|
The Queensbury Lines: |
|
|
|
Contributors: Des Phillips
/ Paul Holroyd/ Graeme Bickerdike /
Nigel Callaghan / Dave Walbank |
Queensbury to Keighley
The Route
From Queensbury to Keighley via Thornton,
Denholme, Wilsden, Cullingworth & Ingrow.
Openings
14th October 1878 Bradford to Thornton.
see Queensbury - Bradford
1st September 1882 Thornton to Denholme.
1st April 1884 Thornton to Keighley Goods.
7th April 1884 Thornton to Ingrow passenger.
1st November 1884 Thornton to Keighley passenger.
Closures
May 1956 Cullingworth & Ingrow section.
1963 Cullingworth
1965 Thornton & Ingrow.
The Halifax Thornton & Keighley Railway
September 1st 1882 a single track goods line opened as far
as Denholme.
The first passengers were on the 1st January 1884.
The Line opened to Keighley goods depot on 1st April 1884.
The junction with the Midland railway was not complete & as an
interim measure, from Monday 7th of April1884, eight passenger
trains per day were extended to Ingrow.
Finally on 1st November 1884 the Great Northern served Keighley with
18 departures per day.
A station opened at Wilsden on 1st July 1886,
even though the line is about two miles away from the town centre.
|
|
_small.jpg)  Queensbury
north junction
Keighley side facing north c1950
/ 21-08-05
Before & after. (c1950s Nigel
Callaghan) & 2005.
The start of the route, the north junction at
Queensbury station, |
_small.jpg) Brow
lane bridge facing east
21-08-05
The Keighley side crossing Brow lane
(Originally Brook lane)
Nice solid stone bridge in good fettle.
see map Queensbury station |
Thornton Viaduct
 Thornton Viaduct (June 1988
Des
Phillips)
Thornton railway station was situated at the top
of a deep valley and was reached from Queensbury
via this massive 20 arch viaduct, a listed structure soon to be reopened
as a public footpath, nice. |
 Thornton Viaduct (June 1988
Des
Phillips)
The listed Buildings descriptive text describes it
thus: Thornton Viaduct, Alderscholes Lane - Grade II listed,
"one of a
spectacular series c1876-78. A finely proportioned structure of
sandstone 'brick' with 20 arches in slender tapering piers supporting
the bed of the former railway. " |
 Thornton Viaduct (June 1988
Des
Phillips)
"Very thin ashlar strings; capping piers at spring
of arches; flat band below the parapet.
The viaduct makes a most impressive contribution to the landscape of the
valley below Thornton." |
 Thornton Viaduct (June 1988
Des
Phillips)
The section of line between Bradford & Keighley is said to be the most
engineered stretch of railway
in West Yorkshire.
For loads more visit
The
Great Northern Railway Trail |
 Thornton
lamp (15-02-06 Paul
Holroyd)
A survivor from Thornton on the GNR - preserved at the private Hall
Cross Museum. |
 Thornton-1
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
website - http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/
I can think of few viaducts which are more impressive than Thornton,
with its S-shaped curve.
This is the view looking south, showing its
east side. |
 Thornton-2
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
At its tallest point, the structure stands 117
feet above the stream. It looks in immaculate condition,
possibly thanks
to the money spent on it recently as part of the Great Northern Trail
scheme. |
 Well
Heads tunnel
Wellheads-1
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
Beyond the viaduct, the line turns west before
heading north-east again up a deep cutting to Well Heads tunnel.
|
 Wellheads-2
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
The southern portal is bricked up, with hefty
steel access gates. Constructed between 1878-1881, the tunnel boasts a
vaulted stone roof but no air shafts. It's possible that the trail will
eventually pass through it. |
 Wellheads-3(29-04-07)
: Graeme Bickerdike
For that to happen, Well Heads' northern end will
have to be excavated and cleared of an assortment of clutter. When
built, the tunnel was 662 yards long but, according to a Jarvis Rail
report from 1998, the northern portal has been removed and this accounts
for the bore being 40 yards shorter today. |
 Wellheads-4
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
A long, straight approach cutting takes the trackbed towards
Denholme tunnel. |
Denholme tunnel
 Denholme-1
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
It crosses a narrow valley on an embankment. The
Great Northern Railway thoughtfully provided this elegant bridge for the
local farmer. Running beneath it in a culvert is the stream which
babbles down through the fields. |
 Denholme-2
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
A distant view of Denholme tunnel's south end with a solitary
railway fence post in the foreground. |
 Denholme-3
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
The south portal's apparently low profile is due
to 4 feet of infill (or landslip) which is now a bog.
The tunnel itself
is not long - a little over 150 yards. |
 Denholme-4
(29-04-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
Trains emerged at the northern end into Denholme station, the
site of which is now a timber yard. Beyond it, Doe Park tunnel welcomed
trains shortly after they'd departed to Keighley. |
Hewenden Viaduct
 Hewenden Viaduct (June 1988
Des Phillips)
Hewenden Viaduct is a Grade II listed structure.
