Click here to register on OneGuyFromBarlick|2|1
Previous Page    [1]  2   Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Doc
Keeper of the Scrolls


2010 Posts
Posted -  06/10/2004  :  13:09
BARNOLDSWICK-EARBY BRANCH RAILWAY.
30th Anniversary of Closure. 1965 - 1995

Commemorative set of 6 postcards
Nos. WV289-WV294 inclusive
£1.75
Set No. of 1,000


Commemorative set of 6 postcards, Barnoldswick - Earby Railway 1965 - 1995
Retail £1.75 per set.

Available from Robin Higgins
19 Sycamore Way
Barnoldswick
01282-813603

A Barnoldswick railway enthusiast ,who used to travel on the school train from Barnoldswick over 30 years ago, has produced a commemorative set of six colour postcards for the 30th anniversary of the closure of the branch to passenger trains.

On Saturday 25th September 1965 the last train pulled out of Barnoldswick, and Robin Higgins recorded the event on film. Now six evocative scenes from those far off days are available as a special limited edition set of postcards at £1.75. Each packet is numbered, and collectors are expected to snap them up. The cards are published by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society and are numbered 289 - 294 in the series which began in 1968. Robin is in charge of publishing postcards for the Worth Valley and believes this is the biggest collection available from any of the steam railways.

The set shows:

289 (PC05) - the train in Barnoldswick station with the locomotive taking water, and the unique cross-bar signal protecting the level crossing. Porter Ezra Fish is seen in characteristic pose with cigarette in mouth.

290 (PC03) - the train at Barnoldswick with the fireman handing over the metal" train staff and key" to the signalman as it leaves the single line.

291 (PC02) the Pull and Push train crossing the iron bridge over the canal between Salterforth and Barnoldswick

292 (PC04) the very last train in Earby station with station master Mr. R. Lemon about to wave it away. Robin asks if anyone can identify the driver and fireman.

293 (PC06) Barnoldswick station buildings, with the original "core" booking office built in 1870 by the Barnoldswick Railway Company, and the later wooden buildings added at intervals by the Midland Railway.

294 (PC01) the 8-19 train pulling out of Barnoldswick in the last months of service, the picture being taken from Rainhall Rd. bridge by Colne enthusiast, Stuart James, a friend of Robins. All the other 5 pictures were taken by Robin.
The cards are available from Barnoldswick library and the Council Shop in Barnoldswick.

QUESTIONNAIRE--
Card No.289. The train is hauled by a steam locomotive.
Q What fuel does a steam locomotive use? A. coal
Q What else is essential to make steam? A. water
Q What is the locomotive doing? A. taking water from a "swan neck" water column
Q What job would the man with cap and glasses in the foreground have? A. porter
Q Can you find out his name? A. Ezra Fish.
Q What is the red object in the left background? A. a very old cross bar signal.
Q What was its purpose? A. To warn the driver that the level crossing gates were shut against the railway
Q What building is in the left background? A. Gisburn Rd. school

Card No.290. The train is at Barnoldswick Junction.
Q What is a junction? A. Where the branch from Barnoldswick joins the Colne - Skipton line.
Q What is the fireman passing to the signalman? A. The "train staff and key"
Q What is its purpose? A. It is the authority for the train to be on the single line branch to Barnoldswick. It effectively prevented collisions.
Q What is the building on the right? A. Barnoldswick Junction signal box.
Q Where was the junction? A. Near the main road at Sough.
Q Where would you see steam trains today where the crew had a single line train staff?
A. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Card No.291. The train is in the countryside.
Q Where is the train? A. Between Salterforth and Barnoldswick.
Q The locomotive is just crossing a bridge - over what? A. The Leeds and Liverpool canal.
Q Is the bridge still there? A. No, it was demolished when the line closed.
Q How would you be able to tell exactly where the bridge was? A. from the farm in the background.

Card No.292. The train is at a station.
Q Which station? A. Earby.
Q What job would the man with the gold rimmed cap have? A. Station Master.
Q What was his name? A. Robert Lemon.
Q Two men are in the cab of the engine. One is the fireman. The train is the very last one from Earby to Barnoldswick. The other man had special authority to be on the engine.
Who do you think he could have been.? A. The local newspaper reporter, Jack Heald.

Card No293. This is a station.
Q What station is this? A. Barnoldswick.
Q Is it still there? A. No.
Q How can you tell where it was? A. From the fire station drying tower behind on the left.

