Selby to Goole Line
Encyclopedia
The Selby to Goole Line was a standard gauge branchline connecting Selby
and Goole
built in 1910 by the North Eastern Railway
The line closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts
.
, and Drax
by the Hull and Barnsley Railway
. However a bottleneck at the two-track Selby swing bridge on the already busy East Coast Main Line
from London to Scotland meant that freight trains were often delayed, the building of the line was therefore desirable since it offered another path to the port of Hull
via Goole for the coal and other freight that was exported via the port at that time.
Construction of the railway began in 1907, with Baldry & Yerburgh chosen as contractors, and A.C. Mitchell and W.J. Cudworth acting as the NER's engineers. The line was originally doubled tracked, with much of it being built on embankments.
Freight traffic did not meet expectations and the line was reduced to single track after 1923. The line was closed in 1964. The track from Brayton junction as far as Barlow station remained open, serving a railway tip, and later being used for training track maintenance vehicle operators. Source Railway Memories No. 14 Selby and Goole Stephen Chapman
when approaching from the west towards Selby, it then crossed over the former east coast mainline by an overhead bridge. A branch from Selby then met the line from the north; somewhere east of Brayton.
Three intermediate stations were served Barlow station, Drax Hales station,The village Drax now having two stations until 1923 with Drax Abbey railway station and Airmyn and Rawcliffe station. The line reached Goole via the already extant LY&R track after joining at Oakhills junction.
s consisting of tank engine and carriage couple, the engine being designed designed by Edward Fletcher
, later LNER Class G5s were used. Later Sentinel
railcars were used, and Diesel multiple units operated the line before closure.
only parts of the embanked trackbed remain, the bridges and track having been removed. The crossing with the Hull and Barnsley now forms the southern perimeter of Drax Power Station, which is fed from the H&BR. Southeast of the crossing little remains - the route of the line is now mostly replaced by the A645 road.
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
and Goole
Goole
Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
built in 1910 by the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
The line closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
.
History
Before the branch's construction both Selby and Goole were served by the Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, and Drax
Drax
Drax is a large coal-fired power station in North Yorkshire, England, capable of co-firing biomass and petcoke. It is situated near the River Ouse between Selby and Goole, and its name comes from the nearby village of Drax...
by the Hull and Barnsley Railway
Hull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
. However a bottleneck at the two-track Selby swing bridge on the already busy East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
from London to Scotland meant that freight trains were often delayed, the building of the line was therefore desirable since it offered another path to the port of 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...
via Goole for the coal and other freight that was exported via the port at that time.
Construction of the railway began in 1907, with Baldry & Yerburgh chosen as contractors, and A.C. Mitchell and W.J. Cudworth acting as the NER's engineers. The line was originally doubled tracked, with much of it being built on embankments.
Freight traffic did not meet expectations and the line was reduced to single track after 1923. The line was closed in 1964. The track from Brayton junction as far as Barlow station remained open, serving a railway tip, and later being used for training track maintenance vehicle operators. Source Railway Memories No. 14 Selby and Goole Stephen Chapman
Route
The line can be considered to begin at Thorpe Gates Junction Signal box; where the new line branches off to the right from the line of the former Leeds and Selby RailwayLeeds 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...
when approaching from the west towards Selby, it then crossed over the former east coast mainline by an overhead bridge. A branch from Selby then met the line from the north; somewhere east of Brayton.
Three intermediate stations were served Barlow station, Drax Hales station,The village Drax now having two stations until 1923 with Drax Abbey railway station and Airmyn and Rawcliffe station. The line reached Goole via the already extant LY&R track after joining at Oakhills junction.
Rolling stock
Initially passenger services railway was operated with steam railcarRailcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s consisting of tank engine and carriage couple, the engine being designed designed by Edward Fletcher
Edward Fletcher (engineer)
Edward Fletcher was a British engineer, and locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway . He was born in Northumberland.-Career:...
, later LNER Class G5s were used. Later Sentinel
Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...
railcars were used, and Diesel multiple units operated the line before closure.
The line following closure
Northwest of the crossing with the Hull and Barnsley RailwayHull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
only parts of the embanked trackbed remain, the bridges and track having been removed. The crossing with the Hull and Barnsley now forms the southern perimeter of Drax Power Station, which is fed from the H&BR. Southeast of the crossing little remains - the route of the line is now mostly replaced by the A645 road.
Further information
- Railway memories No. 14 Selby & Goole , Stephen Chapman , Bellcode Books , Pages 65-70
- The Goole and Selby Railway , C.T. Goode , Oakwood Press , 1976
maps
- 1914 Railway Junction Diagram showing Oakhill Junction, Goole commons.wikipedia.org
- Thorpes Gates junction from the air maps.google.co.uk
- The remains of Brayton east junction, and the Selby line maps.google.co.uk
- The former crossing of the H&BR and the Selby-Goole line. The freight line supplying Drax power station curves to the North-West onto the former route of the Goole-Selby. maps.google.co.uk
- The New Adlestrop Railway Atlas Map showing former lines in relation to currently operating lines.