![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(April 2015) |
![]() The site of the junction between lines to Corringham (lifted) on the left, Kynochtown (later Corytown) on the right and Thames Haven in the foreground. | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Locale | Corringham, Essex |
Dates of operation | 10 July 1899–20 September 1971 |
Successor | Mobil Oil |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Length | 3 1/2 Miles |
Corringham Light Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Corringham Light Railway (CLR) in Corringham, Essex, England was incorporated on 10 July 1899 and opened to freight on 1 January 1901, to passengers on 22 June 1901. [1] It closed to passengers on 1 March 1952 and was absorbed into the Mobil Oil Company on 20 September 1971. The railway itself went from an end on junction with the London Tilbury and Southend Railway at Thames Haven to both Corringham and Kynochtown (later Coryton).
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) had a branch from Thames Haven Junction, near Stanford-le-Hope, to Thames Haven on the Thames Estuary. It was some 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) long. 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 Coryton) and west to Corringham.
Corringham Station on the Fobbing Road was a substantial brick-built structure providing both male and female toilets, a bicycle shed and a small loading platform. Although the Light Railway order included a siding this was never laid. From the station the line headed down hill past two sidings, The first branched off towards a small brickworks and the second to a sewage works. Both were closed and removed before 1923. At the bottom of the incline the line crossed a bridge before heading across the marshes towards the works/LTSR it crossed the A1014 Manorway for the first time at Ironlatch crossing before heading straight for around a mile. At this point the line divided into a triangular junction with the LTSR and to Kynochtown/Coryton. The station at Kynochtown/Coryton was built in a similar style to Corringham but was built from wood. Originally the station was on a dead-end siding meaning that a train, once loaded, would have to reverse out to allow the locomotive pass to the front of the train.
On 20 September 1971 the CLR company became part of the Mobil Oil Company, serving its Coryton Refinery.
After the refinery transferred to Vacuum Oil Company, later Mobil, improvements were made to the branch that entered the refinery. The last passenger train ran from Corringham station on Saturday 1 March 1952 at 12.20pm. By 12 April of that year, Corringham station and branch were noted as having been demolished.
The site of the station on Fobbing Road is apparent from the satellite view of postcode SS17 9DB. The trees that lined the track as it ran north and curved westward into the station are still present. The top end of the trackbed up to public footpath 22 including the platform and loop was sold to a housing developer in 1986 The rear of the station site (Behind the platform) became The Hawthorns estate: the rear of the brick platform is visible from The Hawthorns, behind "Station House" on the right. A series of fishponds now lie on the trackbed through the station site. The gate post on Fobbing Road at the entrance to the station is still there, just across the road from Kynoch Villas and Digby Road.
Along the track bed there are various earth works and remaining structures, the first of which is the sewage works that once served the works colony (originally served by its own siding), The second of which are the large ponds in the grounds of the Pegasus club, these are the remains of the once rail served brick works. Finally there are the remains of Brickfield Bridge over Fobbing Creek.
At the site of Coryton Station the 1919 brick platform extension survives within the refinery and was restored cosmetically by BP in 1985 however the wooden waiting shelter/toilets have long since disappeared . Coryton station is an anomaly as usually a station is demolished when its railway closes, however the whole village of Coryton was demolished in the 1970s while leaving the station as intact as it was when the last trains ran.
Various items have survived in private hands, mainly tickets and photographs. A brick from Corringham station was rescued by an enthusiast and was subsequently incorporated into the wall of his home office. A fishplate was discovered in June 2013 after recent ploughing had uncovered it . One piece of rolling stock was also almost preserved: the final LTSR carriage was donated in the 1970s to Railway Vehicle Preservations, who are now based on the Great Central Railway. Unfortunately it was later destroyed by fire, though one door survived in a private collection. The door was restored as far as was practical and in 2012 was donated to the East Anglian Railway Museum (www.earm.co.uk) where it now features in the Carriage and Wagon display.
Name | Builder and Class | Configuration | Works Number | Build Date | Date Acquired | Livery | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cordite | Kitson | 0-4-0WT | T109 | 1884 | 1900 | Unknown, possibly unlined red. | Withdrawn c. 1914 Scrapped by 1935 |
Kynite | Kerr Stuart Waterloo class | 0-4-2T | 692 | 1901 | 1901 | Red, lining in black and yellow | Withdrawn c. 1919 Scrapped 1952 |
Cordite | Kerr Stuart Huxley class | 0-4-0ST | 1283 | 1915 | 1915 | Grey | Transferred c. 1919 Scrapped 1954 |
Unnamed (known as the 1917 loco) | Avonside B3 class | 0-6-0ST | 1771 (CLR Number 2) | 1917 | 1917 | Red/brown, lining in black and gold. Later scarlet | Withdrawn c. 1956 Scrapped 1957 |
Unnamed (known as the 1914 loco) | Avonside B3 class | 0-6-0ST | 1672 (CLR Number 1) | 1914 | 1933 | Green or blue | Withdrawn c. 1955 Scrapped 1957 |
After the steam locomotives were scrapped the line was worked with diesel locomotives owned by Mobil Oil. However, there is no evidence that internal combustion locomotives ever ventured on to the Corringham branch before it was taken up in the 1950s.
