Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Digital Archive

The Digital Archive contains scans of paper memorabilia from the line's history, and also includes related artefacts. It is arranged in chronological order within each of the categories, and will be expanded as further items from the collections are scanned. If you have an queries or items of interest, please contact me via the e-mail address at the bottom of the page.

Items here come from several different private collections, including the the Railway's own archive. Many thanks to F.W. Smith, Charles Boylan and Stephen Walker.

Please click on the small image to see a larger copy.

  • Tickets

  • Handbills
    - MR
    - NER
    - LMS
    - BR

  • Other (including timetables, promotions etc.)
    - Letters from 1885 relating to the construction of the line
    - Midland Railway staff working details - Embsay
    - Wartime Train Register - Embsay extracts
    - last Train Register - Bolton Abbey
    - Share Dividend - Yorkshire Dales Railway 1913


    Tickets

    As late as 1959, Otley and Ilkley Joint Line Committee tickets were still being issued.

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    Handbills

    Midland Railway

    June 1874
    (c) YDRMT
    June 1875
    (c) YDRMT
    October 1894
    (c) YDRMT
    1900 (front)
    (c) YDRMT
    1900 (reverse)
    (c) YDRMT
    May 1911
    (c) YDRMT
    1911 (front)
    (c) YDRMT
    1911 (centre)
    (c) YDRMT
    1911 (reverse)
    (c) YDRMT
    April 1911 (front)
    (c) YDRMT
    April 1911 (reverse)
    (c) YDRMT
    April 1912 (front)
    (c) YDRMT
    April 1912 (reverse)
    (c) YDRMT
    July - September 1913
    (c) YDRMT

    North Eastern Railway

    May - October 1893
    (c) YDRMT
    July 1911
    (c) YDRMT

    London, Midland & Scottish Railway

    October 1923 onwards
    (c) YDRMT
    October 1927
    (c) YDRMT
    April 1938
    (c) YDRMT
    March 1939
    (c) YDRMT

    British Railways

    1952 Rail and Road Excursion to Bolton Abbey and Knaresborough
    (c) YDRMT

    1954 Excursion to Morecambe
    from local stations
    (c) YDRMT
    Whit Monday 1957
    local excursions to Grassington
    (c) YDRMT
    Sunday train services
    from Ilkley and Bolton Abbey in 1957
    (c) YDRMT
    (2nd side) Sunday train services
    from Ilkley and Bolton Abbey in 1957
    (c) YDRMT
    Sundays in May & June 1960
    BR(E) Excursions to Ilkley & Bolton Abbey
    (c) YDRMT

    Excursions from Bradford in 1958
    featuring Ilkley and Bolton Abbey
    (c) YDRMT
    Page 1
    Page 2
    -
    Page 3
    -
    Page 4
    -
    Page 5
    -
    Page 6
    -
    Page 7
    (c) YDRMT
    Page 8

    August 1959 Organised Rambles from Gassington
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    Easter 1961 Revised Diesel Train Service between Leeds, Ilkley and Bolton Abbey
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    Easter 1964 Revised Diesel Train Service between Bradford, Ilkley and Bolton Abbey
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    Sundays from June to September 1964 Diesel Train Service to and from Ilkley and Bolton Abbey note the new British Railways logo - they are no longer using the totem.
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    1964 15 day holiday tickets from this area. 'Great Reductions In Holiday Fares'
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT
    Whit Sunday service, May 1964 August Bank Holiday, 1964 August Bank Holiday, 1964
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    August 1964 BR(LM) 'Organised Rambles' to Bolton Abbey and Ilkley from Lancashire
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

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    Other

    (c) YDRMT In 1846 proposals were announced for the Wharfedale Railway Company (Act of Parliament to follow shortly). A share issue was launched, and this £15 share certificate is a remnant of that scheme which later developed into the Skipton-Ilkley line.

    A letter from 1885 relating to the construction of the Skipton-Ilkley line
    concerning some adjustments to figures by Pickerings

    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    Transcription of the letter
    (if you can help fill in any of the blanks, please let me know!)

    SIDE 1
    LHS

    4, East Parade,
    Leeds,   June 5th 1885
    
    PARTNERS
      JOHN NORTH
      WM SIMPSON HANNAM
      READER MOURILYAN WHITTELL
    
      TELEPHONE No. 18
    
    Dear Sir,
    M{?} Pickering
    
    We have received a letter from
    Mr Jackson {??ay} of which we aime{?d?}
    {will?} you consider his figures and
    {inform?} us whether he is right
    and as to the alterations to be made
    to yours?
    Yours faithfully,
    {signature}
    John {R?hardean} Esq. {?}
    Methley Park
    
    SIDE 1
    RHS
    33, {Rurlegate?}
    Bradford June 4th 1885
    
    Dear Sir
    	Pickerings & {?} Railway Co
    	Skipton & Ilkley Branch
    
      You have herewith my {report?} and figures
    that was agreed upon yesterday.
      I have made a slight alteration from
    the figures settled yesterday.
      Before doing so I saw Mr. Smith he
    agreed with me that it should be so.
      Lot 4 contains the {red?} figure. The {Reading?}
    430 yards of land {"to get this"/together?} {qua?}
    {if/it?} includes the {strip?} .. blue
    in front of the Chapel and half {Bolton?}
    Bridge Road.
      It occured to me that the {strip?} in
    front of the Chapel should become part
    of Chapel land, as it {could?} not be {?}
    {??ell} as {part?} of Lot 1 {at the?} {fence?} was
    {fixed?} for it.
      I have taken this {part?} {between?} the
    Chapel and Railway deducting as {was?}
    
    SIDE 2
    Continued from SIDE 1, RHS
    arranged yesterday half the {Road?} to be
    formed on the {seal?} of the Railway.
      It is on this letter {?} that
    this item is made up
      As arranged yesterday, I have
    sent a copy of my report to the
    other witnesses.
    
