Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway

The Ledston Branch

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Briefing Document: The Ledston Branch of the Leeds, Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway

Source: Excerpts from “The Leeds Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway – Ledston Branch” by Ron Rockett.

Date: 16 May 2024

Executive Summary:

This briefing document summarises the key aspects of the Ledston Branch of the Leeds, Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway (LCPJR), based on Ron Rockett’s publication. The document covers the railway’s origins as a coal-carrying line, its period of operation including a modest passenger service, the significant role of local collieries and their internal railway systems, changes in infrastructure and signalling, the eventual decline due to the waning coal industry, and the line’s post-closure history including periods of revival and its current state. The LCPJR story is presented as typical of many backwater lines in Britain’s once extensive railway network.

Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:

1. Origins and Purpose (Exploiting Coal Reserves):

• The LCPJR, including the Ledston Branch between Castleford and Garforth, was conceived in the 1870s with the primary intention of exploiting the rich coal reserves in the area north of the River Aire.
• “The branch line between Castleford and Garforth was conceived as the Leeds Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway and was intended to exploit the area’s coal reserves. It had no pretensions to main­ line status – its business was coal, which it carried in great quantities as long as it was there to be moved.”
• The area had a history of coal extraction dating back to the 18th century, initially relying on wagon-ways to the River Aire for onward transport via waterways.
• The Aire and Calder Navigation, while progressive, suffered from limitations in speed and reach, necessitating a railway for further industrial progress in the Kippax-Ledston area.

2. Development and Construction:

• Local landowners, coal owners, and businessmen initiated the project, submitting plans to Parliament in 1872.
• The North Eastern Railway (NER) initially objected but later became the primary investor, gaining board seats and eventually acquiring the LCPJR entirely. “Only 25% of the shares had been taken up when the NER turned from objector to saviour when it offered to subscribe the remaining capital.”
• Construction began in 1875, with the NER taking over powers of construction in 1876.
• The Ledston Branch was built as a single-track line.
• A significant feature was the bridge over the River Aire, built to accommodate double track although the second track was never laid.

3. Operation – Goods and Passenger Services:

• Coal traffic was the dominant business of the branch, fed by internal colliery railway systems. “The Ledston branch fed off the collieries, which had their own internal rail systems.”
• Passenger services commenced in August 1878, running between Leeds and Castleford, later extended to Pontefract Baghill.
• Passenger traffic was described as “meagre” and never very important, facing competition from other railway companies (GNR and L&YR) and later road transport.
• “Passenger services were never very important in the life of the branch and were among the first in the country to be withdrawn after Nationalisation.”
• Passenger services were withdrawn entirely on 22 January 1951.
• Guaranteed excursions, often for working men’s clubs, provided a significant source of traffic after the cessation of regular passenger services, continuing into the mid-1960s.
• The line occasionally served as a diversionary route for main line services.

4. Infrastructure and Signalling:

• The branch had several small stations: Ledston, Kippax, and the later addition of Bowers Halt. These were generally of a “no-frills design produced by the NER’s own architects.”
• Signalling evolved from staff and ticket to electric staffs and later Tyers No 6 tablets.
• The Inner Junction signal box was a key location where the branch diverged, but it was later closed and its functions incorporated into Castleford Old Station box.
• An intermittent track circuit system was introduced in 1926, considered more efficient.
• Signal boxes along the branch were gradually closed as traffic patterns changed and technology advanced.

5. The Role of Collieries:

• The Ledston Branch was intrinsically linked to the numerous collieries in the area, such as Allerton Bywater, Primrose Hill, Wheldale, and Lowther.
• These collieries had extensive internal railway systems with their own locomotives and wagons, used for moving coal to the branch line, to staiths on the Aire and Calder Navigation, and for spoil disposal.
• Examples of colliery locomotives mentioned include Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST “No. 136” and various 0-6-0ST engines.
• Colliery operations significantly influenced the traffic on the Ledston Branch.
• The decline and eventual closure of these collieries directly led to the railway’s decline.

6. Decline and Closure:

• The fortunes of the Ledston Branch mirrored the decline of the coal industry in the latter half of the 20th century.
• Changes in the energy market, with oil and gas becoming more prevalent, and the rise of “merry-go-round” block trains serving new power stations bypassing the branch, contributed to the decline.
• “By the end of the 1960s coal exports had virtually disappeared, and oil and gas were rapidly displacing coal as a fuel in home and factory.”
• The Bowers to Garforth section closed in 1969.
• Individual collieries along the branch ceased production at different times, culminating in the closure of Allerton Bywater (rail connection severed in the mid-1980s) and the flooding of St. Aidans opencast mine in 1987.

7. Post-Closure and Current Status:

• There were brief periods of revival, such as when a loading terminal was established near Ledston station to transport coal from Allerton Bywater in the early 1990s.
• However, this was temporary, and the last coal traffic ceased in 1994.
• “Reprieve was only temporary and this last source of traffic ended in 1994.”
• Much of the trackbed has since been converted into recreational paths, such as a cycleway from Garforth to south of Kippax.
• While the physical route largely remains unobstructed, the likelihood of reopening as a conventional railway is considered low due to nearby park and ride facilities at Garforth.