It crosses Hewenden Beck at about 270 metres above sea level the
stone was quarried locally. |
 Hewenden Viaduct (June 1988
Des Phillips)
Situated near Cullingworth on the same stretch of
line as Thornton vaiduct.
Hewenden viaduct, now open to the public &
forms part of the Great Northern Trail. |
 Hewenden Viaduct (June 1988
Des Phillips)
The first section of the trail runs from Cullingworth to Harecroft.
Eventually the new Great Northern trail will cover a distance
of 10 kilometres
between Queensbury and Cullingworth. |
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd)
website - http://www.ingrowrailwaycentre.co.uk
GN trail Heweden Viaduct 17 arches 376
yards long 123 feet high 29 may 2005 |
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd)
GN trail Hewenden Viaduct 29 may 2005 |
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd)
|
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd) |
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd) |
 Heweden
Viaduct (29-05-05 Paul
Holroyd)
|
 Heweden
Viaduct (09/2004) : David Taylor.
Another of Hewenden Viaduct taken from near the
site of Wilsden Station,
which incidentally was about two miles from Wilsden village. |
The Great Northern Trail
website - The
Great Northern Railway Trail
 Great
Northern Trail Wilsden station (29-05-05) Paul Holroyd
website -
http://www.ingrowrailwaycentre.co.uk
Taken along the first stretch of the Great
Northern Trail, between Cullingworth and the site of Wilsden station
29 May 2005. (following the route backwards heading north Wilsden -
Cullingworth)
The current end of the trail at the site of Wilsden
station |
 Great
Northern Trail (29-05-05) (Paul Holroyd)
Between Cullingworth & Wilsden 29 may 2005 |
 Great
Northern Trail (29-05-05) (Paul Holroyd)
Between Cullingworth & Hewenden viaduct 29 may 2005 |
 Great
Northern Trail (29-05-05) (Paul Holroyd)
Between Cullingworth & Hewenden viaduct 29 may
2005 |
 Great
Northern Trail (29-05-05) (Paul Holroyd)
GN trail demolished bridge between Cullingworth and Wilsden 29 may 2005 |
 Cullingworth
viaduct
Cullingworth Viaduct
(02/2004) : David Taylor
Section of Cullingworth Viaduct which is largely obscured by houses. |
 Cullingworth viaduct (29-05-05)
(Paul
Holroyd)
GN trail Cullingworth viaduct 29 may 2005 |
 Cullingworth viaduct (29-05-05) (Paul
Holroyd)
GN trail Cullingworth viaduct 29 may 2005 |
 Great
Northern Trail Cullingworth (29-05-05) (Paul Holroyd)
The start of the trail at Cullingworth. |
Lees Moor tunnel
 Lees
Moor
tunnel eastern portal (Graeme Bickerdike)
website - http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/
The eastern
approach cutting to Barcroft tunnel (on the Queensbury-Keighley route)
has been Landscaped, almost up to the portal.
see also homeless Known by drivers
as ‘the hell hole’. When heading from Keighley, trains entered the
tunnel in a southerly direction but exited, 1,533 yards later, traveling east. |
 Leesmoor
-1 (23-11-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
The northern portal is obscured by a stone and
corrugated metal porch. |
 Leesmoor
-2 (23-11-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
Around its edge are the characteristic rounded stones which feature on
the line's other portals. |
 Leesmoor
-3 (23-11-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
Polythene sheeting has been slung beneath the western side of the tunnel
to protect parked caravans from water ingress. |
 Leesmoor
-4 (23-11-07) : Graeme Bickerdike
It's possible to drive to the eastern end and there are caravans parked
almost all the way through. As you can tell from this shabby picture,
thick mist hangs in the tunnel thanks to the large volume of water which
permeates the lining. Despite its length, the tunnel has no ventilation
shafts. |
 Lees
Moor tunnel northern portal
April 2006 :
Paul Holroyd
website -
http://www.ingrowrailwaycentre.co.uk
The northern entrance to Lees Moor Tunnel, on the
GNR line between Ingrow EAST and Cullingworth.
The tunnel is used as a store by the Bronte Caravan Park. |
 Lees
Moor tunnel northern portal
April 2006 (Paul
Holroyd)
GNR Lees Moor Tunnel
Wider view. |
 Lees
Moor tunnel northern portal
trackbed April 2006 (Paul
Holroyd)
GNR Trackbead approaching Lees Moor
tunnel. |
Keighley
 Keighley
Station (n.d) : Dave Walbank
Keighley station yard. |
 Keighley
sheds (1952) : Dave Walbank
I've found the picture of keighley sheds taken in 1952. |
 Keighley
sheds (n.d) : Dave Walbank
Keighley shed as it was starting to be demolished. |
_small.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
