Institution of Mining Engineers - South Yorkshire Tour
Sunday 15th October 1989
Report by Ian Mortimer
A week later we were all back again in Sheffield, this time for the South Yorkshire tour which, leaving at 09.00, headed to Retford and visited Cottam Power Station (a 2,000MW plant which closed 30 Sep 2019) at the end of a 3½ mile double track branch that once carried 5M tons of coal per year. The loop was probably the longest of any UK power station.
The tour returned to Manton Wood, where a double reversal via a headshunt was required to access the Manton Colliery branch, which was traversed to the line end. The colliery produced 980,000 tonnes of coal per year but closed in 1994, although the start of the access line is used by some DMUs from Nottingham off the Robin Hood Line running ECS from Worksop to stable between turns and reverse. After two further reversals the tour ran back through Worksop and on to Anston Jn. A series of colliery visits followed on the South Yorkshire Joint line, starting with the mile long branch to Dinnington Main that only served the colliery; the loading pad line was taken to near the end. This mine ceased production in 1991, was mothballed but then formally closed in 1992.
Returning to Dinnington Colliery Jn, a reversal here was followed by a run up the much longer branch to Thurcroft Colliery which closed in 1991; the stop board near the line end was reached. It was originally a Great Central, Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint line. The ownership of lines in this area was nothing if not complicated! Maltby Main alongside the South Yorkshire Joint Line was the next colliery on our itinerary where, after a reversal to access the colliery site, we ran along the bunker line to the end (again). In 1994 Maltby Main was joined underground with Silverwood 5¼ miles to the west, which we would visit later, with coal worked from, and wound at, Maltby, and it eventually closed in 2013. The final colliery on this leg of the trip involved travelling into Nottinghamshire to Harworth (where the well known 'Harworth Group' was originally based and named after). It was at the end of a four-mile long branch from Firbeck Jn (which was triangular until 1983), and again we reached just short of the end of line. In a modernisation scheme the two headstocks were replaced in 1989 and 1994 respectively. Harworth had an aerial ropeway moving spoil to the waste tip. Despite extensive coal reserves (extending into Yorkshire!), it was mothballed in 2006 but never reopened. To the south a light bulb factory (opened in 1949 and with enough capacity to supply the whole UK) had its own branch providing rail traffic; it also closed that year as low energy light fittings took over.
An early arrival into Doncaster allowed for a short break (a rarity on these intense tours), before the train ran south through Flyover West Jn to reach the run round loop on the headshunt alongside the Down side of the East Coast Main Line, reverse, and take the trailing branch to Rossington Main Colliery. Here viewing the buffer stops proved impossible as a rake of merry-go-round wagons blocked the line - possibly deliberately as the bunker had insufficient clearance for our 8-car DMU. As a result it only reached just short of the bunker, alongside a British Rail loco stop board. The colliery closed in 2007 but, of course, part of the branch survives to a recycling plant visited by the Society using our riding vehicle 'Molly' on 13 Apr 2019 with four comprehensive trips - the site was unrecognisable.
Returning through Doncaster, the tour continued down the East Coast Main line to Bentley Colliery Jn South, where the sharp curve left to Bentley Colliery was taken. This was only a short branch but was notable as it still had both north and south facing curves in use. After running through the traditional looking colliery, which closed in 1993, we reached the line end before departing via the north curve.
Reversals at Shaftholme Jn and Doncaster were required to reach Hatfield Main Colliery, which closed in 2001, reopened in 2007 as a miner's cooperative before final closure (after the notorious 2013 waste tip landslip which closed the four-track line here for nearly five months) in 2015. Reversing in the sidings alongside the bunker, we returned to Stainforth Jn before taking the line to Skellow Jn and the curve round to Carcroft Jn. A short run south brought the tour to Castle Hills North Jn (between Adwick and Bentley, not to be confused with the junction north of Northallerton). From here the tour branched right to the large Brodsworth Colliery. Here 2,600 men used to produce 1.2M tonnes of coal per year. It too had a triangular junction and, after running through the colliery (closed in 1990) to the line end, we returned to Castle Hills West Jn before taking the other curve to Castle Hills South Jn.
After passing through Doncaster for the fourth and final time we ran to Mexborough (where the then new curve to Swinton did not open until Mar 1990 - five months after the tour ran) and curved sharp left towards Kilnhurst. At Thrybergh Jn we headed left on our last branch of the day, the lengthy one to Silverwood Colliery which, as already mentioned, closed in 1994 when it was linked underground to Maltby Main (combined output 1.9M tonnes). Colliery access involved reversing at Silverwood Jn, where we reached the loop end and, from here, proceeded to the effective end of line, a sign prohibiting British Rail movements any further. Coal trains used to propel out of the colliery and reverse at Silverwood Jn. This junction was once triangular (the colliery branch being very short) and the line continued to Thurcroft Sidings Jn and the South Yorkshire Joint line. After another hugely successful day, we returned to Sheffield via a reversal at Kilnhurst, arriving 32 min late at 18.18.
Railtour map drawn by our member Rodger Wilkinson.
[© Rodger Wilkinson 1989]
Railtour map drawn by our member Rodger Wilkinson.
[© Rodger Wilkinson 1989]
Railtour map drawn by our member Rodger Wilkinson.
[© Rodger Wilkinson 1989]
Railtour map drawn by our member Rodger Wilkinson.
[© Rodger Wilkinson 1989]
At the limit of working on the Thurcroft Colliery branch.
[© Ian Mortimer 1989]
The railtour at Dinnington Main Colliery, looking back at the loading bunker from the end of the one mile branch which only ever served the colliery.
[© Ian Mortimer 1989]
Harworth Colliery, in May 1980, with the layout before it was rationalised. These headstocks were replaced in 1989 and 1994. Just out of picture to the right was the glass works which had its own branch. Right middle distance can be seen the aerial ropeway to remove the colliery spoil.
[© Ian Mortimer 1980]
How things changed! Harworth Colliery from the end of line on the tour, an example of how much investment was put into coal mines in the 1980s to facilitate merry-go-round services.
[© Ian Mortimer 1989]
At Rossington the line was blocked by MGR wagons, probably deliberately as the bunker had insufficient clearance for the train to pass through. Those who went on our 2019 very comprehensive trips would not recognise the view as the area has been totally redeveloped.
[© Ian Mortimer 1989]
Bentley colliery, the view back towards the junction from the end of line on the tour.
[© Ian Mortimer 1989]
Silverwood Colliery in Jul 1981, a Class 47 propels a loaded MGR train a short distance to reverse at Silverwood Jn. The trackbed left, a direct curve towards Thryburgh Jn, was taken out of use on 4 Jul 1976 (previously a triangle here). The remaining route required a reversal, but was considered operationally more suitable once the simplified layout at the colliery had been implemented.
[© Ian Mortimer 1981]