Disused bridge

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Wed 14 Nov, 2007 9:11 pm

No the road bridge underneath in the foreground..

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Wed 14 Nov, 2007 9:26 pm

That's the bridge over the canal mate.

spongebob · Post by **spongebob** » Sun 18 Nov, 2007 1:26 am

Dates for the two Thackley tunnels are, original one (now disused) started being cut in 1844 and the second one opened in 1901.Nice pic of the Aire valley Phill, I had a long look round at some of the other pics in the same group while I was over there too.On a different subject are you familiar with the currently offline website www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk as there was a lot of good material on there as well and the Gildersome tunnel portal pics looked familiar (they also had some of the Birstall end which could be seen until recently). The site's been down for a couple of months now but I for one am hoping the people running it will get it back online in the near future.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sun 18 Nov, 2007 1:36 am

Funny you mention lost rails there spongebob.. I had an e-mail from Dave who runs it midweek proudly anouncing it would be back online soon.. Lo & behold it's back up & running tonight. there's a pretty in depth new Gildersome tunnel article coutersy of Graham Bickerdicke at 'Forgoten relics of an enterprisin age' http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/index.html and some of my stuff Dave's helped him self too Lost rails & Grahams site are both excellent and well worth a view if anyone hasn't seen it.http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/

Post by **cnosni** » Sun 18 Nov, 2007 1:41 am

Phill_d wrote: Funny you mention lost rails there spongebob.. I had an e-mail from David Hey who runs it midweek proudly anouncing it would be back online soon.. Lo & behold it's back up & running tonight. with a pretty in depth new Gildersome tunnel article coutersy Graham Bickerdicke at . It's well worth a look if anyone hasn't seen it.http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/ Phill there are people on other threads who are wondering where you are,they think you are stuck in a tunnel,you had better get on and assure them you are ok.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sun 18 Nov, 2007 1:42 am

Is there? I shall have to see...

jf · Post by jf » Sun 18 Nov, 2007 2:53 pm

spongebob wrote: Hi thereSorry to disappoint you but it's just the second line from Leeds to Bradford, it was lifted probably in the 60's and from the bridge ran into a second tunned parallel to the currently used one at Thackley, if you follow the line towards Leeds via google earth it is a lot more evident. Spongebob, I don't think it is that bridge. The old railway bridge over the canal before the tunnel (parallel to the existing one) looks like this:The girder bridge at the start of this thread is at about 90 degrees to this and further north, the co-ordinates in Google earth are 53°51'14.45"N 1°43'46.04"W (copy and paste these into the search box and you will see it). This definitely coincides with the sewage works line shown on the old maps.I had an explore round these parts a few weeks back, you can get to Thackrey tunnel from the bridge shown above, though it's a fair trek to reach it.

Green Godess · Post by **Green Godess** » Tue 20 Nov, 2007 7:45 pm

The bridge shown in the photo carries the railway line, whichpasses through Thackley Tunnel and over the canal, was built in1846 as the Bradford-Shipley-Leeds line. Note the overhead power wires. In the early 20th century the railway was widened from 2 lines to 4 lines, necessitating the widening of the tunnel, embankment and the construction of the second bridge. The older pair of lines has since been closed and the rails removed and as such, the northern bridge is maintained, while the southern bridge has been allowed todeteriorate, though both of these riveted iron bridges are rusty and neglected.G G

spongebob · Post by **spongebob** » Wed 21 Nov, 2007 12:24 am

Oops sorry about that, I can see the other bridge now. Looking at the old map linked to above and using google earth you can just make out the line running from above the bridge to a headshunt and back down the other bank back towards the sewage works.Plus if you look bottom right corner it would appear to run right down to the mainline at the bridge shown above at the approach to Thackley tunnel!!!!! It appears from the map to join the mainline but also pass under the bridge and carry on down the canal bank for a bit.

jf · Post by jf » Wed 21 Nov, 2007 12:25 am

The picture is looking north, the nearest bridge is the disused one - there is another deck directly behind this which carries the active line. It's quite easy to climb up on to the bridge off to the right, though there was a Jarvis van parked a bit further along the track so I couldn't take a closer look at Thackley tunnel.What you may not have known is that there used to be a railway line going under this bridge too, just off the the right:http://maps.ponies.me.uk/osmap.html?z=1 ... 8586594226