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 Latest Uploads - Strines cutting Holmfield
Last chance to see -
The final section of Strines cutting Holmfield.
in the Queensbury to Halifax section

This section of cutting between Holdsworth Road and Holmfield Station Bridge, has been cleared & is awaiting landfill : Photos from Ed Matejak.
 
Recent Uploads
Morley top goods depot in the Ardsley to Laisterdyke section
Photographed sometime between 1982 and 1987 & shows the now removed loading bay canopies & roof structure. Photo from Barbara Ward.
Arthington gas works building, near Creskeld Hall. see Leeds Harrogate section
The building is situated within the triangular junction for Pool in Wharfedale & Otley. Arthington Gas Works opened in 1876 to supply Arthington and Pool stations.
 Photos from Adrian Smith
Bradford Forster Square, Valley Goods freight during the 1980s See Bradford
See also Crossleys scrapyard near Shipley in the Homeless section
See also Clayton West in the Homeless section : Photo's from Bill Harland.
Latest book by Peter Tuffrey is West Yorkshire Railway Stations from Aberford to Yeadon.
We like this one & there is a massive big up to this website & our contributors, thanks Peter.
Available from Amberley - http://www.amberleybooks.com
BR spur junction on the Leeds New Line Heckmondwike Liversedge Spen & Charrington Hargreaves oil terminal. See Bradford Forster Square, Springmill street & the Bowling to Laisterdyke avoiding line. See Dewsbury Headfield spur with some choice photo's of the old Railway street goods depot. Photo's from Paul Corrie c/o Michael Kaye.
Heckmondwike L&Y Central station & junction on the Mirfield Lowmoor page. See also Heckmondwike junction signal box in its final days - Heckmondwike Junction Choice 1970s photo's from Bob Cockcroft. Also includes a rare photo of the island platform & booking office around the turn of the century with a classic archive photo from Cedric Rowland.
Towns
Towns - Stations & Closures
A list of all west Yorkshires towns & passenger stations, open & closed.
Also includes links to all the stations included on the site.
Bradford
Exchange, Adolphus Street, Forster Square & the Bowling junction to Laisterdyke avoiding line, Exchange station, with its two arched roofs just before demolition began in 1976 & the new Interchange terminal replacement. Photo's : Andrew Wilson.
Dewsbury
Five stations & four companies, plenty going on here. Photo : Graeme Bickerdike
Halifax
Small town, big attitude. Photo : Phill Davison
Leeds
A wander round Leeds, including Farnley viaduct, Holbeck Depot, Leeds City, Central & Wellington stations,  Holbeck junction, Wortley west curve & Whitehall junction.
Joint Lines
Holmfield to St Pauls (Halifax)
Built originally by the Halifax High Level Railway company 1890. Photo : Richard Barnes
Lofthouse junction to Lofthouse & Outwood
A five mile joint NER L&Y & GNR venture opened in to freight in 1865 & passengers in 1869.
Closed to passengers in 1957, but kept open for freight up until 1981.
Otley to Ilkley
Joint North Eastern & Midland Railway, opened in 1865.
The two companies combined to construct & manage a joint line between Otley & Ilkley.
 
Lost Railways West Yorkshire
Exploring the routes & uncovering the history of the lost, abandoned, disused & dismantled railways of  West Yorkshire: Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley, Halifax, Wakefield, Queensbury & Shipley. Including the Aire, Calder & Spen Valley lines.
(Best viewed at 1024 x 768)

Contact
lost.railways@ntlworld.com
for any additional information you require,
or photos & information you would like to share.  
General
Maps, routes & companies
Covering the period from 1834 to its peak in 1910 through its demise to the present day.
Towns - Stations & Closures
A list of all west Yorkshires towns & passenger stations, open or closed.
Links to stations included on the site
Dr Richard Beeching
The development of Britain's railways & a history of the man who helped re-shape them.
E-mail Contributors & Addresses
See this page to email contributors direct or contact Lost Railways - lost.railways@ntlworld.com
Links Page
About fifty links so far, let us know if you would like to be included.
Preservation
Vintage Carriages Trust
The trust owns and operates the Museum of Rail Travel at Ingrow near Keighley.
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
In 1968 the line was re-opened by the Keighley & Worth valley Railway Preservation Society. 
Middleton Railway
The first standard gauge line to be run by volunteers.
Transperience
The ill-fated Transperience venture opened at Low Moor on 1st  July 1995.
Save The Woodhead Tunnel
The Woodhead Tunnel  faces permanent closure to trains due to  using the tunnel for cabling.
Various
Railway Ramblers
About the organisation & gazetteer detailing the routes & relics along closed lines in West Yorkshire.
Homeless
Bits & bats of stuff I cant think of anywhere to put. Photo: Gareth Beaumont
Entrances
Doorways leading nowhere & some nice bricking up jobs.
Multiple Units
Many a branch line kept open by these little fellas, by Paul Holroyd of the VCT.
Books
Building up a library of the books you should own.
 
