Railways Around Selby

Patrick Bennett documents the fascinating rail scene around Selby in North Yorkshire, with previously unpublished images.

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Selby was an important location from the earliest days of the railways, with the arrival of the Leeds & Selby Railway in 1934. Over the succeeding years it became an important nodal point, with the opening of railways to Market Weighton and Driffield, to Hull, to Goole, to Leeds, northwards on the East Coast Main Line to York and south to London. Not to be forgotten, there is also the charmingly rural Cawood, Wistow & Selby Railway. Close by were the Hull & Barnsley Railway and the Derwent Valley Railway, each in their own way remarkably individual. The history of each of these lines is recounted, from planning and construction, through operation and, sadly in some cases, to closure. Selby also boasted a number of industrial lines, with perhaps the most unusual of these being the branch to the Government Gunpowder Magazine. Also covered in this book is the construction of the new East Coast Main Line, necessitated by the discovery of the Selby Coalfield; the coal traffic to the giant power stations of Eggborough and Drax; the important locomotive depot at Selby; the signalling and signal boxes of the area; and finally an in-depth look at current operations, with no fewer than five different railway companies represented at Selby, plus the important freight depot at Barlby.

Illustrated throughout with numerous photographs, many never previously published, maps, plans, timetables and other material, this book is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in the rail scene.