Missing Railway links from Church Fenton to Harrogate, and Leeds to Wetherby

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sat 26 Jan, 2008 11:22 pm

I thought i remembered a thread around Harrogate's railways on here.. I finally managed to get a look in Harrogate's forgotten Brunswick tunnel & air raid shelter at last.. There's some grand stalagnites in there http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... =351327703

electricaldave · Post by **electricaldave** » Sun 27 Jan, 2008 2:11 pm

I've ridden the remains of the Leeds-Wetherby and Wetherby-Spofforth line many times whilst out cycling.The part that goes through Scholes-Thorner-Collingham is a nice ride, but you have to be careful about the missing bridges alongside the Wetherby road bit going toward Linton, or you may come a bit of a cropper!The line out of Wetherby to Harrogate was included in the Sustrans development from lottery money. I used to ride along it long before this, and given that it went out of use in the mid 1960's the trackbed itself was in surprisingly good condition, you could almost have simply relaid the rails beack on top, things have changed somewhat since then as the ballast has largely been carted away.As a suggestion, how about trying out the 'Fly Line' which ran from Garforth through the Parlington estate to Aberford, its a good run you'll enjoy it, particularly in Autumn with all the trees changing colourhttp://www.aberford.net/2005/12/downhill-all-w ... e.htmlThis is a great site,http://www.lner.info/co/NER/aberford/ra ... tmlExplore a few of those webpages and you will find the route, most of which is still passable for cyclists and walkers.As a sidenote, there are a number of tracks around Barwick in Elmet that you can use to make for a couple of differant routes, but you'll needs to dig out the maps to find them.Another route you might try out is the line from Castleford through to Garforth, you can get almost all the way from Castleford to Aberford without going on the roads at all, actually if you know the area well you can get right out near to York and on to the old Derwent Valley railway, all this is gentle riding and makes for a few pleasaont Sunday rides out.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sun 27 Jan, 2008 2:27 pm

Thanks for that Dave.. as it happens i walked the Garforth-Castleford line a year or so ago.. It's just short of 7 miles. Lost rails have a few of my shots were the line is still intact at the Castleford endhttp://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Cas ... forth.htmI had a look along the fly line as well. well along Parlington lane & the light & dark arch.. That is a nice walk as you say.. cheers mate

peterg · Post by **peterg** » Sun 27 Jan, 2008 7:10 pm

My mother was present at the opening of the Penda's Way halt in 1939. If I remember rightly, the platforms were made with wooden planks, similar to sleepers.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 01 Feb, 2008 6:16 pm

geoffb wrote: looking at railways around Leeds and Harrogate, I was involved with the inspection of the "Barber Tunnel", which ran from Bilton to the Harrogate Gas Works. This was built in the early 20th century to lead coal from the sidings at Bilton to the gasworks via this tunnel which was about 1000yard in length, the engine used was a narrow gauge engine 15 ins I think, which was built by the Hunslet engine Company. When I inspected it in the 80s access was gained to the tunnel through someones back garden in Knox through two iron padlocked doors.and it terminated adjacent to the Little Wonder pub on Ripon Road. The tunnel was in excelent condition other than the drains required desilting. I think the tunnel still belongs to British Gas. I think the loco called Barber ended up at the Leeds industrial Museum at Armley, dont think it ever ran there though Do you know if the Barber tunnel is still owned by Transco anyone??

roundhegian · Post by **roundhegian** » Fri 01 Feb, 2008 6:36 pm

Phill_d wrote: Once you start looking at one line dissapering then you open up a whole can of worms. I've limited mine to a 20mile radius around Leeds! (tunnels exepted

The ornate castelated crenalations on Bramhope tunnel were to keep the landowner happy (One end only) There is a monument of it to honour the men killed during it's construction. Dave @ lost rails has a page here http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co ... rogate.htm You can see how short sighted it was closing all the branch lines. The oncoming threat of the motor car! They predicted that part right-They didn't predict the roads would be SO FULL people would love to leave there cars at home & jump on these local trains! Too late now. Lines ripped up, tunnels filled in & houses built on the line! The Leeds-Wetherby line would be fantastic to re-open. A park & ride on the notorious a64 york road would do a roaring trade. RANT RANT!! Had the tram routes not been closed the Crossgates route and the Seacroft route ( if extended from Gipton and Compton Road ) could have served Tadcaster , Wetherby , Collingham etc. after the railway was closed .

peterg · Post by **peterg** » Tue 11 Mar, 2008 4:39 pm

Talking about the Garforth-Castleford line brings to my mind the trips I made from Crossgates to Castleford with my bike, to continue on to Pontefract to visit relatives. The line also went through Allerton Bywater and was served by a fairly old single coach self-propelled unit (I do not know whether it was diesel, petrol or what).

thc · Post by **thc** » Sun 16 Mar, 2008 5:24 pm

Phill_d wrote: Brunswick & prospect tunnel sets here http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn ... 18/detail/ There was a diesel service over the Church Fenton to Wetherby line, but only one train in one direction!! It left Church Fenton at 7.44 am and arriving at Leeds 8.46 am.

Leodis man · Post by **Leodis man** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 5:00 pm

I lived on Pendas Way from 64-68 and remember the line at the end of our garden...i was at the time 9-13...trains stopped due to the Beeching cuts .I can remember the night in the summer when Pendas Way station burnt down and was watching it from my bedroom window after being woke up to see it.There was a goods yard of some sort on the site of the Arndale centre or railway repair yard? it had a large mobile crane .

patter · Post by **patter** » Sat 29 Mar, 2008 10:00 am

I've just found a couple of rather interesting maps which may have some use in tracing old railway routes.BR Passenger network, 1961www.joyce.whitchurch.btinternet.co.uk/maps/BR1961c.jpgPassenger density, 1961www.joyce.whitchurch.btinternet.co.uk/maps/density.jpg(from http://www.joyce.whitchurch.btinternet.co.uk/maps.htm )