The Goole and Selby Railway
The Railway Magazine, T. Preston, September 1912
In these days, when England is covered from end to end with railways, the opening of a new section of line is somewhat of a novelty. A brief account of the Goole and Selby line of the North Eastern Railway may therefore be submitted to the readers of the RAILWAY MAGAZINE. This line was opened for freight traffic in December, 1910, and for passenger traffic on the 1st of May last. The line serves a large tract of low-lying agricultural country stretching from Selby on the north-west to Goole on the south-east. Between the towns named lie the villages of Barlow, Camblesforth, Carlton, Drax, Long Drax, Newland, Rawcliffe, and Airmyn.
Although these places were served to a certain extent by the Hull and Barnsley and Lancashire and Yorkshire Companies, as long ago as 1898 the railway facilities were considered so bad that a light railway was projected, to follow the same route as the present Selby and Goole line. At the same time as the promoters of the light railway scheme were thinking out their ways and means, the officials of the North Eastern Railway were also seriously considering the construction of a line between Goole and Selby. They were influenced not only by the fact that a railway would be a success locally, but also because it would form a new through route between Hull and the South of Yorkshire. In 1899 congestion at Selby began to make itself felt, and it was with the object to obtain relief that the Selby and Goole Railway was made.
As is well known, the main East Coast line between London and Scotland passes through Selby, where the lines cross the river Ouse by a swing bridge. This bridge carries only one up and one down line, and as it frequently has to be opened for river traffic, great difficulty is experienced in avoiding delay to trains. Many heavy coal trains from the South Yorkshire collieries to Hull have to pass over the bridge, and the empty trains from Hull also have to use it. Owing to the necessity of avoiding delays to the passenger traffic, these mineral trains often had to wait for long periods, and consequently it was natural that the railway authorities should consider the question of sending the South Yorkshire coal traffic to Hull by some other route, thereby leaving Selby so as to avoid clashing with the heavy traffic on the East Coast main line.
In 1899 it was estimated that, each way, 141 trains crossed Selby Bridge daily. Of these 69 were passenger trains; but only 41 trains, of which 16 were passenger, passed daily over Goole Bridge, which crosses the river further down. It was thought, therefore, that if a line could be constructed which would enable trains from the Leeds direction to cross the river by the Goole Bridge instead of by the Selby Bridge, much delay would be saved. The proposal was that if a new line were built, it should join the existing main line from Doncaster to Staddlethorpe, so that the trains could thence proceed to Hull. For several years nothing very definite was settled, but in 1902 matters were brought to a head by the light railway promoters submitting plans for their proposed line. The Light Railway Commissioners were on the eve of coming to Selby to take evidence, when a conference took place between the legal representatives of the promoters and the North Eastern Railway. The upshot was that the light railway scheme was dropped, the North Eastern giving an assurance that they would themselves make a railway over practically the same route.
The construction of the line was not started till 1907, when the North Eastern Company accepted the tender of Messrs. Baldry & Yerburgh, of Westminster, as contractors for its construction. The work was carried out under the supervision of Mr. A. C. Mitchell, of the North Eastern Railway, who acted as Resident Engineer, the Chief Engineer at that time being the late Mr. W. J. Cudworth. Altogether the railway is slightly over 10 miles in length. Owing to the low-lying nature of the country through which it passes, and the necessity for carrying it over roads and existing railways, the line is laid mostly on a raised embankment, crossing the various roads, etc., by means of 14 bridges. The new line may be said to commence at Thorpe Gates Junction signal-box, which is about 2½ miles south-west of Selby on the Leeds line. Approaching this junction from the Leeds direction, the lines to Selby curve off to the left, while the new Goole line, which is double throughout, goes to the right. Just over two miles further on, it crosses the main line to London by means of a girder overbridge, this being about 1¾ miles due south of Selby station. A loop line leaves the London main line at Brayton Junction to join the Selby and Goole line at Brayton East Junction. The latter signal-box is plainly visible from a train on the main line.
There are on the new line three stations and three intermediate goods sidings.
| Distances from Selby | ||
| MS | CH | |
| 1 | 34 | Brayton Junction signal-box and goods siding |
| 1 | 75 | Brayton East Juntion signal-box |
| 3 | 44 | Barlow station and signal-box |
| 5 | 13 | Camblesforth Siding and signal-box |
| 5 | 78 | Drax Hales station and signal-box |
| 7 | 9 | Newland siding and ground-frame |
| 8 | 30 | Airmyn and Rawcliffe station and signal-box |
| 9 | 78 | Oak Hills Junction signal-box |
| 11 | 66 | Boothferry Road Junction signal-box |
Boothferry Road signal-box is situated immediately to the south of Goole station itself, and the line between Boothferry and Oak Hills Junction belongs to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, being part of their Goole and Wakefield section.
