flyingsignalman Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 On Sunday 26/7/1981 after taking photos of the closed Woodhead route we decided to call in at Clayton West station before heading back for home. Starting by the stop blocks, a view of the station. The ground frame for the engine release crossover, note that one lever is reversed but the points were normal. Walking along, the other end of the station. The goods shed. 3 views of the signal cabin. Looking back into the station from by the loop points. Looking into the goods yard with the colliery sidings on the right. The pile of coal is on top of the colliery sidings and the goods yard sidings have been lifted. The white sign in front of the pile of coal was to advise that "BR locos must not pass this point" The home signal with discs into the loop and sidings and the starting signal. A view of the goods shed from the cabin steps Two views through the window of the cabin interior. My sketch of the diagram obtained by squinting through the window. The Park Mill colliery screens. Heading back to the car I spotted this unusually sited station name board beyond the loop line away from the platform. Two views of the roadside of the station (my trusty Morris Marina sneaks into the first photo). It was not until 11/4/1982 that we were able to return to see the rest of the branch, which I will post later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2012 Excellent stuff - I did the Clayton West branch shortly before it closed but arrived there on a very dark and wet afternoon which the latest version of Kodachrome simply could not cope with although it had been handy for signal aspects at Mirfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 As long ago as 1981! - If I recall correctly 2 Car Class 110's operated it towards the end. XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Interesting pictures..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Unusual to find a single line BLT complete with signal box, run round loop and freight facility as late as the 80s. Has anyone modelled it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Unusual to find a single line BLT complete with signal box, run round loop and freight facility as late as the 80s. Has anyone modelled it? There is an article in the Railway Bylines Annual No.2 (published 1998) about Emley Moor and Park Mill collieries in which it states that the last train of coal left Park Mill in April 1981. Traffic from Emley Moor (at Skelmanthorpe) officially ceased with the closure of the branch on and from 24/1/1983. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 On 11/4/1982 we were able to get back to the branch. We called in at Clayton West where nothing seemed to have changed so we made our way to Skelmanthorpe. Parking behind the station we walked up to the colliery connection where I took the following photos looking towards the screens. Turning around to look towards BR. The signal was worked from the ground frame. A view of the goods yard with the colliery sidings on the left Turning around to look at the BR connection. Looking towards Clayton West Jcn from by the GF. The GF. A view over the goods yard. The GF and its rodding. Views of the station. The station overbridge from the Clayton West side looking to the station. The station from the approach. A sketch of the layout, the colliery sidings aren't complete, the sketch being made from the viewpoint of the first 2 photos (I now know, for instance, that the engine shed was double ended). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJ Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Fascinating photos - thanks for sharing. I take my son on the Kirklees Ligt Railway fairly often and it's hard to reconcile the difference. Especially at Clayton West you'd have no idea there had ever been any mining there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Leaving Skelmanthorpe we went to Clayton West Jcn. The view looking north, with the line to Penistone on the left and the branch on the right. The signal cabin. The rear of the cabin with the Signalmens' coal supply. Interior views (taken through the window). A view from the cabin steps of the junction. The crossover at the north end of the layout. Looking south towards the cabin showing the junction signal. The cabin diagram (obtained by squinting through the window). IIRC the book mentioned by Mickey also has SB diagrams of Clayton West and Clayton West Jcn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2012 I remember being on the penultimate passenger train on the last day of service. Probably the busiest day in the lines history! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Thanks for these Flyingsignalman, far more informative photos than I've seen published before. Despite living just up the road, the first I saw of this line was as a newly-appointed signalman at Huddersfield Junction and the branch was long gone. Shortly I started after they singled the Clayton West - Huddersfield section, I took some photos of the engineers' trains as they ran round at my box. They're in post 30 here, along with one taken at Clayton West Junction itself. http://www.rmweb.co....west#entry78112 After Clayton West Junction Box closed it was moved a short distance and rebuilt as a private house. Park Mill Colliery was actually some distance from Clayton West station, the coal came to the screens by aerial ropeway or conveyor (I forget which) although I think it might have been lorries towards the end. It looks as though its in use for stockpiling in your 1981 photos, it would be interesting to know when the last coal train actually worked out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted October 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2012 Incredible in a way, to think that it survived as long as it did. If it had only lasted into the Community Rail era, perhaps the line would still be with us?... