Doncaster colliery identification help required

[65179]

I am trying to place a childhood memory with a possible view to modelling something based loosely on the scene.

 

At some point in the mid-80s I visited family friends in Doncaster. During the visit we went for a walk in a wooded area on the way to which (by car) we passed the racecourse. Whilst in the wood we came across a railway line and whilst standing on a bridge/next to a foot crossing saw a rail blue Class 37 pottering about on its way to a colliery straight in front of us in the distance.

 

I’ve had a look on Google maps and the best fit I could come up with was that I was walking in Sandall Beat Wood and that the colliery was Markham Main at Armthorpe. If someone else can suggest an alternative then I’d be interested to hear (Rossington?). It’s difficult working out where all the collieries (and woods) in the area would have been!

 

So a few questions:

• 
  
• 1) Does anyone know where I could find some late 1970s/1980s views of Markham Main and the junction with the “mainline†(I’ve only come across a couple of views of the colliery itself, a view of a steam loco shunting in 1970 and a promotional video for the colliery with a google/flickr search) to see if my guess is correct?
  
• 
  
• 2) Would any of the Doncaster area pits, and Markham Main in particular, still have used shunters in the 1980s (and if so what) or would the train engine have done any shunting necessary?
  
• 
  
• 3) What did Markham Main produce in the 1980s? (i.e. was it just coal in MGRs for the local power stations or would other coal have gone out in other wagons?)
  

 

It’s a bit of a long shot so any help gratefully received as it would be nice to at least place the memory.

 

Thanks,

 

Simon

[62613]

If you went past the racecourse, you most likely saw Rosso.

[Richard E]

Both Rossington and Markham Main could have involved a trip past the racecourse.

 

Rossington pit was south east of Doncaster, it is virtually on the ECML with only a very short link in to the pit which runs alongside a drainage channel (the track is still there and is visible on Google Maps). No footbridge or overbridges on the run in though the branch off the ECML is in Park Wood. It finally closed in 2007 leaving an estimated 15m tons of coal reserves underground. Getting there the racecourse should have been on your left.

 

Markham Main, at Armthorpe, is now a housing estate so it is difficult to see what the lie of the land was but it seems to have had a longer run in from the the main line which runs through, as you say, Sandall Beat Wood. There is a footbridge still in place at the point where the colliery line used to carry straight on whilst the main line swings to the left. There are still 50 million tons of coal reserves estimated in this former pit. Photographs seem to be very thin on the ground. At it's peak it employed nearly 3000 people. Getting to Sandall Beat Wood the racecourse would most probably have been on your right.

 

I've found this promotional video on You Tube http://www.youtube.c...?v=7Ch17FoXWgg. Fascinating with a little bit of rail included both underground and loading the MGR stock to go to Thorpe Marsh power station (now closed as well). Markham main also provided, according to the video, the vast majority of household coal in the UK. Also interesting, and sad, as they were talking about the pit being open well into the next century (i.e. it was anticipated that it would still be open now).

[65179]

Both Rossington and Markham Main could have involved a trip past the racecourse.

 

Rossington pit was south east of Doncaster, it is virtually on the ECML with only a very short link in to the pit which runs alongside a drainage channel (the track is still there and is visible on Google Maps). No footbridge or overbridges on the run in though the branch off the ECML is in Park Wood. It finally closed in 2007 leaving an estimated 15m tons of coal reserves underground. Getting there the racecourse should have been on your left.

 

 

My memory is of a colliery being straight off in the distance with several parallel tracks. I can't square this with Rossington which according to maps of the period on old-maps.co.uk seems to have been rather simpler. Also I don't think the wood would have been in the right place (assuming it isn't now much smaller).

 

I'd missed the fact that the promotional video mentioned household coal (I never put the sound on!). That suggests HEAs would have been used as well as HAAs.

 

When I think of all the pits that were still around then it seems very odd that a way of life (admittedly a dangerous and dirty one) has all but gone.

 

Thanks,

 

Simon

[skipepsi]

When I think of all the pits that were still around then it seems very odd that a way of life (admittedly a dangerous and dirty one) has all but gone.

 

Questions about this matter should be addressed to Thatcher M

[Simon Lee]

Hi,

 

From your description it would be Markham Main at Armthorpe, (2 miles from where I am typing this !!) The footbridge in Sandall Beat Wood is still there, favourite place to walk our dog !!

 

Will try and find some photos/info for you in my collection.

 

Bit before your time but in the 1970's Hull crews used to go into Markham and Maltby with HTV's too and from Melton Cement works.

 

Regards

Simon

[65179]

Thanks Simon. That would be great. I've found the footbridge on Google Maps (and on Flickr), but without the colliery it's difficult to square the current reality with the memory!

 

Simon

[65179]

Just to resurrect this thread, I've still not managed to find a photo taken from the footbridge in Sandall Beat Wood to clinch it, but I came across these views on the Railscot site:

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Markham Main Colliery Ltd

 

which convince me it was indeed Markham Main I saw. 

 

 

Simon

[Respite]

There is footage of the steam loco working at Markham on the Visions international video Industry of Steam Vol 5.

[Richard E]

Seeing this I note that I saw in the press in the last couple of days that the line into New Rossington is to open so that they ccan move the stockpiled coal out - there's 950,000 tons that has been mined but not moved off site. There are also going to be movements of spoil from the mine - I think that was something silly like 13m tons. Once cleared the mine site will become a housing estate, it is UKCoal who are behind this apparently ...

[Guest Natalie Graham]

 

When I think of all the pits that were still around then it seems very odd that a way of life (admittedly a dangerous and dirty one) has all but gone.

It isn't so long ago that they were telling us we had enough coal reserves to provide the UK with energy for another 300 years. Now they are telling us we are facing an imminent energy crisis. Funny old world.

[65179]

Thanks all for your comments.

 

Thanks especially to Respite for putting me on to the Visions International DVD. I've since got hold of this and it's got some interesting footage.

 

In addition to the Markham Main stuff I was really pleased to see a bit of footage of Wheldale Colliery. The Wheldale and Fryston 'system' has fascinated me since I stumbled across Auchlander's photos of the area on Flickr:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auchlander-thephilipcromecollection/with/8169857034/#photo_8169857034

 

 

Simon

[deltics4ever]

this  'still active' single line starts @ kirk sandal and was used by armthorpe & rossington collierys and also Doncaster aerodrome !  I saw a train pass under armthorpe road bridge several weeks ago 2015   but where would the train be going to ??   and where does this line end ??

 

many thanx...........  

[eastwestdivide]

The line from Kirk Sandall joins up with the spaghetti junction of loops and curves in the Potteric Carr area to the S of Doncaster on the ECML, and you can continue onwards down the line past Maltby towards Worksop. Not sure how much uses it end to end, but realtimetrains might help you work it out.

 

Edit: here's a Doncaster yards to Scunthorpe light engine:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H12060/2015/03/24/advanced

The section you're on about is (St Catherines Jn) - Low Ellers Curve Jn - Kirk Sandall Jn

 

and here

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R01683/2015/03/24/advanced

is a Hull to Cottam Power station running the entire length from Kirk Sandall to Worksop

 

Hmm, maybe I'll try and get over to Armthorpe for a photo if I get some spare time.

[tamperman36]

For photos and maps of the pit complex you could always try contacting the National Mining Museum, near Dewsbury, I would imagine that they must have some sort of achives there as its the national museum and as such is connected to the science museum.