8. Notable Events and Features:

• The resiting of Ledston signal box onto the station platform in 1910.
• The destruction of Castleford Inner Junction signal box by fire and its subsequent integration into Old Station box operations using innovative track circuit technology.
• The unique banking operations of spoil trains near the Aire Bridge, unofficially using a descending empty train’s locomotive to assist loaded trains uphill.
• The establishment of the NCB Central Workshops near Ledston station in 1959 for maintaining colliery rolling stock.

Conclusion:

The Ledston Branch of the LCPJR served as a vital artery for the transportation of coal from the Yorkshire coalfield for much of its existence. Its story reflects the broader industrial history of the region and the rise and fall of its coal mining industry. While passenger services were never a primary focus, the line played a significant role in connecting local communities and facilitating excursions. Today, much of the former trackbed has been repurposed, serving as a reminder of the once-busy railway that shaped the landscape and economy of the area.

Timeline of the Ledston Branch

Early Developments & Conception:

• Pre-1700: Coal being won on the Lowther Estate at Swillington.
• Early-Mid 18th Century: Gradual expansion of the coal industry in the area.
• c. 1764: A wagon-way known to be in place down to the River Aire near Swillington.
• Pre-1875: Shallow coal seams worked at Allerton Bywater for around a hundred years, with wagon-way links to the Aire.
• December 1834: The Leeds & Selby Railway opens, welcomed in the Garforth area.
• July 1840: The York & North Midland Railway opens, passing through Castleford.
• 1854: The Leeds & Selby Railway is absorbed by the York & North Midland Railway, which becomes a constituent of the North Eastern Railway (NER).
• By the 1870s: Local landowners, coal owners, and businessmen recognise the need for a railway to serve the Kippax-Ledston area.

Planning and Construction of the LCPJR:

• March 1829: Meeting held to promote the first major railway in the area (Leeds & Selby Railway).
• November 1872: Plans for the Leeds, Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway (LCPJR) submitted to Parliament by John Fraser and Walter Bentley. The proposed route is between Garforth and Castleford, with a continuation to Cutsyke.
• Opposition to the LCPJR: Objections raised by the North Eastern Railway (NER) and the Aire & Calder Navigation (A&C Navigation).
• 21 July 1873: Royal Assent given to the LCPJR Bill.
• Post July 1873: The NER, initially an objector, offers to subscribe the remaining capital in exchange for board seats, aiming for eventual acquisition. Route amendments are made, with the southern end now connecting to the NER station at Castleford.
• April 1875: Construction of the LCPJR begins, with contractors Benton and Woodiwiss.
• 13 July 1876: The NER takes over powers of construction, completing the buildings and signalling to their standards.

Operation and Early Years:

• 8 April 1878: Coal trains begin operating over the Ledston branch.
• 12 August 1878: Passenger services commence between Leeds and Castleford (NE).
• 1 April 1880: Passenger services extended to Pontefract Baghill with the opening of the Cutsyke Loop.
• 1 June 1899: London & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) takes over working coal traffic bound for Goole via Knottingley, previously handled by the NER to Pontefract Monkhill.
• 1 December 1898: Electric staff signalling introduced on the Ledston branch, replacing the staff and ticket system.
• 1901: Kippax station nameboard style replaced with chocolate and white enamel variety.
• 1905: Kippax Colliery closes.
• 1910: Ledston signal box resited on the platform. Allerton Bywater Colliery enlarged.
• 2 July 1915: The name of Ledstone station is modified to Ledston.
• 1919: T&RW Bower becomes a subsidiary of Pease & Co.
• February 1921: Several local collieries merge to form Airedale Collieries Ltd.
• 1923: Tyers No 6 tablet signalling replaces the electric staffs.
• 1926: Passenger services cut back to terminate at Castleford again due to road transport competition (from 1 November). Intermittent track circuit system adopted between Inner Junction and Ledston after the destruction of Inner Junction signal box by fire.
• 22 April 1928: Garforth’s West, East, and Inner Junction signal boxes replaced by a single 60-lever box. Tablet section becomes Garforth to Kippax.
• 15 December 1934: Bowers Halt opens.
• 3 May 1937: ‘Halt’ dropped from the name of Bowers station.
• 16 April 1939: Kippax signal box closes. Tablet section becomes Garforth to Allerton Main.
• 1940: Allerton Bywater, Fryston, Wheldale, and T&RW Bower become part of Airedale Collieries.
• 1947: Nationalisation of railways. Ledston passenger service down to three return trips from Leeds and an early morning train from Castleford.
• June 1948: Lowther Colliery closes.
• c. 1949: G5 0-4-4T No 67319 arrives at Castleford with a train from Leeds via Garforth.

Decline of Passenger Services:

• 22 January 1951: All regular passenger services withdrawn from the Ledston branch.
• Post-1951: Kippax and Ledston stations remain open for excursions into the mid-1960s.

