Steam Trains in Grimsby ~ When Did the Railway Arrive ?
When did the railway first come to Grimsby ?
I had no idea personally, but now I do after a little research into the history.
It arrived in 1848 and here’s a great engraving to illustrate it
The railway has been the precursor of progress the world over. Once invented I imagine places were divided into those connected by train tracks and those not.
The opportunity for development both in terms of trade and growth and well as social mobility must have been stifled or boosted by the advent of the ‘Railway Coming to Town’.
In Grimsby, Lincolnshire, it was in 1848 I believe that the first steam train rolled along the newly constructed train tracks and into Grimsby Town Station for the first time.
Here’s a superb engraving from 1848, originally published in the Illustrated London News marking the occasion
MS & L Steam Train Coming into Grimsby in 1848
Interestingly, geographically little has changed. The train is passing under Deansgate Bridge just as they do today and top left you can just see St James church looking out majestically over the scene. Incidentally, it was just a little over to the left of the scene shown that the recent Roman Dig was that I reported on.
The arrival had a big impact on the town’s economy, which was in the process of recovering from the historic decline caused largely by the silting up of the Humber many years previously. Once in place the docks could really expand with the easy and quick movement of goods both to and from the docks.
It all happened in and around the same time with the Grimsby Docks Act of 1845 allowing for the expansion and building projects, 1851 saw the Dock Tower completed with new fish landing docks completed in subsequent years.
Whilst the Fish Docks were already booming with the fish trade the railway opened up the possibilities for other commercial trade such as the movement and export of coal. It’s all gone pretty quiet again now though. The glory days of the town as the largest fishing port in the world have long since gone.
Much else has gone backward as well, I remember regularly going to London for the day on the straight through train to King’s Cross, took only 3 hours and cost less than £20. Now there’s no direct link and I’ve just looked at East Coast Trains for a quote and a standard 2nd class return is £190 for today !!
I’d be very interested to find out more about the early days of trains in Grimsby so if you know anything of the history or have and information - please do leave a comment - likewise if you have any opinion or comment on the subject in general
Yours Going off the Rails
Rod
Jacob said,
March 10, 2010 @ 2:16 pm
From the angle of the picture am I wrong in thinking that the train direction is that of leaving Town Station?
chris keyworth said,
March 10, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
yes heading towards great coates…
Rod said,
March 10, 2010 @ 6:21 pm
Hi Jacob,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.
As Chris says . . .
I looked at a town map myself to check then had a thought (yes it does sometimes happen)
I recently read a book called The Tomb of God and in it was quite a lot of info on the works of Poussin including the studying of engravings. Here’s my suggestion as to the anomaly above, all others welcome, the easiest method of producing a copperplate engraving results in a mirror image of the original (pretty obvious once pointed out actually) - hence the reverse appearance . . . just a thought
The train driver could of course be saying ‘quick, lets get out of here’
Wafflingly Yours
Rod
Rod said,
March 11, 2010 @ 8:28 am
Peter Mullins has very kindly sent in this picture, we are very appreciative and had no idea it was there
MS & L Railway Marker Stone
“A stone marking the boundary of railway property at the Cartergate level crossing, which is the only place where the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway name survives; the company invested in developing both the Grimsby Docks and the Cleethorpes front and was the main catalyst for the huge growth in trade and trippers which followed.” Peter Mullins
Linda & Peter said,
June 24, 2010 @ 6:02 pm
Apparently the Manchester Sheffield and Lincoln Railway suffered the popular nickname of “Mucky Slow and Lazy” (some say Mucky Slow and Late).
Gordon Luck said,
July 7, 2010 @ 4:31 pm
Did you know that Boulevard Avenue is built on the course of the old route of the railway onto the west end of Alexandra Dock? There were crossing gates and signal boxes where the line crossed Macauley Street and Armstrong Street. I’m told, but haven’t seen them myself, that the pillars for the bridge over the River Freshney are still visible.
Rod said,
July 7, 2010 @ 6:52 pm
Gordon,
I didn’t know that, where abouts are the pillars for the Freshney ?
I’ve seen some H beams near the St Michaels church area and always wondered what they were - could they be related ?
I always presumed they were probably once part of a bridge
Cheers
Rod
Gordon Luck said,
July 7, 2010 @ 10:11 pm
Comparing now against the 1906 map that I have we are talking about immediately downstream of where Boulevard Avenue crosses the Freshney, with Haven Avenue to the right.
Rod said,
July 8, 2010 @ 7:03 am
Thanks Gordon - when I’m there abouts I’ll take a look and some pictures hopefully
Cheers
Rod
Soupdragon said,
June 16, 2011 @ 10:11 pm
Hi Rod,
As you’ve no doubt seen, Grimsby Town station has just opened its new footbridge (with lifts) at the Garden Street end after a long and tortuous building program. Apparently the original design was thrown out because it didnt fit it with the architectural theme of the station!!
This all produced a lot of comment on one of the railway forums i belong to and i was delighted to see that one of the other members had posted the link to the original planning application for the bridge.
More interestingly included with the planning application is the original Act of Parliament (1845) for the “…….making of a railway from the Parish of Bole in the County of Nottingham, near to the Town and Port of Gainsborough, to the Town and Port of Great Grimsby in the Parts of Lindsey in the County of Lincoln, with branches to the District or Place called New Holland, on the South side of the River Humber….”
Very interesting reading indeed, including a list of the route the line would take to New Holland.
Soupie
Rod said,
June 17, 2011 @ 6:56 am
Soupie,
thanks for this information, really appreciated - especially as I wasn’t aware of it. I’ll take a look when I next go nto town.
Fascinating stuff
Regards,
Rod