Sheffield Dive Under

[NorthEndCab]

Hi, I’ve noticed over the past few days that NR have been demolishing the wall that would have run along the top of Sheffield stations dive-under that ran alongside the Down Main going into Sheffield. (Along the back of B&Q on Queens Rd for anyone who knows the area)
 

I know the dive under was filled in some time ago but the North end remains in use as Northerns carriage wash spur from their depot in the station. 

 

I did hear a messroom rumour about the dive under being brought back into use, but we all know about the veracity of messroom rumours. 
 

I was also wondering if anyone knew what services particularly used it, or if anyone has any memories of travelling on it?

 

It appears 8 minutes into this video, which is well worth a watch, although it’s astounding how much railway infrastructure has been lost. It’s what would have been the top of the wall on the right of the photo that’s been demolished. 
 

https://youtu.be/FZ_LWvQeDBE

Edited June 25, 2020 by NorthEndCab
Spelling

[Enterprisingwestern]

10 hours ago, NorthEndCab said:

I was also wondering if anyone knew what services particularly used it, or if anyone has any memories of travelling on it?

 

In my period of interest (late 60's/ early 70's) all St Pancras terminators and through NE - SW trains used it to obtain access to platforms 1,2 and 5 as Sheffield Midland only had platform 5 as a bi directional in those days.

The theory of the dive under was to save complicated pointwork and line obstruction at the southern approaches. As a by product, time was also saved by not having to slow down too much to navigate pointwork, a point proved when I was on a late running St P to Sheffield train, which, in order to make up time, was under power all the way down the hill from Bradway tunnel, only shutting off upon reaching Havelock Bridge and then throwing out the anchors on the approach to the dive under, the smell and the noise were phenomenal and I could feel the heat of the peaks brakes when I went down to the loco on platform 1.

 

Mike.

 

Mike.

 

[Derek 19B]

As above ,just going to post the platform info. think I've been one trains that you were driving.supprised some managed to stop.

Derek 19B

 

[great central]

4 hours ago, Derek 19B said:

As above ,just going to post the platform info. think I've been one trains that you were driving.supprised some managed to stop.

Derek 19B

 

 

Proper running brake test carried out well before the brakes were needed!

[John-Miles]

I was born and raised in Chesterfield (in 1950) so we caught the train to Sheffield and beyond many times. I don't ever remember catching a stopper, so I have no idea what they did but my memory is that all the trains from the south used the dive under. They ran down the eastern set of lines from Dore & Totley and so the dive under avoided them having to cross the other pair of lines. It seemed rather strange at the time going through the dive under because as a boy I had no idea about conflicting moves etc.

[Poor Old Bruce]

Once upon a time there were four tracks from Dore into Sheffield, two 'fast' lines from Derby and Chesterfield plus two 'Slow' lines from the Hope Valley. The dive-under was built, as John says above, to get the Down Fast line to run into Platform 1 without conflicting with other movements on the level. Track layout changes in the 1960s or 70s reduced the number of tracks and effectively moved the Chesterfield/Hope Valley junction to just north of Dore making the dive-under unnecessary.