The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group has kindly shared this historic train timetable with us - remembering a time when our station was of such importance that even summer bank holiday 'specials' stopped here to pick up townsfolk.
Local people can still use the Saturdays-only passenger service to enjoy day trips to the seaside at Cleethorpes. But this summer timetable from 1934 gives a reminder that, from the late 1840s through to the early 1990s, Brigg had trains calling on other days of the week. Indeed, our station originally formed part of the original Manchester-Grimsby-Cleethorpes mainline.
Many extra excursion trains were provided over the decades, chiefly to take people from Yorkshire to the east coast (via Brigg and Barnetby).
When this timetable was produced in August 1934, Grimsby Town were about to begin a memorable season which would see them finish fifth in the First Division (forerunner of today's Premier League). The Mariners were still in the top-flight when league football resumed after the Second World War. Incredible!
Only Arsenal, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City had better records than Grimsby in 1934/35. Tottenham and Leicester were the bottom two and relegated.
The year 1934 proved to be an interesting one in Brigg, too.
Our town's first Trades Exhibition was staged - at the Corn Exchange - attracting 2,000 visitors on the first day (many having travelled by train).
Glanford Boat Club (still going on Island Carr) was formed, while land was purchased from Tadcaster Brewery by the \urban District Council to build the Newlands housing estate, the estimated cost being £85,000. What a bargain!
Note the dates of the excursions which called at Brigg in 1934.
Was that year's Horse Fair held on Sunday the 5th or perhaps the following day?
Recent horse fairs which fell on a Sunday were re-timed.
The letters LNER on the timetable refer to the London North Eastern Railway, which took over control of Brigg station and local trains in 1923 from the Great Central Railway) and remained until January 1, 1948 when nationalised British Railways came into being.
