Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Geoff Lumb's Collection

These photos were all taken Geoff Lumb and loaned to the Railway for reproduction. They are of particular interest as they document operations in the latter days of steam in this area.

The photos on this page are all copyright (c) Geoff Lumb.


(c) G.Lumb
An unidentified 4F heads back towards Embsay Junction from Grassington and Threshfield. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A special excursion train heads up the valley towards Grassington with a rake of carriages in tow. Regular passenger services finished in the 1930s, and the only passenger workings after that were special excursions, such as this. The loco can be identified as 43014 from later pictures in the sequence. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
The 7-coach excursion continues up the valley. The coaching stock being used is non-corridor stock. This section of line is still in use today for limestone trains from Swinden. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
The special is seen crossing the road bridge as it nears Grassington station. The bridge and embankment survive to this day, but devoid of track. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
Grassington and Threshfield station in the last years of its existence. It had originally been built as a through station, but the planned extension which would have seen it continue on up to a junction at Hawes came to nothing. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
43014 moves out of the headshunt in the process of running round the train it has just brought up the branch. 30/03/1964. Whilst the whole of the station site has been obliterated by a housing development since closure, the shop ove the road, which would have had to be demolished to make way for the proposed extension, is still in situ and in use! The remains of the second platform are evident behind the loco. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
43014 runs round (or maybe is involved in a spot of shunting?) at the terminus. Several specials must have visited the line on this day as there are more carriages visible in the sidings to the left. The running-in board reads simply 'Grassington', the 'and Threshfield' having dropped off at some point. 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
The special is ready to depart once more, with 43014 at the head. Grassington station was never ideally situated - the town is located to the right in this picture, on the other side of the river and at the top of a hill! 30/03/1964.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A 2-car DMU is seen here, possibly heading towards Cononley from Skipton and taken from the hillside, but this is guesswork at the moment. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A tank of LMS origin departs from Skipton in a northerly direection. Of note are platforms 5 and 6 to the right - still (just) in use at this time. Platform 5 features a small stone waiting shelter which no longer survives. When built these platforms (which served the line to Ilkley) had full length canopies which were removed in LMS times. The platforms still exist to this day, but are overgrown and support modern lighting for the convenience of the rolling stock inspectors. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
Black 5 No.45154 leaves Skipton, bound for the South. Note the lamp at the left hand side of the picture. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A tank loco, supporting a number ending in 4028, heads to the north out of Skipton, probably taken shortly after the earlier photograph, looking the other way from Carleton new Road bridge over the railway. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
4F 44125 shunts in Skiptons sidings, located to the North West of the station. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
3F (Jinty) No.47427 sits outside Skipton shed in steam as the two 4Fs are revived from store, presumably in preparation for snowploughing duties. Judging by the tarpaulins and general condition, these two locos may have been in store for some time. 13/02/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A DMU runs between Ilkley and Skipton along our line, presumably with a diverted service as this is in THE WEEK AFTER CLOSURE! The location still sees trains today - this view is looking back towards Embsay from Priors' Lane bridge. 26/03/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
An LMS design tank loco heads three carriages as part of a local working, possibly somewhere between Skipton and Earby? If you can recognise this location, please get in touch! 26/03/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
An LMS design tank loco heads three carriages as part of a local working, (presumably) viewed heading in the oppposite direction, but at the same location as the last picture. 26/03/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.
(c) G.Lumb
A Manchester-bound DMU, seen from the footbridge of Earby station. Note the cobbled yard to the rear of the picture, where possibly the same tank loco as pictured in the previous two photos stands with coaching stock. 26/03/1965.
(c) G.Lumb.

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Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust (Holdings) Limited
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