Station Name: TOLLERTON (1st & 2nd site)

[Source: Alan Young]


Date opened: Possibly opened with the line on 31 March 1841
Location:

On the East Coast main line, several hundred yards north-east of Tollerton village where Station Road becomes Sykes Lane.
1st site: immediately south-east of Sykes Lane bridge. 2nd site: immediately north-west of Sykes Lane bridge.

Company on opening: Great North of England Railway
Date closed to passengers: 1 November 1965
Date closed completely: 1 November 1965
Company on closing:

British Rail (North Eastern Region)

Present state: Both the 1st and 2nd stations have been demolished. The goods yard is now used as an engineers' siding. The stationmaster's house is in private occupation.
County: Yorkshire (North Riding)
OS Grid Ref: SE515646
Date of visit: Not visited

Notes: Tollerton station was on the East Coast main line (ECML) 9¾ miles north-west of York. It is possible that it opened with the line, but the earliest passenger timetables make no reference to it. The original site was immediately south of Sykes Lane crossing, about half-a-mile north-east of the village of Tollerton. The route was built with two railway tracks and there were two facing platforms. The station house and main passenger facilities were on the down (Darlington-bound) platform, towards its north-western end; in common with a number of other stations built or influenced by J T Andrews, there was a bay window on the platform elevation. Sidings were placed behind, and south-east, of the up platform. The signal box was immediately north-west of the road crossing, on the down side of the tracks. The passenger service shown in the May 1849 timetable consisted of three departures in each direction on weekdays and two on Sundays. By 1863 the service had increased to four up and down departures, as seen in the table below, and two Sunday trains in each direction.

Up trains
February 1863

Destination

Down trains February 1863

Destination

8.48 am

York

6.20 am

Newcastle

10.37 am

York

12.14 pm

Newcastle

2.38 pm

York

6.30 p.m.

Newcastle

8.17 pm

York

7.04 pm

Newcastle


In 1853 a branch opened from the main line at Pilmoor, north-west of Tollerton, to Gilling and Malton, the passenger services operating from Thirsk, also on the main line beyond Pilmoor. In 1871 a further branch opened, linking Gilling, Helmsley, Kirbymoorside and Pickering, and train services on this route ran from York, through Tollerton, and left the main line at
Raskelf, two stations north of Tollerton. These trains generally called at Tollerton and the other wayside stations through which they passed on the main line, doubling the frequency of train calls at Tollerton, as shown in the June 1896 weekday table below. In addition two trains called in each direction on Sundays, northbound to Newcastle and southbound to York.

Up trains
June 1896

Destination

Down trains     June 1896

Destination

8.11 am ¶

Doncaster

6.19 am

Edinburgh

9.25 am

York

8.50 am

Pickering

10.34 am  §

York

10.40 am

Pickering

12.04 pm  §

York

12.25 pm

Newcastle

2.20 pm

York

1.35 pm

Gilling

5.31 pm  §

York

3.09 pm

Pickering

6.58 pm  §

Doncaster

5.19 pm

Newcastle

8.29 pm

York

7.05 pm

Newcastle

 

 

8.19 pm

Newcastle

§ Train ex-Pickering    ¶ Train ex-Gilling

The heavily-used main line suffered from congestion, and most of the stretch between York and Darlington was quadrupled in stages over a period of almost sixty years. The first widening project was enabled by an Act of 1894 permitting the North Eastern Railway to quadruple from north of Beningbrough, through Tollerton, to a point south of Alne. This operation included the demolition of Tollerton station, south of Sykes Lane, and its replacement with a new (2nd) station immediately north-west of the road, which now crossed the line by a bridge. The new station had two platforms, with a wide gap between them as a result of being on the outer two tracks (the up and down slow lines). The former station building survived, though apparently losing its bay to allow space for the down slow track. Construction of the new station was authorised in 1899, including a house for the stationmaster and a cottage. The most basic of buildings were constructed on the platforms. These were small single-storey brick structures with a ridged roof and a small mock-Tudor central gable to add some weak, but fashionable, Arts and Crafts decoration. The sidings on the up side, beyond the road bridge, continued to be used, but an additional siding was provided as a bay set into the north-west end of the down platform. The signal box north-west of the road was replaced with one immediately south-east, again on the down side.

NER records show that in 1911 about 1,300 people were served by Tollerton station and that 10,740 tickets were issued: a modest total for the days before motor bus competition emerged. In 1913 the station was handling coal, hay and clover, potatoes and livestock. A goods shed had been provided at the north-western end of the old sidings, at the foot of the road embankment, probably when the quadrupling took place. No crane was installed in the goods yard.

