Meltham Branch

Meltham Branch
1869 - 1965
Lancashire & Yorkshire railway

See Railway Ramblers gazetteer
Kirklees : L&Y Meltham jn (Lockwood) - Meltham

Contributors: Andrew Stopford / Rob Lewis

The Route
From a junction the Huddersfield Penistone line just before the north end of Lockwood viaduct (GR133149) to Meltham, via Netherton & Healey House to the terminus at Meltham (GR100108).
The single platform station located in Station Road (B6107) was at a much higher level than the large goods yard.

Opening 5th July 1869

Closure   Passengers - 23rd May 1949
                         Freight - 5th April 1965

Huddersfield Examiner articles (17-11-07 & 03-04-08)

Meltham Junction (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Lockwood end of Lockwood Viaduct. The trees centre shot mark the junction for the Meltham Branch.

Meltham Junction (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Old guard rail along first few feet of the branch as it goes into Beaumont Park.

Beaumont Park (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Recess in retaining wall.

Beaumont Park (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
looking towards Meltham.

Beaumont Park (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Cutting through part of the park.

Beaumont Park (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Beaumont Park Halt: there was once a halt for passengers to use for Beaumont Park - I wonder if it was near here.
Note the big gates into the park through the bridge. (track went over the bridge)

Beaumont Park (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Beaumont Park Tunnel (North Portal).

Butternab (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Overbridge between Beaumont Park & Netherton.

Netherton (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Overbridge just before the southern portal of Netherton Tunnel.

Netherton (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
BRB marker for above bridge.

Netherton (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Netherton Tunnel (North Portal).

Netherton (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Netherton Tunnel (South Portal) - close as I could get.
You can just about make out a bit of the red bricked up tunnel mouth in the middle of the shot.

Healey House Tunnel (12-10-06) : Andrew Stopford
The south portal, very hard to reach, down a steep and muddy cutting side,
very wet at the bottom.

Healey House Tunnel (18-11-07) : Andrew Stopford
Slightly better view of Healey House Tunnel.

Healey House (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Abutment.

Healey House Station (18-11-07) : Andrew Stopford
The 'wilderness' shot is in fact the exact site of Healey House Station!

Netherton (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Occupation bridge - the parapet wall is cracked down the middle - you can just make this out.

Meltham station site (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Now Morrison's Supermarket. Abutement of sloping overbridge which came down from the town and crossed the track & platform.

Meltham (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
looking towards the station from the site of the goods yard (station was approx 200 yds after the yard).

Meltham station site (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
David Brown Tractors relic at goods yard site.

Meltham station site (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford

Goods yard site - concrete surface. This looks like a turntable of some sort. Any suggestions?

Note : (29-04-08) : Rob Lewis
According to my partners grandfather who worked at the David Brown plant this was a test track for David brown tractors.

Meltham station site (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Concrete occupation bridge about half a mile from station site - not original!

Meltham station site (30-09-06) : Andrew Stopford
Looking towards Meltham from bridge above.