Castleford Garforth

Castleford to Garforth
1878 - 1951
North Eastern Railway

See Railway Ramblers gazetteer
Leeds : Castleford east junction - Garforth

Contributors: Phill Davison / Michael Kaye / Graeme Bickerdike
See also Leeds & West Yorkshire railway group - http://flickr.com/groups/leedsrailways/

The Route
From junction on Castleford - York line at Castleford East Junction to a junction on the York - Leeds line east of Garforth station,
via Ledston, Bowers Halt & Kippax. Braches served Allerton Bywater colliery & Bowers Row colliery.

Openings Passengers - 12th August 1878
                   Freight - 8th April 1878

Closures  Passengers - 22nd January 1951
                   Freight - Between Ledston & Garforth 14th July 1969
                                   Between Castleford east junction & Ledston 6th June 1998

Ledston station (23-04-85) : Michael Kaye
Ledston Station 2nd August 1985 looking towards Kippax. I think all that is left in this picture is the building centre top.

Ledston station : Phill Davison website - http://flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/72157594397421428/
(N.E.R) Taken from the remains of Ledston station closed in 1951 on the former Garforth-Castleford branch.
This section of line remained in use for coal traffic from the nearby Allerton Byewater colliery untill it closed in 1992.
There are plans to rip this line up & turn it into a cycle path. This view is looking towards Castleford.

Barnsdale rd bridge : Phill Davison
The overgrown remains of the trackbed from the Barnsdale rd bridge.

Trackbed subsidence : Phill Davison
The flood water has eroded the ballast away from the trackbed & it looks rather precarious to say the least.

Allerton Byewater colliery end of line : Phill Davison
There seemed to have been some sort of weigh bridge here for the coal m.g.r wagons.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge : Phill Davison
(N.E.R) The northern eastern railway bridge spanning the Aire & Calder navigation abandoned in 1992.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
The bowstring span over the Aire remains in fair condition.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge : Phill Davison
The massive span of the cast iron bridge. It's 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.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
No part of this 840-feet long structure appears to align, presumably due to movement of the piers.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge : Phill Davison
Totally severed.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
According to a local, a walkway is due to be constructed across the viaduct. I can't find any reference to it on the net.
Some serious repairs would certainly be needed before it was fit for foot traffic.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
Corrosion has caused holes to form in the deck.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
Wherever you look, the structure is under attack from rust.

Aire & Calder navigation bridge (30-01-08) : Graeme Bickerdike
One of the pier's substantial feet.