Pete_Saint1885

Looks quality Jon, its starting to take shape thats for sure

Thanks for the update Jon and thanks for the photo uploading tip Ade. I will look forward to seeing the updates of your work Jon.

Jon & Jessie, I managed to get around the too large photo by saving the other half as a separate photo. This is the other end of the bridge/ramp leading up to the tar dock. It's amazing that the developers left this all intact when they built the houses. I wonder what it looked like straight after they had finished.

Jon & Jessie, This shot shows the end of the tar dock from the cycle path side.

Jon & Jessie, I was again down at Bilton junction this morning and took another couple of photos. This time I walked past the end of the Tar Dock and measured it at about 24 feet, that is 9 x my 32in steps, 9 x 32 = 288 and when divided by 12 = 24 feet (Approx). From the end furthest away from the cycle path I took the following picture which shows the steady climb up to the dock and where you can clearly see both but ends of where the bridge once stood. I could not post the full picture I took as you can only upload 10mb and the pano shot I took is 14mb.

Hi Jessy, Yeah I have been a Biltoner for nearly 20 years now, thats if you count Knox Drive. Apparently the two bungalows opposite the end of Knox Drive on Knox Avenue are set back from the other bungalows because of the Tunnel underneath, thats according to my neighbour who has lived here since the house was built in 1960. Thanks for the offer of scanning the book and sending it over, sounds a lot of work and effort, I will keep trying for now to buy it but thanks for the offer much appreciated.

Hi Jon, No I have not read the book but have been trying to get one but I believe it went out of print in 1995. I see you can get one on Amazon for about 32 quid, I presume the book you are referring to is "Harrogate Gas Works" by Martin P F Hallows & David H Smith? I reckon if I shop around I might be able to find one cheaper. I was talking to someone from the New Park Primary school about the tunnel for the railway. I was under the impression that it came out somewhere around the school. He was telling me that it actually came out under what is now the hand car wash company on Sykes Grove or near there. He also said that they have a museum in the school about the railway and when we are back to somewhat normal I would be welcome to go have a look, he also said that there will be something about it on their New Park Academy website when its finished being rebuilt.

Here is the photo of the plaque I mentioned in the last post.

I also took another photo on the footpath that runs along between the allotments (on my right) and the sewage works (on my left) which I believe is the route the narrow gauge railway took. There is a plaque on a post just the other side of the road you can see in the photo which I will post separately as you can only post 10mbs of photos in one post.

Hi Guys, I have been following this thread with much interest. I am not a model railway enthusiast or do I make model railways but I am fascinated with this Bilton layout and the Gas works Barbour line in general. I have lived in Bilton, Harrogate for about 20 years now and have always been fascinated with this narrow gauge railway. Since lockdown I have been walking almost every day down the Cycle way/viaduct area/Bilton lane. Today I took the following picture of the Tar dock at the end of the cycle path that would have been opposite the old signal box and right where it meets Bilton lane. I reckon it is about 138-140 feet long in total as I measured it walking along by the side of it and it took me 52 steps. One of my steps is about 32 inches so I make that 32 x 52 = 1,664 which is about 138.666 feet.