed a few hundred yards away from
my home and its freight trains could often be heard clanking along behind 4Fs and WDs, together with
a sparse passenger service until withdrawn from 7 Nov 1960. Visits to friends and family in the Wirral
were always by bus and ferry, using the very convenient 'Transport Hubs' at Woodside and Seacombe
Pier Heads long before the term was coined. With the wind in the right direction, the sounds of
shunting at Edge Hill Yards, and steam locos propelling their freight trains to the Top of Gridiron(s),
delayed my sleep on many nights, despite the distance of a mile and a half. Although my father had no
interest in railways, he took me for a ride on the Liverpool Overhead Railway shortly before closure at
the end of 1956. We stood for some time at Herculaneum Dock station, watching wagons of coal
being tipped into ships' holds. Unfortunately we didn't progress to Dingle terminus or at the other end
beyond Seaforth Sands to Seaforth & Litherland, as my father insisted there was nothing of interest!

Holidays did, however, require the use of trains. The earliest I recall was to Colwyn Bay; I remember
playing on the beach and seeing trains pass above on the cliff top, including a push-pull which I was
delighted to learn was the 'Welsh Dragon', plying between Llandudno and Rhyl. I also recall riding on a
'toastrack' tram on the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway, but don't know how far. In 1955 we
took a Cornish holiday in Perranporth, changing from the Liverpool to Penzance express, which had
made its leisurely way down the North & West route then through the Severn Tunnel. One day we
visited an elderly relative in Newquay, so I covered the Chacewater to Newquay line (CP 4 Feb 1963)
in full. Our return home was via London to visit family. The next year we holidayed in Minehead, this
time staying in London on the way out and returning via the Severn Tunnel. I was given my first ever
'I-Spy on a Train' Journey, to while away the hours and this started my interest in how railways work.

For 1957 and 1958 holidays we went to Criccieth, on the Cambrian Coast. There was, if I remember
correctly, a through service from Lime Street to Pwllheli via Rhyl and Caernarvon, from which we had
to change to a coast line service at Afon Wen (named 'if and when' we get there by another family at
the same hotel!). One year a strike of coach drivers coincided with our holiday, so vast numbers of
Liverpudlians had to resort to the trains to reach their holiday destinations in North Wales. British
Railways (BR) mobilised every carriage which could turn a wheel and every available locomotive and
crew to despatch trains to the North Wales coast as rapidly as humanly possible; reservations were
cancelled and hopeful passengers formed a queue out of Lime Street and three times round the block!

Suffice to say that we, and everyone else, got there in the end. On the 1958 trip my father realised just
beforehand that he had mislaid our seat reservation tickets. The lack of any remaining Second Class
reservations forced an upgrade to First. At Chester a very posh lady opened the door to our (full)
compartment and announced that she couldn't find her reserved seat so we were all to move up.
Dad's response was robust but just about polite! We also visited the infant Festiniog (sic) Railway in
both those years, to Penrhyndeudraeth (ROP 20 Apr 1957) and then to Tan-y-Bwlch (ROP 5 Apr 1958).

1665] From an 'A Level' Gricing exam paper (1): What is the cheapest and/or shortest Advance ticket
journey now available? (2): Which two platform NR station has each platform in a different county?
(3): What is the difference between a passenger and a customer on the railways - debate (500 words)?

1666] Points & Slips: ●● BLN 1377.1389] This asked if any other boxes were named after mythical
creatures besides Dragon, at Harrogate. One day they will mostly be so named. The 'ROC' is a mythical
giant bird (as in Sinbad the Sailor, etc)! Not a signal box, but is Pomona (Metrolink) the only British
tram stop named after a mythical creature? (Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit; this area of the
country was so named due to 'the abundance of horticulture', to which we must add, at that time!)

●●BLN 1378.1499] Crianlarich Lower should also have had '' as it had through trains from/to Euston
in summer 1957 but is not part of the current NR network and thus 23 locations are in that category. In
this item Groesion station should have been Groeslon (between Carnarvon (in 1957) and Afon Wen).

●●1620] The first day of the MER season was Sat 22 May (not Thur 27th) but the report still applies.

●●1643] In South Wales the Pacers latterly ran in multiple with Class 150 DMUs. In tandem running
refers to traction units controlled by separate drivers, such as steam locomotives or diesels that have
incompatible multiple control systems or none. The latter includes most Class 47s.

1667] BLN Pictorial: Thanks to our members Chris Totty and Phil Logie, our 15th BLN Pictorial is now
available to logged in members. It is the Horsham to Christ's Hospital and Shoreham-by-Sea line on
4 Dec 1965 with 31 photos (including West Grinstead station) and two timetables. The closure date
was to have been 1 Nov 1965, but as the closure notice shows, this was postponed until 6 Dec 1965.

