Ardsley Laisterdyke

Ardsley to Laisterdyke
1857 - 1966
Great Northern Railway

Contributors: © Reproduction prohibited / Andrew Dickinson / Melvyn Aveyard / Maggie Blanck / Simon Edgerton / Andrew Stopford / Nicholas Kaye
Mark Neale / Bob Cockcroft Jonathan Arey / Nick Franks / Alan Thompson / Dennis Sefton / Graham Smith / Tony Glynn / Barbara Ward / Lost Railways

The Route
From Laisterdyke, east of Bradford, to Ardsley via Dudley Hill, Birkenshaw & Tong,
Drighlington & Adwalton, Adwalton junction, Gildersome, Morley Top & Tingley.

Length
10 1/4 miles

Original Company
Opened by the Leeds, Bradford & Halifax Junction Railway (LBHJR).
Taken over by the GNR in 1865.

Openings
Gildersome to Laisterdyke 20th August 1856.
Ardsley to Gildersome 10th October 1857.

Closures
Passengers - 3rd July 1966
Freight - Gildersome to Birkenshaw 28th October 1966.
                Morley Top to Gildersome 13th March 1968.
                Birkenshaw to Dudley Hill 13th March 1968.
                Dudley Hill to Laisterdyke 1981.

Laisterdyke & Cutlers Junction
A closer view showing Laisterdyke & all the junctions around Tyersal.
Laisterdyke east junction (situated immediately to the east of Laisterdyke)
is not labelled on the map.

The Pudsey loop is also shown See GNR Pudsey Loop

Railway Ramblers gazetteer
See also the Railway Ramblers gazetteer - Leeds : GNR Ardsley Laisterdyke

Ardsley to Laisterdyke

Ardsley to Laisterdyke (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
Unknown locations.

Laisterdyke Station

Opened 20.8.1856 Closed 04-07-1966
Laisterdyke Station (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
Facing west towards Bradford.

Note : Nicholas Kaye The old station house that overlooked the station has now been demolished and modern houses built on the land.
There is now nothing left of what was a grand and busy station.

Laisterdyke East Junction (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
The train on the left is taking the line to Cutlers junction. The tracks on the right lead off to Quarry Gap junction & Leeds, via Pudsey & Stanningley.

Cutlers Junction

Cutlers Junction (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
B1 4-6-0 approaching Cutlers junction from Laisterdyke East junction. The lines to the right head off towards Quarry Gap junction.
Quarry Gap sidings are visible in the background.

Cutlers Junction (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
Facing south. The Pudsey Loop line curves off to the left, via Tyersall junction.
The line to Dudley Hill & Ardsley curves off to the right, via Broad Lane junction .

Cutlers Junction signal box diagram : Mark Neale
The diagram is dated 29/4/63 signed A F Wigram Chief S&T Engineer.

Dudley Hill Station
Opened 20-08-1856 Closed 07-04-1952
Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill had a station from when the line to Gildersome was built. The first building was a twin gabled construction of the same style as the others on the line. It was relocated at least once to it's later junction site so as to facilitate the burrowing junction to Low Moor. I cannot confirm that this junction used the land on which the actual old station was built, but it did take the land on which the stationmaster's house was built, as this had been built on the Wakefield main road.

Decline
Dudley Hill was a long time in fall. The canopies went fairly early, maybe even when the Low Moor traffic ceased in 1916. The station then had a hagged around look with a roof on one bridge, but not the other. The covered ways down to the platforms probably lost their roof at this time resulting in the odd ramps seen later in life. All the buildings were actually still there in 1947, but it would be in a sorry state. By 1952, when it closed, it would be a mess. In 1955, Gordon Biddle photographed the booking office from the centre platform, this showed the booking office and the stone platform building on the Bradford platform. The wooden centre building had gone by this time.
When I first photographed it in 1967, the track was there, as was Bradford side of the Dewsbury line building and the goods shed.
The booking office I went again 10 years later, the track was gone and so were all the buildings, but the base of the booking hall was easier to get at.
The line to Low Moor looked like it was in the process of being land-filled.

Dudley Hill goods shed (1967) : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill goods shed 1967.

Dudley Hill station, newspaper cutting (nd) : Andrew Wilson
View facing towards Laisterdyke. The wooden building on the left of photo can be seen in the architect drawings below.

Dudley Hill (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
View facing towards Laisterdyke.

Dudley Hill (1967) : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill Bradford side platform building 1967.

Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill booking office foundations view to Low Moor.

Dudley Hill : (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
Facing north, back towards Dudley Hill station on the Gildersome line.
Stone built station building visible through the right hand bridge.

Dudley Hill : (c1960) : Dennis Sefton
Further back facing north, back towards Dudley Hill station on the Gildersome line. The Low moor line passes below here in a short tunnel. Top of the tunnel stone work visible on the right of the photo. The 3 road bridges are - directly in front is Dawson lane, then Tong Street & just visible beyond is Knowles lane. The station is situated just the other side of Knowles lane.

