Recent from talks
Axholme Joint Railway
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Axholme Joint Railway
The Axholme Joint Railway was a committee created as a joint enterprise between the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) and the North Eastern Railway (NER) and was established by the North Eastern Railway Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. clxviii) of 31 July 1902. It took over the Goole and Marshland Railway, running from Marshland Junction near Goole to Reedness Junction and Fockerby, and the Isle of Axholme Light Railway, running from Reedness Junction to Haxey Junction. Construction of the Goole and Marshland Railway had begun in 1898, and by the time of the takeover in early 1903, was virtually complete. The Isle of Axholme Light Railway was started in 1899, but only the section from Reedness Junction to Crowle was complete at the takeover. The northern section opened on 10 August 1903, and the line from Crowle to Haxey Junction opened for passengers on 2 January 1905.
A branch to Hatfield Moor was opened in 1909, but traffic from the peat works at Hatfield did not start to use the railway until 1913, when the company extended their line into the works. Traffic was mainly agricultural produce, together with peat from Hatfield Moor and from Swinefleet Peat Works which processed peat from Thorne Moors. Passenger services ceased in 1933, although occasional excursion trains continued to be run. The Haxey Junction to Epworth section closed in 1956, the Hatfield Moor Branch closed in 1964, and the remainder closed in 1965. However, most of the tracks were retained and operated as a long siding, to allow it to be used to carry heavy parts from Keadby Power Station across the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, as the bridge on the A161 road could not support the weight. The road bridge was replaced in 1970, and the rails were finally removed in 1972.
The Isle of Axholme lies to the west of the River Trent and to the east of Hatfield Chase, a vast area of low-lying land which was described as a badly drained swamp in the 1620s. It was recorded as Axeyholme, with the three syllables Ax-ey-holme meaning water-island-island being contributed by successive groups of Celts, Angles and Danes. In the reign of King Charles I, the Dutch drainage engineer Cornelius Vermuyden set about draining Hatfield Chase, containing some 70,000 acres (280 km2) of wetland, in 1626. The River Don, River Torne and River Idle were re-routed and re-channelled, and although there were some flaws in the initial scheme, and considerable social unrest, including damage of the drainage works, the unrest was finally resolved in 1719, and the agriculture of the area prospered. The Stainforth and Keadby Canal cut across the region in 1802, providing some transport facilities, but the coming of the railway age resulted in calls for railways to be built to carry the agricultural produce to market.
The South Yorkshire Railway built a line which ran broadly parallel to the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, passing through Crowle. Two plans for railways from London to York, which would have crossed the Isle, were proposed but not built, while the more local Isle of Axholme Extension Railway would have linked Haxey, Epworth, Crowle and Thorne. In 1846, the railway financier George Hudson proposed a line from Goole to be called the Isle of Axholme, Gainsborough and York and North Midland Junction Railway, which failed to obtain an act of Parliament, but much of its route was used by the railway which did eventually get built.
In 1882, the Isle of Axholme and Marshland Steam Tramway was authorised by the Isle of Axholme and Marshland Tramways Order 1882. It would run from Haxey to Crowle, and would use a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). However, in 1883 the company joined forces with, and was then taken over by, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway to resist a proposal for the Goole, Epworth and Owston Railway. The defeat of the rival scheme was resented by local businessmen. Under an act of Parliament, the Isle of Axholme Railway Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. liv), the tramway was abandoned and the Isle of Axholme Railway was authorised, but this too was abandoned three years later by another act of Parliament, the Isle of Axholme Railway (Abandonment) Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. viii). Nothing more happened, until the passing of the Light Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 48), which meant that rural railways could be authorised by an order from the Board of Trade, rather than having to obtain a costly act of Parliament.