Chris and his father planned a day excursion by car, visiting all the stations and have a trip on the line.
They discovered the closure had been postponed again due to difficulties with the licensing procedure
for the replacement buses, but no new date was given. After visiting all the stations, it was getting dark,
so they decided to call it a day and went home without travelling, promising themselves another visit.

One of those 'I wish I hadn't done that days!' They later discovered that closure would be 7 Mar 1966
but unfortunately were unable to go for a trip so all Chris ended up with was this selection of photos.
The line was double track; Shoreham - Beeding Cement Works had freight traffic until the early 1980s.

The 17 Sep 1956 to 16 Jun 1957 timetable is included with Holland Road Halt (CP 7 May 1956) 'closed'.
If anyone has the final 1965 timetable it would be a nice addition to the Pictorial. There is a Guildford
to Horsham timetable for the same period also as it was on the same page in the timetable book.

1379 EAST MIDLANDS (Graeme Jolley) [email protected]
1668] Wymington Deviation: (BLN 1378.1509) The crossovers from Wellingborough P3 & 4 to the Up
Fast are new and part of requadrupling (TRACKmaps 4 p9D 2018). Previously, once an Up train was
past Wellingborough North Jn on the (then single) bidirectional Up & Down Slow, it had to go via
Wellingborough P3 and the Wymington Deviation, but this is no longer the case. All six Sharnbrook Jn
(56m 52ch) crossovers are 20mph restricted ('emergency' crossovers) so would not be used routinely
from the Up Fast to access the platform lines at Bedford as it would cause delay. However…

On Sat 19 & Sun 20 Jun the line through Market Harborough was closed and thinned out long distance
EMR diesel services were diverted via Corby. They called at Wellingborough, Kettering (for buses to/
from Market Harborough) and Corby. The EMU service (1tph) ran St Pancras - Wellingborough. Most,
if not all, Down EMUs called at Bedford P4 on the Down fast then used two of the aforementioned
20mph crossovers at Sharnbrook Jn to run via the Wymington Deviation and then turn back in P3 at
Wellingborough. In the Up direction, EMUs took the Up Fast south of Wellingborough crossing at
Bedford North Jn to make the Bedford call. With Market Harborough electrification this may recur.

1669] Scunthorpe - Roxby: Biffa Waste Management expects to deposit around 1M tonnes of inert
waste per year at Roxby Gullet. A third is due to come by rail from the new Renwick Road Terminal in
Barking (BLN 1377.1345); a train is now running most days (SuX). By 2025 Biffa plans to transport 50%
of all its waste by rail. Services also currently operate from Leeds (Whitehall Road) & Manchester
(Collyhurst Street). As well as around eight Biffa trains a week, there is also a daily (SuX) train of inert
waste from the ECO Power Environmental Rossington terminal near Doncaster.

1670] EMR: Service increases were implemented with the May timetable but there have since been
significant cancellations. It is believed that this is due to various factors including shortage of crew and
trains. Consequently, EMR introduced a revised SuX timetable from 19 Jun cancelling some services:

Liverpool - Nottingham - Norwich &Newark Castle - Crewe: 7 cancelled each way. Nottingham -
Mansfield all cancelled; just hourly Nottingham - Worksop. Newark - Lincoln: 9 each way. There are
also cuts on other lines, Sunday changes are mostly related to strike action. Check before travelling.

1671] Corby - Manton Jn, exorcist required! (BLN 1378.1512) The 10.45 from St Pancras (11.52 from
Corby) to Melton Mowbray and 13.15 return are WX as the line is possessed from 11.10 until 14.30 on
alternate Wednesdays. Presumably this permanent feature is to allow for track inspections.

On Wednesdays, after Corby, the train sits in Corby North Run Round Loop ECS (hard luck) from 11.58
to 13.45 instead of going to Melton Mowbray and back. Understandably no freight is scheduled either.

1672] Corby: (BLN 1377.1361) It has emerged that EMUs first began working public services between
Corby and Kettering on Sun 9 May 2021 (rather than Mon 10th) with photographic evidence provided.

1379 GREATER LONDON (Geoff Brockett) [email protected]
1673] London Railfreight Strategy: This has been established by stakeholders to answer the question:
How do we accommodate future rail freight requirements in the London area in a context of increasing
passenger and freight demand? (Full document with e-BLN.) Five core interventions are proposed:

(1): Reinstatement of a third track and platform on the northern side of Camden Road. This would
become the new eastbound route, with P2 used to reverse additional passenger services from
Stratford that are likely to be needed in future. The extra platform would also aid service recovery
during disruption. This proposal would presumably affect the Camden Highline project (BLN 1371.515).

(2): Move Kensal Green Jn slightly east and realign for higher speeds. Eastbound freight from the
City Goods Lines is 10mph restricted over the junction and 15mph in the other direction. It would
improve the interval between movements over the junction from at least four minutes to a minimum
of three. This relatively minor scheme could significantly improve capacity and performance here.

