1373

BELOW: (Item 823.4) looking north towards Sunderland South Dock, Gran
duties in Londonderry Private Sidings. NEXT: 66133 also visited the quay

nd Central 180107 on the Hendon Branch passes 66133 on route learning
yside, here on Road 8 (Release Road). (Both Jonathon Kirby, Tue 16 Mar.)





BELOW: The next afternoon the first scrap train in three years was loadin

ng; the loco is at the Ryhope Jn end. (Neville Whaler, Thur 18 Mar 2021.)

BELOW: (Item 823.2) The complex coupling bar between the Class 57 and Grand Central Class 180 DMU.

[BLN 1373]
824] Leamside: The Durham County Council Cabinet member for economic regeneration has called on
the Government to commit to reopening the line (Ferryhill - Pelaw), claiming it would ease pressure
on the ECML, increase its resilience to disruption and could provide Washington with a rail service.
This has been on the agenda for 30 years and Virgin's bid for the InterCity East Coast franchise in 2000
included reopening it as part of various sections of new route to give a high(er) speed line from King's
Cross to Edinburgh. It is an option in NR's plan for the ECML as a 'very high cost' item (BLN 1371.526).

Between Ferryhill and Washington it formed the first incarnation of the ECML; (Darlington -) Ferryhill
- Rainton Crossing (south of Fencehouses) OG 15 Apr 1844; OP 19 Jun 1844. However, if reopened it
would be more likely to carry local services and freight, although it manages to avoid the main centres
of population, particularly the City of Durham. North from Ferryhill, potential stations might be:

●Bowburn, the west side of the large village, no previous station, but it has good bus links to Durham.
Shincliffe station was not well situated. ●Sherburn at the western edge of the village but most people
travel to Durham, not north or south. This end of the line lost its local passenger service 28 Jul 1941,
unsurprisingly. ●Belmont is a substantial village with a well-used Park & Ride (buses to Durham) so a
station would be sensible; it did not have one. ●Leamside is a small village which has not grown much
since the station closed. Further up the hill is the much larger West Rainton, with frequent buses to
Durham. ●Fencehouses (BLN 1371.526), in the middle of the straggling village of Fence Houses, might
at a pinch serve the town of Houghton-le-Spring, but that has good bus frequencies to Newcastle and
Sunderland. ●Penshaw was on the western edge of the present built up area and so not well situated.

●Washington was on the southeast edge of the town. When the New Town was planned in the early
1960s, railways were seen as outmoded. So no account was taken of the railway but it had one of the
worst services in the country at the time - one train a day from Newcastle in the morning and back late
afternoon! (BLN 1301.595.2). Residential areas are spread out in 'villages' around the town and the
notional town centre (shopping centre) is over a mile from the former station. With a population of
over 67,000, it is one of the largest towns in England without a station. The possibility has been raised
of T&W Metro being extended to Washington via the railway. However, no funding is available and
indeed no obvious rail route into the centre. ●Usworth - was on the eastern edge of the built up area.

Thus most stations would be useful only if they were Park & Ride and/or had a good bus network.
The journey would have to be easier and more convenient than driving into Newcastle or to Heworth
Metro Interchange. Its chances look slim as implied by the Rail Minister in a reply to a local MP.

825] Allerton Bywater: (BLN 1372.667) A member walked the branch in Oct 1989, starting at Leeds
Road Crossing on the National Coal Board section, walking to the British Rail connection at Allerton
Main Jn. This was just before the Institution of Mining Engineers (IME) tour, as he wanted to see what
the chances were of it going past the advertised Allerton Bywater Colliery. The NCB section was intact
but the BR line was lifted from Allerton Main Jn towards Ledston. He thinks it was per the 1994 report
(buffer stops near Allerton Bywater Colliery, some disconnected track beyond, and the rest lifted).

On a Jul or Aug 1991 visit, our member found 56104 working to Allerton Bywater; the empties were
propelled from Castleford East to be loaded at Ledston station. The loco did not need to pass under
the loader and clearance appeared insufficient; probably why the 8 Oct 1989 IME tour stopped at the
road bridge before. Unusually the coal loader had wheels, although it did not appear that it could
easily be moved. The wheels may possibly have been for previous use elsewhere loading road vehicles.

Following the 19 Mar 1988 flooding of St Aidans Opencast Site, British Waterways built a new, roughly
parallel stretch of the Aire & Calder Navigation (opened in 1995), eliminating the former Kippax Lock
and Lemonroyd (old) Lock, replacing them with a single new Lemonroyd Lock at the north end of the
new waterway. Coal was moved for years in 'trains', a group of 'Tom Pudding' tub boats hauled by a
tug. A member managed to do the old and new canal alignments and all three locks (in a tub boat?).

