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A neat and tidy Loftus Station with a Saltburn-bound train arriving, headed by the ubiquitous tank engine. The Stationmaster is exchanging Tokens with the engine-driver, as Loftus was the end of one control block and the beginning of another in the Token-controlled single track railway system (basically the line was split into sections, each controlled by a token. A train arriving at Loftus would surrender its Token (freeing up the section of track that it was leaving) and would receive a Token allowing it to proceed into the next section of track. If there was still a train in the next section then the Stationmaster couldn’t give the engine driver a Token, so the train would be held at Loftus until the incoming train arrived and surrendered its Token). This system is still in use on the Middlesbrough to Whitby branch, although, sadly there are no more Stationmasters and no more signal box staff (a control section always had a signal box), so there is a box on the control stations with a Victorian Lock Frame (to receive the Token) and another Victorian Lock Frame to dispense the next Token and a computer link to advise the Middlesbrough Control Centre of a ”train in section”. All very sad, but I’ve no doubt all very efficient(!).
Loftus still has trains passing through, but none stop. The line now serves the Cleveland Potash Mine and sadly passengers are no longer a feature of the line after it departs Saltburn.
Another proud loco crew (and some extras!) stand with their gleaming charge! Geoffrey Allen advises us: ”The locomotive is an 0-4-4WT (Well tank)from the Edward Fletcher designed BTP (Bogie Tank Passenger)class and was new from Darlington Works in June 1877. The location is Loftus and one of this class was stationed at Carlin How shed for working the local passenger service. With the introduction of the O Class 0-4-4T’s between 1894-1901 many of the BTP’s were deemed surplus to requirements and as a lot of the loco parts could be reused 60 were rebuilt at York & Darlington works as NER 290 Class (LNER J77)0-6-0T’s. This loco number 1115 was rebuilt at York in December 1901 and was not withdrawn (as 68409)until the 6th of November 1959 from Hull Dairycoates shed when it was 82 years old!
The location is believed to be outside the Goods Shed between 1875 and 1883 – thanks Simon and Geoffrey Allen for the updates.
The ubiquitous Diesel Multiple Unit, workhorse of the post-steam era, in this case a Metropolitan-Cammell se,t waits at Guisborough station (now only a memory, like the DMU).
Looks a very modern photograph, about mid-80’s we’re informed. The locos are BR Class 20s, 20165 (at one time named ”Henry Pease” – how ironic!) and possibly 20118 (latterly named ”Saltburn-by-the-Sea”) – they typically operated ”nose-to-tail” as in this image. With these big arrows they could have been blue with yellow ends, or, even later, grey with yellow ends. The picture was taken near the Guibal fan house at the base of Warsett Hill, Brotton.
This is a photograph of the old engine sheds at Skinningrove (please correct me if I’m wrong!). The second small ”saddle-tank” loco from the left is the famous Minnie, so loved by all at ”the ’Grove”.
Of course I could be totally wrong – in which case I’ve got a good imagination and a large amount of egg on my chin!
The proud loco men pose for their photographs with their brand new locomotive. The NER insignia being for the North Eastern Railway which became one of the component companies of the London and North Eastern Railway. This is a late Victorian image – I wonder if this is one of the locomotives that used to operate on the Skinningrove ”Z”?
Geoffrey Allen tells us: ”The loco is a class 1037 0-6-0T built at Darlington Works in 1876 one of a class of four specially built in 1876 for the Skinningrove Zig Zag. As pictured it is not new, but as rebuilt in the early 1890′s. The last of the class to work on the Zig Zag was No.1294 withdrawn from Carlin How shed in 1910. This class replaced the 1866 built Class 1196 0-6-0ST’s on the Zig Zag which at 6 tons heavier caused track damage. These were subsequently rebuilt from 1876 as 0-6-0 Tender engines and as rebuilt lasted until 1910.”
Many thanks to Geoffrey Allen for that update.
One of a series of photographs taken from Loftus Station, looking over the Station Yard. This one taken in Winter from the bankside above the railway station, which can be seen bottom right with the goods yard behind it.
Still in the era of horse-drawn transport and unbraked rolling stock, so probably taken around 1900.
This photograph was taken at Beck Meetings, Dale House on the 20th December 1884 (according to its caption).
It shows a train from Mr. Palmer’s Grinkle Park mine carrying workmen towards Port Mulgrave. The loco’s were cabless to allow them to travel through the low tunnel under Ridge Lane.
(correction by Simon Chapman – rodders)
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