(3): Move the West London Line AC/DC changeover point from North Pole Jn to Shepherd's Bush
station. At present, London Overground trains slow down for the changeover and Southern services
actually stop. Making the change during the station stop could free up two timetable paths per hour.

(4): Reinstate Clapham Junction disused P1 as a P0. TfL aspires to increase the West London Line
service to 6tph. This cannot be handled at the existing P1 and, without another bay, would require
some trains to reverse in P17. This would mean the LO services departing from the opposite sides of a
large station blocking Southern and freight trains heading for the Brighton Main Line while using P17.
(5): Signalling enhancements to facilitate three minute headways on the North London, West London
and Gospel Oak to Barking Lines. ETCS digital signalling would be the easiest way to achieve this.

Further long-term proposals: (1): Double Harlesden Jn to remove a bottleneck and increase the line
speed to align with the proposed increase at Kensal Green Jn (above), only one mile away.

(2): Move the AC/DC changeover point on the West London Line even further south to Kensington
(Olympia). This would be beneficial if future freights were electrically hauled by dual fitted AC/DC
locos, as the track is level here, but starts to rise just south of Shepherd's Bush. Class 92s already have
this equipment of course, but normally only work freight through the Channel Tunnel and over HS1.

(3): Lengthen the Up Channelsea Loop (at Lea Jn end) for 775m trains to clear Stratford Central Jn.

(4): Realign Nunhead Jn to increase line speed towards Lewisham. It is presently 25mph over the
junction which follows the rising gradient from Peckham Rye. This would aid right time presentation
over the junctions at Lewisham and clear the junction more quickly for following Catford Loop trains.

(5): Increase the speed through Longhedge Jn (currently 25mph) and Gospel Oak Jn (20mph).
(6): A new Bowes Park crossover to utilise the future ECML (south) ETCS bidirectional signalling. Up
freights could then run over the Down Hertford Flyover to Ferme Park Yard or the Harringay Curve.

(7): Removing general heavy axle weight restrictions, particularly the Gospel Oak - Barking line,
where heavy axle weight trains are subject to a blanket 20mph restriction over a long section.

(8): Formal publication of W10 clearance between Kensal Green Jn and Acton Wells Jn, currently
only published as W9, but has been used for diversions of W10 intermodal traffic in the recent past.

(9): North London, Gospel Oak - Barking Lines and Channel Tunnel classic routes W12 clearance.

1674] Clapham Yard: By 14 Jun, Sidings 1-5 had been disconnected and the associated pointwork
leading from Siding 6 removed. This presumably makes Siding 6 available for a 10-car train to berth.
It is electrified for the entire length, despite the gap at the London end on TRACKmaps 4 p21A 2019.







X.138] BELOW: The temporary entrance at Ilford midway along P1 remains in

n use during rebuilding for Crossrail. (All three Iain Scotchman, 13 Jun 2021.)

BELOW: (Item 1674) Clapham Junction, P7 is left and then non electrified Sidin

ngs 1-5 (left to right) are disconnected. Refurbished Siding 6 is left of the shed.

BELOW: The refurbished Line 6, left of the shed, from Clapham Junction

n P7 (the Wimbledon line is off left). (Both Geoff Noakes, 14 Jun 2021.)

BELOW: Tree and rubbish clearance at Chessington South Goods in Feb 2021 -

- there is track under there, honestly, looking towards the passenger terminus.

1675] Northern Line Extension: (BLN 1378.1526) From 19 Jun, the extension from Kennington to
Battersea Power Station was to be controlled and signalled from Highgate Service Control Centre.

1676] Bethnal Green: On 9 Jun the 13.15 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria departed slightly late
from P9; the driver gave the reason as an obstruction on the track. On departure, the train was very
unusually routed via the Down Suburban, crossing to the Down Main at Bethnal Green West Jn.

1677] Crossrail: (BLN 1378.1520) From Mon 7 Jun the test operation between Westbourne Park
Sidings/Paddington and Abbey Wood increased to 8tph.

1678] Express Concrete: This company has a concrete batching plant at DB Barking Logistics Centre at
Ripple Lane. It intends to open further plants at Willesden 'F' Sidings (DC Rail) in the autumn and at
Chessington South early in 2022. That at Chessington South will be beyond the station at the former
coal depot site where vegetation clearance has already taken place. It was to have been a through line
to Leatherhead but construction stopped with WWII and never restarted; the Green Belt was a factor.

1679] Ilford: On several weekdays recently, TfL Rail departures to Liverpool Street between 12.28 and
12.58 have left from Ilford P1, after crossing from the Up Electric at Ilford Depot London End Jn.
They continued via the Up Passenger Avoiding Line to regain the Up Electric at Manor Park, so this
seems to be a good time to do the route outside the flyover. This is because both flyover avoiding lines
are used on a regular basis during cyclical maintenance around midday on the Up or Down Mains.

1680] Oxford Circus: From Nov, Westminster Council is to pedestrianise Oxford Street either side of
the Circus. As part of the scheme, two new entrances to the Underground station will be constructed.