THIS PAGE BELOW: (Item 825 and BLN 1372.667 with map)
Castleford East towards the River Aire bridge. (Fo

NEXT PAGE: Ledston station with the first wagon being loaded, looking tow
the loco could not pass the loader. Taken from the A656 overbridge (which w

THIRD PHOTO: From the same bridge but the other way towards the ju

56104 propelling empty merry-go-round coal wagons from
our photos by David Plimmer in Jul or Aug 1991.)

wards Garforth. The platform and station building are right; it appeared that
was reached by the 8 Oct 1989 Institution of Mining Engineer's railtour).

unction at Castleford. Ferrybridge 'C' Power Station is in the distance.





BELOW: Generous quantities of coal were loaded. The yellow hopper, far l

left, was loaded from the stockpile by a mechanical shovel - seen working.

[BLN 1373]
X.61] Garforth - Castleford: (BLN 1372.667) Some very interesting historical photos from Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/1952945098/ Garforth 1963. 'Deltic' D9010 with a King's
Cross to Leeds diversion exits the Castleford branch. (Photographers and more details on website.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2252579855/ Allerton Main signal box in 1957, looking south
towards Ledston and Castleford. Note Bowers Halt to the right of the box.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/with/1966170175/ D40 on a 'Club' excursion climbs from
Kippax towards Garforth in 1962.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2667714376/ Kippax station in 1964.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2253452146/ Kippax towards Castleford in 1958. Cookson.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2663496152/ Ledston station looking north in the 1950s.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2662655535/ Ledston station looking south in May 1957.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2662636277/ Ledston station looking south in April 1979.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2081660536/ Dodgy track at Allerton Bywater Pit in 1969.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2662245984/ Coal train from Allerton Bywater towards
Castleford crossing the bridge over the River Aire in 1983.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/feversham/12769427595/in/photostream/ The driver of 56014 taking
the token at Ledston, with a coal train from Bowers Row to Ferrybridge Power Station on 3 Oct 1985.
Allerton Bywater Colliery is on the left.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/5742529562/ Kippax in 1971; the original 1831 River Aire
(iron) bridge, approaching Astley Staithes with Primrose Hill Colliery train on the NCB line.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/5741959385/ Allerton Bywater Colliery in 1982; 40057 and
40077 on a ballast train.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/5582999626/ A train of empties returns from the spoil tip
towards Primrose Hill Colliery, crossing the Great Preston to Astley road at Fleakingley in 1969.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/5582365413/ The returning Neville Hill to Castleford pick up
goods at Kippax in 1964.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/4410475887/ Kippax in Sept 1964.

826] Durham Coast: (BLN 1372.677) Billingham Manually Controlled Barriers with Obstacle Detectors
(MCB-OD) were commissioned at 02.27 on Mon 8 Mar and at Cowpen Lane MCB-OD on Mon 15 Mar
01.45 (not 19 Mar). The replica North Eastern Railway footbridge at Billingham was demolished on Sun
14 Mar. Norton-on-Tees West SB (BLN 1370.360) was closed permanently at 13.36 on Sat 30 Jan.

827] Locomotion No1: (BLN 1345.400) In Feb Darlington Borough Council started a petition to the
Science Museum Group (SMG) and the (National) Railway Museum to keep the engine in Darlington
rather than moving her to 'Locomotion' at Shildon. However, she was moved to Shildon overnight on
6/7 Mar under cover of darkness. An agreement has been reached and she will return to Darlington
North Road 'Head of Steam' museum for six months in the first half of 2025 so will be at Shildon for
the actual bicentenary. The agreement also allows for two loans totalling 12 months between 2026
and 2030, and also two further loans totalling 24 months every 5 years thereafter. One suspects
Darlington is not happy with the deal, but the SMG holds all the cards including, vitally, ownership.

The deal renews 28 other loans to 'Head of Steam' from the National Collection, including 'Derwent',
built in 1845. The oldest surviving loco built at Darlington, for many years she was displayed alongside
'No1' at Darlington station; in the 1960s she went for restoration then moved to North Road museum.

