High Dyke Branch

[mojo]

I am interested in the High Dyke Junction & branch on the ECML in the 30's/40's.
I have seen photos where the locos are hauling iron ore wagons engine first both up and down the single line branch. Was there a turning facility at the end? Does anyone know how the iron ore traffic was worked and was there any passenger/workmen traffic?
Maurice Cooper

[R. pike]

There are two Highdyke and a Skillington Road box diagrams on my site.

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/c710126.html

[mojo]

Richard,
Thanks for reply, I can't find the Skillington plan - can you tell me the title?
Already seen the High Dyke one but still puzzled as to workings up and down the branch.
Maurice

[R. pike]

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p29083317.html

Skillington Road..

[Mickey]

Deleted

[mojo]

Richard,
Thanks for the link.
Do you know of any turning facilities on the branch?
If none how was the traffic worked on the mainline to and from the northern steelworks?
Could it have been varied between Tender leading and Engine leading?
Maurice

[R. pike]

There were no means to turn loco's on the branch. I imagine if a loco worked tender first off the branch it was perhaps turned at Grantham?

[61070]

I have no direct personal knowledge of the working of the branch, but I have talked to some retired Grantham enginemen. See my post on O2s in the 'Returning to Grantham' topic returning-to-grantham-t3429s45.html (page 4). There are some photographs of steam working on the branch in Colin Walker's Trails of Steam Vol 6: Trails through Grantham, (Oxford, 1979, 0 86093 038 6).

[60129 GUY MANNERING]

Hi,
My uncle was a Guard at Grantham and at times worked on the branch,it was quite hard graft as the wagons all had to be pinned down for the incline and then released afterwards. As our friend says there was no turning facility at High Dyke or down the branch but the Tender first workings up the branch were generally only as far as the holding sidings at High Dyke,then the trains for Frodingham & Scunthorpe were formed up there and the Rostered Locomotive would have come down from Grantham Tender First to High Dyke. The Loco's travelled down in convoy normally and we often saw a couple of Gresley O2's and a Thompson L1 tank. The front loco would mostly be running smokebox first. The other reason for this was it only meant creating one path for several locomotives rather than a path for each individual locomotive.After all this move would block both the Up and Down Main Lines at High Dyke whilst it was being carried out on what was a busy two line stretch of the Country's Premier Main Line. (I do hope Favouring the ECML is tolerated by the Mods.)
From the early fifties there was no Turntable at Grantham and all Locomotives were turned on a Scissors type Formation always refered to locally as the "Angle" or to a few the "Triangle". There had been a turntable at the North end of the station,near the entrance to the sheds,but I believe that either the Table or the pit became unsafe and started to collapse. I can not state about the turntable categorically as I am but a kid of 63 and at that time 1952 ish would have only been about six,so its just being told rather than seeing and the memory for that is not 100%.
The other parts of this are first hand accounts as I often accompanied my uncle on these turns as I had my own duties to carry out for him as did his son,we had to pick up the swag he had shot with his tool of the trade,a rifle that took to bits and slid down a pocket sown into his BR Uniform Trousers. I assume these were not standard issue,although a bit of poaching was a perk of the job for George Aubrey in those days. In fact it was a means of supplementing his low pay,well thats what he told me as a lad,but I do believe he thoroughly enjoyed it and he always seemed to work with a happy well fed Driver and Fireman.
Regards,Derek Betts.
PS: TO MY MANY MATES IN OR EX LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE, AUBREY(as he was known) SADLY PASSED AWAY IN 1969.

[mojo]

Derek,
Thanks for the info, very interesting.
Maurice

[61070]

From the early fifties there was no Turntable at Grantham and all Locomotives were turned on a Scissors type Formation always refered to locally as the "Angle" or to a few the "Triangle". There had been a turntable at the North end of the station,near the entrance to the sheds,but I believe that either the Table or the pit became unsafe and started to collapse. I can not state about the turntable categorically as I am but a kid of 63 and at that time 1952 ish would have only been about six,so its just being told rather than seeing and the memory for that is not 100%.

Hello Derek,
Have you seen the article Steam Days at Grantham by AJ Ludlam in the March 2007 issue (No.211) of Steam World? There are some really old and intersting photos of the station and of both the 'old' and the 'new' sheds, together with brief information about three turntables (40', 52' and 70') in different locations down the years (including a photo of a GN Atlantic on the latter) and finally 'the angle' from 1951. In the extensive article there is also some coverage of the High Dyke sidings and branch. I have found the Vintage Carriages Trust at http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/Shops.htm to be very good for back issues, but if you can't get hold of a copy let me know.

[60129 GUY MANNERING]

Hello John,
thats extremely good of you. I have not seen that issue for sure and I will attempt to obtain a copy.I will keep you informed of the situation.I do hope you did not mind me hijacking your thread,only once I started the memories came flooding back and I could not stop. I also used to be pretty scared of an angry Farmer or Indignant Police Officer tapping me on the shoulder as I picked up the rabbit my uncle had shot. He also used to use snares ,but, fortunately I was never involved in that.
Kind Regards,Derek.

[61070]

Sorry - slight mistake - that should have been the March 2007 issue (No.211) of Steam Days, not Steam World. Tales such as those of your uncle bagging rabbits for the pot add real interest to the story of life on one of the lesser-known country branch lines, which never saw timetabled passenger trains - and maybe not even a railtour special??

[kudu]

From the early fifties there was no Turntable at Grantham and all Locomotives were turned on a Scissors type Formation always refered to locally as the "Angle" or to a few the "Triangle". There had been a turntable at the North end of the station,near the entrance to the sheds,but I believe that either the Table or the pit became unsafe and started to collapse. I can not state about the turntable categorically as I am but a kid of 63 and at that time 1952 ish would have only been about six,so its just being told rather than seeing and the memory for that is not 100%.

The Grantham triangle was no ordinary triangle, but a scissors arrangement, as you say. This was unique to Grantham, at least as far as Britain is concerned.

[Bryan]

2 questions
I have asked before but where exactly is the HIGH DYKE branch? What junction off the ECML and mileage if possible.

And
What was the layout of the turning facility at Grantham the Scissors ?
I have always worked on the premise that a scissors layout was a pair of crossovers in both directions superimposed on each other.
I am tending to get the impression that it may be a Triangle or in USA terminology a Y.