1681] Waterloo & City Line: (BLN 1378.1497) Amending paper BLN, operation is SSuX 06.07-10.13 and
15.23-19.11 per e-BLN. Although the timetable notice shows use of each platform alternately at Bank,
when your Regional Editor did the line on the morning of 9 Jun a train was stabled in P8. The TfL press
release incorrectly said that passenger reopening was from Mon 7 Jun. There is substantial evidence
(including the two video links in BLN 1378) that it was from Fri 4 Jun at 15.42. Finally a member is
puzzled that his record of a return journey on the line in Jun 1981, when it was still run by BR, shows
him using P1 and P2 at Bank. Could present P7/8 have been so numbered then, or did he misrecord?

1379 NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE (Geoff Blyth) [email protected]
1682] Hartlepool: (BLN 1377.1383) The rear of our 12 Aug 2000 'Durham Coast' tour train reached the
start of the viaduct over the A179/A1048 roundabout on its traversal of the Docks branch. However,
the front reached the first stop board just before the junction shown at 72m 73ch in TRACKmaps 2
p45A 2020. Obviously, we need a special sort of BLS train where everybody has a seat at the right end!
(Perhaps a video camera incorporated into the headboard, with TV screens in every carriage…!)

From BLN 1014 of 1 Apr 2006: Hartlepool: The rerouted branch into the residual part of the Hartlepool
dock estate, still operated as a commercial port by the Tees & Hartlepool Port Company, was being
used some five years ago for van traffic of imported newsprint, but per BLN 1008.951 nothing has
passed for some time. It is understood that new traffics are in prospect but no definite commitments
yet. From its Lancaster Road Jn the line runs close to the main Coast passenger line for its first 10ch,
and when the Society's 'Durham Coast' railtour of 12 Aug 2000 needed to reverse to reach the Seaton
branch it did so, behind the signal, on that section despite refusal by the Port Company to allow it
further down the branch. It is interesting, therefore, that our Tees tour of 5 Nov 2005 was not allowed
to do the same and had to reverse in Hartlepool station, allegedly because the Network Rail boundary
is only 5 metres from the junction points (which is where the catch points and signal are).

Between the tracks and Lancaster Rd, half a mile north of Hartlepool station, is a hotspot for litter and
fly tipping. A NR team recently cleared the area, but the volume of rubbish dumped over the years was
too much for just a litter pick. After removing litter hidden in trees, under debris and behind fencing,
traffic cones, concrete blocks and drainage pipes, the team had to use mechanical diggers to lift 10
tonnes into skips. It included shopping trolleys, old tyres - and crisp packets dating back to the 1980s!

ABOVE: (Item 1682) Our 12 Aug 2000 'Durham Coast' railtour on the Hartlepool Docks branch, with
the elaborate bridge over the A179/A1048 roundabout (Both Rodger Wilkinson, 12 Aug 2000.)

BELOW: The front of the tour at the first stop board (just in front of the train) before
the double slip junction on the branch at 72m 73ch (see TRACKmaps 2 p45 2020).

1683] Laisterdyke West - Bowling Jn: (BLN 1378.1547) As often the case, the story is more complex
than reported. The 03.32 SuX Leeds to Halifax was withdrawn from 6 Jan 1969 in error, due to a failure
to either instigate or complete statutory closure proceedings. There was no BLN report of this in late
1968 or early 1969. However, it was reported in the Feb 1969 'SLS Journal' by our PSUL compiler.

Subsequent issues reported that the service resumed 31 Mar 1969 with an 06.27 Leeds to Halifax,
until withdrawn from 9 Jun 1969. BLN 128 of 23 Apr 1969 listed this passenger reopening and BLN 136
of 27 Aug reported 'No objections received - closure duly effected from proposed date'. The reason
this line appeared in BLN 1378 was in connection with the engineering work at Leeds (BLN 1378.1547).

Trains between York and Blackpool North ran via Bradford Interchange as normal, but unusually the
calls there and at New Pudsey were unadvertised. This was to avoid the trains being overwhelmed by
local passengers who were supposed to use replacement buses. Your NE Editor referred to the lack of
the Laisterdyke West - Bowling Jn line, which would have allowed them to run directly to/from Halifax.

1684] May 2022 ECML Timetable: The proposals have been developed by NR with passenger and
freight operators. This has involved balancing long distance high speed, regional and commuter/local
services and freight. They state that realising benefits to long distance travel on the ECML inevitably
involves changes to local and regional services. But, if you have any better ideas, the consultations:
https://bit.ly/3q7mMrm (LNER) https://bit.ly/3wFSuyy (CrossCountry) & https://bit.ly/2TMzdN3 (TPE)
- closing date is 5 Aug. Capacity constraints are greatest between Northallerton and Newcastle.

