Yarborough Street electric railway station

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Yarborough Street
General information
Location Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
England
Coordinates 53°34′16″N0°05′25″W / 53.5710°N 0.0902°W / 53.5710; -0.0902 Coordinates: 53°34′16″N0°05′25″W / 53.5710°N 0.0902°W / 53.5710; -0.0902
Grid reference TA265099
Platforms0
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company Great Central Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Central Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
15 May 1912opened
1 July 1956closed [1]

Yarborough Street electric railway station was the first of five calling points on the 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) eastern, "street" section [2] [3] of the inter-urban [4] Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock. [5]

Contents

Overview

The electric railway was built primarily to carry workers between Grimsby and Immingham Dock which the Great Central Railway had built on a greenfield site in a sparsely populated area. The line was built by the Great Central and remained in railway ownership up to closure in 1961. It therefore appeared in railway timetables [6] and it was possible to buy through tickets between any of the stops on the line and anywhere on the national railway network, [7] though there never was any physical connection with any conventional track, nor with the tramways in Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

In modern parlance the vehicles would be described as trams, but they were usually referred to locally as "tramcars", with related things being called names such as "tramcar halt" and "tramcar bridge" with "car" a more common short form than "tram."

Location and facilities

Travelling from Corporation Bridge the eastern section of the line passed along the middle of first Corporation Road, [8] then Gilbey Road, Grimsby. [9] This part of the line was single track; it originally had three passing places ("loops" in railway parlance) where the line:

A fourth, turnback, loop was added at the extreme western end of the street running section, west of Cleveland Bridge, in 1956 when the remainder of the street running section closed. Unlike the "country" section of the line, halts did not always coincide with loops.

The points at the ends of the loops were spring loaded. As the line was unsignalled, motormen drove by line of sight.

No platforms ever existed at any of the stopping places; passengers were expected to board and alight from the roadway or trackside cinders according to the location. The "stations" were much more commonly referred to as "halts" or "stopping places."

Passengers bought their tickets from conductors on board the cars.

Yarborough Street halt was a Compulsory Stop throughout its life. It opened with the line in 1912 [14] and was mentioned in the 1914 [15] and 1922 timetables, [6] as well as the 1948 version reproduced in the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway article. Although it always appeared in timetables, it never appeared on any ticket or fare table, or maps specifically commissioned to show the line. [16] [17]

The lines from the station

Unlike the "country" section, where conventional track was used, tramcars arrived at Yarborough Street halt from both directions on grooved tram tracks set into the public road, as they were around Immingham Town.

Services

Unusually among British tramways services ran round the clock, particularly to provide for railway workers based at Immingham engine shed, whose duties often involved starting or finishing at unsocial hours. Traffic was highly peaked, with convoys of tramcars leaving and arriving to match shift changes at the dock. It was normal for several tramcars to queue to enter and leave Yarborough Street at the peaks.

After 1945 industry was attracted to the south bank of the Humber, steadily transforming the landscape from rural to urban, though few workers at the new plants lived locally. This led to an increase in ridership and an increase in footfall at Yarborough Street halt. It also coincided with and reinforced a rise in road use along Corporation Road itself, increasing the risk of conflicts [18] and accidents. The tension between tram and rubber wheeled traffic is nowhere better shown than the famous "Tram Pinch" signs at the roadside. [12]

The east coast floods of 1953 did considerable damage to the tramway's infrastructure, with passengers having to walk between tramcars marooned either side of flooded or washed out sections. [19]

In 1956 over a million passengers used the line, [20] nevertheless the roadway section east of Cleveland Bridge, including Yarborough Street halt, closed at midnight on 30 June 1956. The last car to call was original GCR car No. 1. [21]

Closure

The line took some years to die. It was cut back at the Grimsby end in 1956. In 1959 it was reduced to peak services only, it disappeared from Bradshaw and through ticketing beyond the line was withdrawn. [22] Formal closure of the line and Kiln Lane tramcar halt came on Monday 3 July 1961, with the last tramcars running on Saturday 1 July 1961, when a convoy of six tramcars set off from Immingham Dock, nominally at 14:03. [23] The last tramcar of this convoy and therefore the last of all was Number 4. [24]

Aftermath

The first track on the line to be removed was at Immingham Dock tramcar station, to give increased parking space. The process of demolition was piecemeal and even in 2013 many hints of the line remained, such as spun concrete masts near Immingham Town.

