} else { William remained in use alongside its classmate George (No. The locomotive put in 10 years of useful work in this capacity prior to the expiry of its boiler certificate, when it was laid aside for another overhaul, which is currently in progress. Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society - Wikipedia As the MP for Barnsley East and the Chair of the Industrial Heritage All-Party Parliamentary Group, Im committed to ensuring our local history and heritage are accessible and protected for future generations, she said. } The Elsecar Heritage Railway became the operator in 2006. The whole infrastructure was nationalised after the Second World War, with the mines becoming part of the National Coal Board in 1947 and the railway becoming part of British Railways in 1948. We are also doing seasonal maintenance work to the rest of the track route. Our Privacy Policy, 2023 Barnsley Chronicle Privacy Policy Cookie Policy All Policies, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, Sales: 01226 734666 Editorial: 01226 734262, 23/12/22 This plan was abandoned when complete closure of the line from June 1989 was announced. The council own the trackbed, having bought it in 1994, a decade after the closure of the last mine that the branch of the Mexborough to Barnsley freight route served. One of the other stock movements from Elsecar will have been Mike's sentinel steam loco Gervais that's been to a contractor at Statford and is because of the imminent expiry of the 10 year boiler ticket. Yet an update from Elsecar Heritage Centre has now confirmed that investment is being sought to re-open the line, and it has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England. Distance: 2.8 mi. 7 in 1962), Gervase saw use on the KESR during its early preservation period, aided by the availability of spare parts from another Sentinel locomotive in the lines possession at the time, but it fell out of use in more recent years. The railway sites include Elsecar, Cortonwood and the railway line between them. 9599 William, which was delivered in 1956 to Courtaulds Fibres Ltd, at Great Coates, near Grimsby, where it was employed hauling the materials necessary for the factorys normal processes, including the hazardous cargo of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). Barnsley's heritage railway - which hit the buffers this summer when the charity operating it surrendered their lease - is expected to reopen following a commitment from the council. Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust have faced a number of challenges and in July, the trustees expressed that their best, and only, course of action was to surrender their lease to the railway sites that are owned by Barnsley Council. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The raison detre of the branch was to serve several collieries and ironworks owned by the Rockingham family, headed by Earl Fitzwilliam, who had his own private station at Elsecar (not to be confused with Elsecar & Hoyland station on the Penistone to Sheffield route, which survives today as part of the main network). if (banners[i] == '') { "Were committed to securing the future of the railway for residents and future generations to enjoy. "Due to be complete in early 2023, the work to remove the track will enable storage units to be taken off the site, and access for future developments planned for the space to occur. The railway sites include Elsecar, Cortonwood and the railway line between them. if (banners[i] == 'top-dmpu') { Elsecar Heritage Railway - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go I never visited the working railway, but when my car was stolen, out of the Wakefield Holiday Inn Hotel car park overnight, it was found almost immediately, minus all wheels and quite a few other essential bits, dumped on the approach road to the museum railway at Elsecar. Barnsley Council owns sites at Elsecar and Cortonwood, along with a track between the two and it was leased to the Elesecar Heritage Railway Trust, a charity which ran it for many years. The Earl's parties were conveyed by coach from Wentworth Woodhouse to the station to join these trains which were known, and shown in railway publications as "E.F.W. Were committed to securing the future of the railway for residents and future generations to enjoy. The railway was a freight-only branch of the Mexborough to Barnsley line that closed in 1984 when the last mine shut. if (window.innerWidth >= 768) { Sign up to our email newsletter to stay informed with all the latest news, events, offers and promotions. The railway in 2021, post-closure The statement read: "Over recent months, thanks to the extensive and positive response to consultation earlier in the year, an inspiring new vision has been. More information will be shared about this soon.. Currently, the locomotive is undergoing another overhaul, including a 10-year boiler overhaul, and given that a single example of the basic design was constructed for the LMS in 1932 and William was originally named after Sir William Stanier, a director of Courtaulds who presided over