Card No.294 Train pulling out of Barnoldswick station.
Q Can you identify any buildings in the picture? A. Majestic (then a cinema), Gisburn Rd. Wellhouse Rd.
Q If you were standing next to the engine now, where would you be? A. In the co-op supermarket.
Q The trains ran for school children. Why was this? A. At the time the "11plus" meant that children went to Barnoldswick secondary modern school (now West Craven High School) or travelled to Ermysteads Grammar School, Skipton, or Keighley Technical School.

Chart of Information Contained in a Hand Written Traffic Record Book from Barnoldswick Station, Commencing 1888.
Notes on the Summary chart

The 1941 Total Goods Tonnage is 5,936 tons more than the Carted, Non-carted, Mineral, and Coal totals.
Marginal notes give the following population figures:-
1891 = 4,000. 1901 = 6,382. 1911 = 9699. 1903 = 10,000. 1923 = 12,250. ( I think this would represent the peak).
The 1907 Not-Carted figure has a note:- Grain diverted - limited warehouse accommodation.
The 1912/13 Coal tonnages have a note:- Mill coal diverted - insufficient sidings.
The 1908 Carted figure is a reflection of "Bad trade".
The 1952-5 figures are not from a book in my possession, but were given by the Station Master to a newspaper reporter.
The 1888 staff is listed as:- Station Master, Clerk, Guard, Checker, Porter, Assistant Porter. A Machine Clerk was appointed in May 1889. 1893 saw two further appointments, an additional Clerk in January, and another Porter in August. A Porter-Guard was appointed in January 1897, a pencilled addition noting that he was made "Yardman" when Trainman removed, and later "Shunter". June 1899 saw an additional Clerk appointed. A Foreman was taken on in October 1900. An additional Goods Porter was needed in April 1902, and yet another Clerk was sanctioned in March 1905. September of the same year saw a Yard Porter taken on. 1906 saw three more staff, an Assistant Porter in May, who was made up to Full Porter in January 1913, a Clerk in October, and a Drayman in July. This last appointee was written in rather as an after-thought at the edge of the page. He was withdrawn in May 1908 due to bad trade; the word 'temporarily' being added when the man was re-instated in January 1909. Two Goods Porters were appointed in September 1911, also a Porter Clerk. A Checker, Goods Porter, and Clerk were applied for in January 1913 and appointed in March. Further Goods Porters followed in January 1914 and April 1915. An additional Clerk was needed in1919 'under the 8 hours movement'. A note follows which seems to indicate that Porters commenced working 8 hours in February 1919, and Clerks in March. A further Porter was taken on 'under the 8 hours scheme' in June, and one more in November. There we reach the bottom of the page, and perhaps the high water mark of railway employment at Barnoldswick. No further information is forthcoming from the Summary Book; the next piece of information is a typed letter from the Chief General Superintendent's Office on the 6th December 1925 informing the Station Master, Mr. Lewis, to dispense with Goods Porter R. Brooks' services.

In 1910 more detailed records were kept, on the District Superintendent's instructions. These record traffic month by month, and also give wages - £644.10s.7d for the year, and salaries - £553.7s.10d. The breakdown of 116,879 passengers also records the fact that 117 were season ticket holders, of whom 62 booked in January. I presume these were annual tickets: in any case, the effective number of passenger journeys is considerably more than the recorded figure. By 1923, the number of seasons had increased considerably to 295, of which 112 were booked in January. The recorded passenger totals being 161,084, plus 295 = 161,379

An audit appears to have been carried out on April 20th 1922 by Mr. Fletcher and the C.G.M's (Chief General Manager's) representative. Perhaps as an outcome of this, 'various new instns' caused the November and December 'Goods Debits Porters and Ledgers' column to have alterations made, with the explanation 'Reduction represents "Ledgers" collected by us & paid to bank through "Porters"'. Perhaps one of your readers can enlighten us on Midland Railway accounting procedures. A brief note records that the cotton trade was very depressed throughout the year.

Detailed records cease at the end of 1923, but a few details for 1932/3/4 have been written in. One very interesting tit bit of information not available in the more detailed years is an apparent breakdown of the passenger receipts. In 1932 there were 57,077 passengers, of whom 341 were seasons. The amount is given as two figures bracketed together, £1060 and £5750. This doesn't quite add up to the figure of £6951 given in a pre printed Statement form included with the record book. However, it is the only indication of the relative importance of the season tickets, which were valued at just under £3.0.0. each, whereas the average ordinary passenger paid around 2/-. I was a teenager when the Barnoldswick clerk gave me this invaluable record book; tatty, with yellowed pages, many would have consigned it to the bin. I kept it safe all these years, and I hope that others derive as much interest as I have in studying the role played by the local railway in the development and prosperity of the town.