The line is laid with rails weighing 95lbs per yard, and is cinder ballasted. All the bridges are of the steel girder type, with brick abutments, the largest being that over the river Aire, a short distance west of Airmyn and Rawcliffe station. This bridge is formed of steel truss-girders, joined together at the top. It has a clear span of 200 ft., an overall depth of 30 ft., and a height above rail level of 26 ft. Between Drax Hales station and Camblesforth Siding, the new line is carried by an overbridge across the Hull and Barnsley Railway. The three station are constructed according to the latest standard for wayside stations on the North Eastern Railway, the waiting and other rooms being thoroughly up-to-date and the platforms of ample length.
Rather a striking feature on the line is the lowness of all the signals, which are kept down to 12ft. or 15ft. in height. This was done on account of the liability to fogs in this part of the country, and drivers are already unanimous in saying that the low signals are, from their point of view, a very decided advantage. Before the completion of the line, the question was discussed of having automatic signals; but, after careful consideration, it was thought that ordinary manual signalling would be cheaper. The signalling arrangements on the Selby and Goole line were carried out by Messrs. McKenzie & Holland, of Worcester, under the supervision of Mr. A. Hurst, Signalling Engineer for the Southern Division of the North Eastern Railway. All the signal-boxes are of brick except Brayton East Junction, which is a wooden box. The two sidings at Camblesforth and Newland are worked by ground-frames. Each siding is protected by a home and a distant signal, worked from the ground frame and remaining in the 'off' position, being only placed to danger when the siding points require to be worked. The ground frames are kept locked, the keys being in charge of the Drax Hales and Airmyn stationmasters.
At the Goole end the North Eastern portion of the new line terminates, as stated, at Oak Hills Junction. Thence the trains run over a length of Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway metals, which join the North Eastern Hull and Doncaster line at Boothferry Road Junction. Here the Boothferry Road is carried over the railway by a level crossing, immediately to the north of which is Goole station. The station is an old one, and consists of two platforms roofed in. Not far north of the station the line crosses the river Ouse by means of the well-known 'Hook' swing bridge, as it is called. It is this bridge which, with the construction of the new line, carries so much of the heavy mineral traffic that formerly passed over the crowded Selby bridge. When the line was constructed, trouble was experienced owing to landslips, but these have since been overcome.
The passenger service is worked by one of the North Eastern 'autocars.' Introduced in 1905, these cars have since been running with success on various country branch lines. The autocar consists of a tank engine and a standard bogie carriage, coupled together as a single unit, and so arranged that it may be driven from either end. The engines are of the 0-4-4 type designed by Mr. Fletcher in 1874, with cylinders 15in. by 22in., coupled wheels 5ft. diameter, bogie wheels 3ft., total heating surface 1,074 sq. ft., grate area 12¾ sq. ft., weight in working order 45 tons, coal space 2 tons, water 1,000 gallons.
Experience has proved that the autocars are a very economical means of working branch lines where the traffic is light. They do not require to turn at their journey's end, and they also provide work for old engines which would otherwise have been scrapped.
The passenger service between Selby and Goole consists of three trains each way on weekdays, except on Mondays (Selby Market day), when five trains are run in each direction. Trains stop at all stations, covering the distance between the two towns in 29 minutes. The goods service consists of one pick-up goods train per day, which starts from Selby, and runs through to Goole, calling at the various stations and sidings as required, and then returning from Goole to Selby. Both the passenger autocar and the pick-up goods train leave and enter the new line via Brayton Junction, running thence to Selby on the London main line. The only trains which pass over the section of line between Brayton East Junction and Thorpe Gates are the through mineral trains to and from Hull. It is possible that, in the future, an express service may be run between Leeds and Goole via Thorpe Gates Junction but at present nothing of the kind is contemplated. The real reasons for the construction of the new line were to give increased facilities to the agricultural district through which it passes, and to provide for the South Yorkshire coal traffic an additional through route to Hull. In both respects there is every prospect of the Selby and Goole Railway proving quite successful.