Aberford Railway
Encyclopedia
The Aberford Railway was a privately owned light railway built in the 19th century between Garforth
and Aberford
(UK) by the Gascoigne family of Yorkshire to transport coal from their collieries via the Great North Road
and a connection with the contemporary Leeds and Selby Railway
.
The railway was locally known as the Fly line.
due to competing interests owning land on the few miles to the canal meant that the sale of coal to nearby Leeds was uneconomic.
In 1833, surveying of the line began; at the same time, the Leeds and Selby Railway
was under construction, and Gascoigne, also a a shareholder in the Leeds and Selby had obtained favourable rates for transport of coal to Selby on that line. The line was surveyed by William Harker and William Walker, and the route was a uphill from Abeford to Garforth with a maximum gradient of 1 in 72. The line opened in the late 1830s with the cooperation of the Leeds and Selby, and carried both freight and passengers. A stationary engine
was installed on the line between the Isabella and Sisters' pits which was also double tracked; the rest of the railway was single track.
Passenger traffic briefly ceased as a result of loss of a connection to Leeds whilst the Leeds and Selby railway was under George Hudson
's control and was closed to passenger in favour of other lines. The line was successful in aiding the transport and sale of coal, in particular to the agricultural areas to the north such as Tadcaster and Wetherby, which lacked indigenous coal resources.
From the 1870s, horse-powered transport was replaced by steam engines – the first being a Manning Wardle
Class H 0-4-0 locomotive named Mulciber purchased in 1870.
Having reached its zenith at the beginning of the 20th century, with 440,000 tons per year being produced, 120,000 of which exported via Hull
. The First World War, and the death of many men during it, as well as an embargo on exported coal, contributed to the decline of the pits; in 1920, the Gascoignes sold the pits and railway, both of which were steadily run down in the next decade. The line closed in 1924, the collieries in 1930.
Garforth
Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people...
and Aberford
Aberford
Aberford is a large village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,059 according to the 2001 census...
(UK) by the Gascoigne family of Yorkshire to transport coal from their collieries via the Great North Road
Great North Road
There are several Great North Roads:* Great North Road, Australia, a historical road leading from Sydney to the Hunter Valley* Great North Road, New Zealand, a road in Auckland* Great North Road, Zambia, a road running north from Lusaka...
and a connection with the contemporary Leeds and Selby Railway
Leeds and Selby Railway
The Leeds and Selby Railway was an early British railway company and first mainline railway in Yorkshire. It was opened in 1834.The company was absorbed by the York and North Midland Railway and the line remained in use through the subsequent NER, LNER, BR and post-privatisation periods.As of 2010...
.
The railway was locally known as the Fly line.
History and description
Mining in the Garforth area of West Yorkshire dates back centuries, and the Gascoignes, being major landholders in the area, had owned pits since at least the 17th century. The introduction of steam-driven pumps in the 18th century allowed deeper mines to be worked, and extended the usefulness of the Gascoignes' mines. The area around Garforth and Aberford was at a disadvantage compared to other mining regions because of poor transportation. High turnpike fees, and the inability to access the Aire and Calder NavigationAire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
due to competing interests owning land on the few miles to the canal meant that the sale of coal to nearby Leeds was uneconomic.
In 1833, surveying of the line began; at the same time, the Leeds and Selby Railway
Leeds and Selby Railway
The Leeds and Selby Railway was an early British railway company and first mainline railway in Yorkshire. It was opened in 1834.The company was absorbed by the York and North Midland Railway and the line remained in use through the subsequent NER, LNER, BR and post-privatisation periods.As of 2010...
was under construction, and Gascoigne, also a a shareholder in the Leeds and Selby had obtained favourable rates for transport of coal to Selby on that line. The line was surveyed by William Harker and William Walker, and the route was a uphill from Abeford to Garforth with a maximum gradient of 1 in 72. The line opened in the late 1830s with the cooperation of the Leeds and Selby, and carried both freight and passengers. A stationary engine
Stationary engine
A stationary engine is an engine whose framework does not move. It is normally used not to propel a vehicle but to drive a piece of immobile equipment such as a pump or power tool. They may be powered by steam; or oil-burning or internal combustion engines....
was installed on the line between the Isabella and Sisters' pits which was also double tracked; the rest of the railway was single track.
Passenger traffic briefly ceased as a result of loss of a connection to Leeds whilst the Leeds and Selby railway was under George Hudson
George Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
's control and was closed to passenger in favour of other lines. The line was successful in aiding the transport and sale of coal, in particular to the agricultural areas to the north such as Tadcaster and Wetherby, which lacked indigenous coal resources.
From the 1870s, horse-powered transport was replaced by steam engines – the first being a Manning Wardle
Manning Wardle
Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,...
Class H 0-4-0 locomotive named Mulciber purchased in 1870.
Having reached its zenith at the beginning of the 20th century, with 440,000 tons per year being produced, 120,000 of which exported via Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. The First World War, and the death of many men during it, as well as an embargo on exported coal, contributed to the decline of the pits; in 1920, the Gascoignes sold the pits and railway, both of which were steadily run down in the next decade. The line closed in 1924, the collieries in 1930.