Kynite was scrapped by T Ward and sons of Grays and the two Avonside locomotives were scrapped by Ray of Southend. [2]
Although no steam locomotive that ran on the Corringham Light railway was preserved, the National Railway Museum has the works plate from Kynite on display in the works display and also owns a fine example of the Avonside B4 class (same as locomotives 2 and 1) in "Woolmer" Works No 1572 of 1910, currently on display at the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke. This, as CLR No 1, has a military origin, having run on the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire.
Description | Quantity | Builder | Build Date | Date Acquired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toastrack bogie coaches (see below) | 2 | Kerr Stuart / Hudson | 1900 | 1900 | Out of use c1915. Probably scrapped 1920s. |
4-wheeled coach | 1 | Unknown / possibly either Ltsr / GER | 1876? | 1901/2 | similar to later 4-wheelers. May have survived beyond 1930. |
4-wheeled coaches | 3? | LT&SR | 1876 | 1915 | All but two scrapped by 1930. Only one was used by late 1940s. |
Bogie coaches | 8? | Midland | 1882 | C1915 | At least one still in use 1926/27. All scrapped by 1930 |
For the opening two "toastrack" carriages were supplied by Kerr Stuart, a 1st/3rd composite with the 1st class area enclosed and a 3rd class all open, described as very modern and akin to the trams on Southend pier at the time. Initially only one carriage was used at a time as the Kitson locomotive was unable to draw two loaded carriages up the incline to Corringham. Later the composite carriage was fully enclosed and curtains were added to the 3rd class carriage because of the harsh weather on the marshes. By 1905 by a four-wheel 3rd class carriage of LTSR origin was added.
They were modified by the removal of the compartment partitions and the addition of a handbrake at one end acting on one wheel set. During the First World War three bogie carriages of Midland Railway origin were acquired due to a further influx in staff to Thames works, In addition several more four wheel carriages where acquired from the LTSR. From the 1920s the passenger stock was reduced with the scrapping of many of the carriages acquired during the World War I, It was noted that at least one of the bogie carriages continued to be used past this time. Towards the end of the passenger service on the railway one or two ex-LTSR four-wheel carriages continued to be used, as noted on a Stephenson Locomotive Society visit in 1948.
Freight stock varied between two and 14 wagons. Little is known about them, but there is photographic evidence of two four-wheel wagons, one regularly at Corringham and an ex LBSCR open wagon. There are many photographs from the later years of the CLR that show wagons belonging to Cory Brothers in use or dumped in derelict condition. However these do not appear to have ever been owned by the railway itself.
Although the CLR had directors and several secretaries over the years, it listed very few staff on its books. Kynochs (and later Cory's) kept costs down to a minimum by counting only the locomotive crews (ie the drivers and firemen) as actual employees of the CLR. Like many aspects of the CLR, not much has been recorded of them. [3]
Name | Position | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Tom Johnstone | Driver | 1900s-c1939 | Listed as a stationary engine driver in 1901. Lived in Fleet Street, Coryton in the 1930s. |
Arthur Baker | Driver | 1900s-1930s | Lived in Fleet Street, Coryton in the 1930s. |
Frederick D'Aumont | Fireman | ? | Lived in Fleet Street, Coryton in the 1930s. |
Ted Mynett | Fireman, later driver | c1925-1952 | Transferred to Mobil maintenance division after passenger services ended. |
William Newman | Fireman | c1940s | |
Clarrie Ockendon | Fireman | c1940-1950s | |
G. Garland | Driver | c1949-1963 | |
Albert Everard | Driver | c1960s | |
Alan Segasby | Driver | c1960s | |
Stan Edwards | Shunter | c1960s | |
George Martin | Shunter | c1960s | |
Paul Clark | Shunter | c1960s |
Later staff were direct employees of Mobil. [4]
The Corringham Light Railway Project was founded in 2013 by a group of local people attempting to save the remaining trackbed of the Corringham Light Railway. Unfortunately time has not been kind to what remains of the Corringham Light Railway. In December 2014 the Corringham Light Railway Society was formed by former members of the project it now aims to research and discover as much as possible about the old line and if possible assist in the preservation of any remaining artifacts.
The Society's secondary aims are to preserve the general railway History of the Thurrock Area in conjunction with other groups.
The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris on the border between Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire in Mid-Wales.
Limehouse is a National Rail and connected Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station in Limehouse, London, England. It is served by regional services operated by c2c to and from Fenchurch Street, and by light metro services provided by the DLR to and from Tower Gateway or Bank. On the main line, Limehouse is located 1 mile 58 chains (2.8 km) from Fenchurch Street and the following station is West Ham; on the DLR it is between Shadwell and Westferry in Travelcard Zone 2.
The London, Tilbury and Southend line, also known as Essex Thameside, is a commuter railway line on the British railway system. It connects Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including Barking, Upminster, Basildon, Grays, Tilbury, Southend and Shoeburyness.
