The LNER Encyclopedia

I am trying to find out the working of trains too & from the halt during the 30s, 40s, 50s & 60s. Can anyone help?

The halt was not in the public timetable as it was a workmans halt originally paid for by the adjacent cement works.

Any snippets gratefully received
Graham

Hi, I used Melton Halt as a school boy from '57 -'60. We caught the train there to Goole G.S. just after 8.00 am each morning and it stopped at every station between there and Goole. We returned home in the evening getting back after 5.00 pm. We had to change trains at Brough on the return journey to get one that stopped at Melton. I think this train originated in Leeds and was often hauled by B1 61016 Inyala ..

If we were late back we had to go through to N Ferriby and walk home from there..We also had to be careful where you got on the train as the coaches were non-corridor and the train was substantially longer than the platform - we had to jump down onto the track-side a few times!

Is any of this info any use?

Thanks for that it all helps.
What happened with your tickets were they collected on the train or did you keep them? could you buy tickets on the train?

regards
Graham

As we made the journey every day during term time we were issued with a season ticket, which I believe was from North Ferriby to Goole return. There were no railway staff at Melton other than the guys in the signal box. They were kept fairly busy with the level crossing as there was steady road traffic to the Earles Cement Works and there were four rail lines. The cement factory had private sidings which could join the main line and a 0-6-0ST shunting the wagons.

Most of the time it was fairly cold and fairly dark and we were pleased when the train arrived - as it was warm and light - as I recall there was no shelter and any rail staff stayed in the signal box ... no issuing or checking of tickets but occasional passengers may have been able to buy them on the train

Thanks - it would have been nice waiting for a train on a day like today!!

Melton Halt http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/me ... ndex.shtml

Somewhere I have an old OS map that seems to show a narrow gauge system running from the works out towards the river. Probably for clay extraction.
Will see if I can find it and post it.

Melton crossing is one of the few survivors using the large boom gate with motorised wheel.
We had to get it to freewheel when we were working on relays around the crossing.
We finished all the work in the area annoying all the workers in the industrial estate as the crossing was the only access.
Then they built another access to the estate when we had done.

The last industrial diesel was bought for the Ribble steam railway at Preston.

The sidings at Melton were shunted by a well maintained saddle tank named "Sunbury" (if my memory serves) and its depot was still standing the last time I passed the area -whether it is still there I do not know.
I wonder what happened to "Sunbury"?

Mentioning the weather, I remember the winters were very cold and rather snowy at the end of the 50's – a bit like this year. On one such morning at Melton Halt, which was usually deserted, we were surprised to find a packed train standing on the Hull bound fast line – broken down apparently – it had been standing there for some time. My guess would be that it was returning night shift workers from the aircraft factory at Brough, which was the main large-scale employer in the area.

Almost immediately some banter broke out between the stranded passengers and the waiting school kids – ‘hey kid – can you see what’s happening?’ – ‘hey kid – can you get me some cigs?’ - All of which where to no avail as we did not know what was happening and there were no services at all at Melton. ‘Go and tell the driver to get a move on!’ Yes he would love that - soon insults were being exchanged – ‘Your useless you are!’ etc..

Now I don’t know who threw the first snowball, but soon a good going snowball fight developed. Some of the passengers reached out of the carriages and gathered handfuls of snow – mainly from the carriage roof and hurled them in our direction. They were non-corridor coaches, which meant each compartment had a door (and therefore a window) facing us. Now as school kids we were greatly outnumbered, and the passengers were twice our size, but any kid worth his salt, brought up in Yorkshire at that time took pride in having a good throwing arm. We replied in kind. The passengers were hampered by having to throw from the windows and by having a restricted supply of snow. On the platform opposite however, although we were small, we had endless snow and we could run about freely.

More than one chap throwing from the carriage window was soon bombarded with snowballs. Ducking out of the way was fine but it meant the snowballs shot into the carriage! There was a chorus of yells and shouts from the carriage as the poor souls, who were peacefully dozing and minding their own business, were rudely awakened by a refreshing snowballs. Gradually the number of open windows dwindled but there were indications that a hardcore of passengers would like to continue the fight. However it was an unappealing jump onto the snow covered track-bed and when their train got going, they would have the devil of a job getting back into it. Also they were likely to incur the wrath of the guard who was not having the best of days as it was!

Fortunately before anyone did anything so foolish, there was activity on our line and the K3 pulling our train came into sight. We headed for school confidant that we had won the battle of Melton Halt!

Bryan,

With regard to the narrow gauge branch/tramway - from the 1927 OS map:
(From East Riding Treasure House - http://treasurehouse.eastriding.gov.uk/ ... ?sheet=239)

Don't know the N.E. at all well, and interest in its railways not too strong, but the tale of the snow 'battle' was most enjoyable! Thanks for sharing it.

md644 wrote:Bryan,

With regard to the narrow gauge branch/tramway - from the 1927 OS map:

Melton Halt.jpg

(From East Riding Treasure House - http://treasurehouse.eastriding.gov.uk/ ... ?sheet=239)

Thats the one I was just in the process of unearthing.
See what I mean about the NG line heading for the river.

I know that it is slightly outside of the era you are investigating, but I used to work at Armstrong Patents head office in Gibson Lane, Melton during 1971-73. I used to buy a daily ticket at the Hull Paragon ticket office for Melton Halt. Then I caught a stopping service train at around 8.00am. The return journey was on the 17.25pm.

I am currently sorting out my attic with an impending house move, and just yesterday would you believe, I came across two Edmondson single tickets between Hull and Melton dated Dec 71 and May 72. The fare was 13p. There was no ticket collector at Melton, which is why I retained the tickets. A separate ticket covered the Melton to Hull journey and these were collected on my return to Hull. There was no return ticket, the ticket office provided the two singles in the morning.

On a couple of ocassions in the morning, the driver forgot to halt in time at the station and the train was stopped just passed the platform. The guard then helped passengers climb down to the ground and walk back to the platform alongside the track. Not very far. Once the train did not stop at all and the passengers got out at the next station and BR paid a taxi to return us to Melton. During 1971-73 nearly all passemgers alighting the morning train (around 2 or three at most) were for Armstrongs, in the evening there may be one or two workers from the Rio Tinto works as well. During this time, the wooden platform on the north side had a bus shelter for comfort.

Interesting info there - all in all Melton Halt caused a few issues at time!! - I would be interested in seeing a picture of your tickets if at all possible??

I can scan both tickets and E-mail it to you, if you can provide an E-mail address.