Pickle Bridge 2

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

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 2 Birkhouse to Wyke & Norwood Green

Map 2 Wyke (Birkhouse to Wyke & Norwood Green)
Lancashire & Yorkshire line shown in blue (North is up)

Footpath Low lane facing East (24-11-03)
Situated at the end of Low lane Funny little bridge thing, don't really know what it is.

Birkhouse road facing East (24-11-03)
Solid stone arch bridge over Birkhouse road. Still in good fettle.

Bailiff Bridge station -1st March 1881 -1917 (burned down 1929)
Bailiff bridge Station (c1900) : Steven Wild
I recently met with some local residents and they have supplied me with an image which I imagine started life as a postcard
of the old Bailiff Bridge station.

Birkby lane facing West (24-11-03)
Panoramic view down Birkby lane, facing towards Bailiff bridge. A few runaway vehicles down here in the past. Another solid stone bridge crossing Birkby lane. Bailiff bridge station was to the left where those green sheds are. Just to the left of the sheds, remnants of the tiled subway are visible (close up next photo)

Bailiff bridge Station facing South (24-11-03)
Buildings & platforms were of wooden construction. The platforms were reached via this tiled subway from the booking office at road level. The station gained mainline status in 1900, when a Bradford Exchange to Marylebone was routed this way.

Whitwood lane facing East (24-11-03)
Brick arch on this narrow bridge crossing Whitwood lane. Behind me the scenery has changed a lot recently, loads of mills demolished.

Lower Wyke lane facing West (24-11-03)
Remnants of a bridge crossing Lower Wyke lane. To right of photo, houses have been built on part of the route.

Footbridge Mayfield gv facing South (28-03-04)
Picked up the route again at the other side of the houses towards the A641 Huddersfield road.
Foot bridge used as a garden wall. From here the track bed is easy to follow right up to Huddersfield road where I nearly fell off.

Huddersfield Road North (28-03-04)
Bradford road crossing. Probably an iron deck. Wyke viaduct is visible to the left of photo.

Wyke Viaduct
Wike viaduct 1970s : Matt_uk
This photo was taken in the 70s and formed part of a black & white postcard to show
Bailiff Bridge and the surrounding areas. Originally 22 arch, 270 yards long.

Wyke viaduct facing East on A58 (28-03-04)
The reason for the sharp curve & viaduct, was due to a failure to buy land on the original route.
The viaduct has always been affected by subsidence & by 1947 trains were gradually re- routed via Halifax or Heckmondwike. The condition of the viaduct by 1952 contributed, to the lines complete closure.
In 1986 B.R seeked listed building consent to completely demolish it.
The northern end has been missing for as long as I can remember. Looks to have been tidied up recently.

Note : Mike Scargill (19-06-06)
I was looking at your photo of the half remaining viaduct, crossing the A58 Halifax road. You say you cannot remember the viaduct except as it is. Well, you are correct about the structural problems, and in the 1970s , as you looked at is, some of the arches, I believe about 3, were very obviously nipped in the centre, due to the foundations moving. Eventually this caused some of the (Parapet?) stone to fall, and due to local pressure, this part of the viaduct was demolished, leaving it as it is now. I recall it was reported in the local press.

Demolition of Wyke viaduct
1 Demolition of Wyke viaduct 1970s : Matt_uk
A series of 7 photos from the day of demolition.
I can't remember the exact date (still trying to dig up the newspaper clipping) but I was around 7 years old at the time. We stood in the field (as you'll see) and the shockwave was enough to throw us back.
First photo is of the temporary hut made for the demolition team.
Behind is the banking that joined on to the north end of the viaduct.

2 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
Shows the old part of the viaduct joined onto the banking.

3 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
The view from Whitehall Road.
The police (pictured here) moved people well back from the point they are stood there, when it was blasted.

4 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
A nice shot, just before they moved us back to the field behind the road.

5 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
Quite possibly the last photo that exists of the entire viaduct... it was literally half a second before it was blasted

6 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
... well need I say more?!

7 Demolition of Wyke viaduct : Matt_uk
The aftermath. The remaining part of the viaduct that you see standing did not fall in the blast.
They actually came back a few weeks after and blew that up (without telling anyone, I might add!)

Embankment facing North (28-03-04)
The viaduct met the embankment here.

Embankment facing East (28-03-04)
This view shows the missing section of viaduct.

Footbridge N East (28-03-04)
Taken from a footbridge over the Halifax - Bradford line (see Map & photo 14)
facing toward Wyke & Norwood Green station.
The Pickle Bridge line branched off to the right (at the point where the sun goes into shadow, spooky)

Junction House facing East (28-03-04)

Junction House (Pickle Bridge station) -17 August 1850
1852 Renamed Wyke Station : 1896 Moved to Wyke & Norwood Green
Don't know much about this building, apparently it was the original Pickle bridge station,
situated next to the junction.

Junction House facing S West (28-03-04)
View from Station road. Junction House visible on the right.
Footbridge in the distance.

Wyke & Norwood Green North (28-03-04)

Wyke & Norwood Green -1896 -September 1953
Stone buildings & platforms, access from Station road. From old photos I've seen it looks as though the booking office was situated at road level directly above the tracks. Behind was a covered footbridge leading down to both platforms.