[BLN 1373]
X.62] Drax: What is believed to have been the final Gypsum train left at 02.49 on Thur 15 Mar 2021 for
New Biggin (Kirkby Thore) on the Settle & Carlisle line. The GBRf worked train arrived there at 07.03.
828] Doncaster: ①Building work is in progress on part of the former Doncaster Works site, southwest
of The Plant and north of Ramsden Road just 13 years after 800 dwellings were promised here.
②(BLN 1372.670.2) It was ex-Great Northern Railway 'No251' that worked some Sheffield to Lincoln
trains in 1953 before being used on the Plant Centenarian tours, not 'Green Arrow' (apologies - BLN Ed).
③(BLN 1372.670.3) The Doncaster siding off Two Way Goods No2 that Colas are to take over from NR
for loco stabling and fuelling (dashed on the track plan below) is not the Hexthorpe Dead End, which is
a headshunt connecting the In & Out Road, leading northwest to Wabtec, and Denison No1 & 2 Roads
along the east side of the Wabtec site. TRACKmaps 2 p17c 2020 is incorrect and will be amended (!).

ABOVE: Doncaster southwest end plan, thanks to Martyn Brailsford. Down P4 & 8 with south bay P5
are just off bottom right, South Yorkshire Jns (to/from the Sheffield line) are visible bottom left.

The Colas proposal refers to 'track infrastructure associated with Hexthorpe Dead End (which it no
longer is - per plan!) accessed through '2427 points' off Two Way Goods No1 (actually No2!), becoming
a Private Siding. As can be seen, the line used to extend further south and was connected to sidings at
its far end. This was referred to as 'Plant South End', once used by locos going on and off works (and
the pilot) between the 'Plant' and the national network. Most of the sidings have been fully or partially
lifted. The points connecting the siding to Two Way Goods No2 have been plain lined, so will need to
be reinstated. The 'dashed' track is actually in situ but it seems likely that Colas would want to relay
the whole length and reinstate some of the lifted sidings. It has road access, so it would be a useful
secure location for stabling and refuelling. It would remain separate from the Wabtec headshunt.
829] Blyth & Tyne: (BLN 1370.359) Northumberland County Council is advertising for a contractor to
build the six stations with car parks and associated infrastructure for the reopening, on a Framework
Contract basis, with call-off contracts as required. Northumberland Park, Newsham, Bedlington and
Ashington are in Phase 1, expected to start in summer 2022. Seaton Delaval and Blyth Bebside are in
Phase 2, which could start in 2024. A planning application has been posted for Ashington station.

NEXT: (Item 828) The Class 31 (left) is in the real Hexthorpe Dead End. 40086 is leaving Doncaster at
11.12 on the Cleethorpes to Manchester Piccadilly parcels train. (©Andy Overton, 10 Jul 1984.)



830] Sheffield: ❶NR is to temporarily plain line the trailing crossover at Nunnery Main Line Jn. This is
because the 73 hour blockade to renew the junction is insufficient to include it. Trains heading north
on the Up Main will be unable to cross to the Down Main after the junction. However, the crossover is
rarely used for planned movements and it can be reinstated over 26-28 Jun. It was used for north
departures from P8 when the Hope to Dewsbury cement train derailed at Sheffield on 11 Nov 2020.

❷(BLN 1357.2160) http://bit.ly/30U7hqS is a recent episode of 'The Architecture the Railways Built'
featuring Sheffield station, exploring the rivers beneath. ❸(BLN 1372.673) Demolition of the 1908
Beighton Signal Box http://bit.ly/3lrNXuA (1⅔ min) started at 11.00 on 14 Mar. The local MP tried to
save it at the last minute (as usual) but the cost of retaining it or moving it was estimated at £250k.

1373 NORTH WEST (John Cameron) [email protected]
831] Realtime Trains: This now shows formations and unit numbers of all Avanti West Coast services.

832] Cheadle: (Photos e-BLN) £9M has been allocated by the government to work up plans for a new
station here. The proposed site is near the former London & North Western Railway Cheadle station
(OP 1 Aug 1866; CP 1 Jan 1917) on the Stockport to Altrincham line, used by Northern's Manchester
to Chester Mid-Cheshire line services. Cheadle Town Board, a partnership of leaders from the public
and private sector and local community, hopes that it could open within five years. The site is on a very
busy main road near the town centre and a new station has been talked about for many years. A local
member feels that the normal hourly service will need improving if it's going to make a difference.

833] Stalybridge: On 10 Mar Class 769 bimode 4-car DMU/EMUs clearance testing trains ran from/to
Victoria. It is thought they will run on Southport - Stalybridge services later this year. Two Northern
sets from Allerton split at Victoria, then ran separately, as Stalybridge P5 does not take 8 carriages.