RAILWAYS AROUND BARNOLDSWICK

There were two distinct phases of railway building in East Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. The first phase took place very soon after the building of the first main line between Liverpool and Manchester (1830), and joined the main centres of commerce and manufacturing towns together.

The Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway opened to Skipton on 7/9/1847, and to Colne, via Earby, on 2/10/1848.
The "Little" North Western Railway opened from Skipton as far as Clapham on 30/7/1849, and on to Lancaster on 2/5/1850. (where it connected with the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway.) These two lines became part of the Midland Railway.

Meanwhile the Manchester and Leeds Railway via Rochdale and the Calder Valley, built to connect with the Manchester and Liverpool Railway, was branching out beyond its original confines and changed its name to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in 1847.

The rival East Lancashire Railway had been steadily building towards Colne from Preston, Liverpool and Manchester, with a view to establishing a rival route between Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

Accrington had been reached from both Blackburn and Clifton Junction (near Manchester) by August 1848; Burnley by December, and Colne on 1/2/1849, four months after the line from Skipton arrived in town.

Thus by 1850 the area was well served by railways, with all the main manufacturing towns being on the recently opened main lines.

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway also had a line from Manchester to Blackburn, via Darwen (opened in 1846 and extended to Chatburn in 1850) A further projected extension to Skipton, which would have passed through or very near to Barnoldswick before making a junction with the Midland line at Elslack, was never built.

The L&YR was a deadly rival to the East Lancashire Railway. Moreover, the L&YR controlled the line from Clifton Junction for the final five miles into Manchester. Rivalry developed into open warfare with the famous Battle of Clifton Junction in 1949, when trains were obstructed and employees fought it out.

Common sense finally saw the amalgamation of the L&YR and the ELR in August 1859. There was then much less reason to extend the line beyond Chatburn, and for twenty years Barnoldswick had no railway.

The second phase of railway building took place over a period of around twenty years.

The manufacturers of Haworth decided to open their own railway down the Worth Valley to Keighley. The Midland company ran it for them and the line opened in 1867. This enterprise must have influenced the manufactures of Barnoldswick, for that very year it was decided to build a similar locally owned branch line to link the small town with the main line near Earby. Intended to be opened on 8/2/1871 (and several books quote this date), a first hand account of the inaugural train on 13/2/1971 exists. The line steadily built up traffic and was successful. When capital expenditure was required to extend the coal yard, and probably re-lay the main line, the directors cannily sold out to the Midland Railway in 1899.

Other local lines were the North Lancashire Loop Line from Rose Grove to Blackburn via Padiham and Great Harwood which opened in 1877, and the Midland Railway's line from Skipton to Ilkley opened in 1888.

Of a quite different nature was the Midland Railway's Settle and Carlisle line. Unable to obtain a quality service for its Scotch expresses via the Ingleton line due to the obstructive tactics of the London & North Western Railway, the Midland embarked on a spectacular and costly new main line from Settle Junction via Ribblehead and Appleby to Carlisle. The line opened to passenger traffic on 1/5/1876.

Connecting services from Lancashire at first ran via Skipton, but the Chatburn line was seen as suitable for extending to Hellifield. This allowed through trains to run from Liverpool and Manchester to Carlisle without reversing at Skipton, and the extension opened on 1/6/1880.

The Great War put paid to plans to build a branch line (actually a 'light railway') from Barnoldswick to Gisburn, and afterwards the motor era began in earnest.

A local bus service operated by Ribble (in which the railways held shares), ran from Barnoldswick to Gisburn station until its closure in 1964. This provided a faster service to Blackburn than the roundabout route via Earby and Colne.

Parliament had earlier prevented railway amalgamations, but after the Great War a 'U' turn caused the Railway Grouping Act to be enacted. This was to take place on 1/1/1923, but twelve months earlier the London & North Western and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railways amalgamated voluntarily.

These two, together with the Midland Railway, smaller English companies and Scottish lines formed one of the 'big four' grouped companies.

The London Midland and Scottish Railway became the chosen name for the grouped company, and this existed for twenty five years until the aftermath of the Second World War prompted the government to nationalise the railways from 1/1/1948.

WORKING THE BARNOLDSWICK BRANCH LINE.
Having to uncouple the locomotive at each end of a 2" mile journey came to be seen as uneconomical, and in 1932 ‘Push and Pull’ trains were introduced. The locomotive remained coupled to the carriages and pulled the train to Barnoldswick, and pushed it back to Earby. Fewer staff were needed, more trains could be run and cheaper fares helped to combat bus services introduced on completion of the new road to Kelbrook.

