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Heaton Lodge to Stalybridge
1849 - Present
London & North Western Railway & Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Andrew Stopford / Mark Damon Heeley / Patrick Blow / Bernard Coomber / Phill Davison / Lost Railways
The Route
From From Heaton Lodge, 4 miles north east of Huddersfield,
on the Calder Valley Main Line to Stalybridge, via Bradley, Deighton, Huddersfield, Longwood & Milnsbridge, Golcar, Slaithwaite, Marsden & Diggle.

Lengths
Heaton Lodge to Huddersfield 4 miles.
Huddersfield to Stalybridge 17 3/4 miles.

Original Companies
The Heaton Lodge to Huddersfield section was built by the Huddersfield & Manchester Railway & Canal company. This company was formed after a refusal from the Manchester & Leeds Railway to build a branch line to Huddersfield from the Calder Valley mainline.

The section between  Huddersfield & Springwood junction was built jointly by the Manchester & Leeds Railway & the London & North Western Railway. This also included an agreement with the Huddersfield & Sheffield Junction Railway from Penistone to Springwood junction. Huddersfield station was also a joint M&L, LNWR venture.
On the 27th August 1846 the Huddersfield & Sheffield Junction Railway was taken over by the Manchester & Leeds railway company.

The section Between Springwood junction & Stalybridge was built by the Leeds Dewsbury & Manchester Railway. As part of the same scheme they also built the Mirfield to Leeds via Morley line, which opened on September 18th 1848.

On the 9th July 1847 the Manchester & Leeds Railway changed its name to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Also on the same date the Huddersfield & Manchester Railway & Canal company & the Leeds Dewsbury & Manchester Railway were incorporated into the London & North Western Railway.

Openings 
Heaton Lodge to Huddersfield 2nd August 1847.
Huddersfield to Stalybridge 1st August  1849.

Heaton lodge junction
Heaton lodge junction map 1908
Officially Heckmondwike & Heaton Lodge Junction.
Two short single bore tunnels, take the Leeds New Line under the L&Y Calder Valley main line, forming a flying junction.
Heaton Lodge Facing North (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 passenger at  Heaton Lodge joining onto the Calder Valley mainline, having passed underneath the flying junction.
More tracks & loco hauled passenger trains in those days.

Bradley station
Opened 03-08-1847. Closed 04-03-1950.
Bradley Station
Link to Railtour Photo's. Click here
LNWR boundary marker Bradley curve (17-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
LNWR boundary marker on the A62 at Colne Bridge.
Underneath this spot the Bradley Curve, opened originally in 1852, crosses the A62 in a short tunnel.

Red Doles
Red Doles facing east (c1980) : Lost Railways
The site of Red Doles junction, Fieldhouse bridge in the background, a 47 hauled passenger on its way to Huddersfield.
Way back in the 12th century this area was used for growing high quality grass by a method of flooding.
The "doles" were the shares of individual tenants marked out by stones & the word red is derived from "reed".
Red Doles facing West (c1980) : Lost Railways
The site of Red Doles junction Taken from Fieldhouse bridge, in the background on above photo, facing towards Huddersfield.
A picturesque 1980s photo of a 47 hauled passenger on its way to Leeds.
The Newtown goods track bed can be seen on the right. The bridge over Red Doles road is just visible in top left.

