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SAND HUTTON LIGHT RAILWAYSir Robert Walker built a 15in gauge miniature railway in the grounds of Sand Hutton Hall in 1912. After the First World War he obtained an order under the Light Railway Act that allowed him to extend the line to 7¾ miles in length. However there was a surplus of 18in gauge equipment from the war effort available and a decision was made to purchase three locomotives and rebuild the line. The miniature line was converted and extended and by 1922 it connected the main house with the NER/LNER Warthill Station on the mainline between York and Hull, Claxton brickworks and the village of Bossall. The line carried agricultural produce from the farms on the estate, as well as coal to the brickworks and bricks from them. Most of the goods traffic flowed to or from the transfer sidings at Warthill station. The line also ran passenger services for personnel and visitors to the estate between 1924 and 1930. The Claxton brickworks closed in 1929 and Sir Robert Walker died in 1930. The line closed in June 1932 and was dismantled by 1933.
For a number of reasons I have had to remove the bulk of my research on this railway. It was basically a rewrite of Ken Hartley's original book, although I did expand on this having checked his original sources, other period publications and visited a number of archives. Most of what is available, however, can be found in his books, one of which :- 'The Sand Hutton Light Railway’ by Kenneth Earle Hartley and revised with Paul Ingham, published by RCL Publications in 2013 is held in the Group's Archives. What follows are the extras and other related information.
Like the Stockton Riflemen, when I have completed my research if the Group is still functioning I will provide a full copy. |