Changes in Goods Traffic and Mining:

• 1957: Victoria pit at Allerton Main Collieries finally closes. New loco shed opens at Primrose Hill Colliery.
• 1958: Opencast mining begins in a small way at Astley.
• 1959: NCB’s new Central Workshops open south of Ledston station.
• 1960: Only Primrose Hill Colliery remains active in the Allerton Main group.
• Early 1960s: Last industrial premises on the Castleford ‘East branch’ abandon rail.
• 1963: Goods sheds at Ledston and Kippax close (30 September). Diversion of Leeds Central – Kings Cross and Midland line trains via the branch occurs occasionally.
• January 1965: Wheldale Box closed and main line connection removed.
• 14 July 1969: Bowers to Garforth section of the line closes due to the shift to ‘merry-go-round’ coal trains operating via Castleford.
• 13 November 1969: Primrose Hill Colliery ceases production.
• February 1970: Washing coal is the only remaining commercial activity at Primrose Hill.
• 21 February 1970: Primrose Hill Colliery scene with 0-6-0ST “Astley”.
• 25 March 1971: All rail operations cease at Primrose Hill washery.
• April 1972: Allerton Staiths becoming derelict.
• 19 August 1973: Old Station signal box at Castleford closes, with Ledston junction controlled from Castleford Station box.
• Late 1970s: Allerton Bywater Colliery runs out of space for spoil tipping, leading to the use of marshy land downstream.
• August 1983: Seen from Ledston platform, 37249 hauls hoppers from Allerton Bywater.
• June 1983: 0-4-0 Diesel No 45 rusting away at Allerton Bywater.
• October 1983: NCB diesel crosses the Aire Bridge with Wheldale spoil empties.
• Mid-1980s: Allerton Bywater Colliery’s rail connection severed, internal line to spoil tips replaced by a conveyor.
• November 1984: Garforth signal box closes when the Leeds power box area is extended.
• August 1985: Class 56 passes Ledston with coal from St Aidans opencast site.
• February 1987: St. Aidans opencast mine floods and closes.
• 1987: Wheldale Colliery closes. East Garforth station opens on the main line.
• 5 November 1987: 56044 passes through the remains of Ledston Station with a train to Bowers Disposal Point.
• January 1988: Ledston signal box closes (19th).
• January 1990: Class 56 approaches the Aire Bridge with loaded wagons from Allerton Bywater.
• March 1992: Allerton Bywater Colliery closes.
• 1992: Demolition of buildings at Kippax station.
• 1994: Last source of traffic on the Ledston branch ends.
• 1997: Castleford Station box closes, with control moving to Castleford Gates. The goods shed at Ledston is the only remaining building of the station.
• February 2000: Class 158 passes the former site of the branch near Garforth.
• Early 2000s: Trackbed converted to a cycle way between Garforth and south of Kippax.

Cast of Characters

• Oliver Gascoign: An influential local landowner in the Garforth area who was elected to the board of the Leeds & Selby Railway.
• George Hudson: Promotor of the York & North Midland Railway, aiming to link York with Normanton.
• John Fraser: One of the surveyors (along with Walter Bentley) engaged by local landowners, coal owners, and businessmen to plan an independent railway between Garforth and Castleford.
• Walter Bentley: The other surveyor (along with John Fraser) who surveyed the route for the independent railway.
• Sir Charles Lowther: A director of the Aire & Calder Navigation who surprisingly had invested in the proposed LCPJR.
• Benton and Woodiwiss: Experienced railway contractors who began construction of the LCPJR.
• John Henry Whitelock: Stationmaster at Kippax in 1881.
• William Robinson Tebb: Stationmaster at Kippax between 1893 and 1901.
• Bob Barton: Signalman at Garforth who collected the single line tablet when a diverted train passed through.
• Gerry Pearson: Individual who advised that one of the Starback diagrams included a trip to Castleford and back for passenger trains.
• Martin and John Baldwin: Photographers and individuals who shared their memories of the Ledston branch, contributing to the book.
• Jack Collins: Another individual who shared memories of the line.
• Peter Cookson: Contributed photographs to the book and encouraged Ron Rockett to publish.
• Tony Ross: Encouraged Ron Rockett to publish.
• John Teasdale: Encouraged Ron Rockett to publish.
• Richard Pulleyn: Drew the signal diagrams for the book.
• Alan Young: Lettered the maps for the book.
• W.H. Bartholomew: Engineer for the Aire & Calder Navigation who pioneered steam tugs and compartment boats.
• W Sykes: Loco chargehand at the NCB Central Workshops.
• J Collins: Paint chargehand at the NCB Central Workshops.
• G Woodcock: Loco fitter at the NCB Central Workshops.
• M: (Likely an initial for someone involved at the NCB Central Workshops, possibly a fitter).
• Wm. Pepper & Co.: Company that initially operated the opencast mining at the southern end of the old Lowther sidings.
• Hargreaves: Company that later took over opencasting operations from Wm. Pepper & Co.

This timeline and cast of characters provide a comprehensive overview of the main events and people associated with the Ledston branch as described in the provided source.