Swinton (Yorks) avoiding line

[2192]

1. Are there any passenger services over the Mexborough - Kilnhurst - Thrybergh - Aldwarke line that avoids Swinton station?
2. Is it signalled for both directions? (Thanks).

 

[T74]

1. Are there any passenger services over the Mexborough - Kilnhurst - Thrybergh - Aldwarke line that avoids Swinton station?
2. Is it signalled for both directions? (Thanks).

Yes the first tpe from Sheffield to cleethorpes and another return toe later in day goes that way and some northern Scarborough services do during the day not sure which ones without looking in realtime though . It’s signalled in both directions.

 

[_toommm_]

You’ll want to look for Thrybergh Jn. on RTT, here’s the link for today:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022

Train information at Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Most of the line is double, with each track operating in each direction I.e. it isn’t bi-directionally signalled. You’ll generally have about three or four passenger services each way. The best way to do if it if you’re in South Yorkshire is to get the one or two Scarborough services that go that way, and just go from Sheffield to Doncaster or vice versa.

 

[30907]

The longstanding resource is
https://www.branchline.uk/PSULintro.php
though it isn't updated in real time.

 

[Freightmaster]

You’ll want to look for Thrybergh Jn. on RTT, here’s the link for today:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022

Train information at Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

That shows all paths - here is the equivalent link for passenger services, as per the OP request:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022

Train information at Thrybergh Jn all day on 05/08/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

MARK

 

[childwallblues]

When I lived in Sheffield in the 1970s all trains appeared to go that way. But there was no Swinton Station in those days.

 

[Dood75]

Can vouch for the 1920 off Donny as was on it on Thursday

 

[Tracked]

When I lived in Sheffield in the 1970s all trains appeared to go that way. But there was no Swinton Station in those days.

I think the line from Mexborough to Swinton was put (back?) in around the time Swinton opened, so all trains from Doncaster went that way and it was double-tracked, it was late 80's/early 90's it changed iirc.

Pre-Covid the early TPE's to Manchester went the old way, have been on the 08:56 XC from Doncaster and it went that way, and on the way back one of the Hull/Scarborough late afternoon trains (15:57 possibly), the 20:11 TPE from Sheffield to Cleethorpes and a late evening XC used to.

 

[2192]

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Mugby]

When I lived in Sheffield in the 1970s all trains appeared to go that way. But there was no Swinton Station in those days.

That's correct, all Sheffield - Doncaster trains went that way but of course Aldwarke Junction was still fully operational then, that's where they crossed over, not Thrybergh Junction as now.

 

[Alfamale]

Have fond memories as a nipper of seeing the front of the train from the back as it traversed the sharp corner just outside Mexborough station using the old thrybergh line

 

[Lemmy282]

The new Swinton station and curve from Mexborough was opened in 1990.

 

[edwin_m]

That's correct, all Sheffield - Doncaster trains went that way but of course Aldwarke Junction was still fully operational then, that's where they crossed over, not Thrybergh Junction as now.

Indeed. I seem to recall Gerry Fiennes's book recording how they put in the connection between the ex-Midland and GC route as part of the rationalisation of the Sheffield area in, probably, the 1950s or early 60s. For those that don't know, there were four double junctions and the connections of opposite hands intersected via four diamond crossings. Trains via Doncaster not serving Rotherham Central would take the right-handed connection and those via Rotherham Central towards the Dearne Valley would use the left-handed one. The Mexborough-Swinton reinstatement made the right-handed connection at Aldwarke redundant.

 

[Adrian Barr]

Indeed. I seem to recall Gerry Fiennes's book recording how they put in the connection between the ex-Midland and GC route as part of the rationalisation of the Sheffield area in, probably, the 1950s or early 60s. For those that don't know, there were four double junctions and the connections of opposite hands intersected via four diamond crossings. Trains via Doncaster not serving Rotherham Central would take the right-handed connection and those via Rotherham Central towards the Dearne Valley would use the left-handed one. The Mexborough-Swinton reinstatement made the right-handed connection at Aldwarke redundant.

Yes, the original Swinton curve (on a different alignment which appears to have been a tighter curve) was closed in 1965 when the new connections at Aldwarke Junction were put in, part of the Sheffield area alterations for the new Tinsley marshalling yard. Without any Swinton station to call at, trains from Sheffield to Doncaster could use Aldwarke Jn to access Mexborough via Thrybergh. It seems odd to think that the GC and LMR were previously parallel to each other but not connected at Aldwarke Jn.

There's a short chapter "Aldwarke Junction - From Inception to Closure" in the book Tinsley and the Modernisation of Sheffield's Railways explaining the changes (the book appears to be out of print but is worth buying if they ever reprint it - £34.95 is pricey but it's a large book with 240 pages, well-researched and filled with interesting information and photos). The British Transport Films "Freight and a City," which is currently on YouTube, also covers freight developments in Sheffield in the 60s and is well worth watching for anyone who hasn't seen it.

The original layout of the junctions at Mexborough is interesting. I've attached a schematic map of the 1950s Mexborough area signal boxes which appears in a little book called "Yesterday's Railwayman" by D.A. Newbould. This book is a reminiscence by the author who worked in the area, mainly as a signalman but also in other roles, and gives a good flavour of the railway in South Yorkshire, covering the period from 1956 to 1970. Worth buying if you can pick up an inexpensive second hand copy (it was published in 1985). Visible from the current Swinton curve, there is still a bridge over the A6022 at Mexborough on the trackbed of the redundant south to west curve from the GC line towards Wath.