Tollerton station never enjoyed an intensive train service, and, as elsewhere in Britain, competition from road motor transport was felt increasingly during the inter-war years. In 1923 the NER became part of the London & North Eastern Railway, and this company was prepared to discontinue unprofitable train services, as they demonstrated in north-east England, where
several lines and many stations were closed between 1929 and 1931. Not far from Tollerton, the Gilling – Malton and Masham branches lost their passenger services in 1931, and the previous year thirteen wayside stations closed between York and Scarborough. The minor stations on the ECML between York and Darlington remained open: indeed several were rebuilt in the 1930s when further sections of the route were quadrupled. However Tollerton’s service was reduced and, significantly, by 1937 there was no convenient provision made for local people returning from work in York. The weekday service for winter 1937-8 is shown below; in addition on Sunday there were two trains southbound to York, and two northbound – one to Newcastle and the other to Northallerton.

Up trains
September 1937

Destination

Down trains September 1937

Destination

7.48 am

York

7.34 am

Newcastle

8.52 am §

York

10.16 am

Pickering

11.07 am §

York

3.03 pm

Pickering

1.02 pm

York

7.03 pm

Darlington

7.13 pm §

York

 

 

§ Train ex-Pickering

When Nationalisation of British Railways took place on 1 January1948 Tollerton became part of the North Eastern Region. The station was no longer served by trains on Sundays – these had ceased by summer 1943 – and the weekday service was minimal, as indicated in the summer 1952 table below.

Up trains June 1952

Destination

Down trains June 1952

Destination

7.49 am

Doncaster

7.00 am

Edinburgh

12.51 pm Sat only

York

7.41 am

Pickering

7.08 pm §

York

10.41 am Sat only

Pickering

 

 

6.15 pm

Pickering

§ Train ex-Pickering

On 2 February 1953 the York – Helmsley – Pickering passenger train service ceased, leaving Tollerton with one morning train in each direction: of no value whatever for an outward and return trip in the same day.

Up train September 1953

Destination

Down train September 1953

Destination

7.49 am

Doncaster

7.00 am

Edinburgh

In 1958-9 a purge of minor stations took place on the main line between London and Berwick, removing Tollerton’s neighbours of Beningbrough, Alne, Raskelf, Pilmoor, Sessay, Otterington, Danby Wiske, and Cowton in 1958. Why Tollerton survived is unclear. By 4 August 1959 Tollerton’s train service was halved, leaving the one northbound morning train. The primary purpose of this solitary call was probably for delivery of parcels. The Transport Users’ Consultative Committee (TUCC) report in July 1965 noted that in addition to the advertised northbound passenger train a southbound evening parcels train called at Tollerton station.

The quaint and little-used station at Tollerton was joined in January 1961 by a new signal box of striking modern design, placed 300yd south-east on the up side of the tracks beside the entrance to the station’s sidings. The box was part of a signalling upgrade of the ECML following the completion of the quadrupling projects in 1959, and it controlled 12 route miles. It
was steel-framed, with a cuboid mess and relay room, faced with prefabricated units, and surmounted at the north-west end by the control room. This had wide observational windows on three sides set in walls inclined at 8½° to reduce glare and reflection, and a flat roof with a substantial overhang. The box closed in 1989 when a facility at York took control of a much longer stretch of the ECML.

By the 1960s Tollerton station was an antiquity, still lit by oil lanterns. Only the hand-painted running-in nameboards in dull tangerine BR(NE) livery were evidence that it might still be open. BR totem name signs were never installed. Despite its paltry train service the station continued to be staffed. However Tollerton was far from being the only station on the ECML that time forgot: within London the stations at Wood Green, New Southgate and Oakleigh Park, as well as Knebworth and Stevenage on the approaches to the capital, remained gas-lit until the early 1970s.

It came as no surprise that the Reshaping of British Railways (‘Beeching’) report of March 1963 earmarked Tollerton for closure, but there was a surprising delay in the publication of closure proposals until 13 March 1965. In the meantime a traffic survey revealed that in the week ending 11 July 1964 only one passenger joined a train and one alighted at Tollerton. A further survey in the week ending 24 October 1964 found that not a single passenger used Tollerton station.

