Barcaldinegoods

I think it's great too!

Like most local newspaper's websites it's pretty much unreadable!

Yes it is a Marina (or an Ital) which categorically dates the picture to post-1971.

Back to Burley-in-Wharfedale if I may... this is well off topic so mods may wish to delete / move this. But on the topic of the gallows signal by the barrow crossing I've been doing some digging back to times before my recollections begin. In 1922 the current steel girder footbridge (second photo) was built (there was a plate dated 1922 attached to it). Prior to this was a wooden footbridge, per first picture. Note the straight, fairly tall signal which is visible over the footbridge. This obviously pre-dates the gallows signal. So the gallows signal presumably dates from the building of the steel footbridge in 1922. The choice at that time was therefore I assume: a) An even taller signal to clear the new footbridge. This would perhaps have been too high to be safely sighted by drivers re-starting from the station. A lower, co-acting arm (per at Embsay for example) might have been obscured by the water tank. Or, the chosen solution: b) The gallows signal, giving sighting of the arm at a desirable / optimum height, past the new footbridge, and past the water tank. I'm not a signalling expert (nearest I get to that is a great-grandfather, who was signalman for the Midland at Methley, Woodlesford and Bolton Abbey). Hence better qualified others here may wish to correct any shortcomings in my signalling knowledge above! Chris

Apologies for briefly drifting a bit off topic but just to correct the above... That Midland Railway gallows signal was to enable sighting of it, (on a left hand curve) past the water tower which stood between the footbridge and the signal. Per the first picture below (note the porter with barrow about to use the crossing for its primary purpose- back on topic!). After water tower was demolished (early 1970s as I recall) the gallows signal was no longer required and was replaced by a straight-post signal (per second picture; neither of these pictures are mine). In then second photo you can see the remains of the base of the water tower. The footbridge remained throughout, and stands to this day. Today there is a straight-post colour light signal in the place of the semaphore. The barrow crossing was removed once access to the Ilkley platform was created via the road behind (Hag Farm Road) Basis for above is recollections & photos from having lived just around the corner from the station between 1966 and 1979. Chris

Barrow crossing at Burley-in-Wharfedale in the 1970s (not my picture). The only use I recall was ladies pushing prams across it, the only other access to the Ilkley platform was via the footbridge back then. The station lost its staff in the late 1960s but step free access wasn't put in until many years later so use of the crossing was unsupervised. I assume the gaslight at the extreme end of the picture was to illuminate the crossing.

Hi Bill, You may know that the intermediate station on the Grassington branch (Rylstone) also had a similar wooden structure. Nearby Bolton Abbey station, built by the Midland Railway in 1888, was a fairly large wooden structure (as is its modern day replica, in preservation), whereas the stations on each side (Embsay & Addingham), built at the same time, were stone. Moving slightly further afield, Esholt on the Ilkley-Bradford route (built in 1876) was wooden, whereas its neighbour Baildon was stone, in similar style to the Settle & Carlisle structures opened the same year. I'd guess it was down to cost. Maybe along with doubt over the viability of the station. E.g. Bolton Abbey was in a lightly populated area which may, or may not have become a draw for visitors. In the event it seems to have been a success, lasting until closure with the rest of the line in 1965. Esholt on the other hand was less of a success, closing in 1940, perhaps underlining the Midland's caution at investing in more substantial structures. Incidentally, you mention Woodlesford being your local station. My Great Grandfather, George Sinfield, was signaman at both Woodlesford and Bolton Abbey (and Methley) in Midland days. Chris

Hi, I see nobody answered you, but if you are still looking for the answer it is no, there were no watering facilities at Horton in Ribblesdale, presumably as there were columns at nearby Settle, and Blea Moor (and then Garsdale- troughs and also at the station).

Hi all, pedantic point I know but just for the record it's St Katherine (singular) Docks (plural). Always my understanding & just checked OS maps old & new just to be sure! Chris.

Hi, The Hayling Island branch originally (Victorian times at least) had an engine shed (shown on old maps, e.g. NLS website) roughly half way between Havant and Langston, so 'in the middle of nowhere' then, about where the A27 bypass crosses the trackbed today. The book I read (can find the ref if anyone interested) said it was built there as it is next to a stream, i.e. a handy water supply. I cycle past this point on the (Hayling) 'Billy Line' bridle way regularly, and there is indeed a stream alongside and a level area near the point marked on the map. Chris.

Hi, is the green LNER building colours? i.e. was the station perhaps maintained by the LNER (along with the rest of the line to Northallerton) prior to nationalisation? It's then entirely feasible that BR (NE) never got round to painting it. I've seen the same green in late (just prior to closure in 1965) colour photos of Otley, and assumed BR just never got round to painting that either.

I note that the removal of shrubs and trees from the embankment near the bridge in question has revealed the remains of Butts Junction signal box- most of the first 'storey'. I had wondered where the 'box was located and had assumed it was completely demolished years ago. It was of course the junction for the Basingstoke & Alton Light Railway and the Meon Valley line.

Photo c/o Derek Payne... Derek with his Guard Tony Wilson at Ilkley in 1982... FB DEREK PAYNE & TONY WILSON Ilkley 1982.jpg Note that Ilkley was still gas lit then- you can just see the lamps on the extreme left.

Ha ha been there done that. I had some time in Australia with an MGC 20 years ago, I bet if I needed shoes for that it would be a re-lining job there now, shoes would not be on the shelf. Re-lining is still done for rare veteran / vintage cars in the UK too. I'll duck out of this discussion now I think as I suspect am seriously off topic!

Brake pads (implying as you say disk brakes) were introduced on cars in the mid-late 50's (Jaguar XK, MGA Twin Cam etc) and were derived from their use in motor racing which in turn took the idea from aircraft brakes. So potentially brake pads were being sold at the time the bridges were being painted. But, from the dawn of motoring until around the 1970s brakes were frequently 're-lined', i.e. new friction material was rivetted to the existing brake shoes, the metal shoe being in effect the backing / mounting for the lining and not a consumable, thus being re-used many times. I remember buying re-lined brake shoes for an MGB in the early 1980s, I had to give the worn shoes back in exchange. It is only in the more recent 'throw away' times that we buy the shoes & linings new, along with the change from rivetted linings to bonded. Hence 'linings' is actually more accurate in terms of what Ferodo actually sold. As a child I had a tour of the factory (in Leeds) of one of Ferodo's rivals (Mintex). My father tells me you could see the asbestos dust in the air. So far we have both survived the experience, but I bet that isn't the case for many of the workers we saw. Regards Chris