The proposed broad off peak hourly (*two hourly) SuX York to Scotland service with ECML (only) calls:
:LNER:: London - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh fast service (1 train per day (tpd) to Glasgow).
London - P'borough - Newark - Doncaster - York - Darlington* - Durham* - Newcastle - Alnmouth*
- Berwick* - Dunbar (few calls) - Edinburgh; (4tpd Aberdeen, 1tpd Inverness and 1tpd Stirling).
London - Stevenage - Grantham - York - Northallerton* - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle.
(This is a new semi fast service, note that the 1tpd to/from Sunderland is to be withdrawn.)
London* - Peterborough* - Retford* - Doncaster* - York* (1 tpd Middlesbrough).

:First East Coast Trains:: (5tpd) London - Stevenage (2tpd) - Newcastle - Morpeth - Edinburgh.

:CrossCountry:: Plymouth - York - Northallerton (most hours) - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle -
Morpeth*† - Alnmouth*† - Berwick - Reston (3 tpd) - Dunbar (2 tpd) - Edinburgh. (7tpd Glasgow*
alternate hours, 1tpd Dundee & 1tpd Aberdeen.) †Trains call at Morpeth or Alnmouth not both.
Reading - Doncaster - York - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle.

:Grand Central:: London - York - Thirsk - Northallerton - Sunderland (increases from 5tpd to 6tpd).

:TPE:: Liverpool - York - Darlington - Durham - Chester-le-Street - Newcastle. There is said to be no
capacity in May 2022 to run hourly north of Newcastle. A limited TPE service may operate between
Newcastle and/or Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh calling at Reston and Dunbar.
Manchester Airport - York - Thirsk - Northallerton (4 Up tpd may not be able to call) - Saltburn.

Leeds: :LNER:: London - Peterborough - Grantham - Doncaster - Wakefield - Leeds (1tpd Skipton).
London - Stevenage - Newark North Gate - Doncaster - Wakefield Westgate - Leeds - Harrogate*
(1tpd Bradford Forster Square and TBC 1tpd Huddersfield dep 05.50 with King's Cross dep 17.39 SuX.)

:Grand Central:: London - Doncaster - Pontefract Monkhill (3tpd) - Wakefield Kirkgate - Mirfield -
Brighouse - Halifax - Low Moor - Bradford Interchange (4tpd).

It is not clear why TPE cannot run north of Newcastle; LNER Newcastle semi fasts and the First open
access services are the only extras. Should the latter have been allowed if it conflicts with TPE's rights?

There will be 6tph between Northallerton and Newcastle, plus the 'First' 5tpd. '4½' of the six call at
Durham, (2.8M passengers in 2019/20, the same as Darlington). Chester-le-Street, with just under
0.2M passengers, has 1tph. The hourly TPE Newcastle - Manchester Airport service becomes just York
- Manchester Victoria. Most CrossCountry trains call at Northallerton in lieu of that TPE service.
The Middlesbrough train is routed via Boroughbridge Road in both directions, omitting Northallerton.

This shows the conflicts caused by the limited line capacity. The chair of the North East Joint Transport
Committee has demanded more influence over local railways and said that decisions should not be
taken by people hundreds of miles away. He claimed that secondary routes that are important to the
region had deteriorated while companies have competed 'ferociously' for passengers on trunk routes,
and that two companies running the so called 'profitable' ECML have previously gone out of business.

The Committee had strongly opposed the earlier proposal for TPE and CrossCountry services to be cut
back to York to make way for the planned 6/7 ECML tph. They consider that a good service to the
North West and the West Midlands is just as important for the region as one to London. It is almost
impossible now to run a local service on the ECML south of Newcastle where Commuter traffic is
heavier than from the north, (Durham in particular). The 'Northern Connect' Newcastle - Durham -
Middlesbrough never started due to a lack of paths on the ECML and conflicts at Tursdale Jn. One
southbound CrossCountry working will be unable to serve Leeds so runs via Doncaster. From Dec 2023,
Northern will provide an additional hourly service between Leeds and Sheffield. (See item 1760 too.)

1685] Shildon: HST power car 43102, which broke the world speed record for a diesel powered train in
1987, (148.5mph between Northallerton and York) has been decommissioned after 39 years. Owner
Porterbrook has given it to the National Railway Museum and it will find a new home at 'Locomotion'.

1686] Seaham Part 2: (BLN 1378.1536) The original area plan (by our member Rodger Wilkinson) was
dated 29 Oct 1986 but our trip was on 15 May 1987. It shows the then lifted South Hetton Waggonway
running southwest from Seaham Harbour towards South Hetton. OG 5 Aug 1833 to South Hetton
Colliery. The line was extended to Haswell Colliery on 2 Jul 1835 and had two self acting inclines.

