Leeds New Line 5

Heaton Lodge - Farnley Junction (Leeds New Line)
1900 - 1965
London & North Western Railway Page: 5 of 6 [ <<Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >> ]

Contributors: K Evans / Andrew Stopford

The route Divided into a series of six maps following the route northwards from Heaton Lodge junction Huddersfield to Farnley junction Leeds (north is up)
	You are here: Map 5 Gildersome Oakwell Hall - Gildersome Spur industrial estate

Map 5 Gildersome (Oakwell Hall - Gildersome Spur industrial estate)
L.N.W.R Leeds New Line shown in red Great Northern Line shown in Yellow (North is up)

Field Head lane facing East : K Evans
The same train from previous page - Warren lane bridge approaching the 3 arch viaduct that carries Fieldhead Lane.
The deep cutting was filled in circa 1992/4.

Field Head lane facing East (25-05-03)

Same bridge in 03. The line originally travelled through a deep cutting, at a gradient of 1 in 80, to reach here.
The section between Field Head lane & Raikes lane was cut through solid rock (contractors Baldry & Yerburgh)
Looking towards Birstall station, Field Head lane bridge is across the middle of the photo. Consisted of three arches
& was built from those blue engineering bricks. How much land fill am I stood on here? See previous photo.

Field Head lane (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Fieldhead Lane overbridge - building work commencing from here in the already infilled cutting eastwards to the Raikes Road overbridge. Bridge parapet breached for access.

Field Head lane (24-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Intact west parapet

Raikes lane bridge facing West (26-05-03)
Looking back to where I was just stood, (previous photo). Someone's made a tasty job of bricking up this archway.
Raikes lane bridge is made of stone & to the same design as the bridges around Heckmondwike.

Birstall station facing East (26-05-03)
The view from Raikes lane looking down on the goods yard & station.
Birstall Town signal box was down on the right, about where that tree is. (see Birstall station map).

Upper Birstall station map 1908 (Re-named Birstall town in1935)

Upper Birstall - 1st October 1900 - 1st August 1951 The line reaches its highest point at Birstall station, all downhill from here. The station buildings & platforms were of timber construction, with a subway.
Passenger access from Gelderd road was via timber staircase with a corrugated iron roof.
The subway entrance was about half way up the staircase. (see next photo)

Gelderd Road facing West (26-05-03)
Upper Birstall station just visible behind the trees, to the left of photo, half way up the wall, is a bricked up passenger subway. (fuel for thought my arse.)

Moat Hill Farm drive facing East (26-05-03)
Moat Hill Farm drive bridge, taken from within, what was a cutting, facing towards Leeds. (see main map).
Built from blue engineering brick. Visible on the left is the top of one of its three arches.
Must be a lot of landfill under this bridge.

Nab lane facing North (26-05-03)
I expected to see some action at this point, where the Great Northern line crossed the new line on a steel bridge.
No, just loads of landscaping & trees, so I took this boring picture of Nab lane.

Nab Lane (07-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Overbridge from the infilled track (complete with silver birch forest!)

Nab Lane (07-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Overbridge - top of arch just visible.

Trackbed (07-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Trackbed looking towards Nab Lane.

Trackbed (07-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
On the trackbed looking towards Gildersome.

Trackbed (07-12-07) : Andrew Stopford
Trackbed between Nab Lane & Gildersome Tunnel (tunnel is to left).

Gildersome tunnel 1 mile 579 yards.
Gildersome tunnel West end SE242277 (1985) : K Evans
This photo taken from behind the Showcase cinema (see main map) shows the bricked up portal in 1985.

Gildersome tunnel West end SE242277 (1985) : K Evans
Wider view.
The line travelled through here at a gradient of 1 in 70, 175 feet below ground at its deepest point.
Built of blue engineering brick throughout with stone portals & contained 139 tablets, set into the tunnel walls.

Gildersome tunnel West end SE242277 (1985) : K Evans
Wider view.

Gradient marker (1985) : K Evans
Gradient marker about 1/4 mile from tunnel mouth

Vent Gildersome Spur facing South SE247283 (30-05-03)
Originally the tunnel had 3 vent shafts, the one at the Birstall end was capped early on (see next page).
This vent on Gildersome spur industrial estate is still intact & looks to be in good nick.