SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Does anyone have any info. about this bridge spanning the L&Lcanal.One end disappears into Thackley woods the other end just disappears.It's shown on the OS map and the A-Z but without any satisfactory explanation.

Here's another pic.from 'up top'

I think this was something to do with Esholt sewage works - it covers quite a wide area and had an extensive narrow gauge railway system.If you look at the historic map here:http://maps.ponies.me.uk/osmap.html?z=1 ... 0645475558(you can switch between the old maps and the modern satellite imagery for comparison).It does look like there is a rail line over the bridge. It may have been used for transporting dried sludge for tipping somewhere in the woods, or something like that.

jf wrote: I think this was something to do with Esholt sewage works - it covers quite a wide area and had an extensive narrow gauge railway system.If you look at the historic map here:http://maps.ponies.me.uk/osmap.html?z=1 ... 0645475558(you can switch between the old maps and the modern satellite imagery for comparison).It does look like there is a rail line over the bridge. It may have been used for transporting dried sludge for tipping somewhere in the woods, or something like that. Cheers jf.You're proberbly right.It's a bit of a [edited for content] picture I took.I had a better one on my old film camera.I looks like it would have been strong enough to support a narrow gauge railway.There doesn't appear to be a corresponding bridge over the river,perhapsthere was a 'lagoon' somewhere between river and canal!

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 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. That's interesting spongebob.Unfortunately I can't get Google earth on my tiny screen,it's clearly shown on the A-Z but no sign of any dismantled railway.The only disused tunnel runs parallel to the existing Thackley tunnel.I've resolved to explore the wooded end of the bridge-but not until next summer.(Watch this space!!!)

About all that's left now is the bridgework, the trackbed looks more like an access road nowadays heading towards Leeds the line crosses the river about half a dozen times and all the crossing points have the same double bridges although closer to Leeds it varies as to which is used. One of the guys at work had an old A to Z from the mid 70's which showed all the dismantled lines in the area and the second tunnel at Thackley, bear in mind before the track rationalisation of the 60's there were 4 lines 2 "fast" and 2 "slow" in each direction and the second tunnel bore would've been opened when traffic on the line increased. The bit that intrigues me is where it passes under the junction near kirkstall abbey, there's a lot going on either side of the track with the river and canal and to me from the overhead shot it looks like the second line might've run under the actual triangle of the road junction.

Hi spongebob.You're quite right about 4 tracks running in each direction.I asked a question in an earlier thread about a station at Rodley and was sent this photo.

I've got just the ticket for you spongebob.. Check out this picturehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/2004681997 ... srailways/

Phill,the 'bridge' in the flickr photo is actually a conveyor for transporting coal from the pulverisation plant situated behind the railway,where the caravans are now.