Potto railway station

Potto railway station was a railway station built just north of the village of

The station was opened with the line in 1857 when the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Railway Company built their line between Picton and Stokesley.^[1] Picton became a north facing junction on the Leeds Northern Railway that allowed services on the line through Potto to work between Stockton and Whitby.^[2] The line and stations were taken over by the North Eastern Railway (NER) in 1859.^[3] The station was in use for passengers until 1954 when the line became freight only, with freight being withdrawn by December 1958.^[4] During the last few years of operation, only the eastbound track was used through the station, whilst the westbound track was used for wagon storage.^[5]

The station had only nine stationmasters, of whom the first three, were from the same family (grandfather, father and son) and were incumbent between 1857 and 1911. The last stationmaster was appointed in 1945^[6] and he formally ended his tenure as stationmaster in 1960, just over a year after the line had closed.^[7]

Between 1867 and 1892, Potto was the junction for the Whorlton Branch line which served Ailesbury ironstone mines in the Whorlton and Swainby region to the south of Potto.^[8]

After closure, the main station building became a private house with the goods yard and other sidings becoming part of the freight depot for a road freight haulier.^[9]

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