Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
The Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway was an electric tramway linking Grimsby with the port of Immingham
in Lincolnshire
, England.
It is probably best described by the American term "interurban" as it ran on reserved track
rather that through the streets.
company were forced to look elsewhere in order to maintain and strengthen their hold on seaborne traffic on the River Humber. The company were looking for a site which could be made accessible at all states of the tide to vessels of up to 6,000 gross registered tons (grt). Taking into account the fact that the deep water channel of the river comes nearest the south bank at Immingham this was chosen as the site for the new deep water dock and estate. Immingham village, and the land purchased for this new venture, were rather inaccessible by road, and the G.C.R. sent a delegation to Bristol
and Cardiff
, two cities where their docks were situated some distance from the centre, the homes of the workforce. It seemed essential that direct communications between the town centre at Grimsby and the new dock estate at Immingham would have to be built.
The docks were opened in 1912 and with them the electric railway. At the grouping in 1923 the line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway and was nationalised in 1948. Closure came in summer 1961, with replacement by buses.
The GCR
reached agreement for the purchase of the land required and presented two Bills in Parliament
of which the second was accepted as the Humber Commercial Railway and Dock Act 1904.
An application for a Light Railway Order was drawn by the GCR's solicitor for a link between the dock estate and Grimsby. The railway portions were built first as to carry the goods necessary for the construction of the street tramway. Originally it was planned to use electric traction between Corporation Bridge, Grimsby and the Pyewipe Depot, where a change would be made to steam powered trains. The plans were amended in 1909 and electric traction was to be used throughout.
to Grimsby (Corporation Bridge)
and to this was added a short line from Immingham Town to Immingham Dock
(not to be confused with the main line railway station of the same name by the Western Jetty), to serve the workers who lived there and to take them and their families to Grimsby. The Immingham Dock - Town line was double track set on its own reserved way but becoming a street tramway once reaching the village. Trams reversed towards Grimsby and the line and once on their reserved way maintained a south-eastward course across the marshes on a near straight five-mile stretch to Pyewipe depot. Along this section were constructed seven passing points, three closing in 1917. They were not known by name but titled, for example, "No.4 Passing Point" etc. The system also included a short Immingham branch to serve the new locomotive depot and a station was opened in Queens Road
near the footpath linking the line to the depot. This line had "an occasional and irregular service".
At the depot, the line veered to the right to become a street tramway, using Gilbey Road and finally Corporation Road. This was single track with three passing points. A waiting room and parcels office were built next to Corporation Bridge as the Grimsby terminus.
An extension over Corporation Bridge project was authorised but never built, as work on the reconstruction of Corporation Bridge took too long, finishing only in 1928. The Corporation Road and Gilbey Road section was cut back in 1956.The section from Corporation Bridge to Immingham was closed in 1961
electric power was supplied by two substations. The first was built three miles from Immingham by Siemens
Brothers whose contract included the construction of the overhead line and the installation of 184 Baltic Redwood
fir poles which would run alongside the line. Two Westinghouse
250 kW rotary converters produced 500 V DC for the trams. Traction feeders were installed every half mile. The substation itself was a redbrick construction, built by Dennis Gill & Sons of Doncaster
for £507.
The second substation, continuously manned, was also built by Dennis Gill, for £707, next to the car sheds at Pyewipe. It contained three 250 kW Westinghouse
rotary converters. One converter was used for lighting, one for traction and the third as a standby.
Immingham
Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary...
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...
, England.
It is probably best described by the American term "interurban" as it ran on reserved track
Reserved track
In tram transport terminology reserved track is track on ground exclusively for trams. Unlike track on streets and roads, reserved track does not need to take into account the transit of other wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists or horses...
rather that through the streets.
History
With silting problems occurring at Grimsby, a problem with that site since it was first used by the monks of the local priory, the owners of the docks, the Great Central RailwayGreat Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
company were forced to look elsewhere in order to maintain and strengthen their hold on seaborne traffic on the River Humber. The company were looking for a site which could be made accessible at all states of the tide to vessels of up to 6,000 gross registered tons (grt). Taking into account the fact that the deep water channel of the river comes nearest the south bank at Immingham this was chosen as the site for the new deep water dock and estate. Immingham village, and the land purchased for this new venture, were rather inaccessible by road, and the G.C.R. sent a delegation to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, two cities where their docks were situated some distance from the centre, the homes of the workforce. It seemed essential that direct communications between the town centre at Grimsby and the new dock estate at Immingham would have to be built.
The docks were opened in 1912 and with them the electric railway. At the grouping in 1923 the line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway and was nationalised in 1948. Closure came in summer 1961, with replacement by buses.
The GCR
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
reached agreement for the purchase of the land required and presented two Bills in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
of which the second was accepted as the Humber Commercial Railway and Dock Act 1904.
An application for a Light Railway Order was drawn by the GCR's solicitor for a link between the dock estate and Grimsby. The railway portions were built first as to carry the goods necessary for the construction of the street tramway. Originally it was planned to use electric traction between Corporation Bridge, Grimsby and the Pyewipe Depot, where a change would be made to steam powered trains. The plans were amended in 1909 and electric traction was to be used throughout.
