One of our lamented lost railways is a tiny line that ran between Kelvedon and Tollesbury, known as 'The Crab and Winkle Line'. South of the Thames, this would be taken to refer to the line between Canterbury and Whitstable, which was given the same name.

It was started in 1902 under Light Railway regulations, which permitted construction of railways to a lower budget and less demanding engineering standards than other lines. London yachtsmen could get to their yachts at Tollesbury, and fish could be sent straight to Billingsgate. A wooden pier was completed on the estuary in 1907.

The line and the pier were very busy in World War I, but decline rapidly set in afterwards, with the pier extension closing in 1921 and the whole line in 1951, well before the infamous Beeching shut Maldon's line, though some good traffic continued for a while.

Run by the Great Eastern, the line had stops at Feering, Inworth, Tiptree, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Guines Court and Tollesbury village. The start and finish points were Kelvedon and Tollesbury Pier. The entire nine miles took about 45 minutes. Perhaps the most arduous journeys were undertaken by Tollesbury boys attending Maldon Grammar school, changing at Kelvedon and Witham, and taking over two hours each way.

All seats were Third class, and tickets were collected by the guard on the journey. No signalling was necessary, as the line possessed only one locomotive. In addition to passenger traffic and fish, fruit for Tiptree Jam was a major cargo. Station buildings were modest, some of the minor halts being served by old coach bodies.

Most photographs show an elderly 0-6-0 tank engine and two or three six-wheel coaches. Waggons were also frequently attached to form mixed trains. Some larger coaches were later transferred to the line from the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway: these were unusual in that they had open balconies at each end.

Light Railways were built to have a minimal impact on the land. It's no surprise therefore that little is visible of this long-lost line. At one stage Tollesbury had visions of its railway pier being a gateway to the Continent, but present residents are probably happy enough that the village is tucked away in a quiet corner of Essex!