Notes: At Sibleys (for Chickney & Broxted), to give the full title, The train usually stopped at Sibleys to shunt by towrope. There was a goods loop at this station, so that by attaching the towrope to wagons in the adjacent loop the train engine could manoeuvre them from the other track. This diversion took up to ten minutes in the busy season.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ELSENHAM & THAXTED LIGHT RAILWAY
The locally-promoted Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway was intended to relieve agricultural distress and to be extended to Great Bardfield, over ten miles from Elsenham. In the event, despite the GER paying half the capital cost and a large grant of £33,000 from the Treasury, little local capital was raised and there was a five-year interlude between the granting of the Light Railway order in 1906 and the start of construction in 1911.

The line eventually stopped a mile short of Thaxted church and was opened on 1 April 1913. Typically of light railways of the period the Elsenham & Thaxted was built with few earthworks; steep gradients, only one bridge, and ungated level-crossings with cattle guards wherever possible.

At Elsenham there was the connection with the main line and a small goods yard. The passengers were usually few in number. A few trucks generally followed the passenger coaches. The conductor/guard issued thin white paper tickets straight to the passengers like a bus conductor; there were no through bookings. The train slowed down to 10 mph for the ungated crossings picking-up or setting-down at the halts if necessary. There were no signals on the line as only one engine was used on the line at one time. The line was absorbed into the LNER on 1st January 1923.

A pleasant line in the middle of Essex it was an early victim of closure as it was slow and poorly connected for passengers and only offered two sidings for goods so that goods services ceased only a year after passenger trains stopped running in 1952.

Further reading: The Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway by P. Paye (1976) Oakwood Press

To see the other stations on the Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway click on the station name: Mill Road Halt, Henham Halt,
Cutlers Green Halt & Thaxted