Alford Town railway station
Encyclopedia
Alford Town was a railway station on the East Lincolnshire Railway
which served the town of Alford
in Lincolnshire
between 1848 and 1970. It originally opened as Alford, but was renamed in 1923. Withdrawal of goods facilities took place in 1966, followed by passenger services in 1970. The line through the station is closed.
, and renamed following the railway grouping
in 1923 to Alford Town to distinguish it from on the Alford Valley Railway and on the Langport and Castle Cary Railway. It was constructed by Peto
and Betts
civil engineer
ing contractors
who, in January 1848, had taken over the contract to construct the section of the East Lincolnshire Railway
between and from John Waring and Sons. This section was the last to be completed in September 1848 at an agreed cost of £123,000 (£ as of ). The station was served by the Alford and Sutton Tramway
to Sutton-on-Sea
from 2 April 1884 to 7 December 1889.
The station building is similar in style to that at . Access was had through a three-arch portico entrance which led to a passageway to the down platform, a large parcels office and the booking office. The southern end of the station comprised the stationmaster's quarters and the ladies' waiting room. Twin facing platforms were provided; a general waiting room, storeroom, stationmaster's office and porter's room were located on the down platform. The platforms were initially covered by a roof which was subsequently replaced after the Second World War. A signal box
was situated on the Up side near the road crossing to the north-west of the station. Behind the up platform lay a goods yard with a loading dock, goods shed
capable to taking 9 wagons which also served as a grain store and a 15-ton crane. The shed and crane were destroyed during a bombing raid in the Second World War, which led to Alford's only wartime casualty: the shunt horse driver who was on fire watch in the yard.
By 1953, Alford was dealing with 50-60 passenger and goods trains per day. These included ironstone
trains from High Dyke to the Frodingham Ironworks
, and coal trains from Colwick
. The July 1922 timetable saw seven up and six down weekday services, plus one Sunday service each way, call at Alford. The station was closed to goods traffic on 2 May 1966 and to passengers on 5 October 1970.
East Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
which served the town of Alford
Alford, Lincolnshire
- Notable residents :* Captain John Smith who lived in nearby Willoughby* Anne Hutchinson, pioneer settler and religious reformer in the United States* Thomas Paine, who was an excise officer in the town....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
between 1848 and 1970. It originally opened as Alford, but was renamed in 1923. Withdrawal of goods facilities took place in 1966, followed by passenger services in 1970. The line through the station is closed.
History
The station was opened on 3 September 1848 as Alford after the town of AlfordAlford, Lincolnshire
- Notable residents :* Captain John Smith who lived in nearby Willoughby* Anne Hutchinson, pioneer settler and religious reformer in the United States* Thomas Paine, who was an excise officer in the town....
, and renamed following the railway grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923 to Alford Town to distinguish it from on the Alford Valley Railway and on the Langport and Castle Cary Railway. It was constructed by Peto
Samuel Morton Peto
Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet was an English entrepreneur and civil engineer in the 19th century. A partner in Grissell and Peto, he managed construction firms that built many major buildings and monuments in London...
and Betts
Edward Betts
Edward Ladd Betts was an English civil engineering contractor who was mainly involved in the building of railways.-Early life:...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
ing contractors
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who, in January 1848, had taken over the contract to construct the section of the East Lincolnshire Railway
East Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
between and from John Waring and Sons. This section was the last to be completed in September 1848 at an agreed cost of £123,000 (£ as of ). The station was served by the Alford and Sutton Tramway
Alford and Sutton Tramway
The Alford and Sutton Tramway was a steam narrow gauge street tramway between the seaside town of Sutton-on-Sea and the nearby Great Northern Railway line at Alford in Lincolnshire...
to Sutton-on-Sea
Sutton-on-Sea
Sutton-on-Sea is a small seaside village on the coast of Lincolnshire, England. It is close to Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe, and is part of the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton...
from 2 April 1884 to 7 December 1889.
The station building is similar in style to that at . Access was had through a three-arch portico entrance which led to a passageway to the down platform, a large parcels office and the booking office. The southern end of the station comprised the stationmaster's quarters and the ladies' waiting room. Twin facing platforms were provided; a general waiting room, storeroom, stationmaster's office and porter's room were located on the down platform. The platforms were initially covered by a roof which was subsequently replaced after the Second World War. A signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was situated on the Up side near the road crossing to the north-west of the station. Behind the up platform lay a goods yard with a loading dock, goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
capable to taking 9 wagons which also served as a grain store and a 15-ton crane. The shed and crane were destroyed during a bombing raid in the Second World War, which led to Alford's only wartime casualty: the shunt horse driver who was on fire watch in the yard.
By 1953, Alford was dealing with 50-60 passenger and goods trains per day. These included ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
trains from High Dyke to the Frodingham Ironworks
Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company
The Appleby-Frodingham Steel Company was formed in 1912 by a take over of the Appleby Ironworks by the Frodingham Ironworks. Both of these companies, located in villages near Scunthorpe, in North Lincolnshire, are amongst the areas oldest iron producers....
, and coal trains from Colwick
Colwick
Colwick is a suburb in the east of Greater Nottingham in England. It forms part of the Nottinghamshire borough of Gedling, although Colwick Country Park is actually within the city boundary. It lies between the River Trent and the railway line, with nearby places being Netherfield , Bakersfield ,...
. The July 1922 timetable saw seven up and six down weekday services, plus one Sunday service each way, call at Alford. The station was closed to goods traffic on 2 May 1966 and to passengers on 5 October 1970.