Ponteland, 1956

In due course, the Darras Hall branch extended westwards by about 10 miles to a colliery at Kirkheaton, which closed in 1926. The post Great War motor bus services killed off the passenger trains to Ponteland and Darras Hall, which were withdrawn in 1929. The Darras Hall line was used for wagon storage until the 1950s but the branch was a busy one.
My First acquaintance with Ponteland was in April 1954 when, in my very first job as a Relief Station Master, I went to Ponteland to cover the vacancy on the retirement of Tom Scott who had been the Station Master for over 30 years. Tom had built up a huge coal sale business, which he retained, he drove a brand new Ford Zephyr and moved out of the Station House to a property in Darras Hall. Obviosly, he was not a typical pensioned railwayman. The business of the station was mainly agricultural, with two large 'cattle cake' distributors operating from the station. Apart from the Station Master, staff consisted of a porter signalman, goods porter, lorry driver (a 5ton Bedford) and a railhead lorry from Newcastle. In those days the Cattle Mart gave rise to regular business for the daily goods train.
My first visit to Ponteland lasted some time until Mr Ridley became Station Master but although under 50 he died suddenly in 1956 and I went back again. In that spell. I had a unique experiance. A farmer called Gilbert Evans came to see me to ask if I could organise a special train to remove him to Seamer in Yorkshire where he had bought a new farm. In due course, animals, machinery.stores and furniture were all loaded up and the special train took the Evans family to their new life.

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