D2200 Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 I’ve always been fascinated by the Woodhead route even though I’m too young to remember it, after scrolling through Flickr for hours looking at photos, I’ve always wondered why br took so long to dismantle the route? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traintresta Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 Perhaps it was reluctance? Or at least that is what I'd like to think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim76 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I understand there was an agreement in place with the union(s) that a single track would be left in place for 5 years. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 (edited) By 1988 the track on the ER side only went as far as Penistone Goods, there had been a plan to leave a Speedlink siding there for Hepworth Iron Co but there was no grant funding available for it. The last few lengths of CWR came out in spring 88. A Peak arrived shortly afterwards with 30 Tubes for the recovered sleepers, after loading they stayed rather longer than intended after the locals helped themselves to most of the bearings ! The gent on the left is Barry Roberts, a lovely man who was very sadly killed on a relaying job at Aldwarke Jcn some time after I took this. Edited July 13, 2020 by Wheatley 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Jim76 is correct, nothing to do with bureaucratic inefficiency. The wires came down immediately after closure (although the gantries remained on the still-operational stretches until it was convenient to remove them), the Worsbrough branch was lifted almost immediately, and once the 5 year agreement had expired the rest of the main line was dismantled fairly promptly . Penistone goods was retained pending grant funding discussions as mentioned above. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Yes, and the agreement was to leave a single line in place which is why one track was lifted by 1983 whereas the other remained intact until 1986. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 I can see them recovering the OHL before some-one else did it for them. As to the track, they may have been waiting for scrap prices to rise before putting such a large amount of scrap steel on the market. BR had a record on being quite careful when putting scrap up for sale, to try and get the best possible price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D2200 Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 6 hours ago, andyman7 said: Yes, and the agreement was to leave a single line in place which is why one track was lifted by 1983 whereas the other remained intact until 1986. That explains it then, still seems a long time to keep a single line in situ that’ll never reopen again! 7 hours ago, Wheatley said: By 1988 the track on the ER side only went as far as Penistone Goods, there had been a plan to leave a Speedlink siding there for Hepworth Iron Co but there was no grant funding available for it. The last few lengths of CWR came out in spring 88. A Peak arrived shortly afterwards with 30 Tubes for the recovered sleepers, after loading they stayed rather longer than intended after the locals helped themselves to most of the bearings ! The gent on the left is Barry Roberts, a lovely man who was very sadly killed on a relaying job at Aldwarke Jcn some time after I took this. Fantastic image, I’ve always been fascinated by the pictures after closure of wire less gantries and trackless formations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 As this topic has come up, can you identify this location please? March 1987 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted July 13, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2020 10 minutes ago, Tim V said: As this topic has come up, can you identify this location please? March 1987 Is it Torside? 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Yes, it does look like it, I stopped there on the way to Leeds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 18 hours ago, russ p said: Is it Torside? Without a doubt 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium figworthy Posted July 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2020 On 13/07/2020 at 03:33, Jim76 said: I understand there was an agreement in place with the union(s) that a single track would be left in place for 5 years. What was the basis of the agreement ? Hedging their bets over a future reopening ? Adrian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 More likely NUR and ASLEF seeking to prevent the line being completely abandoned pending a government change of heart (not expecting the Tories to stay in power for the next decade and more) and it was no skin off BR's nose one way or the other. Other lines had similar agreements in the past, Dumfries - Stranraer for example, and Leamside was/is mothballed rather than lifted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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