834] Port Salford: (Baker 15 p87 B1) Peel Ports has arranged a land swap with Salford City Council to
construct a branch, with a triangular junction, to the 3.4Mft2 Port Salford scheme. The £56M freight
rail terminal would be west of Patricroft on the Manchester to Liverpool line. So far 300,000ft2, has
been developed, occupied by logistics companies Great Bear and Rhenus, but the next phase with
1.3Mft2 of warehousing cannot be built until the rail link is in place. The Council will hand over 9 acres
of land (described as a 'buffer' between City Airport & Heliport and Peel Green Cemetery) to the
developer in return for around 15 acres of a former farm which is protected by green belt status.

835] Manchester Piccadilly: NR has announced a £50k project to restore the façade of a shop below
the approach road, similar to the 2019 restoration of the front of the former shipping and goods office
further down London Rd. Longer term, with funding, the interior may be renovated to attract tenants.

836] Furness Vale: The refurbished Victorian station footbridge recently reopened after 12 weeks of
strengthening and repainting off site. The 7-tonne bridge was lifted at night with a 90-tonne crane.

837] Alsager: (BLN 1361.2660 & 2710) East Midlands Railway (EMR) is to restore hourly stops in both
directions from the 16 May timetable change. They were reduced to two each way daily (five SuO) to
improve punctuality on the Crewe to Derby line. EMR has been pressured to restore the service by the
local MP who raised this in the House of Commons, North Staffs Community Rail Partnership (NSCRP),
Alsager Town Council and North Staffs Rail User Group. An online petition was signed by 1,388 people.
Class 170 DMUs are due to take over the route in May, with improved acceleration compared to the
present Class 153s. In addition, they have central, wider doors for passengers to exit and enter quicker.

838] Crewe recycling: Avanti is supporting Community Recycle Cycles, a local not for profit bike shop.
Their volunteers repurpose abandoned bikes here selling them back to the community at affordable prices.

839] Warrington Bank Quay: Over Easter the bridge on the east side of the station carrying the Up
Goods and the Up Slow (P1 line) over the low level Latchford to Ditton lines is to be replaced.
A conjoined further east footbridge is also to be replaced. An adjacent bridge, carrying the same lines
over a closed road, is to be infilled. It is north of the Low Level lines (tight to them, accessed at the east
side to the south of Bank Quay booking office). When Warrington BQ Low Level station was open, you
had to cross this road between the booking office and the platforms. The project is costing £3.5M.

BELOW: (Item 836) Furness Vale station on the Buxton branch loo

oking towards Manchester with the refurbished footbridge. (NR.)

BELOW: (Item 832) A Knowsley to Wilton freight on the bridge which is east of C

Cheadle station site, taken from the town centre on 21 Mar. (All Ian Mortimer.)

BELOW: Looking south on the B5095 towards the town centre, the orig

ginal Cheadle (L&NWR) station was to the right of this bridge (18 Mar).

BELOW: (Item 832) The entrance to the former Chead

dle L&NWR station (CP 1 Jan 1917) approach. (21 Mar.)

BELOW: 6" to the mile 1897 map, Cheadle L&NWR station and goods yard
The Cheshire Lines Committee Cheadle station (CP 30 Nov 1964) is at th

d at the bottom. Stockport is off right; Northenden Jn and Altrincham left.
he top - on the GWR it might have been called 'Cheadle Road' station…

BELOW: The Thur 18 Mar 11.15 Liverpool Biomass Terminal to Drax pass
bridge. It seems to be a recent addition as it's shown as under constructio
car parks are to the right at a lower level. Part of the road up to this car p

sing Alexandra Hospital car park, which is also just to the west of the road
on on Google Maps and is effectively an overflow - the main hospital and
park appears to follow the original goods yard approach (previous photo).

BELOW: From the other end of the car park to the previous photo, lookin
enough space for a platform, but access is not obvious. If the line was slew

ng towards Stockport. This is the intended station site and there might be
wed across access could be from the (other) Town side of the embankment.

BELOW: The other Cheadle station was about half a mile n
It was a typically grand Cheshire Lines Committee station and is now

north on the B5095, the 09.15 Arpley to Tunstead passes.
appropriately the 'Cheshire Line Tavern'. (Ian Mortimer 2 Dec 2019.)

BELOW: (Item 849) Gatley, the newly repainted (canopy excluded) building,

possibly the only original one left on this line. (Ian Mortimer, 20 Mar 2021.)

