Dragon Bridge

[jim]

Hi Leeds Hippo. The later line between Whitehall and Gelderd Roads was provided ( in 1882 ) to take passenger services directly into the Leeds New joint station of the LNW an NE Railways without causing further problems at the already seriously overloaded junctions and lines immediately south of Holbeck ( Low Level ) Station.The line was later diverted to link with the GNR main line to London just west of the footbridge you refer to in 1966/7 to keep the London trains away from the same junctions when Leeds City Station was rebuilt at that time, involving the closure of Leeds Central.Masssive increases in the number of trains serving Leeds Railway Station ( not Train Station, please! ) led to the provision of two additional tracks round the east to north curve of the Holbeck triangle in more recent times, the south to north side now being much less used ( by mainly freight services ) than before. The viaduct had problems of curvature and condition, and the connecting section with the London line had operational drawbacks as well,and the additional lines at the Holbeck triangle offer more operational flexibility, especially now that bi-directional running on all six lines round the east to north curve is allowable with modern signalling methods and track configuration.The footbridge you mention was, besides football crowds, much used by 1950s trainspotters when that occupation was mainly taken up by schoolboys in the years before they discovered pubs and women. The anorak types of today seem to be made up of those whose developement followed different lines. The "strange" bridge you mention has always intrigued me as well. As I recall it, the etrance to one end led from a dirt roadway from Whitehall Road that was very heavily fenced off as it reached the bridge preventing access. I too would be delighted to learn that bridges purpose.

[Leeds Hippo]

jim wrote: Hi Leeds Hippo. The later line between Whitehall and Gelderd Roads was provided ( in 1882 ) to take passenger services directly into the Leeds New joint station of the LNW an NE Railways without causing further problems at the already seriously overloaded junctions and lines immediately south of Holbeck ( Low Level ) Station.The line was later diverted to link with the GNR main line to London just west of the footbridge you refer to in 1966/7 to keep the London trains away from the same junctions when Leeds City Station was rebuilt at that time, involving the closure of Leeds Central.Masssive increases in the number of trains serving Leeds Railway Station ( not Train Station, please! ) led to the provision of two additional tracks round the east to north curve of the Holbeck triangle in more recent times, the south to north side now being much less used ( by mainly freight services ) than before. The viaduct had problems of curvature and condition, and the connecting section with the London line had operational drawbacks as well,and the additional lines at the Holbeck triangle offer more operational flexibility, especially now that bi-directional running on all six lines round the east to north curve is allowable with modern signalling methods and track configuration.The footbridge you mention was, besides football crowds, much used by 1950s trainspotters when that occupation was mainly taken up by schoolboys in the years before they discovered pubs and women. The anorak types of today seem to be made up of those whose developement followed different lines. The "strange" bridge you mention has always intrigued me as well. As I recall it, the etrance to one end led from a dirt roadway from Whitehall Road that was very heavily fenced off as it reached the bridge preventing access. I too would be delighted to learn that bridges purpose. Thanks Jim - keep forgetting how busy the railways were in those days.As for the "strange bridge" - on the 1938 map it appears to join a rectangular feature (field?) - this is like a bridge to nowhere. I recall as a kid that the bridge was very substantial and could have taken a 2 lane road - did they intend to join the Whitehall and Gelderd roads I wonder - also why cross it obliquely - the cheapest solution would be at right angles    

[Tarkus]

The 'strange' bridge is shown on a couple of photos from the Britain From Above website (see http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW043123). It appears to carry an access path for farm animals. In the photos, there's a herd of cows in the large field to the south east of the railway line. Perhaps this bridge enabled the cows to cross the line to a milking shed?

[buffaloskinner]

1888 revised 1932 map of that area.

It seems that the overpass may belong to the farm and giving access to the fields

[rikj]

That's a great photo, though I think the only place those cows will be going is straight down the road to the cattle market and abattoir. The railway must have had to build the bridge to preserve the farm's access to Whitehall Road. The farm is just visible on the edge of the photo.

Think the dirt track in front of the new factory was the route of the tramway to Manor Pit, long disused by 1933.

Depressingly, that lovely 30's style factory seems to have being extant until around 2010. Now demolished.