Railway Relics of Yesteryear

Telstar · Post by **Telstar** » Sun 25 Mar, 2007 5:12 pm

Phill_d wrote: It's a pity the old bridge at crossgates is going. It's been abandoned for years. Another piece of railwayana lost. I wonder if it will be put to good use. Hi. Yes, it is a great shame to see this footbridge demolished.I used to live in the Devon Estate when I was a small lad (1950's/early 1960's), and was often taken to Cross Gates station to watch the steam trains pass, or stop at the station. We often stood on this foot bridge.I wrote to the authorities about the future of this bridge after it was boarded up, even writing to the Y.E.P newspaper too. I don't think that the matter was taken seriously enough.Garforth had a footbridge built to replace one at their station, right near the main road bridge, and yet the authorities stated about the footbridge at Cross Gates, that it was unnecessary because it was near enough to the main road bridge.Another piece of east Leeds heritage gone - it was probably more cheaper to restore it than to demolish it !

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sun 25 Mar, 2007 9:42 pm

When the footbridge at Crossgates was first closed, I remember there being an article about it in the YEP.I'm sure that it was reported that the footbridge was a right of way. That would make sense as the footpath the leads onto it down the steps at the rear of The Station pub is fenced off seperate to the shopping centre car parkIf it was then there are all sorts of legal hoops that have to be jumped through before a right of way can be closed (or indeed demolished as in this case). I can't recall anything further being mentioned on the subject and I don't recall seeing any official notices at the station so I wonder if the correct legal process has been gone through here?Crossgates station really is a shadow of it's former glory - just look at the length of the original platforms here (beyond the fences that have been erected where the "modernisation" has been carried out). There must have been trains 15 or more carriages long that stopped here once upon a time to justify platforms of that length, yet all we get now are 2-car glorified cattle waggons.

Telstar · Post by **Telstar** » Mon 26 Mar, 2007 9:09 pm

raveydavey wrote: When the footbridge at Crossgates was first closed, I remember there being an article about it in the YEP.I'm sure that it was reported that the footbridge was a right of way. That would make sense as the footpath the leads onto it down the steps at the rear of The Station pub is fenced off seperate to the shopping centre car parkIf it was then there are all sorts of legal hoops that have to be jumped through before a right of way can be closed (or indeed demolished as in this case). I can't recall anything further being mentioned on the subject and I don't recall seeing any official notices at the station so I wonder if the correct legal process has been gone through here?Crossgates station really is a shadow of it's former glory - just look at the length of the original platforms here (beyond the fences that have been erected where the "modernisation" has been carried out). There must have been trains 15 or more carriages long that stopped here once upon a time to justify platforms of that length, yet all we get now are 2-car glorified cattle waggons. Hi. I remember that there were very long passenger trains that stopped at Cross Gates station. As you rightly say, it has lost its glory. The station had many excursion trains that went to Scarborough & BridlingtonI believe that there could have been a preservation order on this bridge, and to get around it, it was just left to decay (rather like the old Colton school building that I once attended).When my brother & I were taken to the station in the 1950's & 60's, the station master used to inform us of what trains would be stopping there, the steam locos that were used to pull the trains. There were also centre tracks that bypassed the platforms, used by non stop express passenger trains, coal and other goods trains.There was even a high level goods yard (the site is now used by the shopping centre as a car park. Does anyone have any photos of this yard ? If you follow the footpath east to Austhorpe Road, you come across a grass bank, and the remains of an old bridge abutments over the old Wetherby railway. This was the course of the old h.l goods line.There were two gas towers in those days, the second one was were Wilkinsons hardware store is now.

chris 90 · Post by **chris 90** » Tue 27 Mar, 2007 9:48 pm

There are still quite a few buildings left,There is the station building for Armley Canal Road station which still has its station sign above the old entrance, and also the round house, half round house and water tower before you go under whitehall bridge near the gyratory beleive on part is a wine sellers and the other used to sell/hirevans I think havnt been past in a while.

ArthurMiddleton · Post by **ArthurMiddleton** » Sat 07 Apr, 2007 1:32 pm

There are still the remains of the tram track that ran through Middleton woods. At the last count there were about eleven wooden sleepers still in their original position. All over Middleton the tram lines survive under the tarmac.

Festwerfer · Post by **Festwerfer** » Fri 20 Apr, 2007 12:06 am

As far as I'm aware the tram lines are still buried under Belle Isle Road and until recently you could see the tracks in the road outside the old Scotsman pub.

lilcheekychops · Post by **lilcheekychops** » Fri 11 May, 2007 3:10 pm

Does anyone know if Hunslet had a railway station or platform at any point other than middleton railway?

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 11 May, 2007 3:19 pm

Google search is a fantastic idea if you use it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 11 May, 2007 10:15 pm

lilcheekychops wrote: Does anyone know if Hunslet had a railway station or platform at any point other than middleton railway? There is a pub called The Station in Hunslet and it would seem sensible for there to have been a station on the line there, but it must be long gone if ever there was one.

Aeldfrith · Post by **Aeldfrith** » Fri 11 May, 2007 11:21 pm

Hunslet station was on the opposite side of the road from the pub. It's booking hall was on street level, with steps down to the platforms on either side. It opened in 1873 and was closed on 15th June 1960. This was the second station at Hunslet, the other was where Crown Point retail park is. That one was a terminus. It opened in 1840 and was the main station for trains to London until the line into the centre of Leeds was built.