Dissapearing tunnel

jf · Post by jf » Sun 20 May, 2007 2:17 am

Another weekend, another missing bridge found (two in fact, but the photos of the other one won't really show up at the size you can post on here).This is the route of the branch into Albion Works, from land now occupied by the disused Yorkshire Chemicals site (near City Island and the old roundhouse).

jf · Post by jf » Sun 20 May, 2007 2:28 am

This is the bridge abutment on the south side of the canal, in engineering brick. On the north side nothing remains, the only evidence is a gap in the low boundary wall beside the towpath, the embankment having been removed when Yorkshire Chemicals was built on the site.The route of the branch northwards in the picture above, heading towards Kirkstall viaduct between the river and the canal, is still visible amongst the trees, even a little ballast still there in one place. It's very overgrown, I might be back in the winter when things have died back. This line crossed the Aire to serve Providence Works, close to Kirkstall Viaduct. Some remnants of that bridge remain, though it's difficult to get close enough to photograph them. In later years this line operated as an electric tramway serving the council highways depot. Historic maps suggest this line may have gone as far as Armley Mills at one point, something which I need to investigate further (no track is shown on the map I have, but there is an embankment in the right place!).

jf · Post by jf » Sun 20 May, 2007 2:45 am

picture didn't upload!

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sun 20 May, 2007 2:19 pm

Great stuff Jf... Yes i've been aware of this line & looked at that abutment before. I was never sure how it worked. It's really funny Rik & myself had a look at a suspicious bridge abutment yesterday on Armley road just a bit further up from the coal staithes.. Do you know the one?

jf · Post by jf » Sun 20 May, 2007 4:51 pm

I think I know where you mean, but it's a retaining wall as far as I can tell, not a bridge abutment. I have a lot of that area on 1:2500 maps from 1894 onwards, and don't recall seeing anything there, but the 1956 1:10560 shows some sidings in the right place, parallel to the road. See above - I've superimposed this on the google earth image. I can send you these maps as KMZ files so that they open in Google Earth in the right place if you like, so you can look yourself.Leeds Forge (now Premier Farnell) further north had a very extensive network of sidings, but these branched off just south of Armley Canal Road station, curving round on themselves and crossing the Harrogate line just west of Kirkstall Viaduct on Castleton Bridge (which is no longer there). There were also sidings into Wortley gas works in the middle of the gyratory (if you overlay the map on google earth you can still see where the track was).

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon 28 May, 2007 5:34 pm

Just back from Greenside.Nice. Very nice. Its unbelieveably (sp) clean.The floor is like someone has made it perfect for walking, there are grooves running almost the whole way through.It has a weird smell, sort of like gunpowder, must be the soot, but its acctually quite a nice smell, sort of clear.... (propably cancerous too no doubt!)I must say Phil, having been now you must have some super torchers for that one pic, it looks almost like thoe whole tunnel is open to light, i never managed to get the tunnel so lit up!I went along a bit and saw the ruins of the Bridge and walked bank along the Bridleway, and its amazing the size of the embankment they built!Definately reccommended, very easy next to no (new) graphiti, and theres a fair bit of old LUFC stuff (which is quite nice to be able to see and read).Such a shame they're filling it in....

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Mon 28 May, 2007 5:47 pm

Glad you enjoyed that trip Mike... You won't find a nice clean short tunnel like that to explore again. The others are very different mind you.. A lot of tunnels have big drains in them so watch out if you want to look at more. Queensbury has lots.. there all in the middle. There's a secret trick to making the tunnel look nice & bright in the pictures.. There not like that really as you just found out.. Good work Mike.

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon 28 May, 2007 5:51 pm

& good work Phil on the photo's!The Smoke vent is massive! The photo's really don't give you much of an idea of how huge it is (probably as the planks at the top are so much bigger than the standard garden shed planks!).The whole tunnel is really giant in fact I wasn't expecting it to be anything like the width and hieght it was...Oh, and I'll be sure to look out for those drains don't worry!

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Mon 28 May, 2007 6:36 pm

Yes the pictures don't show just how big these tunnels are. Don't forget that Greenside is just a baby.. Queensbury goes under the whole vilage... ENORMOUS!! sound effects galore!!!

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon 04 Jun, 2007 4:01 pm

I was talking to someone I know and he says that there is another tunnel along the tracks towards Bradford. Anyone know anything about this? Should be a case of following the line of the old tracks and hunting it down. He's going to bring a book about the old Greenside line in for me tomorow and I should be able to share more info.