Pump Trolley – Derwent Valley Light Railway

Sunday 27th August 2017, the born-again DVLR Pump Trolley made its first public appearance.

Allan Briggs with the DVLR Pump Trolley on the day of its unveiling. It is a restored original DVLR pump trolley and it was Allan who carefully restored it to its former glory. It was seen that the trolley would be invaluable for assisting with work down the line as well as being an object DVLR can be proud to own as a key part of its heritage.

Now. The DVLR Pump Trolley Experience.

Now, you can ride the pump trolley.

Real Life Adventures on the Trolley, in the old days.

Only on a rural branch line like DVLR could there have been real life rail adventures involving a pump trolley. DVLR has real first hand accounts of the pump trolley’s having being used in its early days, not only by railway gangers, but also in providing some interesting family uses and adventures besides. (See lower down this page.) Yes, adventures don’t just happen in films like “The Railway Children” and The Great St. Trinians Train Robbery. Now, because that same original DVLR pump trolley has been restored to full working order, the adventures have resumed and you can take part.

How did the trolley’s rebirth come about?

The Discovery

Thanks go to Mr. D B Slater, of York, who donated the remains of an original DVLR platelayers’ trolley to DVLR Society and to Nick Beilby who helped secure the transaction. Apparently, until about 2011, it had lain unloved in a hedge/ditch. Mr. Slater realised its value to DVLR and in 2014, donated the remains from which the restoration could be made. Time had seen the wooden frame decay and die but the metal parts were there so restoration could be undertaken; a task which has been completed by Allan Briggs.

The Task

Allan said on Facebook. “It was mid December 2016 during the Santa Specials that Dave Wilde, long time member and (since reappointed Chairman) of the Derwent Valley Light Railway Society (DVLRS), approached me to ask if I would take on the restoration of an original Derwent Valley Light Railway (DVLR) pump cart or platelayers’ trolley.

The unveiling

The DVLR Pump Trolley had already been causing keen interest among enthusiasts and on the day of the unveiling, at 13.00 hours on Sunday 27th, August, it fascinated the general public too. Allan had said he could restore it and he did and here it was being unveiled. As the cover came off, it was instantly clear what a tremendously professional job Allan had made. Allan, who was formerly a chef had turned his hand to renovation and replication since his retirement. Before the unveiling of the trolley, Jonathan Stockwell, the DVLR Archivist, introduced our Special Guests of the day, Arthur Richmond accompanied by his son, together with Ken Nelson and his mother, Lavinia.Further down this page Arthur, Lavinia and Ken are pictured with the trolley after the unveiling.

Special Guests of the Day and their special stories.

Before the unveiling, Jonathan Stockwell, the DVLR Archivist, had introduced our Special Guests of the day, Arthur Richmond accompanied by his son, together with Ken Nelson and his mother, Lavinia. Arthur was first employed by the DVLR as a Platelayer in 1942, almost straight from school and was based at Skipwith Station, dealing with the Permanent Way from Cliffe Common to Wheldrake. Arthur received his “Call Up Papers” leaving the DVLR to join the Army in 1944 and was sent to India (working on the Indian Railways Permanent Way !) On returning to the DVLR in 1949, Arthur shortly left and began a career with the then new British Railways, on the Permanent Way until his retirement.

Ken Nelson’s Grandfather, Henry Howden had been the Porter in Charge at Skipwith Station and Henry’s daughter Lavinia had been brought up at the DVLR Station House at Skipwith. Not fiction, but real adventures on the DVLR Pump Trolley: Ken spent many happy school holidays at the Station House. When the only freight train of the day had passed, Ken would get the pump trolley out and trundle up and down the line at Skipwith. The pump trolley was also used as family transport, ferrying family between Skipwith Station and Blackwood Crossing to meet the Selby bus !

Allan has made a superb video which shows and tells just how the cart was discovered and how he went about the restoration. Click the button to see the video.