Midland route that never was Dewsbury to Bradford.

[jamie92208]

Although this is not an abandoned line. I wondered if members of the group would be interested in seeing some photos of the proposed Midland railway West Riding Lines between Dewsbury and Bradford that were proposed but never built. I researched this for an article in Midland Record. I will post one or two photos here but would quite understand if Group members felt that this was not the correct place for them.

 

 

This is a composite plan that shows various proposed lines that never got built in the area.

 

 

This shows the site of the proposed Heckmondwike Midland Station on Bath Road, Heckmondwike. The building on the left is the old Heckmondwike power station and a subway under the road that would have connected into the goods yard for coal supply. The station was never built but thew subway remained until it partially collapsed in the 1980's to the utter surprise of the then highway engineer. The land was bought by the Midland in 1901 but later sold to the local authority. The LNWR leeds new line is to the left of the power station and 30' lower down in a cutting.

 

 

This shows the proposed route across Bradford City centre from alongside Exchange station to high level platforms alongside Bradford Forster Square. The land was all bought by the Midland in 1900 and was later sold to the city council in 1920.

 

Hope these are of interest.

 

Jamie

[clecklewyke]

Absolutely fascinating stuff - especially as my main project is a hypothetical LNWR branch to Bradford (see below).

 

I particularly liked the plan of the line through Bradford. Unfortunately it is too low resolution to read the annotations. Can it be re-posted at a higher res please

- or a link given to a better version of it?

 

I believe the line was planned to be at a high level cutting obtrusively through the townscape and so was very unpopular with Bradfordians.

 

 

I'm a bit puzzled by the 1866 LNWR/LY proposals. Were they in any way related to the Halifax High Level line which was built by the GNR? I believe the latter had Hull and Barnsley connections.

 

And did they intend to get beyond Halifax to Bradford? I suppose at this remove we can only speculate on the proposers' intentions.

 

Many thanks for your post.

Ian

[jamie92208]

Absolutely fascinating stuff - especially as my main project is a hypothetical LNWR branch to Bradford (see below).

 

I particularly liked the plan of the line through Bradford. Unfortunately it is too low resolution to read the annotations. Can it be re-posted at a higher res please

- or a link given to a better version of it?

 

I believe the line was planned to be at a high level cutting obtrusively through the townscape and so was very unpopular with Bradfordians.

 

 

I'm a bit puzzled by the 1866 LNWR/LY proposals. Were they in any way related to the Halifax High Level line which was built by the GNR? I believe the latter had Hull and Barnsley connections.

 

And did they intend to get beyond Halifax to Bradford? I suppose at this remove we can only speculate on the proposers' intentions.

 

Many thanks for your post.

Ian

Absolutely fascinating stuff - especially as my main project is a hypothetical LNWR branch to Bradford (see below).

 

I particularly liked the plan of the line through Bradford. Unfortunately it is too low resolution to read the annotations. Can it be re-posted at a higher res please

- or a link given to a better version of it?

 

I believe the line was planned to be at a high level cutting obtrusively through the townscape and so was very unpopular with Bradfordians.

 

 

I'm a bit puzzled by the 1866 LNWR/LY proposals. Were they in any way related to the Halifax High Level line which was built by the GNR? I believe the latter had Hull and Barnsley connections.

 

And did they intend to get beyond Halifax to Bradford? I suppose at this remove we can only speculate on the proposers' intentions.

 

Many thanks for your post.

Ian

 

 

Hi Ian

 

If you live in the West Riding or are coming to the Wakefield Sow I could give you a CD with a better copy of the town centre plan.

 

The 1897 proposals were for a cutting/covered way across the centre with low level patforms at Forster Square. This produced horrendous drainage mnagement problems in Forster square, which is an old canal basin. The 1911 plan was for a cutting from the end of the long tunnel in Bowling then a viaduct across the city cnetre with a long bridge across Forster square. I have seen ' somewhere, an artists impression of the bridge.

 

Individual Bradfordians may have been opposed but the council were heavily in favour and granted all sorts of indemnities and rate reliefs so tat they could be on a main line to the north. if the line had been built, which it would have been but for WW1, It would now be a splendidly graded route for all the coal that comnes down the S & C.

