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The Woodhead Route


Ramrig
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Freight via Huddersfield seems to be about 12-15 paths a day (both directions included), of which 6 are between midnight and 6am, and freight via Hebden Bridge about 35 paths a day of which 10 between midnight and 6am. How many on either route actually run regularly I've no idea.

 

 

 

 

Via Standedge and Huddersfield - very very little during the day time as the line is pretty much at capacity with generally 5 TransPennine Express and 1 Northern per hour in each direction.  There's currently nothing regular booked in daylight - only the occasional cement or Greater Manchester binliner but these run in Q paths.  Overnight there's a returning empty biomass from Drax to Liverpool.

 

Via Hebden Bridge - quite a lot currently, both daylight and overnight;

Biomass - loaded and empty returns - Liverpool/Drax. Typically 3/4 loaded and returns per day at the moment - GBRf

Binliner - loaded and empty returns - Knowsley/Wilton.  At least one per day, but paths exists for two - DB Cargo

Coal - Loaded and empty return - Redcar/Fiddlers Ferry.  Has generally operated daily in recent months, but is only a short term flow - Freightliner

Aggregate - Loaded and empty return - Arcow Quarry - Pendleton.  Currently once a week but has operated more frequently during the early part of 2017 - GBRf

Binliner - Loaded and empty return - Manchester Collyhurst Street - Roxby.  Has operated at least once a week since the start of the contract last Autumn - GBRf

Bitumen tanks - Loaded and return - Lindsey Oil Refinery - Preston Docks - Generally three times a week - Colas

 

There're a couple of others via Hebden Bridge but they're not so regular ;

finished steel from Sheffield to Liverpool - generally Friday Only - DB Cargo

steel scrap from Sheffield to Liverpool - as required - DB Cargo

 

HTH

Edited by 4630
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Is this the western aspect of which you enquire?

 

attachicon.gif1-MW-1205.jpg

 

Mike.

It is indeed Mike, thanks for posting this. I've already seen that (your?) pic and some similar ones. Also of the same elevation furthest away in the photo. The bit in the middle is the part I'm struggling with, ie how many windows and doors, and their layout. When the depot was active there were always locos stabled here, so they blocked the view.

I visited the depot in 1985 and do recall photographing this side with my rudimentary 110, but I've been at a loss as to where the prints are...

 

I'm sure I'll find them eventually (or something online), and thanks again.

Back to counting bricks for now!

 

Cheers

E3109

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Via Standedge and Huddersfield - very very little during the day time ...

 

Via Hebden Bridge - quite a lot currently, both daylight and overnight...

Thanks for that - even so, via Hebden Bridge that's not even one an hour in each direction, to slot between 4 an hour passenger trains, few of which are really expresses.

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Whilst regrettable the economics of the time simply didn't stack up. Every penny had and still has to be accounted for and savings made where appropriate. As others have previously mentioned the lines raison d'etre was dying out in sync with heavy industry across the country and whatever the justification of the time I believe the trackbed was earmarked for the M67 motorway and tunnels an all weather road. This obviously never came to fruition and with hindsight the closure and dismantling short sighted. As an aside I once worked with an engineer who at one time was responsible for the route who claimed it only required minimal maintenance and the claims that the equipment were life expired was nonsense - 'It looked after itself' were his exact words...

Edited by Jim76
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Without wanting to take discussion away from the title and purpose of the thread, the issue for freight (and passenger for that matter) via Standedge and Hebden Bridge is not those separate lines themselves.

 

The bottleneck is the current three track configuration between Heaton Lodge East Junction at Mirfield and Thornhill LNW Junction at Ravensthorpe. This short section of line, barely one mile in length, handles all the traffic, freight and passenger, that's routed via either Standedge or Hebden Bridge, in addition to the other Northern and Grand Central services destined for Bradford Interchange that branch off the L&Y Hebden Bridge route at Greetland Junction.

Edited by 4630
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e3109 the disused stations website has a good photo of the western side at the entrance end so with all the other photos on the web you get a good count and where there are doors ect

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/r/reddish_depot/index17.shtml

 

 

also in this photo you can see there are doors below some windows and what looks like one full height door near to the second overhead support

 

http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7017/6652113247_49ed6a3fab.jpg

Edited by roy h
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i also wanted to model this collected a lot of photos even got a measurement of one of the old bricks as i live very close by to where the depot was and went hunting one day. but lost all information i had when my old computer went down just never got round to it again. good luck with the counting.

