Damems railway station explained

Damems
Type:Station on heritage railway
Borough:Damems, City of Bradford
Country:England
Coordinates:53.8459°N -1.9245°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Manager:Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Platforms:1
Years:1 September 1867
Events:Station opened
Years1:23 May 1949
Events1:Station closed
Years2:29 June 1968
Events2:Station re-opened

Damems railway station serves the village of Damems near Keighley, and within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, West Yorkshire, England. It is used for heritage trains on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and trains do not stop unless requested.

History

The station opened on 1 September 1867, several months after the others on the line; but it closed on 23 May 1949, some years before the line closed. It reopened with the line on 29 June 1968.[1]

It claims to be Britain's smallest standard-gauge railway station,[2] although it is no longer part of the main rail network. Damems has the distinction of being a station rather than a halt because in its original form it included a stationmaster's house and a siding to serve the mill in the village. The stationmaster's house remains, and is owned by the heritage railway, although the siding has been removed. The level crossing at the station is controlled from a gate box originally from Earby on the Colne-Skipton line. The box was installed since preservation. The crossing was originally worked from a groundframe in the stationmaster's garden. The last crossing keeper at Damems was Annie Feather who lived in the stationmaster's house and received her wages which were thrown to her from the footplate of a passing locomotive.

Stationmasters

Notes and References

  1. Book: Butt, R.V.J. . The Directory of Railway Stations . 1995 . Patrick Stephens Ltd . Yeovil . 1-85260-508-1 . R508 . 76 .
  2. Web site: Keighley and Worth Valley Railway - Keighley, Haworth, Oxenhope . 2008-05-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080330225312/http://www.kwvr.co.uk/guidebook/damems.htm . 2008-03-30.
  3. . 1871 . 1871-1879 Coaching . Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts . 27 . 29 April 2021.
  4. . 1881 . 1881-1898 Coaching . Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts . 87 . 22 April 2021.
  5. News: . Familiar Figure Damems Station will miss . Leeds Mercury . England . 4 December 1934 . 29 April 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  6. News: . Appointed Station Master . Shipley Times and Express . England . 31 December 1938 . 29 April 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .