Melton Halt nr Hull

[YNMR]

PM sent.

Thanks

[Bodger]

I lived in Brickyard Lane. During the early 60's I delivered papers in Gibson & Brickyar Lanes. My undersatnding was that the NG railway from Earles went in two directions down to the clay pits. I remember as a kid riding my bike along the old rail bed which went right past the ski club. I also remember some of the tipper wagons being parked up in sidings about halfway between the factory and the Humber. For some of the way the railway ran under the airel run way that my dad told me was working when he was a kid, being used to fill up barges at the Humber jetty. I do recall all the towers and wheels and also actually climbing up the frame work and then walking on the jetty big wheels, turning them like a giant treadmill. The cables and hanging buckets had long gone.
Capper Pass (Rio Tinto) too had a siding that joined the main line just east of the railway cottages. Capper also had a work force that used Melton Halt on a daily basis. There was a specially made walkway from the Halt that started adjacent to the cottages gardens and followed the maintrack and cappers siding into the Boggy Clump woods and to the west gate gatehouse of Cappers. Cappers had, I think, a Fowler diesel loco which was green with a square bonnet but also had a steam train like black smoke stack and red wheels. I have written books and have referred to the locos that worked both for Earles and Cappers.

[md644]

Bodger - you've just confirmed what I suspected....

There are still quite a few concrete bases for the aerial ropeway towers in the woods south of the railway (looked it up on an old map), and also a few sleepers set into the ground where a public footpath now runs through the woods, so I did wonder if the narrow gauge railway went that way....which you confirmed. Cheers!

[Bodger]

I'm surprised that not too many folk know of the rope way it it looked like a ski lift and went north from the Humber jetty between the ski pond and the pond that they filled in, up to the wood behind the ski club hut then it travellled east before following the stand if trees north to the factory. The railway tracks where almost underneath before they carried on behind the ski club, yatch club hutt. There must have been some sidings there because I recall several sets of lines, one of went right up to Common Lane. In the late 60's the towers were removed from the concrete blocks and alot of the tracks lifted. The towers used to carry electric wires because there were emamelled warning signs on each pylon and some of the porcelin isolators were still there as was some of the copper telephone wire. I remember many times cycling along the walkway that ran through the trees to go fishing in the ponds nearest to Common Lane.

Bodger

[Bodger]

Surpising what you start to remember when you start thinking... I recall that the signal box was originally 'Meton Halt' I see that it's 'Gibson Lane' now. I remember the old gates being replaced buy the barriers on wheels. My father used to have long conversations with one of the signal men but I don't recall any names. On the North side of the track between the 'Cinder Track" and rails was a shed with a small, well manicured, flower and hedge garden that, if I remember rightly, was once, if not more times, awarded a prize. In the December of 1968 I recall boarding a two carriage diesel at Paragon around 9-30pm. A train that the gaurd was not too sure about it stopping at Melton Halt. As we went under the Brickyard bridge it was still going, I thought, too fast to be stopping so I jumped off behind Cappers into the darknes and brambles on the banking and rolled back down just in time to watch the train actually stop at the halt. Thankfully my sheepskin coat and winter clothing saved me from any real injury. I was also sure that the guard would see the open carrige door then there might be some trouble so I laid low and waited until the train left before I ventured out across the four tracks and over the fence onto the 'Cinder Track' then headed off home to Brickyard Lane thinking what a dangerous waste of time and a daft thing to have done.

[Bodger]

The ariel ropeway from the cement factory down to the Humber jetty I recall had buckets and towers very smilar to those in this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwC0x0eQX_w&NR=1 I remember seeing the buckets hanging stationary when I was very young then I have a vague memory of them being taken down and the rope removed. All the work being done in the field below the runway and about halfway along from the river and the works. Loaded up, the lorries then left via Gibson Lane.
It would be really good if someone had a photo of the runway to compare with my distant memory. Someone else's recollections for comparison would also be great.

Bodger and out...

[Bryan]

Fairly detailed article on Melton Halt and its surroundings in the latest NERA Express.
Mine arrived today.

[Blink Bonny]

I'm amazed.

You Tube has a use.

Cor...

[52D]

The ariel ropeway from the cement factory down to the Humber jetty I recall had buckets and towers very smilar to those in this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwC0x0eQX_w&NR=1 I remember seeing the buckets hanging stationary when I was very young then I have a vague memory of them being taken down and the rope removed. All the work being done in the field below the runway and about halfway along from the river and the works. Loaded up, the lorries then left via Gibson Lane.
It would be really good if someone had a photo of the runway to compare with my distant memory. Someone else's recollections for comparison would also be great.

Bodger and out...

Bodgers post above was very interesting but does anyone know about the state of the tunnels mentioned at the end of the film.

[md644]

Looks like they are sealed up:

http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/view ... p?f=9&t=63