Former Services
Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Jackson Street
Line and station closed		  Great Central Railway
Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway 		  Corporation Bridge
Line and station closed

Related Research Articles

The Grimsby District Light Railway (GDLR) was one of three standard gauge railways, all part of the Great Central Railway, promoted by the latter to connect the wider world to Immingham Dock which it built in the early Twentieth Century on an almost uninhabited, greenfield site on the south bank of the Humber, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway</span> Light railway in Lincolnshire, England

The Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway (G&IER) was an electric light railway, primarily for passenger traffic, linking Great Grimsby with the Port of Immingham in Lincolnshire, England. The line was built by the Great Central Railway (GCR), was absorbed by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923, and became part of the Eastern Region of British Railways. It ran mainly on reserved track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immingham Dock railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Immingham Dock railway station served the dock at Immingham, Lincolnshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immingham Town electric railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Immingham Town electric railway station was the penultimate unconditional stop on the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock. All tramcars reversed here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immingham Dock electric railway station</span> Former railway station in Lincolnshire, England

Immingham Dock electric railway station was the western terminus of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway which ran from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby with a reversal at what was euphemistically called Immingham Town.

Grimsby electric railway station was the eastern terminus of the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway, the western terminus being Immingham Dock, 7 miles (11 km) to the north west.

Immingham electric railway station would have been a halt on the Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway, but it never opened to fare paying passengers. Electrified track was laid to the station site and quarterly proving cars ran for nearly twentyfive years, but no revenue-earning car ever travelled to or from the halt.

Kiln Lane electric railway station was situated at the eighth of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Marsh Road Level Crossing electric railway station was situated at the seventh of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

No. 6 Passing Place electric railway station was situated at the sixth of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

No. 5 Passing Place electric railway station was situated at the fifth of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

No. 4 Passing Place electric railway station was situated at the fourth of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Great Coates Level Crossing electric railway station was situated at the third of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Pyewipe Depot electric railway station was situated at the second of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Cleveland Bridge electric railway station was situated at the first of eight passing loops on the otherwise single track central "country" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Cleveland Street electric railway station was the fifth of five calling points on the 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) eastern, "street" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Stortford Street electric railway station was the fourth of five calling points on the 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) eastern, "street" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Boulevard Recreation Ground electric railway station was the third of five calling points on the 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) eastern, "street" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Jackson Street electric railway station was the second of five calling points on the 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) eastern, "street" section of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway when travelling from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby to Immingham Dock.

Eastern Entrance to Immingham Dock electric railway station was a temporary halt 62 chains (1.2 km) by route south east of the western terminus of the inter-urban Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway which ran from Corporation Bridge, Grimsby with a reversal at what was euphemistically called Immingham Town.

References

  1. ↑ Butt 1995, pp. 256.
  2. ↑ Bates & Bairstow 2005, Map p.81.
  3. ↑ Skelsey 2011, p. 238.
  4. ↑ Feather 1993, p. 1.
  5. ↑ King & Hewins 1989, Photos 48-50.
  6. 1 2 Bradshaw 1985, p. 717.
  7. ↑ Price 1991, p. 112.
  8. ↑ Fell & Hennessey 2012, p. 724.
  9. ↑ Mummery & Butler 1999, p. 67.
  10. ↑ King & Hewins 1989, Photo 48.
  11. ↑ Price 1991, p. 66.
  12. 1 2 King & Hewins 1989, Photo 49.
  13. ↑ King & Hewins 1989, Photo 50.
  14. ↑ Butt 1995, pp. 63.
  15. ↑ Mummery & Butler 1999, p. 62.
  16. ↑ Pask 1999, Map on p2 and tickets throughout.
  17. ↑ Price 1991, p. 75.
  18. ↑ Price 1991, p. 95.
  19. ↑ King & Hewins 1989, Photo 55.
  20. ↑ Price 1991, p. 94.
  21. ↑ Price 1991, p. 93.
  22. ↑ Bates & Bairstow 2005, p. 85.
  23. ↑ Skelsey 2011, p. 239.
  24. ↑ Price 1991, p. 102.

Sources

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