X.63] LEFT: From 'Pilkington News'
18 Apr 1984, a Society railtour of
the Cowley Hill Works system at
St Helens (on 28 Jan 1984) - yes,
the report is rather late!

Visible are far left Dave Cromarty?,
Brian Ratheram, two unknown
with glasses Nigel Eacock on the
right of the 'YORKSHIRE' name,
Tim Wallis (with hair!) top right,
Angus McDougall in front, then ?,
Neville Price, with Tony Jervis in
front, ? right and Kevin Driscoll (far
right). The visit was repeated on
14 Apr 1984 - 22 members in total
participated. (Kevin Driscoll.)

840] Carlisle: (BLN 1357.2147) Black Box Architects have produced a works schedule to stabilise and
temporarily repair the Grade 2 listed former NER London Road Goods Station building, prior to its
redevelopment. The building is in a very poor state of repair and at risk of collapse if nothing is done.
Planning permission has been granted for a McDonald's restaurant to be built next to it, oh dear!

BELOW: (item 840) Early morning Fri 14 Dec 1979 and dawn breaks at Carlisle London Road Goods.
This was the all day 'Carlisle Carrier No1' brakevan railtour of the area, named after the very friendly
British Rail Carlisle Area Manager then, Mike Carrier, and organised by your present BLN Editor. It was
very much a case of: Where would you like to go next, Paul? Well, everywhere please… (Ian Mortimer.)

841] Merseyrail: Recently the operator broke the national performance record, completing a 28 day
period with 99% of trains arriving within 5 mins of booked arrival time - a first for the rail industry.
Despite fewer passengers and trains, the operator has faced challenges, such as extreme weather.

842] Headbolt Lane: (BLN 1358.2308) The proposed station has received £66M from the Transforming
Cities Fund. The scheme includes extending Merseyrail beyond Kirkby to the Northwood and Tower
Hill areas of Kirkby. The intention is for the third rail track to be extended from Kirkby to Headbolt
Lane - has the DfT and ORR agreed, there was previous talk of EMUs with batteries being required?
The station would be on open space bounded by County Road (A506) and Headbolt Lane with two
platforms for Merseyrail services and one for terminating Northern DMUs from Wigan. There will be a
300 space (reduced from 500 spaces) Park & Ride and bus interchange with step-free access.

843] Kirkby: On Sat 13 Mar the 18.35 Merseyrail Liverpool Central to Kirkby, formed of units 507006
& 507021, ran through the buffer stops at Kirkby P1 by two carriage lengths, hitting the platform edge
and the bridge over the track. It was fortunate that there wasn't a Northern DMU in P2 at the time.
12 passengers were on board as well as the driver and guard. No one was injured but the driver was
described as shaken and was taken to hospital as a precaution. The leading unit 507006 was partly
derailed and appeared badly damaged but, after re-railing. It was dragged back to Kirkdale Depot by
37800 on the afternoon of Thur 18 Mar at 5mph, arriving at 16.22. This resulted in a few Ormskirk line
cancellations so another train wouldn't pass it. As well as the track and buffer stops the platform was
badly damaged. The RAIB reports that the train was doing 42mph at the start of Kirkby platform where
the line speed is 15mph (60mph before 29m 48ch) and TPWS is provided at the buffer stops.

844] New Brighton: Trains were halted on Thur 11 Mar after a flying trampoline came to rest on tracks
during a 'spring' gale. The third rail had to be de-energised so that track workers could remove it.

845] Heysham Port: NR is extending the operational length of the single platform (P3, of course) from
64m to 85m to accommodate new rolling stock after it was discovered that it had been shortened
without formal consultation. However this is still short of the 100m once in the Sectional Appendix.

846] Windermere: Cumbria County Council has applied to the DfT's Restoring Your Railway Fund for
£50k towards the cost of a business case and feasibility study into establishing a dynamic passing loop
and associated signals on the branch. If successful (but there are 85 applications for the final third
round funds), the County Council would contribute further funding. The branch used to be double
track with four passenger platforms at Windermere - all of which have been done by William Graveson,
our former chairman. It was singled in May 1973 as part of the resignalling for WCML electrification.

847] Shap Quarry: GBRf has signed a two year deal with Hanson for train services from Shap Quarry to
Tuebrook in Liverpool. An average of two trains a week each with 1,800 tonnes of aggregate will run.

