Stanley Ferry

The latest layout under construction by WRMS is Newland Basin at Stanley Ferry on the Aire & Calder Navigation. The development and use of the waterway as a route for the transport of goods is an important part of local history, and is still remembered by many today.

The river had been used for many centuries for the transport of goods, but underwent a major expansion in the 1800’s under the guidance of its locally-born Chief Engineer, William Bartholemew.

The Navigation was used extensively from the 1830’s to the 1980’s, principally to take coal from West Yorkshire collieries to the Port of Goole for export to Europe.
By this time, the Aire & Calder Navigation had become part of a network of waterways that connected the East and West coasts of Britain

Coal was moved in compartment boats colloquially known as ‘Tom Puddings’. Each could take about 40 tons of coal. About 20 of these would be tied together and towed by a steam powered tug to the Port of Goole. Here, specially designed hoists would bodily lift the Tom Puddings into the air and discharge their contents into the holds of sea-going ships.

Normally, these were loaded from waterside staithes, but the St John’s colliery of Normanton did something different. The boats were taken over a mile by rail on special bogies to be filled at the pithead and then returned to the water at Stanley Ferry.

This method was used for almost 50 years from the 1890’s until the early 1940’s. Over 1,000 tons of coal a week were regularly moved this way.

The model is based on the track plan of Newland Basin as it was in the 1920’s. The intention is to eventually incorporate the aqueduct over the River Calder.

Research of local archives and museums as well as the assistance of Wakefield Council, local historians, artists and experts on British waterways has provided enough information for the society to create 3D printed models of some of the equipment used such as the Tom Puddings themselves, the special bogies, and the locomotives used by the colliery.

The baseboards are now cut, and we are beginning to lay the track. Watch this site for further updates.