Corringham Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Corringham Light Railway (CLR) served the town Corringham, Essex
, England
. It was incorporated on 10 July 1899 and opened to freight on 1 January 1901 and to passengers on 22 June 1901. It closed to passengers on the 1 March 1952 and was absorbed into the Mobil Oil Company on 20 September 1971.
had a branch from Thames Haven Junction, near Stanford-le-Hope
, to Thames Haven on the Thames Estuary
. There was a passenger station at Thames Haven but it closed before the CLR opened.
The CLR ran from a junction with the LTSR near Thames Haven to the Kynoch
explosives works at Shell Haven
with branches east to Kynochtown (later re-named Coryton) and west to Corringham
.
In its later years the CLR was owned by the Mobil Oil Company serving its Coryton Refinery
.
It was some 2+3/4 mi in length.
The site of the Corringham Station on Fobbing Road is still apparent from the satellite view of Post Code SS17 9DB. The trees that lined the track as it ran north and curved westward into the station are still present. If you enter a small development of houses called The Hawthorns, the rear of the brick built platform is still visible behind "Station House" to your right. Coryton Station is known to still survive within the confines of the refinery and was restored cosmetically by BP in 1985.
The end of the CLR as a company finally came on the 20 September 1971 when the remaining constituents were wound up and became part of Mobil Oil.
After the line was taken over by the Mobil Oil Company, diesel locomotive
s were used but details are not known.
These two carriages were added to by 1905 by a 4 wheel all 3rd carriage of LTSR origin.
During the 1st world war three more of these carriages where acquired due to a further influx in staff to Thames works.
Corringham, Essex
Corringham is a small English town within the unitary authority of Thurrock and one of the traditional parishes. It is situated in the east of the borough of Thurrock and has over time come to be considered an area within the larger neighbouring town of Stanford-Le-Hope. The parish church...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was incorporated on 10 July 1899 and opened to freight on 1 January 1901 and to passengers on 22 June 1901. It closed to passengers on the 1 March 1952 and was absorbed into the Mobil Oil Company on 20 September 1971.
Overview
The London, Tilbury and Southend RailwayLondon, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
had a branch from Thames Haven Junction, near Stanford-le-Hope
Stanford-le-Hope
Stanford-le-Hope is a town and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. The town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles east of Charing Cross in London...
, to Thames Haven on the Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
. There was a passenger station at Thames Haven but it closed before the CLR opened.
The CLR ran from a junction with the LTSR near Thames Haven to the Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
explosives works at Shell Haven
Shell Haven
Shell Haven was a port on the north bank of the Thames Estuary at the eastern end of Thurrock, Essex, England and then an oil refinery. The refinery closed in 1999 and the site was purchased by DP World who received planning consent in May 2007 for the new London Gateway deep water container port...
with branches east to Kynochtown (later re-named Coryton) and west to Corringham
Corringham, Essex
Corringham is a small English town within the unitary authority of Thurrock and one of the traditional parishes. It is situated in the east of the borough of Thurrock and has over time come to be considered an area within the larger neighbouring town of Stanford-Le-Hope. The parish church...
.
In its later years the CLR was owned by the Mobil Oil Company serving its Coryton Refinery
Coryton Refinery
Coryton Refinery is an oil refinery in Essex, England, situated on the estuary of the River Thames some from the centre of London.The refinery is located between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland....
.
It was some 2+3/4 mi in length.
The site of the Corringham Station on Fobbing Road is still apparent from the satellite view of Post Code SS17 9DB. The trees that lined the track as it ran north and curved westward into the station are still present. If you enter a small development of houses called The Hawthorns, the rear of the brick built platform is still visible behind "Station House" to your right. Coryton Station is known to still survive within the confines of the refinery and was restored cosmetically by BP in 1985.
The end
After the refinery transferred ownership to Vacuum Oil Company, later called Mobil. Improvements were made to the branch of the CLR that entered the refinery. The last passenger train however ran from Corringham station on Saturday 1 March 1952 at 12.20pm, by 12 April of the same year. Corringham station and the Corringham branch of the railway were noted as being demolished.The end of the CLR as a company finally came on the 20 September 1971 when the remaining constituents were wound up and became part of Mobil Oil.
Locomotives
- 0-4-0T, Cordite ex-West Lancashire RailwayWest Lancashire RailwayThe West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873....
, built by Kitson & Co.Kitson & Co.Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
works No' T109 of 1893, Arrived at CLR by Sea. Withdrawn C1914 scrapped by 1935. - 0-4-2T Kynite, built by Kerr StuartKerr StuartKerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner...
Works No' 692 of 1901, Withdrawn C1919, Last steamed to provide steam in conjunction to building works at Corys 1922/23 scrapped March 1952 - 0-4-0ST Cordite, built by Kerr Stuart Works No' 1283 of 1915 transferred away C1919.
- 0-6-0ST, 2 built by Avonside Engine CompanyAvonside Engine CompanyThe Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
Works No 1771 of 1917, Withdrawn Between 1955 and 57. Scrapped 1957. - 0-6-0ST, 1 (second-hand) Previously at MOD in Shoeburyness Essex, built by Avonside Engine CompanyAvonside Engine CompanyThe Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
Works No' 1672 of 1914. Same class as No 1, arrived at CLR in 1933, Withdrawn prior to 1955 with condemned fire box. Scrapped August 1957
After the line was taken over by the Mobil Oil Company, diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s were used but details are not known.
Rolling stock
For the opening of the line two toast rack carriages were supplied by Kerr Stuart, the first being a 1st/3rd composite (with the first class area enclosed) the second being all 3rd all open. Originally only one carriage was used at a time as the Kitson Locomotive was unable to draw two fully loaded carriages up the incline to Corringham station.These two carriages were added to by 1905 by a 4 wheel all 3rd carriage of LTSR origin.
During the 1st world war three more of these carriages where acquired due to a further influx in staff to Thames works.
Sources and Reference
- The Corringham Light Railway (Locomotion Paper No. 155) by Ivor Gotheridge, published by Oakwood, 1985? ISBN 0-85361-311-7
- Minor Railways of England and their Locomotives by George Woodcock, published by Goose and Son, Norwich, England, 1970
- The Corringham Light Railway A New History by Peter Kay Published 2008, ISBN 978-1-899890-42-2