Dudley Hill Architects Drawings : Bob Cockcroft
The drawings below are all of Dudley Hill, since it isn't there anymore and the 1890's station was amazingly spectacular. It had a pentagonal bridge level booking office topped by a lantern and covered bridges to all four platform faces. All the platforms had canopies and waiting rooms, but the island platform in the middle had a wood waiting room, the other two were stone. I'm not certain why this was so, a tramway tunnelled under the station at the Bradford end, but not under the buildings. The ticket office building wasn't quite like that in the drawing because it would have been possible to get off the station on the outer Low Moor platform without paying. It's fair to say that the drawing is close to the design except that the ticket office was built by the exit door on the street. I haven't got any drawings of the goods depot, only one photograph and it was quite a large structure.

Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill booking hall elevation towards Gildersome platforms.

Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill booking hall elevation towards Knowles Lane.

Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill side platform elevation of west side (from Gildersome)
The side building is the late survivor and the wooden island building was an early casualty. (see below)

Dudley Hill : Bob Cockcroft
Dudley Hill island platform elevation of east side (from Low Moor)
It's an interesting station and would be a bugger to build at a layout, nothing is flat, the Gildersome line climbs and the Low Moor one declines. The platform at the stair end is substantially higher on one side of the island platform than on the other.

East Bierley

Edgemoor Close : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location, facing west toward Dudley Hill.
The two bridges visible on the old photo are Toftshaw lane & Stead road respectively.

Edgemoor Close : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location, facing east towards Birkenshaw & Tong. Toftshaw Moor follows the line of the old railway.

Tong Street : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location facing towards Dudley Hill. Photographed from a footpath behind Mulberry Court,
near the junction of Tong street, Westgate Hill street & Bradford road.

East Bierley Bradford Road : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location. Just behind Mulberry Court off Bradford road, facing towards Birkenshaw & Tong.

East Bierley Bradford Road : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Same location to above photos, on the other side of the tracks, facing towards Birkenshaw & Tong.
The houses behind are on Bradford road.

East Bierley : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location. Heading towards Birkenshaw & Tong, approaching Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley.
The row of houses next to the pylon are on South View road. The crossroads with Bradford road is on top of Birkenshaw tunnel.

Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley : Dennis Sefton (c1960) / Graham Smith (2010)
Then & now same location. The north portal of the106yard Birkenshaw tunnel.

Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley (30-07-06) : Andrew Stopford

Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley (1980s) : Alan Thompson
The cut and cover tunnel under Bradford Rd East Bierley taken before the infill.
Known locally as Birkenshaw tunnel, it is at Bierley Bar, the cross road of North View Rd and Bradford Rd A651.

Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley (1980s) : Alan Thompson

Birkenshaw tunnel, East Bierley (30-07-06) : Andrew Stopford
View from on top of the south portal. The houses in front are on the A651 Bradford road.

Moorlands road bridge (23-07-11) : Lost Railways
A hundred & fifty metres or so from East Brierley tunnel. Facing north, East Brierley to the left, Birkenshaw & Tong to the right, remnants of a bridge.
Not much to see now all landscaped & filled in. Originally four tracks under here, the up & down lines with a siding on either side. A little further towards East Brierley a hundred or so yards of cutting is still intact.

Birkenshaw & Tong

Opened 20-08-1856. Closed 05-10-1953.
Birkenshaw & Tong station site (23-07-11) : Lost Railways
Facing west, the view into the station site from Station lane or Cross lane. Not sure where one turns into the other.

Birkenshaw & Tong station site (23-07-11) : Lost Railways
Facing North up Station lane or Cross lane. The station was on the left.
A level crossing existed here with a signal box somewhere in the middle of the road.

Drighlington and Adwalton Station

Opened 20-08-1856 Closed 30-12-1961
Drighlington and Adwalton station (c1960) : Dennis Sefton See also Adwalton junction to Wakefield

Adwalton junction OS map 1985

Adwalton c1959 : Melvyn Aveyard

This is loco No 42116 at Adwalton junction. Just behind the train the Adwalton to Dewsbury line, joins the Adwalton to Tingley line, which ran through Gildersome & Morley top stations. I don't know the exact date of the picture, but believe it to be about 1959. Adwalton station is just in front of the train, the picture may well have been taken from the platform. The road crossing the line is Field Head lane.

Adwalton junction : Maggie Blanck website - www.maggieblanck.com/Land/PhotosBirstall.html
Train approaching Adwalton junction, running from Morley Top via Gildersome. The old brickworks chimney visible in the background, still in existence, this building is now the Brickworks pub (See next photo) The houses just visible to the front left of the loco are on Wakefield road at Drighlington.