the naming ceremony on June 27 1956, the temptation could not be resisted to remove the tapered upper portion of the bonnet and apply the livery of the main line company (a classic application of the celebrity lookalike principle). The Elsecar Heritage Railway therefore makes an important contribution to the Barnsley areas industrial heritage and is set for an even more promising future once the extension is fully operational in the not-too-distant future. Closed now Visit website Call Email Write a review About Elsecar Heritage Railway is South Yorkshire's only Heritage Railway. I visited the line a few times, but I always thought their operating days were a bit too limted. Some of the work on the extension has been undertaken by junior soldiers from Harrogates Army Foundation College, who were visited undertaking the task during April 2016 by railway patron and Barnsley East MP Michael Dugher. dfpq[1].push({ d: 'div-gpt-news-' + banners[i], s: sizes }); The line remains closed but new plans for its future have now been revealed - and work on the track is already underway. In 1965, the locomotive was sold once again for its last spell of pre-preservation service, this time with General Refractories Ltd, of Deepcar, Sheffield. The many other independent shops, studios and Elsecar Antiques Centre are expected to open to the public on 2 December, with many currently offering deliveries and click-and-collect. Barnsley Council bought the trackbed in 1994 and restored the line as a. Address: Elsecar Heritage Railway, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley, S74 8HJ. The tracklaying is scheduled to be completed by summer 2017, but the level crossings will require the approval of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and the Office of Rail Regulation before the extension can be fully operational. No. Run entirely by a team of volunteers, the main operating day is a Sunday. Currently operating on a one mile section of track, passengers are pulled by a selection of steam and diesel engines, with a variety of coaching stock. The railway was a freight-only branch of the Mexborough to Barnsley line that closed in 1984 when the last mine shut. BARNSLEY Council has stepped in to take control of a historic heritage railway and is working on plans to resume services - but it will remain closed for now. Over the coming weeks, some rolling stock and equipment will be leaving the Elsecar Heritage Railway site. 9376 was sold to the NCB for use at East Ardsley Colliery before being bought again by Thomas Hill three years later. However, with its move to Elsecar has come restoration to working order, making it the only known Sentinel conversion from a conventional steam locomotive in existence in this condition. It opened in 1850 as part of the South Yorkshire Railway, known as the Elsecar Branch. [1] In April 1989 the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society became part of the Mid Norfolk Railway Project, along with the Wymondham and Dereham Rail Action Committee, the Dereham Society and the Wymondham Heritage Society. William went initially to Peak Rail at Buxton, where it saw some passenger duties, but proved less popular following Peak Rails relocation to Matlock, and it was sold again in 1994, being transferred to the Middleton Railway. The Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) Trust, a group of volunteers which has maintained the railway line from Elsecar to Hemingfield since 2006, has for years had an agreement in place with an outside engineering firm in a bid to cope with the labour and financial demands of the project. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. While its disappointing that the railway is not currently operating, I welcome Barnsley Councils commitment to ensure that it has a future in Elsecar. Elsecar is near the town of Hoyland and the villages of Jump and Wentworth. From here, No. Elsecar Heritage Railway mothballed indefinitely after operators This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. For the time being, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, railway events will not be taking place, but our fantastic Elsecar Heritage Centre is still open for business. These have either come to the end of their working life, are no longer in use at the railway or are not expected to be used in the future., Barnsley East MP Stephanie Peacock called the railway a central part of Barnsleys proud industrial and cultural heritage. 2020-05-17 Elsecar railway station is a railway . At Hemingfield there are long- term plans for a halt station with a passing loop to connect to a new visitor attraction now in the development stage at Hemingfield Colliery. It is not planned to restore Sentinel No. Working alongside the Trust they are reviewing a number of options to ensure the well-loved visitor attraction has a successful and sustainable future. 