The TUCC report presented to Tom Fraser, Minister of Transport, on 22 July 1965 stated that no objections to closure had been received from any passenger who used Tollerton station, but a Mr Slinger, who dispatched honey bees from the station, lodged a protest. A Londoner objected to the closure of Tollerton (as well as Gateshead West) on the grounds that if he sent in an objection an enquiry would have to take place: his complaint could not be considered as he was a week late in submitting his letter! On 19 August 1965 the Minister gave consent to the closure. A short time later, on 6 September Tollerton ceased to handle goods traffic, and on 1 November 1965 the station closed to passengers, the final train having called on 30 October.

The platforms and buildings were soon demolished, and today there is little evidence of the site of the 2nd station, although the approach track from the south-west is discernible. However, the sidings to the south-east of the road bridge, behind the site of the earlier station’s up platform, remain in situ.

FURTHER NOTES ON THE YORK – DARLINGTON EAST COAST MAIN LINE

The section of the London (King’s Cross) – Newcastle – Edinburgh main line between York and Darlington was built by the Great North of England Railway (GNE). The project was envisaged by Joseph Pease, a prominent figure in the Stockton & Darlington (S&D) Railway’s development, who saw it as a means of connecting Tyneside and Darlington with the proposed
York & North Midland Railway. By an Act of Parliament of 12 July 1837 the York – Croft (Darlington) scheme was approved and the line was opened to passengers on 31 March 1841.At the northern end the line incorporated part of the S&D Croft branch, and substantial engineering works were required, notably a viaduct over the River Tees and a lengthy cutting at Dalton (Eryholme). At Northallerton a substantial embankment was constructed, whilst at the southern end of the line a bridge was required over the River Ouse in York. Much of the route passed through the gently undulating, rich agricultural land of the Vale of York, where gradients were minimal. The steepest grades on the York – Darlington route (using 1905 data) were short stretches at 1:327 on leaving York, and 1:391 north of Eryholme. As an example of the easy gradients Tollerton had a stretch at 1:1,906 immediately to the south, and an indiscernible 1:7,455 immediately north of the station. The negligible gradients and near-straightness of the route from leaving York as far as Eryholme (about 40 miles) have enabled it to carry some of Britain’s fastest trains. The North Eastern Railway (successor in 1854 to the York, Newcastle & Berwick, previously the York & Newcastle, and GNE) together with the Great Northern and North British railways entered into competition with the companies operating the West Coast route (London Euston – Carlisle – Edinburgh) which encouraged the acceleration of services from the 1880s. The NER even had plans to electrify the route, but the LNER (from 1923) took them no further. However the famous Gresley-designed A4 Pacifics of the later LNER and early BR years, the Deltic (Class 55) diesels, and the InterCity 125 (Class 43) high speed trains served the ECML well until electrification of the route all the way from King’s Cross to Edinburgh was accomplished in 1991 when Class 91 locomotives were introduced to haul the expresses.

Tickets from Michael Stewart.

See other ECML stations:Tweedmouth, Scremerston, Goswick, Beal, Smeafield, Crag Mill, Belford, Lucker,
Newham, Fallodon, Christon Bank, Little Mill,
Longhoughton, Lesbury, Warkworth, Longhirst,
Morpeth, Stannington, Plessey, Annitsford (1st), Annitsford (2nd), Killingworth, Forest Hall, Heaton (2nd), Heaton (1st), Durham, Croft Spa, Eryholme Otterington & Alne


The down platform of Tollerton station, looking west, c1906. This is the new (2nd) station of 1899. The brick building is a single-storey structure, resembling many others built by the NER between 1890 and 1914, although most of them were of timber. The NER enamel running-in board displayed the station name on a terracotta-coloured ground. The Daily Telegraph is advertised on a sign below the nameboard. The station was oil lit throughout its life.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection


1856 1: 10 560 The first site of Tollerton station was directly south-east of the Sykes Lane crossing. The station building was on the down (northbound) platform, close to the road.

1893 1: 2 500 Tollerton station building can be seen on the down (northbound) platform, towards its north-west end, with an approach track. There appear to be two buildings on the up platform. Goods sidings are behind the up platform, one serving coal cells. At this time no goods shed is shown. The signal box is north of the road bridge on the down side of the line. Six years later, in connection with quadrupling of the route, Tollerton station was rebuilt immediately north-west of the road bridge.

1909 1: 2 500 Tollerton station is shown north-west of the road bridge, having been constructed in 1899 to replace the earlier station which was south-east of the bridge. The reconstruction was required to allow space for the quadrupling of the former two-track route. A goods siding abuts the north-west end of the down platform, and the goods yard south-east of the bridge remains in use. The yard now has a shed parallel to the road without direct rail access. A new signal box has been built south-east of the bridge; it adjoins the former station building.

