Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint Railway
Encyclopedia
The Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint Railway (also known as the Gowdall and Braithwell Railway) was a joint line which ran from Aire Junction, on the main line of the Hull and Barnsley Railway
, near Gowdall and an end on junction with the Great Central and Midland Joint Railway
at Braithwell Junction.
The line crossed the Knottingley and Goole Canal (part of the Aire and Calder Navigation
) via a rolling bascule lifting bridge.The bridge was never operable - it could be made working if the Canal began to carry ships The river Don was also crossed by a 122 ft (37.2 m) girder truss bridge with 106 ft (32.3 m) approach spans on either side.
In addition to the main length of the line there were five branches:
The line had five passenger stations although never a passenger service. The stations were situated on the edge or between the villages in their titles, even Doncaster (York Road) was well north of the town, beyond the Avoiding Line.
At the time of the construction of the South Yorkshire Joint Railway
a joint line was authorised for the Great Central
, Midland
and Hull and Barnsley Railway
s to operate. This 4 mile line ran from Laugton (where it connected to the end of the Shireoaks, Laughton and Maltby Railway) to Ravenfield where it connected at Laugton West junction to the Great Central and Midland Railway's joint branch serving Silverwood Colliery. It connected to the Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint at Braithwell junction and opened in 1909.
; later in the planning stage the North Eastern Railway
was offered running powers which resulted in the opposition of the Great Central. Eventually an act of parliament was passed in 1909 with the line as a joint H&BR and GC operation. The line opened on 1 May 1916.
The first closure came in 1939 when the south curve at York Road but the first main line closure, that from Bullcroft Junction to Aire Junction, took place in October 1958, however about one miles of this track was reopened in December 1961 and extended to Thorpe Marsh power station. This arrangement lasted until September 1970 when a new connection was put in from the WR&GR
. Also in September 1970 the lines from Bullcroft Colliery to Skellow and Bullcroft Junction to Doncaster Junction closed. Warmsworth to Sprotborough closed in February 1969 and Warmsworth to Braithwell in March 1969 although this line had not seen through traffic for over 20 years.
In later years the line was used for wagon storage. First in the Second World War the southern section was used for the storage of 'cripples' - wagons repairable but with no time and no facilities to do the work in the war. It continued after the war with the line south of Warmsworth Junction being unavailable for traffic.
The development of the coalfield north of Doncaster did not, at that time materialise, and traffic was always 'light'. It was not until the line had been closed that the Selby Coalfield came on stream.
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...
, near Gowdall and an end on junction with the Great Central and Midland Joint Railway
Great Central and Midland Joint Railway
The Great Central and Midland Joint Railway, formerly, before 1897, Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee, was a collection of joint railways, mainly in the Manchester and South Yorkshire areas...
at Braithwell Junction.
Description
The railway consisted of a double track main line (21.375 miles in length) which branched from the Hull and Barnsley railway at Aire junction nr. GowdallThe line crossed the Knottingley and Goole Canal (part of the Aire and Calder Navigation
Aire 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...
) via a rolling bascule lifting bridge.The bridge was never operable - it could be made working if the Canal began to carry ships The river Don was also crossed by a 122 ft (37.2 m) girder truss bridge with 106 ft (32.3 m) approach spans on either side.
In addition to the main length of the line there were five branches:
- From Bullcroft junction at 9 miles south of Aire junction.
- To Bullcroft CollieryBullcroft CollieryBullcroft Colliery was a coal mine situated by the village of Carcroft north of Doncaster. The Bullcroft Colliery Company was formed in April 1908 and sinking of the shafts commenced immediately...
(1.875 miles) - Bentley New Colliery (0.625 miles)
- To Bullcroft Colliery
- To Doncaster (York Road) railway stationDoncaster (York Road) railway stationDoncaster railway station was built as a terminus for services on the Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint Railway in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It was reached by a triangular junction from the main line just outside of town...
, 1 mile. - To Sprotborough Junctions with GC (Doncaster Avoiding LineDoncaster Avoiding LineThe Doncaster Avoiding Line is a railway line, which as its title suggests, avoids the town of Doncaster and routes goods traffic, principally coal and steel, away from the main line station where it would have to cross from the Sheffield line to the Hull or Cleethorpes lines and cause a...
), 0.25 miles. - To Yorkshire Main Colliery, 0.625 miles.
The line had five passenger stations although never a passenger service. The stations were situated on the edge or between the villages in their titles, even Doncaster (York Road) was well north of the town, beyond the Avoiding Line.
Laughton to Ravenfield joint line
- Known as the Great Central, Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint Railway Committee
At the time of the construction of the South Yorkshire Joint Railway
South Yorkshire Joint Railway
South Yorkshire Joint Railway was a committee formed in 1903, between the Great Central Railway , the Great Northern Railway , the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway , the Midland Railway and the North Eastern Railway to oversee the construction of a new railway in the Doncaster area of South...
a joint line was authorised for the Great Central
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...
, Midland
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and 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...
s to operate. This 4 mile line ran from Laugton (where it connected to the end of the Shireoaks, Laughton and Maltby Railway) to Ravenfield where it connected at Laugton West junction to the Great Central and Midland Railway's joint branch serving Silverwood Colliery. It connected to the Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint at Braithwell junction and opened in 1909.
History
The line originally to be worked by the Hull and Barnsley Railway and the Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
; later in the planning stage 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...
was offered running powers which resulted in the opposition of the Great Central. Eventually an act of parliament was passed in 1909 with the line as a joint H&BR and GC operation. The line opened on 1 May 1916.
The first closure came in 1939 when the south curve at York Road but the first main line closure, that from Bullcroft Junction to Aire Junction, took place in October 1958, however about one miles of this track was reopened in December 1961 and extended to Thorpe Marsh power station. This arrangement lasted until September 1970 when a new connection was put in from the WR&GR
West Riding and Grimsby Railway
The West Riding and Grimsby Railway was a joint railway whose main line linked Wakefield with Doncaster, whilst a branch line ran between Adwick and Stainforth...
. Also in September 1970 the lines from Bullcroft Colliery to Skellow and Bullcroft Junction to Doncaster Junction closed. Warmsworth to Sprotborough closed in February 1969 and Warmsworth to Braithwell in March 1969 although this line had not seen through traffic for over 20 years.
In later years the line was used for wagon storage. First in the Second World War the southern section was used for the storage of 'cripples' - wagons repairable but with no time and no facilities to do the work in the war. It continued after the war with the line south of Warmsworth Junction being unavailable for traffic.
The development of the coalfield north of Doncaster did not, at that time materialise, and traffic was always 'light'. It was not until the line had been closed that the Selby Coalfield came on stream.
Literature
- "Great Central" (Vol 3) (Fay sets the pace, 1900–1922), Ian Allan / Locomotive Pub. Co.,1965 ISBN 0 7110 0263 0
- "Railways of the South Yorkshire Coalfield from 1880", A.L.Barnett, Rail Correspondence and Travel Society 1984. ISBN 0 901115 58 4