The Woodhead Route

[Jim76]

On 28/06/2021 at 17:51, 62613 said:

I have seen, in a magazine, a diagram which shows electrification round the Fairfield Loop into Manchester Central. The same magazine article mentioned hopes to electrify down the CLC to Liverpool Central. The 1955 Ian Allen Locoshed book has EM2 numbers up to 27026.

 

But of course, 1.5kV d.c. electrification was doomed after the visit of the BR delegation to SNCF in 1956(?) to view their latest developments.

@62613 What magazine was that? in addition does anyone know whether the plan to electrify to Manchester Central would include all the platform roads or just some?

Edited August 11, 2021 by Jim76

[62613]

5 hours ago, Jim76 said:

@62613 What magazine was that? in addition does anyone know whether the plan to electrify to Manchester Central would include all the platform roads or just some?

An early edition of Backtrack, IIRC

[Johann Marsbar]

5 hours ago, Jim76 said:

@62613 What magazine was that? in addition does anyone know whether the plan to electrify to Manchester Central would include all the platform roads or just some?

It's mentioned in the Foxline book Woodhead - The Electric Railway as well, as it was part of the original 1936 scheme. There is a pre-war Metro-Vick advert reproduced in there as well which shows the line to Central on the route map of the scheme.

[Jim76]

Thanks does anyone have any detailed plans for the electrification to M'cr Central & Trafford Park?

[woodenhead]

I've never seen any detailed plans, the route from Reddish to Trafford Park and Central was Phase 4 of the electrification.

 

It covered the sidings at Trafford Park and would have included a number of double ended sidings for traction changes to take place, it would have also covered all of Central though the scheme would not have removed all steam traction at the station as CLC services would have remained steam unless a further extension to Liverpool/Chester had been sanctioned later on.

[eastworld]

Folks,

 

I thought I knew the Woodhead Route quite well but I've just spotted a group of sidings on an old map that I don't remember seeing before, and I wondered what their purpose was. North side of the line to the west of Hazlehead, on a map they are almost directly south of Carlecotes. According to NLS there even seems to have been a turntable there. What were they for and when did they close?

 

Stu

[PaulCheffus]

26 minutes ago, eastworld said:

Folks,

 

I thought I knew the Woodhead Route quite well but I've just spotted a group of sidings on an old map that I don't remember seeing before, and I wondered what their purpose was. North side of the line to the west of Hazlehead, on a map they are almost directly south of Carlecotes. According to NLS there even seems to have been a turntable there. What were they for and when did they close?

 

Stu

Hi

 

Are they the sidings at Dunford East?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[woodenhead]

42 minutes ago, eastworld said:

Folks,

 

I thought I knew the Woodhead Route quite well but I've just spotted a group of sidings on an old map that I don't remember seeing before, and I wondered what their purpose was. North side of the line to the west of Hazlehead, on a map they are almost directly south of Carlecotes. According to NLS there even seems to have been a turntable there. What were they for and when did they close?

 

Stu

Dunford East sidings - originally to remarshal trains of empty coal wagons returning to the collieries in Yorkshire once no longer needed for that purpose the location became a dump for spoil and then taking out of use in the 1970s.

 

Dunford East signal box was a very remote place, not seen any pictures except those by people who worked in the location or through it, there is a signalman who has a flickr site Keith Long

 

Arnie Furness is another who had a few shots - from his brakevan, this looks cold, even colder for the guard.  You can just make out the severed exit from the sidings behind the box, the main line is now plain tracked but the remaining sidings had not been lifted.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by woodenhead

[eastworld]

Thanks - that would be it.

 

Stu

[woodenhead]

39 minutes ago, eastworld said:

Thanks - that would be it.

 

Stu

It has fascinated me too, like you I first saw reference to the sidings in a track plan of the route and had never heard of it myself until I was in my forties.

 

I am guessing it's remoteness stopped most people venturing up there to take images, Dunford was remote enough and then to walk out and cross fields to get to the sidings was something not many people bothered with.

 

They were closed in 1955 when the majority of the sidings were recovered leaving a couple of tracks in situ for early traction changeovers when the line was not fully electrified, once full electrification came there was no need for a traction changeover and the loops were redundant until used for spoil.  Unlike Mottram which was for splitting trains for destinations, Dunford was for remarshalling of trains for specific collieries which probably became a lot simpler at Nationalisation with common user wagons rather than private owner.

 

There is an image of the track and signals that controlled entry to the yard in the Foxline Woodhead #2 (page 157) from the steam period before the tracks were swept away.

 

Looking at old maps, the only proper path that led to the sidings and got over the River Don that ran between the sidings and the fields went under the tracks - and the area marked in purple where the under pass came back is still extent today - so this would have been a farmer's right of way for moving livestock.

Edited December 15, 2022 by woodenhead

[62613]

There was a line from the vicinity of Hazlehead station to the Hepworth pipes factory. Could the sidinga mentioned have something to do with that

[mac1960]

I think the sidings were a small hump yard for sorting East bound coal traffic. There were similar sidings at Mytholmroyd on Calder valley route doing the same job, and shut about the same time. Noyt sure when the route up to Hepworth iron works shut but I think that was a private line with a link closer to Hazelhead. My Grandfather used to occasionally take steam trains over there pre electrification and always claimed in bad snow it was the "Devils own job " to see the distant signal in that location , why I do not know, and sadly never will. 

[woodenhead]