The Goole and Marshland Light Railway was one of the first to take advantage of the new Light Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 48). A public enquiry held in Goole on 8 October 1897 showed that the plans, which would cost £59,602 to implement, had local support, and the farmers' club estimated that the railway would carry 51,625 tons of agricultural produce per year. The Goole and Marshland Light Railway Order 1898 was issued on 16 August 1898, enabling construction to proceed. It sanctioned four railways and a road. Leaving the Doncaster to Goole main line (Hull and Doncaster Branch), a line composed of two of the railways ran to Adlingfleet via Eastoft, and there were branches to Swinefleet and Luddington. 2 miles (3.2 km) of road were needed to provide access to the railway. The maximum speed was restricted to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and locomotives with tenders were not allowed to run tender-first.
The Isle of Axholme Light Railway was proposed in 1897, running from Haxey Junction to Crowle via Epworth and Belton. At Haxey, it would join the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway, while at Crowle it would pass over and also connect to the Great Central Railway, and would join the Goole and Marshland Light Railway at Reedness Junction. Two branches, to Hatfield Moor and Newlands, were proposed. Like its northern neighbour, the plans had strong local support, and a light railway order, the Isle of Axholme Light Railway Order 1899, was granted on 11 March 1899. A request by the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company that the swing bridge over the canal near Crowle should be maintained in the open position to allow free passage of boats, rather than in the closed position to prefer the railway, was refused, as was an application for running powers over the line by the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway.
Neither railway remained independent for long. Both were negotiating with the North Eastern Railway by January 1900, and agreement was reached that the larger railway would run both of the new lines, also representing them at the Railway Clearing House. As well as the agricultural traffic, the route would provide access to coal from the South Yorkshire coalfields. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway also needed routes into the coalfields, and the two companies agreed with the two new railways on a takeover plan. The North Eastern Railway Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. clxviii) of 31 July 1902 dissolved, transferred to and vested both companies in the North Eastern and the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway companies jointly, with three directors appointed by each company. They paid £73,500 for the Goole and Marshland line, which had been completed, and £27,500 for the Isle of Axholme Light Railway, which was still in the early stages of construction.
Hub AI
Axholme Joint Railway AI simulator
(@Axholme Joint Railway_simulator)
Axholme Joint Railway
The Axholme Joint Railway was a committee created as a joint enterprise between the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) and the North Eastern Railway (NER) and was established by the North Eastern Railway Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. clxviii) of 31 July 1902. It took over the Goole and Marshland Railway, running from Marshland Junction near Goole to Reedness Junction and Fockerby, and the Isle of Axholme Light Railway, running from Reedness Junction to Haxey Junction. Construction of the Goole and Marshland Railway had begun in 1898, and by the time of the takeover in early 1903, was virtually complete. The Isle of Axholme Light Railway was started in 1899, but only the section from Reedness Junction to Crowle was complete at the takeover. The northern section opened on 10 August 1903, and the line from Crowle to Haxey Junction opened for passengers on 2 January 1905.
A branch to Hatfield Moor was opened in 1909, but traffic from the peat works at Hatfield did not start to use the railway until 1913, when the company extended their line into the works. Traffic was mainly agricultural produce, together with peat from Hatfield Moor and from Swinefleet Peat Works which processed peat from Thorne Moors. Passenger services ceased in 1933, although occasional excursion trains continued to be run. The Haxey Junction to Epworth section closed in 1956, the Hatfield Moor Branch closed in 1964, and the remainder closed in 1965. However, most of the tracks were retained and operated as a long siding, to allow it to be used to carry heavy parts from Keadby Power Station across the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, as the bridge on the A161 road could not support the weight. The road bridge was replaced in 1970, and the rails were finally removed in 1972.