Huddersfield station
Opened 02-08-1847.
Huddersfield station map (1907)
Huddersfield station was a joint venture between the  Huddersfield & Manchester Railway & Canal Company, later taken over by the LNWR & the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.
Head of Steam (23-02-08) : Lost Railways
Left hand side, the original Lancashire & Yorkshire booking office.
The section of line between  Huddersfield & Springwood junction was built jointly by the L&Y & the LNWR.
Station Tavern (23-02-08) : Lost Railways
Right hand side, the original Huddersfield & Manchester Railway & Canal Company booking office.
Taken over by the London & North Western Railway on 9th July 1847. This company built the Huddersfield to Heaton Lodge section.
Huddersfield station cafe (2005) : Lost Railways
These waiting rooms were built around 1880 when the station was enlarged, with this new island platform & an overall roof.
Thankfully the buildings have been done up a bit recently, not many wooden ones left now.
Huddersfield Station (1983) : Mark Damon Heeley
East bound 47 hauled passenger stands on a moist platform 4.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
East bound 47 hauled passenger rolls along side a busy platform 4.
Huddersfield Station (1983) : Mark Damon Heeley
08172 shunter in the parcel bay area.
Huddersfield Station (1983) : Mark Damon Heeley
Bays at the east end of the station for stopping trains to Leeds & Wakefield.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same as above on a soggy Sunday evening.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
A poorly executed photo looking back towards the station from the end of platform 8.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
West bound 47 passenger awaits the whistle on platform 1.
47s were standard issue on this stretch back in the 80s.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
Multiple units parked up on the centre roads.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
47 west bound loading up with mail on platform 1.
Huddersfield Station (10-08-03) : Lost Railways
Clagging 47150 Freightliner  from Rail Day 10/08/03.
Notice widened platform 1 & no more centre roads.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
25 152 loitering on the sidings.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 east bound passenger approaching platform 8.
Huddersfield Station (c1980) : Lost Railways
Old friend.
Huddersfield Station Royal Scots Grey (24-02-08) : Lost Railways
55022, platform 1, return journey.
 

Huddersfield Goods warehouse
Goods warehouse facing north (2005) : Lost Railways
Taken from Huddersfield station. This massive building has been empty for as long as I can remember. Built in 1885 at a cost of £100,000, five storeys high & very strong, was the largest warehouse in the country at that date. Walls are red brick with blue brick bands. Window jambs are blue brick, with blue brick heads & sandstone Springer's. Wagon lift visible on the right.
Goods warehouse lift facing west (2005) : Lost Railways
The wagon lift taken from Huddersfield station. The warehouse was a joint L&Y & LNWR venture.
The 30 ton lift, supported on these fancy Doric columns, hauled complete wagons to the upper floors.
Goods warehouse lift facing west (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
The wagon lift taken from Huddersfield station platform 8.
Goods warehouse lift facing south (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
The view from Brunswick street.
Goods warehouse (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
Taken from New North Parade, window detail.
Goods warehouse (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
Taken from New North Parade, loading door detail.
Goods warehouse facing south (2005) : Lost Railways
Photographed from the former goods yard. The building was designed by the LNWR engineering department. Internally consists of an iron frame, giving the floors a load bearing capacity of 25 cwt a square yard. Wagons were hauled from this yard into the building, using a series of capstans. Wagon lift visible on the left.
Accumulator facing west (2005) : Lost Railways
The warehouse capstans & lifts were all powered hydraulically. To supply the power, this separate plant was built across the other side of the yard. It consisted of an engine house used to generate pressure in a massive hydraulic accumulator
(Big cylindrical tank of water) housed in that tower on the right.
Goods warehouse entrance (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
Next few shots taken on the St Georges Project open day.
Entrance driveway from New North Parade. Original cobbles re-laid down the sides there. Only just finished the day before.
Goods warehouse entrance plaque (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
Close up of the plaque to the left of the main doorway.
Goods warehouse interior (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
Reception area with nice re-laid wood block floor. Strong smell of creosote.
Goods warehouse interior (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
Blurb from the parties involved.
Goods warehouse interior (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
Staircase seems to go out onto the roof. My missus & the nice guide lady just visible, miles away, in the distance.
Goods warehouse interior (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
Due to the failing light could only manage some top floor shots, illuminated from the skylights. Massive floor area.
Goods warehouse interior third floor (24-04-11) : Lost Railways
Taken through one of the windows on New North Parade. Same level as the main entrance.
Goods warehouse interior HD1 office (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
The nice guide lady showed us upstairs of the office used by the HD1 company. Some tasty veneer & wood panelling, unfortunately all to be ripped out soon. The office is situated on the top part of the wagon lift. See next photo.
Goods warehouse wagon lift (28-02-08) : Lost Railways
HD1 offices & wagon lift. Huddersfield Platform 8 down on the right there.