The lower one ran from Seaham Harbour to Swine Lodge Bank Head (NZ 4263 4849). A connection
from Dawdon Signal Box (SB) joined here (NZ 4280 4874). The upper incline ran from Swine Lodge
Bank Head somewhat over a mile up Stony Cut Bank to Hesledon Bank Head (NZ 4163 4713). Murton
Colliery (NZ 4001 4734), opened Apr 1843, was at the end of a short branch running northwest from a
triangular junction west of Hesledon Bank Head. From about 1959 onwards, the new Hawthorn
Combined Mine further west (NZ 3900 4580) started winding all the coal from local collieries.

Coal for shipment via Seaham Harbour and waste for tipping into the sea from the cliff top (a local
speciality) was worked from the 'East Entrance' by NCB (National Coal Board) locos to Hesledon Bank
Head. The connection from Dawdon SB, which carried coal traffic to the BR network, closed in 1964.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s cheap oil, North Sea gas and nuclear power captured Seaham's
traditional London, South Coast and Scottish markets. Coal shipments declined from 2M tonnes
annually in the 1950s to only 329,000 tonnes in 1978. The NCB therefore decided to stop moving coal
to Seaham Harbour by rail and the line then carried only waste. Traffic from Hawthorn Combined
Mine ceased on 5 Mar 1984, at the start of the miners' strike. During the strike the local populace,
who were desperate for coal to heat their homes, dug out the Swine Lodge Bank embankment as it
was made largely from low grade coal too small to be commercially useful. After the end of the strike,
the NCB wished to continue using the line, but it was unusable and had to be abandoned. Waste from
Hawthorn Combined Mine was then disposed of in a local quarry.

The South Hetton Waggonway trackbed is still in use as a foot/cycle path, apart from the redeveloped
area around Seaham Harbour. However, the bridges under the Durham Coast line and that to Seaham
Freight Terminal (the start of the former branch to Seabanks and Dawdon Colliery) have been used
for a road to new housing. The loop from Hawthorn SB to Dawdon SB via Dawdon Colliery OG 1907.

Dawdon Colliery itself opened 5 Oct 1907 and closed on 25 Jul 1991. Hawthorn SB to Seabanks SB
CA 14 Feb 1971, but most of the line was retained for wagon storage from the Dawdon end. The
junction at Hawthorn was restored and then most of the line ROG 1 Mar 1985 to serve a coal stocking
ground southwest of Dawdon Colliery (plan BLN 1378.1536). This was to enable coal to be taken to
South Yorkshire power stations which were short of coal after the miners' strike. It went out this way
rather than via Seabanks SB due to a weak bridge; presumably it was cheaper to reconnect the line
than repair the bridge. This traffic ceased about Oct 1985 and the track was lifted by about Mar 1994.

Seabanks SB closed 25 Jul 1987, the semaphore signals were removed and the branch singled. After
closure of Dawdon Colliery the line from Dawdon SB was partly lifted by 26 Jul 1994. Dawdon SB to
Bone Mill LC ROG on 10 Jun 2002 to serve Seaham Harbour Rail Freight Terminal (still open). Dawdon
SB closed in Nov 2010, along with five other boxes on the Durham Coast Line, when their functions
were taken over by a Westcad panel in Ryhope Grange Jn SB (BLN 1369.200). A Society member has
the Dawdon Individual Function Switch panel in a shed at Alston; it is about to be renovated.

1687] Elland: (BLN 1365.3320) The possibility of a new station here has been under review since 1999!
In 2008 the New Rail Stations Study supported it. In a 2018 public consultation, 94% of respondents
were happy/very happy with the proposals as were the same proportion in a 2020 consultation.

Two trains per hour throughout the day are proposed, one each by the hourly Leeds to Wigan and
Bradford Interchange to Huddersfield services. Based on the Pre-Covid base May 2020 timetable, a
call at Elland can be accommodated in all the Leeds to Wigan services, but a Grand Central train might
need a slight retiming. Huddersfield to Bradford services would arrive two minutes later at Bradford,
which might increase 'permissive use' of P1 or 2. [Both take 10 x 20m carriages and all four platforms
are approved for permissive working for Class 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 (most unlikely!) and 0 head code workings.]

Bradford to Huddersfield services could not use their current path and then run later from Elland as
this would conflict at Bradley Jn with Huddersfield to Castleford services, tightly constrained around
TPE services. It is not possible to depart slightly earlier from Bradford as this would clash with services
to the Calder Valley. They would therefore leave Bradford 11 min later than now (XX.47). A longer
dwell time at Bradley Jn would be needed to gain a compliant path into Huddersfield, with an arrival
time of XX.28. This would give a turnround time of 7 min. This fits with Timetable Planning Rules but
could affect performance. All Grand Central services except the 14.48 and 17.27 King's Cross to
Bradford could call at Elland with minor retimings. Those two could call if the Brighouse stops were
removed. This shows how congested the network now is in West Yorkshire. The planned Transpennine
Upgrade would remove the clash with Calder Valley services and also conflicts at Bradley Jn.