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2012 Incredible in a way, to think that it survived as long as it did. If it had only lasted into the Community Rail era, perhaps the line would still be with us?... Even more incredible was the survival of the signalboxes that late in its life (one reason for my visit) and it was also I think the last surviving proper ex L&Y branchline with a passenger service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2012 A couple of shots I took on the last day in 1983 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I think there was a model of Clayton West at this years Huddersfield exhibition (I didn;t get chance to go, but Im sure I read the details somewhere) Mickey refers to the 00 gauge layout by David Garner of the Huddersfield Railway Modellers club, of the station and goods yard in the 1950s/60s. The coal mine is turned through 180º. (My snap at this year's excellent HRM exhibition at Holmfirth). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 ...we made our way to Skelmanthorpe... Anyone short of space might consider Skelmanthorpe as a prototype. In the November 2007 “Railway Modeller”, Paul A. Lunn used Skelmanthorpe station, with its two siding goods yard, for a suggested simple oval layout plan in N gauge. The Peco Setrack starter set would provide all the track necessary for a layout needing as little as 3'x2', and this was a line where Black 5s or Class 45s might be seen, according to period. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted October 31, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 31, 2012 IIRC there was an underground conveyor system connecting a lot of the smaller pits together eventually all the coal came to the surface at Wolley colliery and was sent away by a newly built loading system on the Wakefield-Barnsley line that lasted less than 10 years. My brother had the stockyard just over his fence at the time of closure but at that time I was more interested in motorbikes and the future Mrs B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Park Mill Colliery was actually some distance from Clayton West station, the coal came to the screens by aerial ropeway or conveyor (I forget which) although I think it might have been lorries towards the end. I remember there was a bridge over the Wakefield road that carried a 2ft. gauge line from Park Mill colliery to the screens at Clayton West. I'm not sure if this was for coal or materials but it was there in the 1980s and there was no aerial ropeway. I can't say if there was a conveyor or not though. It crossed about where the modern Colliers' Way joins the Wakefield Road, IIRC. There is a photo in National Coal Board Flameproof Locomotives (IRS) dated 12th April 1980 which shows a 68HP Hudswell Clarke in front of what appears to be the bridge. It had very steep approaches so I guess it used cable haulage and not locomotives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The GF. The GF and its rodding. Is that a Tyer and Co B45 tablet lock i spy on the ground frame? Super super picture! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Is that a Tyer and Co B45 tablet lock i spy on the ground frame? I'll have to take your word for that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I think you're right there Dave, 1961 OS map shows a 'TRAMWAY' running in a straight line from the colliery, across the main road to the far end of the branch. There was a conveyance of some sort anyway, I might have been getting confused with the overhead conveyor at North Gawber. I went to school in Darton, I wish I'd taken more notice of the collieries dotted around the place towards Wakefield but it was a bit outside my 14 yr old bike riding range. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 From your sketches the branch is set up for more than one train working. Were there tablet machines in the boxes? The layout at Skelmanthorpe looks like it could justify shutting in facilities. Was this the case? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I'll have to take your word for that I'm pretty sure that is what it is.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 From your sketches the branch is set up for more than one train working. Were there tablet machines in the boxes? The layout at Skelmanthorpe looks like it could justify shutting in facilities. Was this the case? I didn't get into the boxes as they were closed (it being a sunday on both visits). I don't remember seeing anything at Skelmanthorpe that would accomodated an intermediate token machine but in the background to the photo I've described as the GF and its rodding is a grey box on a pole. Would that be big enough to accomodate one? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I didn't get into the boxes as they were closed (it being a sunday on both visits). I don't remember seeing anything that would accomodated an intermediate token machine but in the background to the photo I've described as the GF and its rodding is a grey box on a pole. Would that be big enough to accomodate one? The grey box looks like a telephone cupboard. I'm afraid i don't know very much about the Tyer and Co intermediate tablet instrument. The catalogue has some details and a photo but no indication of size. (The SGE catalogue lists dimensions and weight of most items, something that would be most helpful with the Tyer and Co catalogue) I'm not sure and intermediate tablet instrument (or single capacity instrument as they are sometimes called) would fit in there. It does beg the question though if there was no intermediate instrument why would you need a telephone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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