Spring Wood Junction

Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
A 47 hauled passenger on its way to Liverpool Lime Street, emerges from the Second Huddersfield tunnel opened on 10th October 1886 during track widening & is about to enter Gledholt tunnel. Between 1881 & 1883 during track widening, the recovered stone from the cutting (between the two tunnels) was used to increase the width of the Huddersfield viaduct. The tracks veering off to the right are the L&Y Penistone line. The old building top right is my old school at Spring Grove. The footbridge I'm standing on was not completed until 1858 after disputes with the railway company going back to 1848. The tunnels & cutting through Springwood interrupted an ancient right of way from the top of the town to Paddock Foot. The railway company was required to have the footpath  made passable & to put up & maintain lights near to the rubbish & holes they had made. We used to call this place the Monkeys Neck. Don't know why.

Gledholt Junction

Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
A 47 hauled passenger on its way to Liverpool Lime Street having just left the short Gledholt tunnel.
Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
A 47 hauled passenger approaching Gledholt tunnel & Springwood junction. Remnants of a yard crane or something on the extreme left of the photo.
(see next photo's) The whole of the goods yard area has been redeveloped into industrial units.
Crane (03-07-11) : Lost Railways
Hard to get to nowadays, but remnants of the yard crane (see above photo) surrounded by flower beds & access roads.
Photographed from the other side of the tracks somewhere behind the 2nd carriage on the above photo.

Paddock

Class 47 Mail (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 hauled mail train heading west through Paddock cutting, opening the throttle in here sounds ace. Evidence of track widening along this section in 1887 on the right hand side under Church street. Paddock church visible in the background, the roof tiles are now missing .
Class 47 passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 hauled passenger heading west having emerged from Paddock cutting & passed under Clough lane. The incline is about 1 in 100 here.
Class 40 goods (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 40 hauled goods heading west having emerged from Paddock cutting & passed under Clough lane. Mixed freight I think.
Class 47 passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same view point as above, wider angle lens.
Class 25 mail (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same view point as above, long rake of vans for a 25, seems to be managing though.

Longwood & Milnsbridge

Opened 03-08-1847. Closed 05-10-1968.
Class 47 passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same foot bridge as above facing the other way. A couple of 47 hauled passengers coasting towards Huddersfield past the site of Longwood & Milnsbridge station. The station was closed on the 7th October 1968. The tracks have been re-laid since these photo's to smooth out the bend.
Peak & 40 passengers (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same as above with a Peak & a 40.
Duchess of Hamilton (c1980) : Lost Railways
LMS 4-6-2  No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton.
Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Class 47 passenger heading west over Milnsbridge viaduct.

Longwood Goods
Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
A west bound passenger under Scar lane bridge, making a bit of smoke for the camera.
The site of Longwood Goods was just beyond the bridge on the right.
Class 55 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Same place as above & hardly breaking a sweat the soon to be withdrawn 55003 Meld drones up the Colne valley with a Liverpool bound express. Always a surprise to see 55s on this line, although they did venture off their normal mainline duties as the HSTs took over. Meld was one of two loco's with white window surrounds, the other being 55012 Crepello. Meld worked up until Christmas 1980 & was cut up for scrap in March 1981.

Golcar

Opened 01-08-1849. Closed 05-10-1968.

Marsden
Opened 01-08-1849.
Marsden station facing west (04-03-06) : Patrick Blow
A special trip organised to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Leeds Liverpool line. A double header jobbie consisting -  in front, Black five No 45407 class 5 MT. Built in1934 for the L.M.S, weighing in at 72 tons.
Marsden station facing east (04-03-06) : Patrick Blow
Behind, a 1953 class 4 MT No 76079, weighing in at 69 tons, nice.

