Middleton Railway

[The Parksider]

The railway is depicted by the whittock engraving and by a painting done from Holbeck - both to be seen on Leodis under Middleton Colliery. Both show the Railway approaching Leeds in the pottery field area on a fine viaduct. The area is as flat as a pancake - any comments from our plethora of fine Railway buffs??

[Leodian]

It was reported on the local BBC television this morning that there has been some vandalism to the Middleton Railway track that is estimated will cost £30,000 to repair.

[tuskey]

HI PARKSIDER, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THE CUCKOO STEPS WERE MOVED ? WHEN I WAS A KID MY GRANDDAD USED TO HAVE AN ALLOMENT, AND WE WOULD GET IN TO IT BY A PATH AT THE SIDE OF THE STEPS.

[tyke bhoy]

Leodian wrote: It was reported on the local BBC television this morning that there has been some vandalism to the Middleton Railway track that is estimated will cost £30,000 to repair. In terms of Network Rail any theft of metal to be sold for scrap is vandalism. Any coincidence that there is, or at least was last week, a Gypsy encampment close to the railway by the side of the M621 (not accessed via the M621 I hasten to add)?

[buffaloskinner]

Leodian wrote: In terms of Network Rail any theft of metal to be sold for scrap is vandalism. Any coincidence that there is, or at least was last week, a Gypsy encampment close to the railway by the side of the M621 (not accessed via the M621 I hasten to add)? They were still all there this morning!

[tyke bhoy]

looks like it was genuine vandalism rather than theft. maybe somebody recently local to the vicinity objects to the noise of trains

[Phill_dvsn]

They still managed to run the Hudswell Clarke enthusiast weekend despite the theft. The trains could only run down the seldom used Balm Road branch by the looks of it. I was going to go down on Saturday but couldn't make it in the end. The people who rob these kind of places run by volunteers are about a low as you can get I.M.O. Here is a youtube video taken yesterday at the railwayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5tPLBask48

[The Parksider]

tuskey wrote: HI PARKSIDER, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THE CUCKOO STEPS WERE MOVED ? WHEN I WAS A KID MY GRANDDAD USED TO HAVE AN ALLOMENT, AND WE WOULD GET IN TO IT BY A PATH AT THE SIDE OF THE STEPS. It depends on which cuckoo steps. The ones over the railway near New pit and the miggy railway were demolished after the railways closure in 1968 and before the MI was extended into Leeds in the early seventies (???? anyone) These were the brick, concrete slab and iron rails high ones over the railway from where you looked down on Parkside.The ones near to woodhouse hill road still exist just as the stone ground level steps alongside the old row of terrace houses that still over looks the M1. Both were at various times referred to as the cuckoo steps. These latter ones were marked as such on older maps, but the kids played a lot on the former ones, and my dad was adamant they took the Cuckoo name in the 30's.

[Patexpat]

Phill_dvsn wrote: They still managed to run the Hudswell Clarke enthusiast weekend despite the theft. The trains could only run down the seldom used Balm Road branch by the looks of it. I was going to go down on Saturday but couldn't make it in the end. The people who rob these kind of places run by volunteers are about a low as you can get I.M.O. Here is a youtube video taken yesterday at the railwayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5tPLBask48 Great video Phil - but come on you train enthusiasts - what is missing on the train in these videos? I'd offer a pint for the winner but I'm a bit too far away ....

[Leodian]

This link should bring up a report today in the YEP website about the recent vandalism on the Middleton Railway (there is also a report on page 8 of today's YEP).http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... _1_3500135