2895 diesel-electric Earl of Strafford, bought from the GCR (Nottingham) on March 14, 1997, currently in the course of receiving its third engine, and Hunslet No. Saturday, 2 July 2022 Elsecar Heritage Railway Elsecar station on the left, shed to the right, on 11 August 2011 Elsecar Heritage Railway closed in mid 2020, surrendering its lease to Barnsley Council. Today, three of these conversions survive in domestic preservation, two of which may be seen on static display at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire. }, We have been at the heart of our community, every week, since 1858. Barnsley Council owns sites at Elsecar and Cortonwood, along with a track between the two and it was leased to the Elesecar Heritage Railway Trust, a charity which ran it for many years. Heritage railway groups gives up lease | Barnsley Chronicle After a thorough overhaul, the Mardy Monster was returned to working order and it started passenger services on June 21, 2003. I presume all this means that owners of stock based on the railway haven't received assurances that it'll be seeing use any time soon? Elsecar Heritage Railway, Barnsley. Open Sundays. Admission Paid. The railway station area and yard site are now a scheduled ancient monument - this means that we need a very close understanding of archaeology and ground conditions to plan for future structures that may be required for that new vision for the heritage railway. . Cafes are open for takeaways alongside the natural food shop and beer tap. The two remaining Sentinels are both of the more familiar all-new pattern. Elsecar Heritage Railway Update 27th November 2020 Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust have faced a number of challenges and in July, the trustees expressed that their best, and only, course of action was to surrender their lease to the railway sites that are owned by Barnsley Council. The reasons for closure include lack of younger volunteers, then Covid hit. dfpq[1].push({ d: 'div-gpt-news-' + banners[i], s: sizes }); There is, unfortunately, one minor criticism: the number chosen, 7165, was actually carried by one of the Fowler 2F Dock Tanks; surely No. History Read more News and Features in Issue 237 of HR on sale now! After a period of disuse, the Mardy Monster was bought with a view to a return to service on the Swanage Railway, but after a further 18 years the engine still remained idle whereupon it was transferred to the Elsecar Heritage Railway in 1997. 2150 is the sole survivor of the makers OQ class 0-6-0ST with 18in x 26in cylinders, 4ft 1in wheels and a boiler pressure of 200psi. Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; I think the simple answer is no. The Middleton is one of the few sites I've never been to but the number of railways where Mike's engines can run at on a regular basis is quite limited. Restoration began in 1994 as a project of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and the line reopened as a heritage railway in 1996, operated by the Council. In November 2013 the EHR received a lottery grant of 50,000 to finance the provision of a Coal Mining Memorial Park at Cortonwood Colliery,[3] a nationally important site, where the 1984/5 Miners Strike began. At present the line in use extends from the terminus at Elsecar over a run of about one mile to Hemingfield (Tingle Bridge Lane), but the present state of affairs is very much work in progress as a further mile is in the process of being laid to the projected eventual destination of Cortonwood. For the time being, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, railway events will not be taking place, but our fantastic Elsecar Heritage Centre is still open for business. But we need a little helping hand to do so. 7185 would have been more appropriate as this would sit neatly alongside the 7184 carried by the 1932-built Sentinel locomotive. One of the sites prized assets - the almost 70-year-old Mardy Monster steam locomotive which has hauled carriageloads of families at events held at Elsecar Heritage Centre - was previously sold by the trust, reportedly without the knowledge of board members. [2]. Elizabeth is a recent arrival at Elsecar, having been bought from the Middleton Railway in 2015. It opened in 1907 and closed in 1988. Production Editor, Ashley Ball, said: "In an ever changing media world, its important that news is reported correctly and without any hidden agenda. This site requires a Javascript enabled browser. Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Steam and vintage diesel trains ran from Rockingham Station, at the rear of the heritage centre, to Hemingfield Basin, and there were plans to extend the service to Cortonwood and open a new halt at Hemingfield, a further mile away. The last time I went the station was overrun by people having fun dressed as Tommies and Nazis - but without the hassle that Prince Harry got from PC campaigners! Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. sizes = [300, 250]; The terminus was latterly known as Elsecar goods station, but with the post-Second World War rundown of Britains coal industry and the growth of road freight transport, the importance of the branch steadily declined. Barnsley Council recently bought a redundant factory site to provide additional car parking. Very friendly bunch in the mess room there. sizes = [300, 250]; This loco is a diesel-hydraulic conversion, from an unidentified Sentinel steam locomotive in 1965, by the aforementioned Thomas Hill (No. 1091 of 1888) and K class 0-6-0ST(No. issued a 'Royal Standard' to the station to be flown when royalty was included in the party. The railway sites include Elsecar, Cortonwood and the railway line between them. On a 11 mile railway with steep gradients they can't haul enough passengers to cover their costs and whilst they can be used on an occasional basis as demonstration engines that makes it very hard to justify their long term overhaul costs. Elsecar Heritage Railway runs along a mile-long stretch of track that once served the ironworks and collieries of the industrial village, which was owned by the Earls of Fitzwilliam of nearby Wentworth Woodhouse. Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust have faced a number of challenges and in July, the trustees expressed that their best, and only, course of action was to surrender their lease to the railway sites that are owned by Barnsley Council. 6950 of 1967, diesel-hydraulic Louise, which spent all of its Elsecar railway station is a railway station serving the village of Elsecar in South Yorkshire, England. Elsecar Heritage Railway trustees, essential work has been agreed to remove some of the disused track at the site. The railway's collection of steam locomotives are used regularly for passenger services. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In August 2012 trial holes were dug to locate services under the road surface ready for the crossing installation to take place. Earlier this month it was announced that 16 buildings in the village had either been newly listed at Grade II or given upgraded protection status by the government. The remaining steam Sentinel at Elsecar is No. This is denoted by the flat-sided, full-length saddle tank, which gives the 14 inch outside cylinder locomotive the appearance of being larger than it is in reality. The Manchester to Glossop/Hadfield section is still in operation; east of the . Otherwise there is little that is remarkable about the design, save to note that close examination of its cab profile suggests certain affinities with Avonsides Bristol neighbour, Peckett & Sons. Hardcore coronation fans already camped outside Buckingham Palace, HMV to reopen original flagship store after four year closure, Mller recall Cadbury desserts because of Listeria contamination, Nurses strike continues: Major disruption for NHS services in England, Additional flight to evacuate Britons from Sudan today, Ryanair cancels 220 flights over May 1 bank holiday due to strikes. "Forward", The journal of the Great Central Railway Society. White Light Events - Elsecar Mind Body Spirit & Wellbeing Festival. You are using an out of date browser. Elsecar Railway in 2021 and forwards | RailUK Forums The history of the line goes back to the year 1850 when a single-track mineral branch was opened from Elsecar Junction, near Wath, on the Doncaster to Barnsley section of the South Yorkshire Railway (later part of the Great Central), to Elsecar via Cortonwood. sizes = [[300, 600], [300, 250]]; Elsecar Heritage Railway Update | Elsecar Heritage Centre The passenger rolling stock currently in use on the EHR consists of four BR Mk.1 coaches, while there are several other items of rolling stock, including such diverse items as a Smith & Rodley diesel crane (another Yorkshire product, emanating from Leeds) and a homemade diesel dumper truck of uncertain parentage. Currently operating on a one mile section of track, passengers are pulled by a selection of steam and diesel engines, with a variety of coaching stock. Rushden, Higham and Wellingborough Railway, Museum of the Great Western Railway (Swindon), Great Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elsecar_Heritage_Railway&oldid=1105298765, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Earl Fitzwilliam, Barnsley Council, Elsecar Railway Preservation Group, Elsecar Heritage Railway Ltd, This page was last edited on 19 August 2022, at 15:03. Working closely with the Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust, Barnsley Council will be talking with partners, volunteers and the local community over the summer to explore options for the future and to find out what people would like to see. Coaching stock is painted in British Railways 'lined maroon' livery. Over the coming weeks, sections of the modern track in the station area, laid since the 1990s, will be lifted so archaeological digs and ground investigations can take place. Surrendered: Elsecar Heritage Railway is back in council hands. if (window.innerWidth >= 768) { It was set at the heart of the South Yorkshire Coalfield, at Wath-upon-Dearne, approximately halfway between Barnsley and Doncaster, in the United Kingdom. Elsecar Heritage Railway: Track to be lifted at Scheduled Monument site The whole track has been laid, but delays over the Tingle Bridge Lane crossing at Hemingfield have left the remaining mile inoperational. The station was also host to other trains not connected to the