The LNER Encyclopedia

As I child in the 50's, I noted a rail siding that ran from the north end of Cottingham Station, off the northbound Bridlington line, it went through a gate then curved gently through a field before vanishing into a wood, what did it serve?
A hospital, War Office works or a pumping station? I seem to recall an Ivatt 2-6-0 4MT propelling wagons along the line.
Can anyone enlighten me.

Many thanks.

Hmm had my Jowetts at hand looking at another puzzle, it does not show anything to the North of the station but does show a couple of lines South from Cottingham Jct one to a Radiator works and the other just marked works.

This would be the siding to Cottingham Pumping Station on Millhouse Woods Lane (where I was brought up).

There were two or three railway sidings along the main line and then as you mentioned a line led off through a gate into a field and thence to the waterworks a few hundred yards away.

There was a cast iron plate under the said gate which read "Limit of NER maintenance", I wish I had that now.

The location was about 3/4 mile north of Cottingham station and was accessed by a ground frame, under the control of Cottingham North signal box or maybe Beverley Parks s/b.

Locomotives would not run through the gate; the waterworks had at least two methods of picking up the trucks, one was a tractor, the other, a rather peculiar petrol engined device which gripped a single rail & could tow one wagon (very slowly). I bet that there were horses employed to do the task before my day.

The pumping station still exists but has converted to electric power. There were three massive Worthington triple-expansion steam pumps for which a bank of Lancashire boilers supplied the steam. I believe that one of the steam engines has been left in place. There was also a very tall chimney.

As a kid, if I felt bold enough, I would go up to the main doors of the pump house and peer through, if my luck was in, I would be invited in for a look round, otherwise I would be chased away.

Siding connection off the Down line was at 4m 52ch Trailing point.
Connection off the siding was at 4m 47ch.
Siding buffer stops at South end 4m 43ch
North end 4m 52ch
No mention on line diagram of position of limit of maintenance.
However field crossing, crossing the tracks at 4m 50ch.
Might indicate a likely position for limit.
Slightly puzzling is another siding off the headshunt heading South with points at 4m 46ch no indication of any buffer stops or other detail.

Diagram dated about 1914 with revisions to 1924
I will try and scan the diagram sections and post later

Here are the 2 scans of the relevant section of the line diagram.
Unfortunately it is spread over 2 sheets.
P7 covers the northern end of the siding and mainline connection.
P6 shows the headshunt and additional siding mentioned in earlier post.

Thanks Bryan, those are interesting diagrams.

Re buffer stops, there certainly were stops in place on each siding, I could not remember if there were 2 or 3 sidings, it would appear to be 2.

There was a field crossing and it was still in use until fairly recent times. this gave (an alternate) access to the field from Dunswell Lane. The caravan factory expanded their site and ultimately this would have prevented access.

The limit of maintenance was indeed close by this field access and I bet that the metal gate, under which the plate was situated, still exists.

Deviating from the subject somewhat, further up the line towards Bridlington, there was an interesting set of sidings used by oil tankers somewhere near Hutton Cranswick. I would guess that these were for aviation fuel because there were quite a number of RAF stations in the area. If anyone knows anything about these sidings, I would be interested to hear about them.

There were fuel tanker sidings at Arram station, in a secure compound, to service RAF Leconfield. My father's friend in the 50's was the depot manager. I have no idea when they were taken up but I seem to remember they lasted well into the 60's

Many thanks for the info on the Cottingham pumping station.

I know at least 3 rail served RAF fuel dumps including this one. It appears they were put in during the second world war. One off the Alnwick branch about half a mile before Alnwick East box and another at Bilton near Harrogate doubtless there will be many more.

I remember seeing a copy of a local services search detailing Water or power or something similar and it showed 3 sidings on the down side South of Watton LC.
I will dig out the line diagrams again and see if they were added, doubtful as the base drawing is from around 1914.
there is a siding shown leading off through a gate @ 14m 46 back through the level crossing (extended width)
The gate is at 14m 43 with a wheel chock at 14m 41c but no further connections shown.
These may have come later.

With reference to the tanker sidings near Arram.

Leconfield was a flying station with Hunters and then Lightnings until the mid-60's. It then became a Major Servicing Unit for the Lightning and Jaguar. I would imagine after the Lightnings left, the fuel consumption would have dramatically decreased from thousands of gallons per day to a thousand gallons per week rendering the railway tankers and sidings redundant, any fuel brought in would have been easily delivered by road tanker. The RAF left in the mid 70's and the Army took over as a driver training school.

I would also think that most of the East Yorkshire lines would have had fuel and ammunition sidings alongside them given the number of wartime airfields on active service.

The sidings that I remember would not have been Arram but Bryan mentions Watton, that would fit my recollection.

On Bryan's diagrams, there is a fog signal shown, am I right in thinking that it would have been for the benefit of the Cottingham North signalman? If he could not see it then it would be foggy?

On Bryan's diagrams, there is a fog signal shown, am I right in thinking that it would have been for the benefit of the Cottingham North signalman? If he could not see it then it would be foggy?

That would be my understanding of it.

Morning everyone,

Happy new year to you all. I have just joined this forum as I have just started to explore the history of Hull and more specifically Cottingham, including the railway systems in the area having lived here all my life. I stumbled across this posting and was amazed to find the line drawings posted by Bryan.

I just wondered whether any more information is readily available for the information and line drawings with regards to the track between the Cottingham North signal box southwards towards the station and beyond.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and I look forward to engaging more.

Hi,

The North Eastern Railway Assoc do 26 books of line diagrams, including a number of the lines around Hull, it may well be worth a quick browse to see if any tickle your fancy.

I have two the one covering Cleveland and the second covering the yorkshire branch lines east of the main line, facinating little publications.

Mossy

yorkiespud wrote: ↑Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:05 pm Hi,

The North Eastern Railway Assoc do 26 books of line diagrams, including a number of the lines around Hull, it may well be worth a quick browse to see if any tickle your fancy.

I have two the one covering Cleveland and the second covering the yorkshire branch lines east of the main line, facinating little publications.

Mossy

Hi Mossy,

Thank you for your quick reply. Its much appreciated and I will have a look on the website.

Thanks again,
Ed