A new book was published on 23rd October 2021 about the Hull to Scarborough railway line, including the Filey Holiday Camp Branch, by Keith Smith.
Friends of Hunmanby Railway Station book review:
A well-timed book, for the 175th anniversary of the Hull to Scarborough Railway Line in 2022. The book is well researched, complimented by a wide range of historical notes, much wider than being ‘just another railway book.’ It includes geography, history, and social change and takes the reader from the planning of the railway in the 1840’s by rival railway companies through Grouping, Nationalisation, Privatisation to the COVID-19 Pandemic and effective Renationalisation.
The book is well illustrated, vital to convey the changes on the line from rapid rise, to decline in the 1960’s and 70’s with the last freight traffic switching to the roads in the 1980’s. But it also looks at how the railway line was adapted. As labour costs increased and freight traffic declined, the losses mounted on this rural line especially as it had so many level crossings. Most of the former gate boxes are photographed, contrasting with the new automatic barriers. The change from steam to 1st generation, then 2nd generation diesel multiple units is shown with the timetable improvements that this offered, which in later years has led to a resurgence of the passenger services and investment by both train operator and Network Rail. Illustrations include O.S Maps, individual track diagrams of stations, and the use of modern track layouts to compare the rationalisation that has taken place.
Starting at Paragon station in Hull, each location on the Wolds Coast Railway Line, no matter how small, is given a historical setting, using Bradshaw or promotional material from 19th Century. The expansive use of photographs, helps to illustrate not only the rapid change of the railway scene, but the fashions of the day, changes to the urban street scene, from the first charabancs to cars and buses of the 60’s and 70’s. The book is interspersed with ‘Edmondson Card Tickets’ from the one old penny platform ticket, to journeys between long closed stations, former railway companies, including a ticket on the London Kings Cross to Filey Holiday Camp Summer Saturday Train. This helps to illustrate the section about the Butlins Holiday Camp line at Filey. A service that brought happiness to many a family in the days before package holidays abroad. Though Filey Holiday Camp Station closed in 1977 and Butlins, 6 years later, it is still remembered fondly, especially around Hunmanby and Filey.
Finally, it is rare for Hunmanby to appear on the front cover of a book, let alone the village station, so well worth purchasing!
Further details from Middleton Press: Hull to Scarborough Railway Line by Keith Smith
Updated 23.10.2021