 

The 1866 proposals were for a simple Midland/LNWR branch to halifax to tap into the traffic from there. The same route was used in 3 further sets of proposals and the Midland owned land in the centre of Huddersfield where the St Joh's retail park now stands. There were some proposals by the H & B to use this route in the 1880's via a circuitous route from the south that went round the town to the west and then looped round, roughly following today's inner ring road to get to the St John's site. Thiis then followed the 1866 route and joined up with the Halifax High lvel coal railway. It's a complex subject and not all the routes are on the map. Midland Record No 20 has my original article. It can be obtained from Wild Swan, who will be at Warley.

 

Jamie

[£1.38]

I thought I had read somewhere that the MR planned a line from Halifax to Keighley at one time - or am I dreaming?

[jamie92208]

I thought I had read somewhere that the MR planned a line from Halifax to Keighley at one time - or am I dreaming?

I thought I had read somewhere that the MR planned a line from Halifax to Keighley at one time - or am I dreaming?

 

I've not find anything about that route in my researches though anything is possible. There were definite proposals in 1873 for the route from Huddersfield to Bradford via Halifax that's shown on the map. Graded at 1 in 56 for much of the way with some ,ong tunnels and viaducts, it would have been very unpleasant for the loco crews. It diverged left at the end of the platforms at Forster Square. I've got some phtos of various bits of the riute that I'll post in due course. the bill was killed off in parliament and the GNR Queensbury lnes got built instead.

 

Jamie

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I don't believe there is any mystery about the Keighley - Halifax route. What is now the K&WVLR was built with route structures to take twin track, and there was a proposal to carry on South from the present terminus at Oxenhope. If I recall the description correctly tunnelling under Oxenhope Moor would have commenced about a furlong South of the present Oxenhope station stiops, for about two miles on an alignment to reach the valley of the Luddenden Beck. Not quite clear on what happened after that; whether the line was to be continued down the valley to Calderdale, or possibly to be carried in more tunnel Eastward to reach the valley of the Hebble Brook and thereby into the centre of Halifax.

[4630]

 

 

I've not find anything about that route in my researches though anything is possible. There were definite proposals in 1873 for the route from Huddersfield to Bradford via Halifax that's shown on the map. Graded at 1 in 56 for much of the way with some ,ong tunnels and viaducts, it would have been very unpleasant for the loco crews. It diverged left at the end of the platforms at Forster Square. I've got some phtos of various bits of the riute that I'll post in due course. the bill was killed off in parliament and the GNR Queensbury lnes got built instead.

 

Jamie

 

I'd be interested to know which route the Midland were proposing for the Halifax - Huddersfield section as the geology would be challenging to say the least. A route parallel to the current A629 would have required a very long tunnel under Ainley Top in the vicinity of junction 24 of the M62. Or they could have opted for rack and pinion instead I guess !!

 

In many ways it's a real shame that it never got built, although whether it would have survived Beeching is another matter. This part of W Yorkshire really suffers with inadequate road connections between relatively large and close areas of population, and the current rail options are sub-optimal IMHO.

[jamie92208]

I'd be interested to know which route the Midland were proposing for the Halifax - Huddersfield section as the geology would be challenging to say the least. A route parallel to the current A629 would have required a very long tunnel under Ainley Top in the vicinity of junction 24 of the M62. Or they could have opted for rack and pinion instead I guess !!

 

In many ways it's a real shame that it never got built, although whether it would have survived Beeching is another matter. This part of W Yorkshire really suffers with inadequate road connections between relatively large and close areas of population, and the current rail options are sub-optimal IMHO.

 

The route was from St Johns then turning north up the Grimescar valley between the A629 and Halifax Old Road with a 1.5 mile tunnel under Ainley Top. I can't remember the gradients off the top of my head but they were I think about 1 in 150.

This view from Halifax Old Road shows the lower part of the Grimescar valley with Huddersfield to the left.The tunnel entraqnce would ahve been to the right of the picture.