Standedge Tunnel
Note : (13-03-10) Mark Damon Heeley
In rail magazine number 638 there's an article about Leeds to Manchester upgrade this includes a proposal to open the single bore tunnels at Marsden.
This includes plans to put 4 tracks back up the Colne valley to Marsden and through to Diggle.
One of the single bores has steel reinforcing where the brickwork bulges in , it will be removed and repaired so trains can run again.
See Phill Davisons photo below - Central tunnel Supports (12-07-09)
They intend to run 6 semi fast services per hour , between Leeds and Manchester. Also to put a Manchester bound through line at Dewsbury.
Marsden : Bernard Coomber
A westbound freight at tunnel end Marsden about to enter the 3_ mile long tunnel.
Marsden : Bernard Coomber
The westbound freight again entering Standedge tunnel Marsden.
Class 47 Passenger (c1980) : Lost Railways
Smokey class 47 passenger exits the twin bore tunnel at Marsden heading towards Huddersfield.
The following are Extracts from Phill's Standedge exploration. See the full set on Phills Blog - http://blogs.myspace.com/

The South tunnel Diggle end (Nelson tunnel) constructed in 1871 (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
A very strange experience awaits!
Little did we know about the strong gusts of wind inside this tunnel, the vortex type air pressure and thick mist. We weren't expecting the strange blinking light that seemed to follow us. I've never seen the glow of daylight from a tunnel entrance switch on and off like it did in Standedge. Strange things were afoot-but there's more about those shenanigans later!
The South tunnel (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
Were now peering into the impending gloom from the entrance of the South tunnel. Three miles of a very long tunnel lie ahead. There is no sign of the other end 3 miles away!
Central tunnel (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
We were stood in the closed Central tunnel at this point. An oncoming train was under the hills. I was amazed at the air pressure effect it created. You could feel the strong wind blow down these adits a good minute before the train roared past in the live tunnel. A 'very lively' experience for sure!
Connecting Passage (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
This is a connecting passage between the central, and live railway tunnel. You could see the canal tunnel below by peering through the small gap at the side of the stairs. These passage were originally construction adits, they were dug down to the canal during the excavation of the rail tunnels. Construction spoil was then transported away by boat.
Air Shaft (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
This is at the base of the first open air shaft. These shafts were all between the central and live rail tunnels. Awesome amounts of water poured continually down these shafts. The sound of water emitting from deeper within was really quite loud at times. Heavy duty wooden props have been fitted at the base of this shaft. It reminded me of an old American Creek mine.
Side passage (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
A few side passages at the Marsden end were bare rock excavation. Some construction adits had been bricked up, others had been started and abandoned.
Air Shaft (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
This is at the base of the third open air shaft. Water again pours down this shaft like a power shower.
The bright orange is caused by iron contaminating the water.
Track workers 'bothy' (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
Inside the bothy we found an old fireplace complete with chimney stack. I've heard about these fire places in long tunnels before, but this is the first time i've ever seen one. Here track gangs working in the tunnel, would have been able to cook there bacon and eggs and have a brew.
Central tunnel Supports (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
The central tunnel had these supporting girders fitted near to the Marsden end.
Extensive work had been undertaken in the South tunnel to strengthen buckling walls also.
Portal Marsden end (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
The end is in sight at last! The welcome portal of daylight at the Marsden end awaits!
The mist in the tunnel had started to clear by this time, you can still see traces of it in the beam of the search light.
1871 South tunnel (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
One last shot looking up the tunnel before we reach daylight again. This is the 1871 South tunnel.
South tunnel portal (12-07-09) : Phill Davison
The It was good to get into the fresh air again, this is the portal for the South tunnel. It was raining hard when we got to Marsden.
I couldn't manage anymore external shots without getting rain on the lens. We had a sit down in the tunnel and took a well earned rest. Then we set off again for the very long 3 mile walk back through the tunnel.
Make sure to see the full set on Phills Blog - http://blogs.myspace.com/
We experienced some strange things down here, one phenomena we couldn't explain, was the strange flickering light we saw about 2 miles into the tunnel. At first we thought it was daylight at the far end. That was until it started to sway from side to side. We watched it for a bit before we decided it was coming towards us. It looked like someone was heading our way with a torch. We were a bit apprenshive about this. But we decided there were four of us, and one of 'it'

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