848] River Eden Waverley Viaduct: (BLN 1347.700) The leader of Carlisle City Council has indicated
that significant progress could be on the horizon on the efforts to reopen the Viaduct, northwest of
Carlisle as a footpath and eventually cyclepath. After the railway CA 6 Jan 1969 the viaduct was used
as an unofficial footpath for many years until it was closed over a decade ago due to safety concerns.
The Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust has led efforts to have it reopened as a foot/cycle path but has
faced funding and legal obstacles, including the potential requirement for a footpath creation order.

The leader of Carlisle City Council has now said that Railway Paths Ltd is able to hold the title of the
bridge, support the Trust and provide them with advice and assistance with fundraising. Railway Paths
Ltd is a national charity owning and managing former railway land, to provide roads and paths suitable
for walking, cycling, horse riding and wheelchair use. They are entering talks with the Viaduct Trust.

849] Repainting: As part of their 'A Better Way to Go' campaign, Northern has repainted 35 stations:
Alnmouth, Atherton, Blackpool South, Brinnington, Burnage, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Disley, Driffield,
Flixton, Gatley, Goole, Gorton, Guiseley, Hale, Halifax, Hartlepool, Hazel Grove, Hebden Bridge,
Holmes Chapel, Horsforth, Kearsley, Knaresborough, Mauldeth Road, Meols Cop, Mexborough,
Northwich, Redcar, Romiley, Saltburn, Shipley, Skipton, Stocksfield, Whitby, Wilmslow & Worksop.

ABOVE: (Item 847) Wards, Shap Granite Quarry during a 15 Jun 1985 Society
internal railtour for 18 members riding in groups in the loco cab. (Ian Mortimer.)

BELOW: (Item 851) Grindleford, showing some complex redundant pointwork. The 4 Jan 1975 LCGB
'Pennine Venturer No2' tour with 25082 & 25043 which crossed the Pennines by four different routes.
The photo has the appearance of a Terence Cuneo painting, now where is that mouse? (Ian Mortimer.)

850] Whitehaven: (BLN 1371.544) A public inquiry has been announced into plans for Woodhouse
Colliery. They have been 'called in' by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government which, as a minimum, will significantly delay the project and new rail freight traffic.

851] Hope Valley: Contracts have at last been signed for the much delayed and reduced Hope Valley
railway upgrade between Manchester and Sheffield. The overall package is £137M. Work is expected
to start in 2022 for 2023 completion. After years of delay a Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) was
granted by the DfT in Feb 2018, with a view to work starting in 2019, but progress then stalled again.
The scheme facilitates three fast trains per hour between Manchester and Sheffield, rather than two:
Resignalling and the closure of Grindleford and Totley signal boxes with recontrol to York ROC.
A new passing loop east of Bamford (shorter than originally intended).
Totley East Jn remodelling, lengthening the Dore South Curve for it to accommodate a freight train.
Redoubling Dore West Jn - Dore Station Jn & reinstating a second platform at Dore & Totley with
….lifts and a footbridge. (BR singled the line in Mar 1985 to save replacing the station footbridge.)
Dore Station Jn remodelling from a single to double lead (as in Feb 1985), with main line alterations.
A new Up loop (to Sheffield/Chesterfield) before Dore West Jn. (Semaphores remain west of Hope.)

1373 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected]
852] Oxford to Cambridge Expressway - volte-face follows Volt farce: The recent announcement of
East West Rail funding for the Bicester to Bletchley (only) section of railway produced the usual fog of
confusion as to whether the declaration was 'new money' or budget already declared. There was
disappointment on exclusion of electrification (though wiring from Oxford or indeed Didcot would
delay progress) and continued suppression of Calvert to Claydon upgrading and passenger reopening.

One member recently commented that the planned 'electric spine' (Southampton to Coventry and
Nuneaton plus Oxford to Bedford and Sheffield) has become an 'electric fingernail'. The parsimonious
scoping and funding for EWR could be taken as mere establishment of credentials without significant
commitment to rail versus road. However a government announcement on 18 Mar of cancellation of
building of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway road marks a milestone. Development work was
paused in Mar 2020. Analysis and 'local engagement' is now stated as 'revealing' that the Expressway
would not be cost effective to the taxpayer!! This consideration had been proceeding with 'close work
with local partners' since 2014. Still grudging, eh, but a very welcome about face nevertheless‽

853] Flitwick - Bedford: (BLN 1313.1987) The latest residents' newsletter reports that funding has
been secured and there is support, in principle, for a two platform Wixams station. The Station Board
has recommended that the project proceed to the next stage (Stage 2b), commissioning design work.
The deadline should be met for obtaining the additional £13M time limited station funding from the
Wixams developer L&Q, who are still engaged with the project and keen for it to proceed. Planning
permission has yet to be obtained. An opening date for Wixams of Jul 2024 is planned.

