Pickle Bridge 1

Pickle Bridge Line
1881 - 1952
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Page: 1 of 2 [ 1 2 Next >> ]

Contributors: Graeme Bickerdike / Matt_uk / Mike Scargill / David Bradley

Pickle Bridge Line
Successor to the West Riding Union. Authorised 1865 amended 1873 Work started 1874.

The Route
From Anchor Pit Junction east of Brighouse (on the Manchester & Leeds Calder Valley main line)
To Pickle Bridge junction Near Wyke (on the Halifax Bradford line)

Length 3 3/4 Miles
Opening 1881
Closure 1952

Main Line Status The line gained mainline status in 1900, when a Bradford Exchange to Marylebone was routed this way.
The route then took it via Huddersfield & Penistone, a five hour journey. Known as The South Yorkshireman, it ran until 1960 (re-routed via Halifax).
A popular route in its day. In 1910 it carried 18 down & 20 up weekday passenger trains.

The Route Divided into a series of two maps following the route northwards from - Anchor Pit Junction Brighouse to Pickle Bridge Junction Wyke (north is up)
		You are here: Map 1 Anchor Pit junction Brighouse - Birkhouse

Map 1 Brighouse (Anchor pit Junction - Birkhouse)
Lancashire & Yorkshire line shown in blue (North is up)

Anchor Pit signal box (12-03-08) : David Bradley c/o Graeme Bickerdike
The old and rather ramshackled signal box from Anchor Pit Junction.
The remains are on private property, just a short distance from the box's original location.

Anchor Pit Junction facing East (25-10-03)
Taken from Woodhouse lane. (M62 in background) Anchor pit junction signal box was situated to the right of the multiple unit. The Pickle bridge line veered off to the left. From Anchor Pit junction the gradient over the first mile is about 1 in 60.

Footpath facing west (25-10-03)
Just behind the building on the left, I found this overgrown footpath, probably an iron deck bridge crossed here.

River Calder facing north west (29-08-05)
Photographed from my mates barge. Found this bit of bridge on the north embankment by accident.
This is the the only bit of evidence I've seen on the industrial estate.

Footpath Clifton facing West (25-10-03)
No evidence of bridges over Wakefield road.
The next thing we found was this bridge over a footpath, situated a few yards from Wakefield road.

Clifton Road Station Facing East (25-10-03)
Clifton Road Station -1st March 1881-14th September 1931 (Demolished 1934) The station was reached via Station road here on the left behind the gates. Took this photo from Clifton common road. The Viaduct crossing here was demolished in the 1970s.

Thornhills Beck facing North (23-11-03)
Followed the embankment north for a while came across this massive five arch viaduct spanning Thornhills Beck lane.
Still looks in good nick. This is the view from the embankment.

Thornhills Beck facing East (23-11-03)
View from down on Thornhills beck lane. Bit of repair work on the parapet.
Apparently someone jumped off this viaduct a while ago.

Thornhills Beck viaduct (09-10-06) Graeme Bickerdike website - http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/
Close-up of the masonry on Thornhills viaduct. It never ceases to amaze me how the Victorians dealt so elegantly with difficult structural problems such as a skew arch, and without any of the technological advantages of today’s engineers.

Thornhills Beck facing West (23-11-03)
Thornhills beck lane, Looking down toward Bradford road.

Bradford Road facing East (24-11-03)
The view from Bradford road across the valley.

Bridge (09-10-06) : Graeme Bickerdike
A fine accommodation bridge about 300 yards north of the viaduct.

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Maps & Photos © Graeme Bickerdike / David Bradley / Matt_uk / Mike Scargill / Lost Railways / Reproduction prohibited.