Post war shortages of coal, steel and labour, and a starvation of capital for modernisation saw a decline in the fortunes of the railway and hindered the improvement of services.

In 1956, all services except the two school trains were withdrawn, although the station master told the local papers that passenger numbers were gradually rising and would benefit from improved services.

In 1959 the afternoon train became diesel operated, but the morning train remained steam until the end.

Holiday trains continued until 1964, and provided services to Scotland, the South Coast, West Country, London and the Isle of Man.

In 1964 school season tickets were withdrawn and the local authorities were forced to provide road transport for the hundreds of children who attended schools in Skipton and Keighley each day. A solitary dirty coach was provided for the now almost empty morning train until closure proposals were ratified.

The last passenger train to Barnoldswick ran on 25th September 1965.

The last coal train ran on 30th July 1966.

The last train between Skipton and Colne ran on 31st Jan. 1970




Replies
Author
Previous Page    [1]  2   Next Page
 
val
New Member


3 Posts
Posted - 16/10/2007 : 19:56
Brings back memories. I used to go to Keighley Tec on that train.


Go to Top of Page
Big Kev
Big


2650 Posts
Posted - 17/10/2007 : 10:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barlick Station. Possibly 1950's, but I'm sure someone will be able to clarify

 




Big Kev

It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. Go to Top of Page
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob


3044 Posts
Posted - 17/10/2007 : 11:31
At the risk of showing my age (did I mention I have a milestone birthday coming up?) I can vividly remember the scene in BK's photo.

I was very small (OK, smaller than I am now...) but I do remember seeing a steam engine being filled up with water where you can just see an engine in the pic. I was holding my mum's hand as we stood outside Foden's, PO Bloggs.

It must have been around 1962-ish?

If only the council of the time had had the foresight to preserve the station building, instead of plonking a hideous public convenience there instead.Go to Top of Page

Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 17/10/2007 : 18:09
Have a look at the pics in the other Barlick railway topic that I dragged back to the front.....


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 17/10/2007 : 18:15
Sorry H, the topic should have been Barnoldswick Railway Photographs posted by Doc.  I've dragged it up from the archive.


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob


3044 Posts
Posted - 19/11/2007 : 22:15
Not directly related to Barlick railways, but I thought this was the nearest existing topic.

I have 4 books which may be of interest to any railway buffs on here.

"The Great Central in LNER Days" Vols 1 & 2 by David Jackson & Owen Russell; "The Great Central Album" by George Dow, and "The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway - The Woodhead Line " by Martin Bairstow.

If anyone wants any or all of these books I could post them for the price of a stamp - unless you're local and want to pick them up.Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 05:34
Please can I buy them off you H?


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob


3044 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 09:28
Buy? Don't be daft!

They didn't sell on Amazon so I was going to give them to a charity shop.

How's about we do a swapsies - my books for your platform thingy (to stand on at the tiller)?

I was going to box up some other books for the charity shop when I got an email from Amazon saying someone had bought my "Complete Wordfinder" for £25, so I'm feeling quite flush at the moment. Go to Top of Page
Ringo
Site Administrator


3793 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 09:36
How's about we do a swapsies - my books for your platform thingy (to stand on at the tiller)?
Tongue out What....you need a step to stand on to reach the steering wheel?


Click for Skipton, United Kingdom Forecast
Go to Top of Page
Big Kev
Big


2650 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 09:38


quote:
Ringo wrote:
How's about we do a swapsies - my books for your platform thingy (to stand on at the tiller)?
Tongue out What....you need a step to stand on to reach the steering wheel?

They need to be able to see the fishermen..............


Big Kev

It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. Go to Top of Page
Ringo
Site Administrator


3793 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 09:40
Is it to make her look taller so the Herons dont attack her?


Click for Skipton, United Kingdom Forecast
Go to Top of Page
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob


3044 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 09:47
Mock ye not!

Steering a 22 tonne 55ft x 12ft  steel tube is going to be quite a responsibility so I either stand on summat to get a better view or I wear my 6" stilletto slingbacks (which I borrowed off Big Kev).

And any road, being a tad smaller than average means I'm less likely to slice the top of my head off when going through the hatch...Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 20/11/2007 : 10:26
Done!  Call in anytime......


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 06/01/2008 : 07:14
I dragged this text back up seeing as the pics are current topic.


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 20/03/2010 : 14:36
Dragged it up again.


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Topic is 2 Pages Long:
Previous Page    [1]  2   Next Page
 


Set us as your default homepage Bookmark us Privacy   Copyright © 2004-2011 www.oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk All Rights Reserved. Design by: Frost SkyPortal.net Go To Top Of Page

Page load time - 0.531