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Kettleness railway station

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Coordinates: 54°31′42″N 0°43′01″W / 54.528300°N 0.716950°W / 54.528300; -0.716950
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Kettleness
Kettleness station, February 2008
General information
LocationKettleness, Scarborough
England
Coordinates54°31′42″N 0°43′01″W / 54.528300°N 0.716950°W / 54.528300; -0.716950
Grid referenceNZ831155
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyWhitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
3 December 1883Opened
5 May 1958Closed

Kettleness was a railway station on the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway from 1883 to 1958 serving the remote village of Kettleness. The main station building is still extant and serves as a scouting centre.

History

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The station opened on 3 December 1883,[1] and was able to handle goods, parcels, livestock and horseboxes.[2] The goods yard had a north facing connection, so that the coal drop was on the up (south side) of the line.[3][4] Kettleness station goods yard forwarded loads of iron ore from nearby workings. In 1913, this amounted to 2,595 tonnes (2,860 tons) forwarded to the iron smelters on Teesside.[5]

The main station building, which included the signal box on the platform, was on the north side of the station servicing the line towards Whitby.[3] Like most of the stations on the largely single line, Kettleness had a passing loop.[6]

In terms of passenger numbers, Kettleness was the quietest station on the line. An analysis of ticket sales shows that the station's busiest year was 1919, with over 8,000 tickets sold. By the end of the 1930s, and the start of the Second World War, tickets sales were dropping off. In 1938, 3,367 tickets were sold, in 1939, 2,839, and in 1940, only 2,032 tickets were sold.[7] Hoole states that in 1911, the population of the nearby hamlet was 54, yet 6,574 tickets were issued, amounting to nearly 122 trains journeys for each resident. He attributes this to there being no other form of transport.[8]

The station was host to a LNER camping coach in 1935, and to two coaches from 1936 to 1939.[9] A coach was positioned here by the North Eastern Region of British Railways from 1954 to 1958.[10] Kettleness was a remote station which was far from any amenities, defined as the remotest station on the Whitby to Loftus railway line.[11] However, campers could order food and other goods through the stationmaster.[12] The coach was withdrawn when the line and station closed to passengers and goods on 5 May 1958.[1][13] The line through the station was closed in 1959.[14]

The station building is now known as 'Seeonee Lair' and is run as an activity centre by East Cleveland Scout District.[15] The track bed has been lifted and the station canopy removed, but the platforms remain.[14]

Services

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The timetable from 1896 indicated six services in each direction, with four of the down trains (Whitby bound), continuing south to Scarborough via the Scarborough to Whitby line from Prospect Hill Junction. The six northbound trains all went to Saltburn.[16] The timetable from 1906 shows the same number of services, however, five trains continued on to Scarborough.[17] By 1910, the services were still six per day each way, however only three services went on to Scarborough (though connections could be made at Whitby West Cliff to Scarborough bound services).[18] By 1920, services had dropped to five each way.[16]

The July timetable of 1922 shows eight services, including two out and back workings from Whitby to Hinderwell.[19] By 1938, the era of the camping coaches, services south amounted to eleven, and northbound had twelve services per day. Sunday services were seven workings in each direction.[20] The 1946 timetable shows eight workings, some of which passed each other at Kettleness, and two Sunday workings; one from Whitby to Saltburn, one from Scarborough to Saltburn and vice versa.[21] In 1952, services had been curtailed again, however, one express train from Middlesbrough to Scarborough called at Kettleness only to pass another northbound service on the single line.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 261. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ The Railway Clearing House handbook of railway stations, 1904. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 1970. p. 291. ISBN 0715351206.
  3. ^ a b Bairstow, Martin (1996). Railways around Whitby. Vol. 2. Halifax: Bairstow. p. 44. ISBN 1-871944-13-9.
  4. ^ Bairstow 2008, p. 36.
  5. ^ Hoole, K. (1985). Railway stations of the North East. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 173. ISBN 0-7153-8527-5.
  6. ^ Young 2015, p. 89.
  7. ^ Williams 2012, pp. 99–113.
  8. ^ Hoole, K. (1983). Railways of the North York Moors : a pictorial history. Clapham: Dalesman Books. p. 55. ISBN 0-85206-731-3.
  9. ^ McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 10. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
  10. ^ McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. pp. 40 & 45. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
  11. ^ Williams 2012, p. 98.
  12. ^ Bairstow 2008, p. 9.
  13. ^ Bairstow 2008, p. 111.
  14. ^ a b Young 2015, p. 92.
  15. ^ "Seeonee Lair Campsite & Activity Centre". Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  16. ^ a b Young 2015, p. 90.
  17. ^ Bradshaw 1906 at the Internet Archive
  18. ^ Williams 2012, p. 105.
  19. ^ Williams 2012, p. 110.
  20. ^ a b Young 2015, p. 91.
  21. ^ 1946 June Bradshaw's Railway Timetable - British Isles at the Internet Archive

Sources

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  • Bairstow, Martin (2008). Railways around Whitby : Scarborough - Whitby - Saltburn, Malton - Goathland - Whitby, Esk Valley, Forge Valley and Gilling lines. Leeds: Martin Bairstow. ISBN 978-1-871944-34-1.
  • Williams, Michael A (2012). The Whitby-Loftus Line. Catrine: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-542-2.
  • Young, Alan (2015). Lost stations of Yorkshire; the North and East Ridings. Kettering: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-453-2.

Further reading

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  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kettleness railway station.


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Hinderwell
Line and station closed 		  North Eastern Railway
WR&MU 		  Sandsend
Line and station closed
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