BRIGG BLOG LAMENTS THE CLOSURE OF LOCAL VILLAGE STATION

This month sees the 25th anniversary of a station in the Brigg area being closed for ever by British Rail.
Elsham station - on the Barnetby to Scunthorpe line - was removed from the passenger network in October 1993.
Opened during 1866, it was midway between Elsham and Wrawby villages. But Victorians thought nothing of walking that sort of distance to board a train.
Elsham station won awards for its floral displays - being  kept neat and tidy by staff under the watchful eye of the station master. There were goods sidings, too.
Elsham station escaped Doctor Beeching's cutbacks in the 1960s and lived on to become an unstaffed halt when Paytrains arrived and people bought tickets from a conductor/guard after climbing aboard.
However, its closure a quarter-of-a-century ago came as no real surprise, as passenger numbers were low.
People from the Brigg area visited Elsham in numbers during June 2016 to see the world-famous Flying Scotsman loco traverse the level crossing at the head of an enthusiasts's special train and head through the village station on its way from Cleethorpes to Newcastle.
It's always sad when local communities lose their railway station but, 25 years on, Brigg Blog has not forgotten Elsham station. We used to use it to get to work in Scunthorpe for a brief period in the mid-1970s, but wouldn't describe it as a commuter hub!

Elsham signal box, which controlled trains calling at the station - and passing through - is now grade two listed and still stands beside the level crossing. Below is a 1970s picture showing Alfie Bell beside the large wheel which wound the gates. It's been scanned from an old negative on a positive scanner!