An undated (but before June 1911) view looking south-east from the down platform of Tollerton station. The down slow line serves this platform. To its left are the down fast, then the up fast and finally the up slow line serving the other platform. The modest scale of the buildings provided for this (2nd) Tollerton station, built in 1899, can be appreciated. Beyond Sykes Lane bridge the building of Tollerton (1st) station can be seen on the down side of the line.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection

Tollerton (2nd) station in the early twentieth century, looking south-east from the up platform. The small brick buildings, to the left and right, provided all of the platform facilities. Beyond the bridge the building of Tollerton (1st) station, which the 2nd station replaced in 1899, can be seen on the right. Beyond it is the station’s signal box, which replaced an earlier one on the near side of the bridge in 1899.
Photo from John Mann collection

An undated view looking south-east from the down platform of Tollerton (2nd) station. The down slow line serves this platform. To its left are the down fast, then the up fast and finally the up slow line serving the other platform. The modest scale of the 1899 buildings can be appreciated, both of similar single-storey design. The bench supports are of the ‘knotted wood’ design, rather than the coiled serpent style which was possibly more common on NER stations. As with most rural stations Tollerton is oil-lit. Beyond Sykes Lane bridge the signal box and the building of the first station can be seen on the down side of the line. The goods yard is seen beyond and to the left of the bridge.

The up platform is seen from a down (northbound) express in 1961. The last advertised passenger service to use this platform was withdrawn by May 1959 and vegetation has begun to colonise it. The hand-painted wooden running-in board suggests that the station is open - although nameboards at several stations on the neighbouring Harrogate-York route were left in place some years after they closed. By this time Tollerton had only one advertised train call on weekdays, northbound at 7.04 am.
Photo by Phil Reeks

60007 A4 Pacific ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ is speeding through Tollerton on the down fast track, hauling the ‘Talisman’ from London (Kings Cross) to Edinburgh (Waverley). The locomotive was one of the LNER’s 35-strong A4 class. Originally numbered 4498 she was released to traffic on 30 October 1937; after WW2 she was renumbered 7; under BR she was 60007. ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ was allocated to Kings Cross ‘Top Shed’ from new, reallocated to Grantham on 23 April 1944, and returned to Top Shed on 4 June 1950. On 16 June 1963 she was reallocated to Peterborough New England shed when Top Shed closed. A further move took the loco to Edinburgh St Margarets shed, to work Edinburgh - Aberdeen trains. Her final BR shed allocation was Aberdeen from 20 July 1964. The loco was withdrawn from service on 1 February 1966, and the A4 Preservation Society (later known as the A4 Locomotive Society) rescued her from the cutter’s torch. ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ was kept for many years at Steamtown Carnforth. By 1994 she was on the Great Central Railway, before spending some time at the East Lancashire Railway. The loco is now preserved on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

After the demolition of the second station at Tollerton, following its closure in 1965, a short section of the up platform with ramps at both ends was in situ in August 1969. It was possibly provided for railway staff who were working in the adjacent engineers’ sidings in the former goods yard.
Photo by John Mann

Tollerton station looking north-west along the down platform in 1964. The buildings date from the construction of the second station in 1899 north of Sykes Lane bridge, replacing the station south of the bridge. By this time only one passenger train called at Tollerton: the 7.16am for Edinburgh on weekdays which used this platform. The call was probably for handling parcels, perhaps explaining the presence of the sack trolley. The station closed in 1965.
Copyright photo from Station UK


The former goods yard north of the road bridge at Tollerton, looking south in 2010; the yard is now used as an engineers' siding. The position of the first passenger station at Tollerton was on the extreme right of the photograph' a CrossCountry service is approaching.
Photo by John Furnevel


GBRf 'Shed' 66 723 'Chinook' passes the site of the first Tollerton station in March 2012, with the 4N30 Drax Power Station-Tyne Dock biomass coal train.
Photo by Andrew Gallon from his Flickr photostream

An East Coast Inter-City 125 HST set, with power car 43367 'Deltic 50: 1955-2005' leading, hurtles south past the site of the second Tollerton station in March 2012.
Photo by Andrew Gallon from his Flickr photostream


Aerial view showing the site of the first and second Tollerton stations. The first station was to the south of the road bridge and the second station was to the north. The former goods yard on the up side south of the bridge is now an engineers' siding. Click here to see larger version.

c.1960s

June 1981

March 2010

March 2010

Click on thumbnail to enlarge


 

 

 

[Source: Alan Young]




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