The Isle of Axholme lies to the west of the River Trent and to the east of Hatfield Chase, a vast area of low-lying land which was described as a badly drained swamp in the 1620s. It was recorded as Axeyholme, with the three syllables Ax-ey-holme meaning water-island-island being contributed by successive groups of Celts, Angles and Danes. In the reign of King Charles I, the Dutch drainage engineer Cornelius Vermuyden set about draining Hatfield Chase, containing some 70,000 acres (280 km2) of wetland, in 1626. The River Don, River Torne and River Idle were re-routed and re-channelled, and although there were some flaws in the initial scheme, and considerable social unrest, including damage of the drainage works, the unrest was finally resolved in 1719, and the agriculture of the area prospered. The Stainforth and Keadby Canal cut across the region in 1802, providing some transport facilities, but the coming of the railway age resulted in calls for railways to be built to carry the agricultural produce to market.
The South Yorkshire Railway built a line which ran broadly parallel to the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, passing through Crowle. Two plans for railways from London to York, which would have crossed the Isle, were proposed but not built, while the more local Isle of Axholme Extension Railway would have linked Haxey, Epworth, Crowle and Thorne. In 1846, the railway financier George Hudson proposed a line from Goole to be called the Isle of Axholme, Gainsborough and York and North Midland Junction Railway, which failed to obtain an act of Parliament, but much of its route was used by the railway which did eventually get built.
In 1882, the Isle of Axholme and Marshland Steam Tramway was authorised by the Isle of Axholme and Marshland Tramways Order 1882. It would run from Haxey to Crowle, and would use a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). However, in 1883 the company joined forces with, and was then taken over by, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway to resist a proposal for the Goole, Epworth and Owston Railway. The defeat of the rival scheme was resented by local businessmen. Under an act of Parliament, the Isle of Axholme Railway Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. liv), the tramway was abandoned and the Isle of Axholme Railway was authorised, but this too was abandoned three years later by another act of Parliament, the Isle of Axholme Railway (Abandonment) Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. viii). Nothing more happened, until the passing of the Light Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 48), which meant that rural railways could be authorised by an order from the Board of Trade, rather than having to obtain a costly act of Parliament.
The Goole and Marshland Light Railway was one of the first to take advantage of the new Light Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 48). A public enquiry held in Goole on 8 October 1897 showed that the plans, which would cost £59,602 to implement, had local support, and the farmers' club estimated that the railway would carry 51,625 tons of agricultural produce per year. The Goole and Marshland Light Railway Order 1898 was issued on 16 August 1898, enabling construction to proceed. It sanctioned four railways and a road. Leaving the Doncaster to Goole main line (Hull and Doncaster Branch), a line composed of two of the railways ran to Adlingfleet via Eastoft, and there were branches to Swinefleet and Luddington. 2 miles (3.2 km) of road were needed to provide access to the railway. The maximum speed was restricted to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and locomotives with tenders were not allowed to run tender-first.
The Isle of Axholme Light Railway was proposed in 1897, running from Haxey Junction to Crowle via Epworth and Belton. At Haxey, it would join the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway, while at Crowle it would pass over and also connect to the Great Central Railway, and would join the Goole and Marshland Light Railway at Reedness Junction. Two branches, to Hatfield Moor and Newlands, were proposed. Like its northern neighbour, the plans had strong local support, and a light railway order, the Isle of Axholme Light Railway Order 1899, was granted on 11 March 1899. A request by the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company that the swing bridge over the canal near Crowle should be maintained in the open position to allow free passage of boats, rather than in the closed position to prefer the railway, was refused, as was an application for running powers over the line by the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway.
Neither railway remained independent for long. Both were negotiating with the North Eastern Railway by January 1900, and agreement was reached that the larger railway would run both of the new lines, also representing them at the Railway Clearing House. As well as the agricultural traffic, the route would provide access to coal from the South Yorkshire coalfields. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway also needed routes into the coalfields, and the two companies agreed with the two new railways on a takeover plan. The North Eastern Railway Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. clxviii) of 31 July 1902 dissolved, transferred to and vested both companies in the North Eastern and the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway companies jointly, with three directors appointed by each company. They paid £73,500 for the Goole and Marshland line, which had been completed, and £27,500 for the Isle of Axholme Light Railway, which was still in the early stages of construction.
Recent media