Milford Yard, Selby and Gascoigne Wood

On a lovely warm summer's morning 66190 arrives at South Milford Yard from Knottingley depot, few miles away, for the start of its days duties.

90 minutes separate this and the previous photo. 66195 arrives at South Milford as 0S67 Knottingley Depot to South Milford Yard light engine. It started off a very slow morning and I hoped things would pick up....and they did.

Yet another light engine arrival only seven minutes behind the last one. 66086 is on 0E69 from Knottingley Depot.

66527 stands at the signal protecting South Milford Yard by a stop board on the line, maybe there is a fault with the signal. A man can be seen sitting beside the signal reading the newspaper. 66527 is working 4S15 Cottam Power Station to New Cumnock Empty Coal hoppers.

Looking to the north from the overbridge at the south end of the yard. 66186 powers past the BR built 1957 vintage signalbox with 6C20 0728 Redcar to Eggborough Power Station loaded coal hoppers. Four rakes of hoppers with two locos attached facing south stand in the yard.

South Milford has always been a busy coal staging point and despite living 5 miles away for 2 years in the mid 1980's, this was my first visit to the yard. What was I thinking about???

After waiting at the signal for some 30 minutes, the man has removed the stop board and 66527 gets away.

With the end of 66527's train in the hazy distance, the first of the yard departures gets under way.

66086 snakes its way out of the yard with 6E69 South Milford to Drax Power Station loaded coal hoppers. This train worked in possibly from Scotland.

Another coal working operated by the green team, Freightliner, passes South Milford Yard at speed.

EWS share the coal traffic to the three Vale of York power stations with EWS and shortly (Dec 06) GBRf. FLHH 66524 comes south on the Up Normanton line working 6C55 0728 Redcar to Drax Power Station with more coal, probably imported.

Another light engine move from Knottingley to South Milford and the 126 tonnes of 66036 lurches over the point work as it crosses over the running line to access the yard.

Low emission 5 door Fred 66952 approaches from the Down Normanton line with a rake of empty HHA hoppers. The train details are not known but could be 4N39 1045 Drax Power Station to Tyne Dock.

This working has not started here but at Immingham and has come off the Milford Curve having passed through the now disused complex of Gascoigne Wood.

66206 fronts 6H19 1038 Immingham to Ferrybridge Power Station loaded coal hoppers. This train will route via Castleford to Ferrybridge as access to the power station is from the south.

Yet another light engine arrival but 66184 did not go into the main yard but passed through then dropped onto a rake of HAA hoppers stabled in the Down Sidings.

Another light engine move and 66161 crosses off the Normanton lines onto the Pontefract lines and will enter the yard to collect its rake of empty coal hoppers. The light engine move is 0S67 from Knottingley depot.

The yard is getting empty as the trains all head away. I had intended moving on a few times and just as I was about to leave, something either arrived or departed, like this one.

Another departure from the yard sees 66195 lift its 21 empty HTA hoppers onto the Up Normanton line with train 4S67 1124 off South Milford for Chalmerston routing via the S&C and the G&SW lines. The train is nearly 2 hours late leaving.

Two rakes had departed to the east unseen so 66161 is the last to go. It slowly negotiates the various point work to gain access to the Up Normanton line for its run to Hunterston. It will pass through numerous defunct British coalfields before arriving in south west Scotland to load with foreign imported coal. How does THAT work? Time to move on.

Now at Selby and Pacer 142029 lies over between duties. Its next working will be 2W79 1443 Selby to Wakefield Westgate, a journey of some 2 1/2 hours.

Selby station is a shadow of its former self when it was part of the ECML and Anglo-Scottish expresses passed on the through roads. 158755 forms a class 2 service running 31 minutes late, 2R69 1345 York to Hull. The through roads are long gone.

The set departs the station and slowly crosses the River Ouse on the famous swing bridge.

Class 142 Pacer 142067 arrives at Selby station bay platform 3b with a terminating service from Wakefield Westgate, 2W76 1229 off.

Brand new Desiro unit 185107 runs in for its station stop with 1K16 1342 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull service.

The station buildings are smart and well cared for with a recent repaint. It is good that they have not been replaced with modern buildings.

Ten minutes after the Hull bound class 185 departed, a Manchester bound set runs into the station, 185115 works 1K19 1439 Hull to Manchester Piccadilly. When the Selby Diversion opened in 1982 the line through the station was down graded and the section between Selby and York was closed.

The unit slows for its station stop under the canopies. The long platforms are now served by short trains.

At the south end of the station and Central Trains 158787 runs in off the line which curves in from the right beyond the bridge. The service is 2R67 1459 York to Hull class 2, I can remember when this would have been a class 31 with four mkI coaches, nice!

The two car sprinter is almost lost in the vast station now long devoid of the through roads. They wouldn't have been fast through roads due to the severe speed restriction over the swing bridge.

Hull Trains services between Hull and Kings Cross give Selby regular fast trains to and from the capital. Class 222 Pioneer set 222103 makes its station stop with 1H05 1335 off Kings Cross for Hull. The driver washes the windscreen.

The unit heads away from the station and clatters over the swing bridge.

The unit heads away from the station and clatters over the swing bridge.

A low position on the down platform sees 156498 pass below the control cabin high on top of the swing bridge. The unit is employed on 2R66 1506 Hull to York.

After the station work is complete, the driver takes 156498 away from the station passing the long platforms which now sees very few feet down that end.

The Trans Pennine services are operated by First Group. One of their new class 185 sets, 185109, departs Selby and will cross the River Ouse via the 1891 North Eastern Railway built swing bridge. The working is 1K18 1442 Manchester Piccadilly to Hull.

Pioneer set 222102 clatters over the swing bridge to enter Selby station with an up working, 1A95 1533 off Hull to Kings Cross. Hull Trains is an Open Access operator now owned by First Group.

All the trains stop at the part of the station where the buildings and canopies are, so here 222102 is speeding up as it heads away with Doncaster as the next stop.

185122 pauses at Selby with 1K21 1539 Hull to Manchester Piccadilly Trans Pennine service. I wonder if, on a quiet and still night, the sounds of Gresley's pacifics or the thrum of a pair of Napier Deltic power plants can be heard at this almost ghost station.

Another move and Hambleton West Junction, near Gascoigne Wood, is where the Selby diversion passes below and makes a junction with the line to Selby. 66086 heads east with 4Y66 1605 South Milford Yard to Hull Docks empty coal hoppers.

A pair of Northern Rail class 153 bubble cars, 153330 and 153363, are bound for Selby with 2W80 1429 Wakefield Westgate to Selby local.

Making for Wakefield Westgate from Selby is 142032, the train ID is 2W83 1643 from Selby.

Another coal working, unidentified this time, approaches behind 66206. It will take the west to south spur to join the ECML.

Less than a mile westwards is Hagg Lane level crossing at the east end of the Gascoigne Wood complex. 185109 runs west bound for Manchester Piccadilly with 1K23 1710 off Hull.

153317 is seen again but now it is coupled with 155345 and forms an unknown working. The destination blind shows SELBY so it may be in service now.

The going away shot of the working shows how the cab of the class 155 unit is the same as the 153 class. In fact the single car class 153 units were constructed from class 155 sets.

153363 and 153330 return from Selby, 2W85 1743 off, enroute for Wakefield Westgate. The line in the foreground is the access road into Gascoigne Wood.

Turning round for the going away shot looking down to Gascoigne Wood.