Routes By Company
 Great Northern Railway (G.N.R) Lines
Adwalton - Wakefield
From Wrenthorpe south junction on the Doncaster to Leeds Line 3/4 of a mile north of Wakefield Westgate, to Adwalton Junction, on the GN Wakefield Bradford line, via Alverthorpe, Flushdyke, Ossett, Chickenley Heath, Batley GN, Upper Batley & Howden Clough.  GNR 1864. Photo : Andrew Stopford.
Ardsley to Laisterdyke
From Laisterdyke, east of Bradford, to Ardsley via Dudley Hill, Birkenshaw & Tong,
Drighlington & Adwalton, Adwalton junction, Gildersome, Morley Top & Tingley.  GNR 1857. Photo : c/o Andrew Wilson.
Batley to Beeston
From Batley west  junction to Tingley west junction via Woodkirk,
& from Tingley east junction to Beeston junction. GNR 1890. Photo : Simon Edgerton.
Beeston Junction - Hunslet Goods
From Beeston Junction on the GNR main line into Leeds. The line turns east crosses the canal (on a swing bridge) & the River Aire & turns
NW to terminate at Hunslet goods station a mile from the city centre. GNR 1899. Photo's & info from Railway Ramblers member Ralph Rawlinson.
Dewsbury Loop (Ossett to Batley)
From Runtlings Lane Junction Ossett, to Batley
west junction & GNR station.
Via Earlseaton, Dewsbury Central & Batley Carr
. G.N.R 1880. Photo : Ralph Rawlinson.
Laisterdyke to Shipley
From a triangular junction at Laisterdyke east & Cutlers junction. Via Eccleshill, Idle, Thackley & terminating at Shipley and Windhill station.
Opened for goods in August 1874 & passengers in April 1875. Photo : Bob Cockcroft
Pudsey Loop
Branch Lines from both Stanningley & Bramley to Pudsey Greenside via Pudsey Lowtown. Later extended to Cutlers junction to join the Ardsley Laisterdyke line. Pudsey Greenside Tunnel & cutting soon to be backfilled. GNR 1893. Photo : Rikj.
The Queensbury Lines
Four pages of the GNR lines Between Queensbury, Halifax, Bradford & Keighley.
Queensbury Station     Queensbury - Bradford     Queensbury - Halifax     Queensbury - Keighley
Make sure to see Richard Barnes Holmfield photo's on the Queensbury - Halifax page.
Shipley & Saltaire
Mark
Neale's atmospheric Shipley & Saltaire page.
 Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L & Y.R) Lines
Calder Valley Main Line
From Manchester to Normanton. To keep the line flat & straight it managed to avoid some big towns like Halifax & Huddersfield. Built by the L&Y in 1840.
Line still open but many stations lost. Photo : Phill Davison.
Cutsyke - Methley
From Methley Junction on the Midland Leeds to Normanton line, via Lofthouse Junction, over the NER line to Church Fenton,
& joined the NER line from Castleford at Cutsyke Junction. L&Y 1849. Photo's Andrew Stopford.
Holmfirth Branch
From junction on the Huddersfield - Penistone line near Brockholes, to Holmfirth terminus, via Thongsbridge.
Built by the L&Y, opened in 1850. Contains some choice shots of Holmfirth station in the 1980s from Tony Button.
Horbury West Curve
At a little under 1¾ miles in length, Horbury West Curve (known locally as the Crigglestone Curve) provided a connection between the Lancashire & Yorkshire’s main Todmorden-Wakefield line and its branch to Barnsley. Opened by the L&Y 1902, disconnected in 1991. Photo's : Graeme Bickerdike.
Meltham Branch
From junction at Lockwood on the Penistone to Huddersfield line, via Netherton, Healey House, terminating at Meltham. Opened by the L&Y in 1869, was closed to passengers in May 1949 but remained open for David Brown tractor freight up until April 1965. Photo's from Andrew Stopford.
Mirfield - Low Moor (Cleckheaton branch)
From Mirfield via Northorpe, Liversedge, Heckmondwike & Cleckheaton Central. Over 150 photo's of this stretch of line, including Mirfield sheds,
still plenty of left to see. Forms part of the Spen Valley Greenway, so most of it easy walking. Photo : Mark Anthony Astley collection.
North Dean (Stainland) branch