St. Leger race meeting or usage by Earl Fitzwilliam. Hardcore coronation fans already camped outside Buckingham Palace, HMV to reopen original flagship store after four year closure, Mller recall Cadbury desserts because of Listeria contamination, Nurses strike continues: Major disruption for NHS services in England, Additional flight to evacuate Britons from Sudan today, Ryanair cancels 220 flights over May 1 bank holiday due to strikes. Earl Fitzwilliam's private railway station is a former private railway station in South Yorkshire, England, situated at the upper end of the Elsecar branch of the South Yorkshire Railway. This locomotive was instrumental in enabling the railway to officially celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first passenger working on March 26, 2016. }, We have been at the heart of our community, every week, since 1858. She told the Chronicle: I know the heritage railway is popular locally, and I would really like it to stay open - there has been a lot of hard work to establish the next steps for a sustainable heritage railway in Elsecar. The Woodhead line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. Should we continue to cover content like this? Works records of Elsecar show that these trains ran until 'the early years of the 20th century'. Elsecar Heritage Railway - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go The first public passenger service over the relaid portion of line, hauled by Avonside B4 0-6-0ST Earl Fitzwilliam (1917 of 1923), departed from the station on April 5, 1996. A new charitable trust set up to raise funding and support Cannon Hall as well as other Barnsley Museums sites. The EHR had planned to eventually operate the line into Cortonwood, with a new halt at Hemingfield, doubling the length of the line to two miles. By. The Elsecar New Colliery is the site of the only Newcomen beam engine in the world still in its original location, built in 1795 at the instruction of William Wentworth, the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. The story of the former Elsecar mineral branch might have ended in the 1980s, but for one reason: the Elsecar end of the line features many of the buildings that constituted the Earls workshops (later becoming the workshops of the NCB Barnsley Area) and the decision was taken by Barnsley Council to develop the area as a tourist attraction, known as the Elsecar Heritage Centre. At present it is not possible for passengers to alight anywhere on the line apart from the main terminus at Elsecar, and the lack of a passing loop at the Hemingfield end means that unless top-and-tail working is adopted, a train has to be propelled on its return to Elsecar. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. JavaScript is disabled. The remainder of the line, from Cortonwood to Elsecar Junction near Brampton, was closed after the closure of Cortonwood colliery in 1985, and the track lifted. ", We will not share your information and will use it in accordance with After a further two decades, Pitsford was acquired by Barnsley Council as part of its heritage project and once again put into working order with its present name, Earl Fitzwilliam. 6807 of 1928 (the conversion was carried out on site by Sentinel fitters). Elsecar Collieries Map (4.5 km) #40AbdyUk PlaceUpdated: 2020-03-22Abdy is a hamlet in South Yorkshire, England. Work on the extension is currently proceeding as time and resources will allow, but currently the Tingle Bridge Lane to Smithy Lane section is all on concrete sleepers and partly-ballasted. The many other independent shops, studios and Elsecar Antiques Centre are expected to open to the public on 2 December, with many currently offering deliveries and click-and-collect. One of the Heavy Haulers posted on twitter that they'd moved some other rolling stock away from there this week too. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}532937N 12509W / 53.49374N 1.41927W / 53.49374; -1.41927. The Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) is located on the southern part of the former South Yorkshire Railway freight-only branch which ran from Elsecar Junction on its Mexborough to Barnsley Line. Admission: Adult: 5, Child (3-16): 2.50, Consession: 4.50. Although the railway is closed at the moment, hard work has been ongoing behind the scenes to evaluate the condition of the site, its buildings and railway equipment, the council spokesperson added. [1] A great deal of work has been carried out to establish how a successful and sustainable heritage railway offer can be re-established at Elsecar, reflecting the pride in our railway heritage and what it can mean for our regions visitor economy.. Were working with Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust and undertaking planning to establish a successful way forward for a heritage railway at Elsecar. Elsecar goods station was a goods facility constructed near the village of Elsecar, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, at the terminus of the South Yorkshire Railways branch line from Elsecar Junction on its Mexborough to Barnsley line.