Plaistow is a London Underground station on Plaistow Road in the London Borough of Newham in Greater London. It is between West Ham and Upton Park stations on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, and in Travelcard Zone 3.
The North London Railway (NLR) company had lines connecting the northern suburbs of London with the East and West India Docks further east. The main east to west route is now part of London Overground's North London Line. Other NLR lines fell into disuse but were later revived as part of the Docklands Light Railway, and London Overground's East London Line. The company was originally called the East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway (E&WID&BJR) from its start in 1850, until 1853. In 1909, it entered into an agreement with the London and North Western Railway which introduced common management, and the NLR was taken over completely by the LNWR in 1922. The LNWR itself became part of the LMS from the start of 1923. The railways were nationalised in 1948 and most LMS lines, including the North London route, then came under the control of the London Midland Region of British Railways.
The Rye and Camber Tramway was an English railway in East Sussex. It was of 3 ft narrow gauge, relatively unusual amongst British narrow gauge railways. It operated from 1895 until 1939, connecting Rye to the coast. It was about 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km) in length, and had three stations - Rye, Golf Links and Camber Sands. It operated mainly to transport golfers to the golf links and holidaymakers to the coastal dunes.
The Llanberis Lake Railway is a 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in narrow gauge heritage railway that runs for 2.5 miles (4 km) along the northern shore of Llyn Padarn in north Wales in the Snowdonia National Park. The starting point is the village of Llanberis at the eastern end of the lake, with the western terminus at Pen Llyn in the Padarn Country Park. The return journey takes around 60 minutes.
Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish in the unitary authority area of Thurrock, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is located 24 miles (38.4 km) east of Charing Cross in London. In 2011 it had a population of 28,765.
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.
The Brill Tramway, also known as the Quainton Tramway, Wotton Tramway, Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad and Metropolitan Railway Brill Branch, was a six-mile (10 km) rail line in the Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, England. It was privately built in 1871 by the 3rd Duke of Buckingham as a horse tram line to help transport goods between his lands around Wotton House and the national rail network. Lobbying from the nearby village of Brill led to its extension to Brill and conversion to passenger use in early 1872. Two locomotives were bought but trains still travelled at an average speed of 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h).
The East Kent Light Railway was part of the Colonel Stephens group of cheaply built rural light railways in England. Holman Fred Stephens was engineer from its inception, subsequently becoming director and manager. The line ran from Shepherdswell to Wingham Station with a branch from Eastry through Poison Cross to Richborough Port. Built primarily for colliery traffic within the Kent Coalfields, the line was built with many spurs and branches to serve the mines, with cancelled plans to construct extensions to several others. The success of Tilmanstone colliery allowed the main line of the railway to continue operation until 1986. A remainder of the line became the East Kent Railway, a heritage railway, in 1987.
Coryton Refinery was an oil refinery in Essex, England, on the estuary of the River Thames 28 miles (45 km) from central London, between Shell Haven Creek and Hole Haven Creek, which separates Canvey Island from the mainland.
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 at the site. The neighbouring Coryton Refinery remained in operation until 2012.
Nidd Valley Light Railway was a light railway in upper Nidderdale in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was owned by Bradford Corporation Waterworks Department and the corporation also operated its public passenger services. Power & Traction Ltd of London obtained a Light Railway Order for the 6.5-mile (10.5 km) railway from Pateley Bridge to Lofthouse in 1900, but these powers were taken over by Bradford Corporation. A contract to build Angram Reservoir was awarded to John Best & Son in 1903, and he also won the contract to build the public railway and a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) private extension to the reservoir site. This was initially built to 3 ft gauge but was converted to standard gauge by 1907, when the public railway opened. Best had his own locomotives, and Bradford Corporation equipped the public railway with second hand locomotives and carriages from the Metropolitan Railway.
The Brill Tramway, also known as the Quainton Tramway, Wotton Tramway, Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad and Metropolitan Railway Brill Branch, was a six-mile (10 km) rail line in the Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, England. It was privately built in 1871 by the 3rd Duke of Buckingham as a horse tram line to transport goods between his lands around Wotton House and the national railway network. Lobbying from residents of the nearby town of Brill led to the line's extension to Brill and conversion to passenger use in early 1872. Two locomotives were bought for the line, but as it had been designed and built with horses in mind, services were very slow; trains travelled at an average speed of only 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h).
Corringham railway station served the villages of Corringham and Fobbing in Essex, England, between 1901 and 1952.
Coryton railway station served the village of Kynochtown and the Coryton Refinery in Essex, England, between 1901 and 1952.
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR), was a British railway company, whose network connected Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including Barking, Upminster, Grays, Tilbury, Southend and Shoeburyness. The company and its assets were sold to the Midland Railway in 1912. The network over which they operated is largely intact and is currently operated as part of the Essex Thameside franchise.
Thames Haven Railway Station is a freight terminal on the coast of Essex, England. It is the terminus of the goods-only Thames Haven branch.
Edward Charles Mynett was a railwayman who worked on the Corringham Light Railway in Essex, England.