Adwalton junction (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
A650 Drighlington bypass built on the trackbed of the Adwalton Junction-Bradford line. This is approximately the site of Adwalton Junction, looking towards Morley. Brickworks chimney visible in the background.

Adwalton junction (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
A650 same spot - Looking towards Drighlington Station & Bradford.

Drighlington (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Original crossing point for the B6125. Bypass where the tracks once were. Bradford to the left.

Drighlington (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Embankment, Adwalton Junction-Bradford line, between Drighlington & Birkenshaw (looking towards Drighlington).

Drighlington (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Looking towards Birkenshaw.

Drighlington (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Drighlington & Adwalton Station site - is this a surviving station lamp post? A650 bypass behind the fence.

Gildersome Station

Opened 20-08-1856 Closed 13-06-1955 Freight 13-03-1968
Gildersome Station (c1900) : Nick Franks
I work for the contractor carrying out junction improvement works at the M62 J27 Gildersome roundabouts and as part of the scheme the situation of the existing redundant tunnel is to be investigated. The works are currently on hold pending a solution to treat the tunnel such that the new roads are safe from future collapse. See more - http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messages.aspx?ThreadID=309&StartAtMessage=25&#20056

Gildersome Station & Crossroads (1965) : Nick Franks

Gildersome Station & Crossroads (c1900) : Nick Franks

Gildersome Station & Crossroads (1968) : Nick Franks

Morley Top Station
Opened 10-10-1857. Closed 31-12-1960. Freight 1969.

1 Morley Top Station (c1900) : Andrew Dickinson
The platform, all I know it was taken in the early 1900's. My grandmother got on trains from here to go to trips to Blackpool. The station was improved in 1904 with a new booking office and subway. Most of the site of the station and the High Street and Bridge Street Viaducts have been demolished.
The goods depot survived & stands next to Chartist's Way, a new road built on the old railway line. (See Morley Top goods depot photo's below)

2 Morley Top Station (c1960 - 70) : Andrew Dickinson

Taken from the Bottom of Fountain St. Bridge and looks towards Tingley, I think this may have been taken in the late 60's, early 70's but I'm not 100% sure. You can just see the edges of the Station platform in the distance. These tracks are long gone (ever I don't remember them) Now an ATS garage and a Road in the place of the Tracks, this area is unrecognisable from what the pics shows, to the left is Morley town Centre

3 Little Fountain Street (c1960 - 70) : Andrew Dickinson
More or less Behind Picture above, Taken a little bit Earlier. These Tracks used to run on what is now Morley High School front field, the houses over the wall are on Little Fountain St. but have since been demolished.

4 Bridge Street (c1960) : Andrew Dickinson
This Bridge has long gone, with only one end still remaining just off High St. The train is heading for Blackpool, Taken in the 1960's the Pub on the left next to the Blue car is Called the Albion and just behind the mill is the Station its self.
Behind the Picture the road carries on to Tingly bar. (See next photo's)

Bridge street (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking towards Bridge St, the second bridge would have gone accross the road at this point,
instead of explaining, it would be better to view see Andrew Dickinsons picture 4 above
and use the Albion pub as reference.

Bridge Street (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
Close up of the Albion & Mill. (See above photo) Soon to be gone by the look of things.

Mill (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The mill taken from under where the viaduct would be, next to the High street roundabout. The right hand corner of the building looks to be sliced off to make way for the viaduct. The remaining part of the viaduct just visible to the right behind that tree, see next photo. The red brick wall marks the alignment.

Viaduct (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The remaining part of the viaduct. High street roundabout to the right.
The station was situated on top. (See Simon Edgerton's photo below).

Morley Top (1974) : Simon Edgerton
Morley Top Station view with bridge abutment in view, Bridge dismantled in 1971.

Viaduct (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
Closer view of the remaining part of the viaduct. Morley top station & sidings were on top here.
Railway workers houses on the left.

High street bridge (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Remains of the bridge abutment which crossed High St.
Originally before the roundabout was built, High St would have continued towards the camera.
Part of the station is visible along with original railway workers houses.

Morley Top (1968) : Simon Edgerton
Aerial photo of Morley Top Station taken in 1968, shortly before the track was dismantled.

Morley Top (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The station site today, taken from the end of Great Northern street at junction with Chartists way.

Station building (1968) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 16 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
View of the Booking Office from 1974, Typical tilled wall for a GNR station that still survived well into the 80's

Morley Top 17 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
Signs for London, Doncaster and Wakefield,
seems incredible to find you could have gone to the capital city from Morley Top not so long ago.

Morley Top 18 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
A view of the line to Wakefield from Morley Top, this disused section would soon be demolished for a new roundabout.

Morley Top 19 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
Morley Top Station in reasonable condition after 13 years of non-use.