854] East West Rail: (BLN 1363.3020) The progress on Wixams station comes as a blow for NIMBY
campaigners opposed to the north Bedford 'Route E' chosen by East West Rail. Residents of villages
affected by the new line have argued it should run to the south of the town centre, bypassing Bedford
station and creating a Wixams Parkway. In a blog post on Bedford Rail, author John Kell wrote in 2020:

Prior to the announcement of East West Rail's route, there were two possible new stations just south of
Bedford in the offing. Plenty of people confused them, but they were in fact entirely separate proposals.
East West Rail's possible Bedford South Parkway station, on the … route that would have bypassed
Bedford to the south, could in fact have messed things up rather badly for the other proposed station,
at Wixams. Had that route been chosen, almost certainly the Wixams station would have been forced
to move from its long planned site to further north, to act as a two level interchange with East West
Rail. But in the event, Bedford South Parkway is now a dead letter. (Bedford Independent.)

855] Colchester - Manningtree: NR plans to remove the two Ardleigh emergency crossovers (56m 00ch)
adjacent the road level crossing. Locally controlled, they are said not to have been used for five years.

856] It can now be told (29); Bishop's Stortford - Braintree: (BLN 1348.839) This was a cross-country
line northeast of London. It OA 22 Feb 1869 but led a somewhat uneventful life, with normally three
trains a day each way. It was single track, with passing loops at Dunmow, Takeley and Rayne; Dunmow
alone had a second platform. Because the branch from Witham couldn't be extended past the original
Braintree terminus, the new line diverged short of that terminus (which became Braintree Goods),
with a new station located southwest of the terminus. One prominent passenger was the Prince of
Wales (later King Edward VII), who made frequent visits to the Earl and Countess of Warwick at their
home, Easton Lodge, west of Dunmow. It might be more accurate to say he made frequent visits to the
Countess! After she had negotiated with the Great Eastern Railway Easton Lodge Halt opened in 1895.

The L&NER tried to increase passenger traffic after grouping by doubling the service to six trains a day.
The four original intermediate stations were supplemented by halts. Eventually heading east from
Bishops Stortford there was Hockerill Halt (OP 7 Nov 1910), Stane Street Halt, Takeley, Easton Lodge
Halt (31 Aug 1895), Dunmow, Felsted (Felstead before 5 Jun 1950), Bannister Green Halt, Rayne and
Braintree. Stane Street and Bannister Green Halts OP 18 Dec 1922 with low platforms and have been
recreated in recent years, trackless with nameboards by the 'Friends of the Flitch Way'.

The rail served Felsted Sugar Beet Factory opened in 1926. The station itself was some way from the
village, much closer to the village of Little Dunmow. In 1939 a large Ministry of Food cold store depot
was built at Hockerill, just northeast of Bishops Stortford. Foodstuffs were moved from London docks
to the depot sidings. During WWII the line was used to transport thousands of tons of rubble, possibly
from bombed London buildings, to Rayne to build Andrews Field United States Air Force (USAF) base,
near Great Saling, and later bombs to it. Armaments and stores were carried to Takeley for the USAF
base at Stansted and to Easton Lodge, where sidings were built south of the line, for the base there.

Reverting to rural isolation after WWII, passenger trains ran virtually empty and the line CP 3 Mar 1952.
Hockerill Depot closed in 1960 but, until its demolition in 1966, was used by the London Railway
Preservation Society to store a steam loco and rolling stock. However, freight was still an important
revenue source. A Geest depot opened 1 Mar 1962 at Easton Lodge on the site of the former USAF
sidings. Up to 300 tons of bananas were transported from Barry (South Wales) each week for ripening.

In Apr 1958 five Waggon und Maschinenbau railbuses were delivered to British Railways from
Germany. Based at Cambridge depot, they worked the Audley End - Bartlow - Haverhill - Marks Tey,
Maldon and Braintree branches. They were used each day on a cyclic diagram which saw them work
all the services, stable at Braintree on the first night, Maldon East the second, Saffron Waldon the
third, returning to Cambridge on the fourth for a day's maintenance. The interesting point about them
is that it is thought that they ran empty between Braintree and Cambridge via Dunmow, for fuelling
and servicing. One wonders if any enthusiasts managed to ride on them. [It can now be told!] They had
too few seats for the Braintree and Maldon branches on which DMUs began to run, so were used on
the Mildenhall branch from Jul 1958. They saw some use on the Maldon branch until it CP 7 Sep 1964.