The network
The main line ran from Immingham TownImmingham Town electric railway station
Immingham Town electric railway station in Lincolnshire, England, was the main line terminus of the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway within Immingham. The line came from Grimsby over the marshes which separated the two places and was an "Inter Urban" light railway system to serve the workers...
to Grimsby (Corporation Bridge)
Grimsby (Corporation Bridge) electric railway station
Grimsby electric railway station in Lincolnshire, England, was the eastern terminus of the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway...
and to this was added a short line from Immingham Town to Immingham Dock
Immingham Dock electric railway station
Immingham Dock electric railway station was the terminus of a short branch line of the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway which ran from Immingham Town...
(not to be confused with the main line railway station of the same name by the Western Jetty), to serve the workers who lived there and to take them and their families to Grimsby. The Immingham Dock - Town line was double track set on its own reserved way but becoming a street tramway once reaching the village. Trams reversed towards Grimsby and the line and once on their reserved way maintained a south-eastward course across the marshes on a near straight five-mile stretch to Pyewipe depot. Along this section were constructed seven passing points, three closing in 1917. They were not known by name but titled, for example, "No.4 Passing Point" etc. The system also included a short Immingham branch to serve the new locomotive depot and a station was opened in Queens Road
Immingham (Queens Road) electric railway station
Immingham electric railway station in Lincolnshire, England, was a station on the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway. It was a short extension to the line from the main terminus at Immingham Town....
near the footpath linking the line to the depot. This line had "an occasional and irregular service".
At the depot, the line veered to the right to become a street tramway, using Gilbey Road and finally Corporation Road. This was single track with three passing points. A waiting room and parcels office were built next to Corporation Bridge as the Grimsby terminus.
An extension over Corporation Bridge project was authorised but never built, as work on the reconstruction of Corporation Bridge took too long, finishing only in 1928. The Corporation Road and Gilbey Road section was cut back in 1956.The section from Corporation Bridge to Immingham was closed in 1961
Power
Direct currentDirect current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
electric power was supplied by two substations. The first was built three miles from Immingham by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
Brothers whose contract included the construction of the overhead line and the installation of 184 Baltic Redwood
Cupressaceae
The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
fir poles which would run alongside the line. Two Westinghouse
Westinghouse Rail Systems
Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd is a British supplier of railway signalling and control equipment to the rail industry worldwide. Its head office is in Chippenham, Wiltshire, where it manufactures a variety of mechanical and electrical/electronic railway signalling equipment...
250 kW rotary converters produced 500 V DC for the trams. Traction feeders were installed every half mile. The substation itself was a redbrick construction, built by Dennis Gill & Sons of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
for £507.
The second substation, continuously manned, was also built by Dennis Gill, for £707, next to the car sheds at Pyewipe. It contained three 250 kW Westinghouse
Westinghouse Rail Systems
Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd is a British supplier of railway signalling and control equipment to the rail industry worldwide. Its head office is in Chippenham, Wiltshire, where it manufactures a variety of mechanical and electrical/electronic railway signalling equipment...
rotary converters. One converter was used for lighting, one for traction and the third as a standby.
Pyewipe Car Sheds
The curiously named sheds, taking their name from the local marshes, the habitat of the peewit (curlew) and known after its call, near the Grimsby Borough boundary, serviced all the trams. Pyewipe was built by H. Marrows for £1464. The sheds did not house the cars, which spent all their life outdoors, only entering the workshop if repairs were needed. The workshop had the capacity to hold three trams on two tracks and the depot the rest of the fleet. It also housed a machine shop and store.Rolling stock
The railway used four types of single-deck bogie tram:- 12 long trams designed by the Great Central railway and constructed by Dick, Kerr & Co.Dick, Kerr & Co.Dick, Kerr and Company was a locomotive and tramcar manufacturer based in Kilmarnock, Scotland and Preston, England.-Early history:Having previously been known as W.B.Dick and Company the company had built all kinds of tramway equipment and rolling stock. From 1883 the company joined with John Kerr...
of Preston. They were 54 feet in length, the longest non-articulated trams in the country. - 4 short trams, numbered 5 to 8, purchased in preparation for operations in the streets of Grimsby. These vehicles were scrapped in the early 1930s.
- 3 trams purchased from Newcastle Corporation arrived on the line in 1948 but were scrapped in 1957
- 18 trams, built in the 1920s, were purchased from Gateshead and District Tramways in 1951 although only 17 went into service, one being damaged during delivery. These were painted in British Railways electric locomotive green, a bright shade of the colour, by all accounts. One of this class is preserved at the National Tramway MuseumNational Tramway MuseumThe National Tramway Museum, at Crich, in Derbyshire, England, is situated within Crich Tramway Village, a period village containing a pub, cafe, old-style sweetshop, including the tram depots. The village is also home to the Eagle Press, a small museum dedicated to Letterpress Printing including...
in CrichCrichCrich is a village in Derbyshire in England. It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village, and at the summit of Crich Hill above, a Memorial Tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I.Built in 1923 on the site of an...
, and another, Grimsby and Immingham 26, is preserved at BeamishBeamishBeamish can refer to:Places:*Beamish, County Durham, a village in England**Beamish Museum near Beamish*Beamish and Crawford a brewery in Cork, Ireland that produces the brand Beamish Stout.People:...
The North of England Open Air Museum, now operating as Gateshead 10.