any present day evidence of any train tracks at Crown Point area at all now?

pablo leeds · Post by **pablo leeds** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:23 am

or all trace gone? (2012)

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:31 am

Afraid not, they've long since gone. The only tracks left are in the tarmac to the engine works across Jack Lane. The platelayers hut you can see behind the engine still survives hidden in the trees grown on the old trackbed.

pablo leeds · Post by **pablo leeds** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:35 am

ah superb thanks phill.where can i get to the engine works and platelayers hut?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:49 am

pablo leeds wrote: ah superb thanks phill.where can i get to the engine works and platelayers hut? These are the remains of the tracks into the workshttp://g.co/maps/jur36If you look at the aerial image you can see they followed a short spur from the main line. If you drop me an e-mail I'll tell you about the hut, it's an area best not advertising as it's railway property e.t.c. It's only a small brick hut and not really worth much effort I.M.O!

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 03 May, 2012 1:01 am

You can see both the spur to the engine works (nearest) and the overgrown trackbed branching off into the cutting at Crown point on this photo taken in 1984.By 1986 it's even more overgrown with the first signs of track reclamation work started.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 03 May, 2012 1:04 am

As Phill says there are no actual rails left, but the course of the cutting which accessed the Hunslet Lane site is still visible in the google maps link posted by mhoulden on the Old Gasworks thread. It runs south from the back of Sports Direct under the bridges at Ivory Street, Leathley Road, and Jack Lane. As this line was Leeds' first main line railway link with London (North Midland Railway) to its then passenger station, opened in 1840, at Junction Street, its remains are of some interest to the local historian.Of even greater historical interest is the course of the 1758 Middleton Railway, which can be seen on the same google maps view. The remaining traces start just to the west of Kidacre Street from about 50 yards South of Holmes Street, and can be followed to the Jack Lane crossing, with another short section to be seen alongside the old cinema as far as the remaining abutments of the bridge which once carried the Middleton's track across the Midland Railway's main line. EDIT:- Crossed post Phill, you beat me to it!

pablo leeds · Post by **pablo leeds** » Thu 03 May, 2012 4:54 am

ok think i'm getting a feel for it now. thanks guys, so all 3 of those pictures look the same way across the same piece of track yeah?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 03 May, 2012 11:26 am

Yes they all show the Hunslet goods junction with the main line.I'll add a few more photos of how it's changed over the years.This is looking in the opposite direction back to the main line, the photos were taken from the bridge you can see in the distance. The top photo looks to have been taken from the demolished signal box you can see. You can see where the box stood in the retaining wall on this photo below.I think that was a pub behind but can't recall it's name. In the cutting looking towards the goods yard.A busy scene in the cutting in days gone by, it must have seen a lot of traffic to have four tracks still in place.A 2008 trackless view in the cutting.The railway is disused in this 1980 shot, an old wagon is left dumped in one of the sidings, most of the track has been lifted.This is a great aerial image to see the whole layout. It's dated 1981 and the track is still in situ.You can see that photo bigger herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/danielrobot/23262 ... 827351/You can also see the remains of the Middleton railway coal drops on Kidacre Street that Jim mentions. It's to the right of the goods depot and looks like a short viaduct, that still survives today. You can see the course it took across Jack Lane herehttp://g.co/maps/emqveThe line ran between those brick walls and came from the side of this building where the new fence is herehttp://g.co/maps/sakszThis is the remains of the old bridge that carried the Middleton railway across the main linehttp://g.co/maps/spbp7

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:03 pm

Michael Kaye an old Holbeck driver has some good cab footage around Leeds on youtube. Here's a D.M.U cab ride from Stourton passed the engine works spur, Hunslet goods junction, and then they get the peg for the engine shed taken in 1993 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPTB0JgFZo&lr=1It sounds like they've been out for a spot of route learning. They laid some new sidings near Hunslet goods junction to store the newly built Class 323 units they had built at Hunslet before they went bust.The Hunslet engine works spur once again back in use in 1993.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 03 May, 2012 12:53 pm

Great set of views Phill. The one you describe as "In the cutting, looking towards the goods yard" displays the goliath crane nicely. I spent a fair bit of time in years gone by trying to keep it in working order. It was rated a 20 tons, but if overseen by a technical officer it was allowed to lift its original rated load of 40 tons. It had once been worked by steam, but had been adapted to electrical drive. The records went back to about 1890 - and the earlier records had been destroyed in an earlier fire at Derby Works, so it was certainly of some antiquity.I seem to remember that the white pub building was the Craven Gate. There seems to be a Tetleys sign on it on one of the views. As it was very much "off the beaten track" it had a strong reputation for serving drinks well after hours.