It then skirted the then built up area to the west of Elland before crossing the Calder on a long tall viaduct then along the edge of the escarpment to Salterhebble where another viaduct took it across to a point parallel to the L & Y line before crossing it and ending where the Halifax HQ is now.

 

This plan and cross section show the end of the route in Halifax. The interesting thing to me was the high embankment crossing some land called the Shay. This might have effected the history of rugby league and football for the better. The terminus at Prescott Street was on an old brewery site. This route was followed by all four sets of proposals.

 

Jamie

[4630]

 

The route was from St Johns then turning north up the Grimescar valley between the A629 and Halifax Old Road with a 1.5 mile tunnel under Ainley Top. I can't remember the gradients off the top of my head but they were I think about 1 in 150.

This view from Halifax Old Road shows the lower part of the Grimescar valley with Huddersfield to the left.The tunnel entraqnce would ahve been to the right of the picture.

Jamie

 

Thanks Jamie.

 

I'm even more sorry that it didn't get built now as I live along the Grimescar Valley and the line would have passed about 50 yards from my house, which i can see in your picture, assuming that the line would have followed what is now called The Kirklees Way.

 

The route into Halifax is interesting too. A viaduct at Salterhebble would have been an interesting feature and a high embankment around the Shay would have meant that 'The Shay men' would have needed a different home (and name too presumably).

 

Russ

[jamie92208]

Thanks Jamie.

 

I'm even more sorry that it didn't get built now as I live along the Grimescar Valley and the line would have passed about 50 yards from my house, which i can see in your picture, assuming that the line would have followed what is now called The Kirklees Way.

 

The route into Halifax is interesting too. A viaduct at Salterhebble would have been an interesting feature and a high embankment around the Shay would have meant that 'The Shay men' would have needed a different home (and name too presumably).

 

Russ

 

Hi Russ, I got to know the Grimescar valley when I lived in a mouse infested bedsit at the bottom of Halifax Old Road and I used to cycle up to Ainley Top to clear my head after Chemistry practicals at the Poly.

 

As to the Shay, the whole area would have been filled in by a very tall embankment so no sad tales of RUgby and Football would ever have come from there. The bus garage on Skircoat lane is built on what would have been the top end of the goods yard. I'll post some pictures of the 1875 route to Bradford tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

Jamie

[plarailfan]

There is a bricked up tunnel portal which was built for this railway near Halifax.

The tunnel was never completed, but was used for an air raid shelter and it would have gone under Skircoat Road. Here's the link http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=halifax&hl=en&ll=53.715371,-1.861678&spn=0.003276,0.006899&sll=53.823062,-1.535732&sspn=0.209143,0.441513&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+West+Yorkshire,+United+Kingdom&z=17&layer=c&cbll=53.71539,-1.861561&panoid=a_vPU2wqPM9Ui_Ib-NgCAA&cbp=12,87.92,,2,-1.61

[jamie92208]

There is a bricked up tunnel portal which was built for this railway near Halifax.

The tunnel was never completed, but was used for an air raid shelter and it would have gone under Skircoat Road. Here's the link http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=halifax&hl=en&ll=53.715371,-1.861678&spn=0.003276,0.006899&sll=53.823062,-1.535732&sspn=0.209143,0.441513&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+West+Yorkshire,+United+Kingdom&z=17&layer=c&cbll=53.71539,-1.861561&panoid=a_vPU2wqPM9Ui_Ib-NgCAA&cbp=12,87.92,,2,-1.61

I'm not familiar with that tunnel but I don't think it's connected with the Midland's proposals.  The Midland route would have been parallel to Skircoat Road and went straight across the site of the Shay on a high embankment.

 

Jamie

[plarailfan]

Surprisingly, all I can find on this tunnel, is this on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shay

It's quite a long way down the article I'm afraid - redevelopment of the Shay.

It's funny there's nothing on the superb, "Lost Railways in West Yorkshire", but there you go !

[jamie92208]

I'm intrigued by this but can't imagine where the tunnel is.  I'm not convinced that the Wikipedia entry is correct as there was never any tunnel on any of the Midland's plans.  To go under Skicoat Road the tunnel would have been at right angles to the Midland's proposals.

 

Jamie