Hoo Junction
Allhallows-on-Sea
came on the scene on 14th May 1932 when the Southern Railway opened a 1¾ mile
long branch from the original Port Victoria line at what became ''Stoke
Junction'', to terminate on the west side of the creek which separated Grain
from the mainland. The company was keen to promote the bleak Hoo marshes as a
popular holiday resort and in the optimism that considerable traffic was to
come, the single-track spur was doubled in 1934. With the
downgrading of Port Victoria - the suffering pier not helped by the opening of
Tilbury Docks in 1886 - most passenger services across the Hoo Peninsula
terminated at Allhallows-on-Sea. Hoo Junction was officially opened as a
marshalling yard by the Southern Railway on 20th February 1928. The yard's
importance began to peak in 1956 with the opening of a Staff Halt at the site:
the ''up'' and ''down'' platforms were located to the east and west of the
joining branch line respectively. However, the station opening was followed a
year later by the singling of the whole route to both Allhallows-on-Sea and
Grain, but the double-track bridge over Canal Road remained carrying just the
single line.
On 3rd September 1951 a new single island platform station opened on Grain - the
oil refineries had arrived. British Petroleum took over the whole site of the
former SER's Port Victoria and more, which gave the branch revived importance,
but this time for freight traffic. Oil flows increased steadily along the
branch, but passenger traffic was experiencing an opposite trend.
With the closure of the Allhallows-on-Sea branch on 4th December 1961, the line
across the Hoo Peninsula became freight dedicated, its two commodities being
aggregate (sea-dredged gravel) and refined oil, from Cliffe and Grain
respectively. The branch was never electrified, but as part of Phase 1 of the
Kent Coast Electrification Scheme, the yard at Hoo Junction had a simple
overhead catenary system installed in 1959, to accommodate the Class 71 (Type
HA) electrics then being introduced. These electrics were equipped with a
pantograph to work off the catenary: the system had been developed for a number
of South Eastern Division yards and sidings where exposed third rail would have
been potentially dangerous for staff. These locomotives began to decline
themselves in the late 1960s and with the emergence of the Class 73
Electro-Diesels, the catenary system had become totally redundant by 1975.
The junction yard served mainly to re-marshal those freight loads which passed
through it, and not just those off the Hoo Peninsula branch, but also flows to
and from the ''Chatham'' line. The refineries and Cliffe gravel works were
joined by a further freight hub in 1978: yet another aggregate operation. This
featured at the very end of the terminating line which formerly led onto the
pier at Port Victoria - it is worth mentioning that the wooden abutments of the
latter still remain. Container flows began along the branch with the opening of
Thamesport in 1990, but these operated non-stop past the yard and were not
re-marshalled here. Although container movements over the junction have
increased over ensuing years, there has been decline, specifically in the oil
department. The refineries became obsolete with such oil already being shipped
into the country in a refined state - the last such working from the terminal at
Grain took place in 1999.
A general eastward view of the yard on 20th November 2004, with steel strip carrier wagons in
evidence, Class 66 No. 66204 and Class 08 No. 09024. The former signal box is on the left.
David Glasspool
On a hot and sunny 30th August 2005, Class 465 No. 465195 is seen hurtling past the yard with
a Class 466 in tow. The sidings in the foreground are those which appear in the ''EWS locomotive
line-up'' on the first page. David Glasspool
This splendidly-restored bridge is positioned at the northern end of the marshalling yard and
carries the branch to Grain over Canal Road. The span here is able to accommodate a
second line, and is seen on 13th May 2006. David Glasspool
Return to the Kent Rail Homepage or alternatively, check for Updates.
Website & Copyright information - Links - Contact the Webmaster
All content is copyright © David Glasspool