History of Hull: Railways - Episode 4: Hull and Selby Part 1 - Hull's First Railway

In this episode we take a look back in time to Hull's very earliest railway company and the track they built, a track that connected Hull's docks to the rest of Britain and kickstarted the city's growth as a giant among the country's ports.

If you're anything like me, viewing historical Ordnance Survey maps side by side with modern satellite views will certainly eat up far too much of your time!

For more info and updates, please follow me on Twitter

and Instagram

and Facebook!

And if you enjoyed this video, please consider visiting my Patreon page and becoming a patron to help me make these videos faster and with better gear!

Or make a one-off donation to the Support Hull History Nerd fundraiser if you don't want to commit to monthly patronage - any donations are welcome, from the price of a coffee to the price of a new camera! It all helps me make ends meet so I can devote more time to making these videos and less to 'normal' work!

If you enjoy the music, please consider checking out the artist's channel at

[tonystack]

Brilliant narration and historical content videos of the highest quality, good work.

[andybailey]

Excellent. Very informative. Thanks very much.

[jackgrimley]

Brilliant. Never realised I luve jusr round the corner from Hull's original station.

[ThermoMan]

17:30 Amazing timing or luck with not just one but two trains passing just at the right moment!

[geofftomlinson]

Thank you for all your informative and entertaining videos . I remember wandering around the dairycoats round house with my mates as a child, trespassing of course but while an odd railway man would say you shouldn't be here we were never told to get out. That's all a long time ago before health and safety regulations

[daystatesniper]

Another brilliant upload, subbed 10/10

[stevebhull]

Another brilliant, informative film. Really enjoying this series. Very good quality film and well put together. 10/10.

[chrismccartney]

Superb series stunned as t number of railways now gone and the areas that look like countryside but are really brownfield ??

[Froobyone]

When I was a callow sixteen year old, first forging my way into working life, I had a job on Brighton Street Industrial Estate. This would have been 1986. On my first day the boss told me I would be working with an ex-retiree. He had retired, but just needed to keep busy with his life. He told me he'd been a fireman. I thought, this will be an interesting man to listen to. On meeting said man and over a lunch time salmon paste sandwich, I broached the subject with him with with an opener of something like "So, fireman. That's some courage right there". To which he put his head on the side and frowned. "Oh, " he said "Tony told you I was a fireman?" I nodded. "He meant fireman on steam engines". My eyes lit up! I spent the next few months learning about all the daily working of Dairycoates. The locos that were trouble, the ones that steamed freely. The sneaky things they would do behind the gaffer's back. It was an education. I will never forget Alf. We came from two different worlds, but we had a shared love of the railways. This episode brought that home to me. Thank you.

[DiegoLiger]

The Leeds & Selby was the first mainline railway in Yorkshire; it was the second Mainline Railway in Britain and the first railway to be operated entirely by locomotives - other lines like the Liverpool & Manchester used locomotives and stationary engines. So too the Stockton & Darlington which even used horses as well. The L&S is a very important little line.

[Trek]

22:01 - *stands to attention and salutes*

[HullEastYorkshire]

Very interesting 👍 Like you said in the video I have past relatives who worked for the railways. Thank you, looking forward to the next episode

[misskittysmith]

Fabulous again! Also really like the music.

[SimonPJohnson]

Another interesting and informative film, and overall very well presented and produced.

[michaelbutler]

Having an idle afternoon and your series popped up. I’ve great affection for Hull and East Riding railways in the 1960s, so I watched all five. You have a nice relaxed style. My local East Lincs Line and whole host of associated secondary lines where devastated in 60/70s; if ever you’re inclined, they’d make a great series tracing them.

[Adventurer_Dave]

Great video. Like you, I was fascinated by old and derelict stations and railways as a child, and continued to be fascinated by the effects of the transport links of society.
I hope that you are able to look at the Hull and Barnsley Railway at some point

[BROTHER-]

Any way like I said, ,we need this on Birkenhead docks history ..so as we speak I'm on way to hull to kidnap you, bring you back to Birkenhead.( drone as well..) and give you the tour of our dock lands ....😎..seriously great presentation keep them up Mr nerd...also you look like you just got home from a place in the sun on this show, ,or is that just the light ..( OR MAYBE YOUR GOING FOR THE DAVID DICKINSON LOOK NOW...ha ha )

[RichardHamer]

Great channel; I’ve no connection with Hull but been a couple of times and had a good snoop around. Several years ago I saw a programme on Mr Hudson; apparently a statue outside York station was being made of him, but then his creative accountancy showed up so they kept the body and cast a different head. However, I can’t find any evidence of this other than the TV programme.

[chrismccartney]

You have Hudson we have Jerkies the forward thinking American Crooked Financier who had huge influence on London and its Transport..

[rodgercunningham]

I always thought one of the Dairycotes engine sheds is still standing and in use for industry. You can see it from the Clive Sullivan way