North Dean Branch from Greetland  junction to Stainland. Photo Matt c.
Work in progress by Sustrans to make West Vale Viaduct  into a footpath.
Pickle Bridge Line
Between Anchor Pit Junction near Brighouse & Wyke. Opened by the L&Y in 1881.
Some decent relics still left on this 3
¾ mile line. Also includes the blowing up of Wyke viaduct on page 2.  Photo's by Matt_uk.
Ravensthorpe Branch
Thornhill to Heckmondwike. Short but interesting section of line with most bridges still intact. Connected to the Leeds New Line at Heckmondwike in 1966 to supply the Charrington Hargreaves oil terminal, now forms part of the Spen Valley Greenway. Photo : Greame Walton.
Sowerby Bridge - Rishworth
An extension of the Sowerby Bridge to Ripponden branch. L&Y 1881. Photo's : Richard Barnes.
 London & North Western Railway (L & N.W.R) Lines
Batley to Birstall Lower (goods)
From Batley (Birstall Junction) to Birstall Lower, 2 miles (single track) Opening Batley to Birstall Lower, 30th September 1852.
Intermediate station at Carlinghow opened 1st April 1872. Photo : Allan Shaw.
Heaton Lodge to Stalybridge
From Heaton Lodge junction 3 miles east of Huddersfield on the Calder Valley Main Line to Stalybridge Lancashire.
Opened throughout in 1849, the route takes in Huddersfield & the 3 mile long Standedge tunnels.
Kirkburton Branch
From Kirkburton junction 2 miles east of Huddersfield station, on the L.N.W.R Huddersfield to Heaton Lodge line,
to Kirkburton station (terminated) via Kirkheaton. Length  4 1/2 miles, opened 7th October 1867.
Leeds New Line
Between Heaton Lodge junction Huddersfield & Farnley junction Leeds. L.N.W.R  1900. Six pages & loads of maps.
An in depth study of one of the regions youngest lines. See the Gildersome tunnel exploration on page six. Photo: Phill Davison.
 Midland Railway (M. R) Lines
Hunslet Midland goods
The former Midland Goods station is now the Crown Point Retail Park Leeds. The cutting was recently sold at auction by Pugh & Company on behalf of BRB (Residuary) Ltd. Guide price £83,000, went for £138,000. It was sold as being suitable for landfill. Photo : Rikj.
Leeds - Derby
Opened in July 1840. One of George Hudson's lines built originally by the North Midland Railway company.
It connected with the York & North Midland line at Altofts junction a mile north of Normanton. With the L&Y Calder valley line joining south at Goose Hill,
the Victorians thought Normanton would become big enough to rival Crewe. Photo : Dave Watson
Newtown Goods
Between Newtown  Huddersfield & Mirfield Jct. Midland 1910. In depth study with two pages & maps. Photo Simon Green.
Royston - Dewsbury Savile town
Royston to Dewsbury Savile Town. Midland Railway 1906. The Midland planned to build its own mainline between Sheffield & Bradford to avoid the congested areas around Leeds. The L&Y later gave the Midland running powers on its lines so the scheme was never completed.
 North Eastern Railway (N.E.R) Lines
Castleford - Garforth
Via Ledston, Bowers Halt & Kippax & Allerton Bywater. NER 1878. The massive span of the cast iron bridge is in a terrible condition. Huge girders have
split in half & the decking is paper thin. I find it amazing that fully laden coal trains were using this bridge as little as 14yr's ago. Photo's : Phill Davison
Church Fenton - Harrogate
The first railway to be closed by Dr Beeching in 1964. N.E.R 1848. Includes some choice interior shots of prospect tunnel. Photo's : Phill Davison.
Leeds to Harrogate
Headingley, Horsforth, Arthington & Bramhope tunnel. N.E.R 1849.
Brunswick Tunnel & Air Raid Shelter exploration, the latest scoop for the Leeds Historical Expedition Society. Make sure to see Phills blog - links within.
Leeds to Wetherby
From junction on Leeds Selby at Cross Gates to Wetherby, via Penda’s Way, Scholes, Thorner, Bardsey, & Collingham Bridge.
N.E.R 1876. Photo's : Phill Davison.
 
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