Dunmow - Felsted CA 18 Apr 1966 but the track was not lifted until after Apr 1969. Easton Lodge -
Dunmow CA Tue 1 Apr 1969. Two of our members [Angus McDougall and Alan Quayle] travelled on
the last freight on Mon 31 Mar, after checking there were empty wagons at Dunmow for collection.
They were duly collected! Oxford University Railway Society had an official brake van trip on the 07.25
Bishops Stortford to Easton Lodge on 15 Apr 1969. Following tentative enquiries about going to the
then officially closed Dunmow, the driver 'realised' that his train was 'too long' to run round at Easton
Lodge, and decided that he therefore 'had to' go the 1¾ miles further to Dunmow to do so. Top man!

The group then continued to Braintree by bus, noting that the line from Felsted (Sugar Factory) was
very rusty. The reason for this journey was to ride on the freight from Braintree Goods. Its 1970
timings (probably similar in 1969) as 9F20 were: Witham 11.28; Braintree 11.48 then, if required,
Felsted (no times given) 9F03 Felsted if required Braintree 13.27; Witham 13.47. The train is believed
to have come from Temple Mills, with a different head code, and had quite a long wait at Witham.

Sadly, but unsurprisingly, the party was unable to persuade the driver he needed to go 6¼ miles west
to Felsted to run round and back, not least because at Braintree Goods the train coupled up ready to
go. Felsted CG 4 May 1964 and Rayne 7 Dec 1964, the only freight then was beet to the sugar factory,
which of course ran only during the sugar beet 'campaign' - from late Sep/mid Oct until end Feb/end
Mar. However BLN 158 p89 of 15 Jul 1970 reported no traffic to Felsted since the 1968-69 campaign
(but the rust suggested longer??). The freight train was not due to depart Braintree for an hour, so
some left by passenger train from the nearby station, without waiting. However, your (current) NE
Editor stayed on for the Goods branch to Witham then went to Harwich. Living in Nottingham then, it
was foreign territory to him. Now Essex based, he still hasn't done Braintree Goods Jn to Braintree
passenger station [that's 3 points on his Gricing licence] saving it as his 'last grice' to do in his dotage.
Braintree - Felsted CA 20 Jun 1970 (last rail traffic first quarter of 1969). A 14 Dec 1970 letter from
Liverpool Street Divisional Manager indicated that the seasonal service to British Sugar Corporation's
private siding was withdrawn 20 Jun 1970 and the line was being dismantled. The sugar factory site is
now a housing estate. Bishops Stortford - Easton Lodge CA 17 Feb 1972 but was used by a return trip
for enthusiasts on 27 Jul 1972. It is not on 'Six Bells Junction' or in BLN; does anyone know anything
about it? Most of the branch was lifted later that year retaining one mile from Bishops Stortford for
possible rail access to Stansted Airport but that was lifted in 1974. Much of the track bed now forms
the 'Flitch Way', a walking/cycling path from Bishops Stortford to Braintree. However, through
Dunmow was used for the A120 bypass, later supplanted by a 'high standard' dual carriageway south.
'Flitch Way' originated from the Flitch ceremony in Little Dunmow whereby couples who could prove
that they had not argued in marriage after a year and a day would be awarded a flitch (side) of bacon.

ABOVE: Dunmow, then the terminus of a 9½ mile freight branch east from Bishop's Stortford. A Class
31 on the final freight Mon 31 Mar 1969 (but not the final train - see Item 856); the line then closed to
goods traffic back to Easton Lodge from the following day and Dunmow public goods depot closed.
The loco had worked the 07.25 from Bishop's Stortford light engine to pick up one van of seed
potatoes here and then nine vans from Geest's Banana Depot at Easton Lodge on the way back - the
only other siding on the branch. Sadly Dunmow signalbox and passenger station (CP 2 Mar 1952) on
the left had been badly vandalised. East of here CG 18 Apr 1966 and track had been lifted on the 2¼
miles as far as Felsted Sugar Factory.

NEXT TWO PHOTOS: (Item 856) Rayne the first station, 2¼ miles west of Braintree on
the line to Bishop's Stortford. (Member John Kettle on local exercise, 8 Mar 2021.)









BELOW & NEXT: Felsted station was 4 miles furthe

er west along the line. (Julian James, 27 Mar 2017.)