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Absolutely belting shots sir. They've provided quite a few extra details for me too, so I thank you for that.

Incidentally it's interesting to see a Peak on the depot, I don't think they were particularly common at Reddish.

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I've been recently scanning my old negs' and i've found more yet to scan Reddish stuff, so i must have made at least four trips back then and not the two i  first thought! :pardon:  Hopefully i can sort them all out soon, most of my pics' are only fit for research & modeling purposes only anyway and i don't mind sharing them. :jester: The peak was a shock to me that day as well, i once saw a class 82 or was it an 84 in the shed and have a pic' of it somewhere around here. 

Edited by Owd Bob
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These are some of my pictures showing some of the depot fabric and hopefully of interest and use.

 

These first three are from 28th June 1980.

 

post-17368-0-09829200-1515246056_thumb.jpg

 

post-17368-0-05138500-1515246132_thumb.jpg

 

post-17368-0-08970100-1515246341_thumb.jpg

 

The second three are from 19th July 1981, the day after closure of course.

 

post-17368-0-76142200-1515246447_thumb.jpg

 

post-17368-0-71367300-1515246579_thumb.jpg

 

post-17368-0-82140500-1515246673_thumb.jpg

 

 

Best, Simon

 

 

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Nice one Simon. Very much appreciated.

Quality username, by the way!

Interesting to note that 76052 still has roller bearings under it. I think only ten or a dozen locos were fitted with these. ISTR it was originally the latter ones such as '52. that had them from new.

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I have just been lent a slide scanner, and have started scanning my slides. There are a few of a visit to Guide Bridge and Reddish, more to follow when I get the time.

 

post-89-0-77620000-1516652278_thumb.jpg

 

Guide Bridge

 

October 1981, I think, but may have been as early as August.

 

post-89-0-15998100-1516652321_thumb.jpg

 

This view has probably been photographed by many, but I was a bit moved by all of the 76's laid up, after the great switch off.

 

post-89-0-81158700-1516652442_thumb.jpg

 

Reddish Depot, same day. Just look at the gloss.

 

post-89-0-03433000-1516652482_thumb.jpg

 

Even though Woodhead had been switched off, the Hadfield/glossop emu's were still running.

 

Looking very smart,at least from the outside.

 

More to follow.

 

Regards

 

Ian

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Only recently discovered there used to be a signal box in the middle of Woodhead tunnel to break up the section and increase traffic, this must have been a God-forsaken place to work, apparently closed due to lack of applicants to work there, you don't say! would have been a good place to put signallers by way of punishment for any faux pas recently committed.

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Only recently discovered there used to be a signal box in the middle of Woodhead tunnel to break up the section and increase traffic, this must have been a God-forsaken place to work, apparently closed due to lack of applicants to work there, you don't say! would have been a good place to put signallers by way of punishment for any faux pas recently committed.

 

I walked the new tunnel a couple of times after closure, now I know what the little room we found was for! It's a long time ago now but I seem to recall that it was nearer the Dunford Bridge end. Also not commonly known is that there were some vent shafts in the new tunnel, three I think, again towards the Eastern portal.

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I walked the new tunnel a couple of times after closure, now I know what the little room we found was for! It's a long time ago now but I seem to recall that it was nearer the Dunford Bridge end. Also not commonly known is that there were some vent shafts in the new tunnel, three I think, again towards the Eastern portal.

That wasn't the signal box, the signalbox was in the old tunnels - it closed because of the working conditions from all the smoke.

 

It was long abandoned by the time electrification came.

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That wasn't the signal box, the signalbox was in the old tunnels - it closed because of the working conditions from all the smoke.

 

It was long abandoned by the time electrification came.

There was originally a place to be used for a mess room during maintenance work IIRC.

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Well I was at the NRM earlier, visited the archive dept. The staff there were absolutely first class, and extremely helpful.

 

The little building at the Hyde Rd/Gorton/Fairfield end of the shed was indeed, as I suspected, labelled as a sand tower/dryer on the blueprints.

 

Incidentally I'm distinctly unimpressed that 26020's pans are bent, looks as though they were left raised during shunting operations.

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