With hindsight, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to close Bradford Exchange from 14 Jan 1973 with its ten
platforms, 200yds north of Interchange. The site is now occupied by Bradford Crown Court and the
inevitable car park. However, passenger numbers dropped dramatically after WWII and by 1973 it was
far too large for the traffic on offer. Interchange is shoehorned into the former Exchange approach
tracks but it could have been possible to retain a slice of the large former Bridge Street Goods station
site on the west side - now the bus station and other buildings. This could have provided another
island platform needed for present day traffic. However, in the 1970s rail traffic was expected to
decline further and British Rail was under government pressure to sell off land to raise money.

1688] Middlesbrough: The LNER train due to start in Dec provisionally departs 07.08 and King's Cross
15.25 SSuX. From May 2022 it is Middlesbrough 07.35 SuX; 09.36 SuO, and King's Cross 18.45 daily.
Azuma route learning specials were scheduled for the weeks beginning 14 & 21 Jun. Journeys to/from
Newcastle were via the Durham Coast rather than Ferryhill. They reversed on the Wilton branch after
Shell Jn, as will the service train ECS, and included the Yarm line to and from Northallerton East Jn.

1689] Saltburn: May 2022 extension of TPE services is subject to NR completing infrastructure works,
including route clearance and correct side door opening track transponders. A 'crack' Class 68 powered
test train ran Thur 17 Jun; 11.43 Milford Loop to Saltburn then 14.34 back to Gascoigne Wood Sidings.

1690] The Stainmore line: This year marks the 160th anniversary of the opening of the first sections of
the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway, from Spring Gardens Jn, West Auckland (southwest of
Bishop Auckland) to Tebay. Barnard Castle - Barras OG 26 Mar 1861, although one must wonder what
traffic can have been on offer at that remote location (NY 8443 1204)! Barras - Tebay OG 4 Jul 1861
soon followed then Barnard Castle - Tebay OP 8 Aug 1861, after a formal ceremony the previous day.
The line from West Auckland to Barnard Castle didn't open for another 18 months. The Eden Valley
Railway from Kirkby Stephen to Clifton (south of Penrith) OG 8 Apr 1862 and OP 9 Jun 1862. (cont.)

BELOW: (Item 1686) Interesting trackwork on the Seaham incline. Looking southwest from Princess Rd
/Queen Alexandra Rd towards Swine Lodge Bank Head. (By our member Brian Carter, 4 Jan 1984.)

BELOW: 37111 (right) sets off from Seabanks on 4 Jan 1984 with an unfitted
SB. At the other side of Bone Mill Level Crossing (centre left), after receiving
a train of empty wagons. Dawdon Colliery road entrance is a little way behin

d coal train out of Dawdon Colliery, heading for the main line at Dawdon
g the calling on signal to enter the Dawdon Colliery site, is 37128 (left) with
nd the camera. (Brian Carter, 4 Jan 1984.)

BELOW: (See map BLN 1378.1536) Looking north at Seabanks Box on 15 Ma
Seaham Harbour loco, (far right is one area where spoil was tipped into th
Signal Box is ahead then left. (Ian Mortimer, 15 May 1987.) Editor's note: pi

ay 1987 during a Society internal trip. To the right is the harbour line, with a
he sea) on the left is an NCB Dawdon Colliery loco. The BR line to Dawdon
icture quality can be improved by viewing from further back than normal.

BELOW: The exchange sidings between Seaham Colliery and
(NCB) loco is in the headshunt and the Seaham Harbour loco i

d Seaham Harbour. It is thought that the National Coal Board
in the background. (Ian Mortimer, 15 May 1987 Society visit.)

BELOW: (Item 1688) the gravity defying Mayor of Middlesbrough on the P2
Azuma working behind. Perhaps someone should organise a course for p

2 east end extension at the town's station with the first LNER route learning
press photographers on how to hold a camera straight? (Press Release.)

BELOW & NEXT: (item 1689) TPE test train in Saltburn P1 on the Thur 17 Jun.
2022 will make the rarer P2 (left) easier to do. Looking west towards Redca

. Extending TPE services from Redcar to Saltburn, hopefully from May
ar and Middlesbrough. (Keith Simpson, Saltburn Line Users Group.)





BELOW: (Item 1693) The Hendon branch (Sunderland South Docks), all pict
which is the headshunt from 2m 04ch parallel to Hudson Dock to 1m 64ch.

(off left), Corporation Quay is to the right. The disused far track left leads

tures by Jonathon Kirby in Jun 2021. A 10-car Grand Central train in Road 1,
. (TRACKmap 2 p45B 2020). Right is Hendon Siding from Ryhope Grange Jn
s to the loco shed (seen middle left) but the internal locos have long gone.

BELOW: 180101 & 180102 in Roads 5 & 6 shown on TRACKmaps as e

extending to 2m 17ch (the former Petrofina Terminal) respectively.

BELOW: Roads 5 (furthest left) & 6 again from a dif

fferent angle with the River Wear background right.

BELOW: 66133 for coupling/uncoupling training on t

the quayside with the River Wear in the background.