Morley Top 20 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 21 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
Morley Top Station view with bridge abutment in view, Bridge dismantled in 1971.

Morley Top 22 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
View of platform looking towards Great Northern Street.
Note : Lost Railways
The smart red brick building to the left of the chimney in the background is the station masters house on Great Northern street.

Station masters house (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The station masters house on Great Northern street.

Morley Top 23 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 24 (1974) : Simon Edgerton
Looking across High Street from the forecourt of Morley Top. Lumb Walshaw and White engineers opposite.

Morley Top 25 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 26 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 27 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 28 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 29 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 30 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 31 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

Morley Top 32 (1974) : Simon Edgerton

1 Morley Top facing west (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking West towards Bradford, the line would have curved slightly towards the right,
on the left is a coal depot which originally had it's own siding.

2 Morley Top facing east (1987) : Simon Edgerton
View of station in distance looking east towards Wakefield, small maintenance building on the left, this was not the signal box as some people thought at the time. The road in the foreground cuts across the trackbed, this leads onto a private housing estate built in the 70's

3 Morley Top facing east (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking east towards Wakefield, remains of platform on either side,
just beyond is where the bridge was situated which crossed High St and Bridge St.

4 Morley Top (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Main Station building was below the track with the subway visible for the trains to Bradford. Although I dont have any photos of this , if you went inside, it still said 'Kings Booking Office' on the tiled wall. Not sure what the station looked like when it was used, if anyone has any photos of this please contact myself edgey2001@hotmail.com or lost.railways@ntlworld.com

5 Subway facing north east (1987) : Simon Edgerton
This is looking north east from the top of the subway on the Bradford platform,
this would have originally been covered by a wooden canopy.
The condition of the platforms at this end are still in reasonable condition.

6 Morley Top (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking towards Bradford, the line would have gone from left to right at the top of the picture
with view of maintenance building.

7 High street bridge (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Remains of the bridge abutment which crossed High St.
Originally before the roundabout was built, High St would have continued towards the camera.
Part of the station is visible along with original railway workers houses.

8 Bridge street (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking towards Bridge St, the second bridge would have gone accross the road at this point,
instead of explaining, it would be better to view Andrew Dickinsons picture 4 further up this page
and use the Albion pub as reference.

9 Morley Top (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking towards Wakefield from the end of the platform, their would have been 2 bridges here, the first crossed High St, the second Bridge St, you can see how the warehouse was constructed at an angle to compensate for the railway bridge.

10 Morley Top (1987) : Simon Edgerton
Looking further east is where the embankment for the track is situated, this was partly cleared away when the bridge was dismantled in 1971.

11 Morley Top (1987) : Simon Edgerton
View of the ramp which went up to the platform for the trains to Wakefield and London.

Morley Top Goods Depot

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The depot taken from Chartists way facing north. Morley Top station would have been 200 yards or so behind me.
The working men's club on Fountain street in the background.

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
The side view showing 2 levels, arched windows & doorways with blue engineering brick sides.

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
Close up of the side of the building showing one of the sets of stone corbels & cast iron bracket canopy supports.
The small stone corbel on the left, just behind the sign, supported a loading bay canopy. See Barbara Wards photo below.

Morley Top Goods Depot (c1980s) : Barbara Ward
Morley top goods depot, the photo was taken sometime between 1982 and 1987. The now removed loading bay canopies are clearly visible.
The roof shows signs of a ventilation system.

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
Closer view of the end of the building. A single track entered through this doorway.

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
Brick detail at the apex.

Morley Top Goods Depot (26-06-10) : Lost Railways
View from the other end. The words Great Northern Goods Depot still visible above the ATS sign.

Tingley Station

Opened 01-08-1890 Closed 01-02-1954 Freight 1964
Tingley station 1900 : Jonathan Arey See also Batley Beeston
A busy junction in its day, situated between four major towns. Passengers would change trains here for Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford & Batley.

Tingley station buildings 1968 : Simon Edgerton

Dewsbury Road bridge 1968 : Simon Edgerton
A653 Dewsbury Road, near what is now the road maintenance depot at the traffic lights
opposite to the entrance to Tingley Gasworks looking down towards Leeds. (1968)

Signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton / Tony Glynn
Note : Tony Glynn My grandfather Tom Broughton was a signalman at Tingley station during the 1940s and 1950s.
Until his death in early 1960's he lived at 97 Middleton Road Morley.

Signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton

Station buildings & signal box 1968 : Simon Edgerton

Tingley Viaduct
Tingley viaduct (02/2005) : David Taylor.
Tingley Viaduct crossing the Ardsley - Leeds line.

Ardsley Station
Ardsley : Tony Glynn
Note: My uncle Derek Broughton was a trainee signal-man in 1950's at East Ardsley station, this is also where the father of Ernie Wise worked as a porter in the 1930's.

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