Coder Tim Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Hi folks. I've been looking for future sources of potential modelling inspiration and recently came across Kirkstall Flyover Junction. It fits my area and period but there are some things I don't understand. I've added a diagram of the layout as it was and if anyone knows the answers to these questions that would be awesome: 1) Why did it exist? Was it just that the facilities needed by the local trains were on one side before it and the other after? 2) What were the loops at (A ) for? My best guess would be transferring trains or portions of trains from one set of lines to the other with minimal disruption. 3) What are the sidings at (B )? They look like typical sidings for a small Midland station's goods facilities so I'd guess they were for Kirkstall station? 4) What are the sidings at (C ) for? I have no clue whatsoever on this. Thanks for any help, I've tried googling but haven't found much about how this junction operated, just a few reminiscences from people who were on trains over it. Best wishes, Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted April 17, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2016 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I did a google and got this page, with quite a bit of info - from that it suggests it just segragates two traffic flows that would otherwise have had to cross each other on the flat...http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page49.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomag Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 The fast and slow lines need to switch round due to the junction for Ilkley needing the slow lines being on the opposite side from that needed at Leeds (to fit in with the lines from Harrogate/Bradford and to Holbeck). The lines at A would probably be used to swapping long distance stuff from the low numbered platforms at Leeds City/New/Wellington rather than in the Holbeck area. The sidings at C and probably at B would be for the power station. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Bit more info on http://www.derbysulzers.com/holbeckseven.html. Use of the flyover abandoned 1967 and removed 1974. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coder Tim Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Thanks everyone! 4630: I have seen that site, it's great for finding out what was where but I struggle to figure out the why's from it. Really useful resource though, thanks. Glorious NSE: Thanks, I did see that quote but was stumped as to why the lines needed to cross over at all. Bomag: That's a really good point, cheers. I was only considering the traffic between Leeds and Shipley. Wouldn't it put the through lines on the wrong side for Ilkley though (the through lines being called the slow lines in this particular instance which is endlessly confusing)? It would put them on the correct side at Shipley though which makes sense. If you have to choose between Ilkley trains and Bradford trains fouling the through lines then the Bradford trains are the ones to keep clear as they would have been more frequent. That also makes sense given that the stretch of four-track ended at Shipley where the route to Bradford diverged. I think you're probably right about the various sidings, I'd forgotten the power station was there! Thanks. Thanks again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coder Tim Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Butler Henderson: hadn't seen that one, thanks. That definitely places it in the timespan I'm interested in (late fifties). Also, sorry I missed you in the reply, was checking out stuff from the other posts and didn't refresh the page. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomag Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Thanks everyone! 4630: I have seen that site, it's great for finding out what was where but I struggle to figure out the why's from it. Really useful resource though, thanks. Glorious NSE: Thanks, I did see that quote but was stumped as to why the lines needed to cross over at all. Bomag: That's a really good point, cheers. I was only considering the traffic between Leeds and Shipley. Wouldn't it put the through lines on the wrong side for Ilkley though (the through lines being called the slow lines in this particular instance which is endlessly confusing)? It would put them on the correct side at Shipley though which makes sense. If you have to choose between Ilkley trains and Bradford trains fouling the through lines then the Bradford trains are the ones to keep clear as they would have been more frequent. That also makes sense given that the stretch of four-track ended at Shipley where the route to Bradford diverged. I think you're probably right about the various sidings, I'd forgotten the power station was there! Thanks. Thanks again! I think you may have got the discription of the lines the wrong way round - the slow lines were on the eastern side north of the flyover and west on the Leeds side to alow Midland line freight services access to Holbect and Stourton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branwell Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Worth a look - http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page49.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coder Tim Posted April 19, 2016 Author Share Posted April 19, 2016 I think you may have got the discription of the lines the wrong way round - the slow lines were on the eastern side north of the flyover and west on the Leeds side to alow Midland line freight services access to Holbect and Stourton. It's entirely possible. As I understood it the slow lines were as you say, east on the Shipley side and west on the Leeds side, but they actually handled the through traffic to the S&C with the local traffic being on the fast lines. Essentially the naming convention was the wrong way round. That's what the davidheys page linked above says unless I'm misreading it? The quote from the page: " Somewhat confusingly the lines used by local trains between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square were designated the 'fast' lines due to the higher volume of traffic while the Anglo-Scottish trains used the 'slow' lines." Thanks again for helping me to figure this out, so far as I have at this point... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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