PREVIOUS & NEXT: (Item 1690) To sum it up … the 2011 sign on 7 Jun 2021. BE

ELOW: Stainmore trackbed (double) on 8 Nov 1994. (All Greg Beecroft.)





BELOW: Stainmo

ore on 4 Jan 1995.

At 1,370ft, Stainmore was the highest mainline summit in England, just pipped by Princetown, a minor
branch, at either 1,372 or 1,373 ft, depending on source! The Stainmore Line was shown as a 'main
line' (a thick line) on British Railways' timetable maps of the 1950s and early 1960s as it had a Class 1
passenger service each way, a summer dated Saturday service between South Shields/Saltburn and
Blackpool, until the end of the Summer 1961 timetable. One map showed Darlington - Kirkby Stephen
East as a main line but Kirkby Stephen East - Penrith as a minor line as it was not used by Class 1 trains
(was this so?). This was because the Blackpool train took the Kirkby Stephen East - Tebay 'PSUL' route
(PSUL was actually not born until 1963!), which was not shown on the map as it was a 'freight' line.

Like Princetown, the line was very susceptible to being blocked by snow. Even now there are snow
gates on the main A66 road over the summit. The classic British Transport Film 'Snowdrift at Bleath
Gill' https://bit.ly/3gBXC0S was filmed here in 1955. Bleath Gill was not far west of the summit.
Stainmore Summit was marked by a metal sign, which is preserved at the National Railway Museum.
BLNs 1142.MR134 & 1146.MR173 reported on the 150th anniversary ceremonies at Kirkby Stephen
East, with opening of the first section of the heritage railway there. However, not reported in BLN at
the time, a replica of the sign was erected at Stainmore Summit (NY 8837 1243). Its shadow can be
seen in satellite views, due south of the lay by off the eastbound carriageway of the A66.

1691] Church Fenton: Resignalling work was to have started in Jan. Erection of OHLE gantries between
Church Fenton North Jn and Colton Jn was due to have started in May and they are now shown in
recent photos. Can any member update please? The work is due to be completed in Oct 2022.

1692] Stocksbridge: (BLN 1378.1541) Freight trains to Liberty Steel here, although sporadic at times,
have in fact continued. In the current timetable, after 14 Dec 2020 one ran on 17 Dec then 11 & 18
Jan; 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 22 & 25 Feb; 3, 9, 11 & 18 Mar; 12, 13, 19, 20, 23, 27 & 30 Apr, 31 May and 3, 7, 8,
14, 16 & 18 Jun. By way of explanation these are shown on a searchable online system that retains
data for nearly two years as running to 'Deepcar Freight Depot' so were not picked up on a previous
search. The 9 Mar 2021 working referred to in BLN 1378 was a one off STP (Short Term Plan) working -
which did run - the regular SSuX booked trains were shown as cancelled that day. RTT does show them
as running to 'Stocksbridge Works' but does not retain easily searchable data for more than eight days.

If the plant closes or reduces its workforce, local people would need to find jobs. Railfuture Yorkshire
(RfY) has again raised the question of passenger reopening. BLN 1350.1118 covered this; the railway is
on the east side of the River Don, but settlements are mostly on the west side. Passengers would face
a downhill walk and then a considerable uphill walk to stations. It suggested that a better idea would
be to extend Supertram beyond Middlewood, following the A6102. RfY mentions that and suggests
reopening Stocksbridge to Penistone. Proposed in 2008, the idea was abandoned in Sep 2009.

A look at the map suggests the trackbed is not obstructed much (perhaps a local member can advise)
but it would be a roundabout route. However, Supertram patronage has fallen from 15M annual
journeys to just over 10M (even pre-Covid) in the last 10 years. This is partly attributed to disruptive
rail replacement work across the tram network, with lengthy partial closures and the use of buses as
temporary replacements, as well as the impact of cheaper car fuel. The network and vehicles will need
renewing between 2024 and 2028 (abandonment had been seriously considered) and the preferred
option came out at £400+M. On this basis, it seems unlikely there will be funding for any extensions.

1693] Sunderland, Hendon Branch: (BLN 1373.823) On Sat 5 & Sun 6 Jun Grand Central took
advantage of the King's Cross closure for remodelling to deliver staff training of the type difficult to
organise when normal services run. They were able to assemble a reasonably large group to practise
passenger evacuation (guards) and emergency (un)coupling (drivers) on the branch. GBRf 60021 was
used for emergency coupler training on Sun 6 Jun, running light engine from/to Port of Tyne.

The Sat 5 Jun schedules: 5N80 07.42 Heaton Depot to Hendon No1 Siding (08.48/12.30) 5N81 to
Sunderland (13.03/13.07 reverse to change train crew) then Hendon No1 Siding 13.41/17.00 5N82 to
Sunderland (17.38/17.42; reverse - to set down train crew) returning to Hendon No1 Siding (18.13).