Thursday, June 24, 2021

TWO LIGHT RAILWAYS

Before we leave Grimsby, there's a few beer related things to look at. First we have the long closed Wellow Brewery, taken over by Whitbread. This photo taken circa 1974.


 The other closed brewery in Grimsby, still in situ around 1974, was Hewitt's. 

Amazingly, the Duke of Wellington pub was recently repainted in Hewitt's livery, but only sold fizzy keg beers.


In the town centre, the Friary had a selection of real ales.


Walter's wasn't a bad pub either.


Sadly, once a great boozer, depite the silly name - Swigs. It's now gone.


We now head to Corporation Bridge, where the Grimsby & Immingham Tramway started. Built by the Great Central Railway, it was the nearest thing in the UK to an Amercan interurban.


The Grimsby & Immingham Tramway ran through the streets for the first mile or so. 


This map, thanks to Wikipedia, shows the route at its full extent. Part of it is in French, but you'll work it out, I'm sure.


What the map doesn't show is the parallel Grimsby District Light Railway, a freight only line linking Grimsby Wester Docks with Immingham. Most is still open today. The tramway and railway met at Pyewipe. (Photographer unknown).


West Marsh Junction, on the GDLR, had a fine GCR signal box back in 1980. A rare GCR ground signal also featured.



Once the street running section of the tramway closed, the connection was made by bus to Pyewipe depot.


More trams await service at Pyewipe.


Meanwhile, back on the GDLR, here's Pyewipe Road crossing box, with a little industrial Ruston diesel nearby.



At the reversal point (see map), the concrete traction poles of the tramway and even a bit of buried rail were still visible in 1972, long after closure in 1961.


We'll take a good look at Immingham in the next post.

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