    	Yours faithfully
    	Samuel Jackson
    
    Messers {North?} & Sons
    {?}
    Leeds
    

    Notes from 1885 presumably relating to a map of lots for purchase
    unfortunately the map seems not to exist

    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT


    A much patched LMS timetable from 1936 and a first class ticket valid for 3 months titled 'LMS TOURS' (1955!)
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    (c) YDRMT 'The Cheapest Way to Holiday'
    1949 runabout tickets booklet
    (c) YDRMT

    Cover from 1954 timetable covering June - September
    (c) YDRMT

    Improved Services by Diesel Train 1959
    5th January onwards

    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    (c) YDRMT January - June 1961 Train Services
    Timetable to Ilkley and Skipton
    (c) YDRMT

    BR(NE) 1963 Train Services between Skipton, Ilkley, Leeds and Bradford (front and back of cover)
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    BR(NE) 1965 FINAL TIMETABLE
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

    The Beeching Report, published 27th March 1963 proposed the closure of lines and stations that lost money, according to its flawed figures. Passenger services ceased 'on and from the 22nd March, 1965' between Skipton and Ilkley.
    (c) YDRMT (c) YDRMT

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    British Transport Commission letter to F.W.Smith

    (c) F.W.Smith
    This letter was kindly loaned to us by F.W.Smith. This offers him the job as Embsay's Porter / Signalman which he took up.

    Midland Railway Staff Working at Embsay

    An interesting document detailing the staff working at Embsay station in the early 1920s. Surprisingly it is stamped LONDON MIDLAND and SCOTTISH RAILWAY (above the Midland Railway), although the date is 30/03/1921...


    Wartime Train Register from Embsay Station signalbox

    Selected entries from the train register have been scanned and the pages are linked to here. Several cuttings from it are shown alongside. Particularly worthy of note are the Royal Train, the Air Raid alerts, and possibly Embsay's busiest day in normal operation before closure. The dates correspond to the first entry on each page.

    UP DOWN
    Page 3
    27th April 1940
    Page 3
    27th April 1940
    Page 17
    6th August 1940
    AIR RAID YELLOW
    Page 17
    6th August 1940
    Page 21
    Monday 9th September 1940
    Page 21
    Monday 9th September 1940
    details of a (homing?) pigeon found
    Page 35
    Tuesday 31st December 1940
    Page 35
    Tuesday 31st December 1940
    A.R.P.Special
    Page 40
    Monday 17th February 1941
    Page 40
    Monday 17th February 1941
    AIR RAID YELLOW
    Page 44
    Friday 21st March 1941
    Attaching a horsebox
    Page 44
    Friday 21st March 1941
    Page 45
    Saturday 29th March 1941
    engine detached, double heading
    Page 45
    Saturday 29th March 1941
    clock 3 mins fast
    Page 48
    Saturday 26th April 1941
    Page 48
    Saturday 26th April 1941
    lots of air raid status warnings
    Page 51
    Friday 23rd May 1941
    derailment of wagons, breakdown crane
    points disconnected / reconnected
    Page 51
    Friday 23rd May 1941
    detaching horsebox, breakdown train
    Page 69
    Monday 20th October 1941
    attaching coaches
    Page 69
    Monday 20th October 1941
    double heading, detaching coaches
    Page 70
    Monday 27th October 1941
    testing block indicators to Bolton Abbey
    Page 70
    Monday 27th October 1941
    block failure on down line, restored
    Royal Train
    Page 88
    25th March 1942
    Single line working
    Page 88
    24th March 1942
    Rerailed? Normal working returned
    Page 157
    Wednesday 6th October 1943
    getting noticably busier!
    Page 157
    Wednesday 6th October 1943
    busy working for Embsay Station box
    Page 158
    Monday 11th October 1943
    continuation of busiest day
    Page 158
    Monday 11th October 1943
    continuation of busiest day
    Page 172
    9th February 1944
    see late running sheet below
    Page 172
    9th February 1944
    see late running sheet below

    Train Delay Report, left inside register. Corresponding entry above - page 172.
    Signalman's Train Delay Report


    Final Train Register from Bolton Abbey signalbox

    The individual pages from the train register have been scanned, and can be seen by clicking on the pages listed below. The register covers the period from 19/08/1963 up until the closure of the signalbox on Thursday 12th November 1964.

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    Other

    Yorkshire Dales Railway. Dividend on Ordinary Share Capital. March 31st, 1913.

    Midland Railway Consolidated Stocks, February 28th, 1896.

    Midland Railway CONSOLIDATED STOCKS

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    Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust (Holdings) Limited
    Registered Charity No. 1116386
    Bolton Abbey Station, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6AF
    General Enquiries: 01756 710614 - Talking Timetables & Fax: 01756 795189
    enquiries AT embsayboltonabbeyrailway DOT org.uk webmaster AT embsayboltonabbeyrailway DOT org.uk
    Yorkshire Tourist Board
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