This article covers the northern half of the line and has a quick look at the motive power and rolling-stock used.
Another article covers the history of the Line and the southern half of its route. It can be found here. [18]
This article covers the length of the line from Sardorella to Casella. [1]A topographical map of the route. [1]Perhaps a little clearer than the topographical map. [2]
We restart our journey from Genoa to Casella at Sardorella Halt. …
The railway is on three different levels on the hillside at Sant’Olcese. The first accommodates the Chiesa Halt, the tunnel above opens out onto the second level. The third level hosts the Tullo Halt.
A photograph of a later elettromotrice travelling on this curve can be found here. [17] In the linked image, unit A12 is shown on the curve from Casella Deposito to the Vittorio Veneto bridge (over the River Scrivia). It was shared by Gian-Paolo Codebo on the Sei de Casella se… Facebook Group on 7th May 2020.
During Construction steam power was employed by the contractor and there are images around which show at least one excursion event that was steam hauled prior to the Line’s formal opening.
Two pictures can be found on the first article in this series, here. [18]
In that first article, we noted that the electric supply was originally 2400V DC. “The first electric locomotives were supplied by Breda, numbered 1 to 3. They were 360 horsepower Bo-Bo locomotives with an innovative Breda-Somarini energy recovery system, unique in Italy. In addition to the motive power, 4 third-class carriages (Nos. 50-53); 3 mixed first-third class carriages (Nos. 20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types were delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened.” [1]
Unless noted otherwise, the paragraphs below are translated/paraphrased/amended from the Italian Wikipedia page about the Genoa (Genova) to Casella Railway. [21]
Locomotives
At the commencement of the service on the railway, the three locomotives mentioned above were supplied by Breda and numbered 1 to 3. [21]
On 23rd August 1937, two of the locomotives were destroyed in an accident near Vicomorasso in which five people lost their lives. [22: p67]
This accident meant that replacement locomotives were required. Three electric locomotives were purchased from the Società Veneta. They had been built by MAN in 1913 for the Montebelluna – Asolo and Montebelluna – Valdobbiadene tramways in Veneto which closed in 1931. [21]
One of the locomotives mentioned in the paragraph above at Stazione di Caerano sometime between 1913 and 1931 in Montebelluna, at [23]
“These locomotives entered service in 1939, initially maintaining the original numbering (053, renumbered 055 in 1943, 054 and 056), after conversion of the original power supply system from 975 V DC to 2400 V DC.” [1]
Locomotive 28 and 29 were built in 1924 for the Adriatic-Appennino Railway. The electrical equipment was supplied by TIBB of Vado Ligure; the body and bogies were made by Carminati & Toselli of Milan. Originally, they were part of a 1922 order for 14 locomotives of 950 mm gauge for the Sangritana Railway. Two (Nos. 28 and 29) were sold to Ferrovia Genova Casella (FGC) – No. 28 in 1956 and No. 29 in 1960. [22: p98 & 184] Conversion was necessary as the locomotives required a gauge change and modification from freight/baggage locomotives to passenger locomotives.
The two locomotives entered service in 1962. No. 29 is currently the oldest electric locomotive still in operation in Italy and is used in composition with three carriages (C22-C103-C104) as a historic train used on charters. No. 28 was placed in storage in 1975 and finally decommissioned and dismantled in 1998. [21][22: p184]
Electtromortices A1, A2 and A3 were built in 1929 for the Ferrovia della Val di Fiemme (Ora – Predazzo), similarly by TIBB and Carminati & Toselli. These were transferred on the closure of the Ora – Predazzo line in 1963 to the Ferrovie Genoa Casella. [21][1]
Elettromotrice A1 while employed by Ferrovia della Val di Fiemme (Ora – Predazzo) at Ora depot. [25]
A1 was painted blue/cream in 2011 with AMT logos. It was used for ordinary trains until 2019 and in 2022 it was set aside awaiting significant maintenance. [21]
A2 was reconditioned and returned to its 1929 condition. It re-entered service in June 2018. In that December it was involved in an accident but emerged with little damage. In September 2019, further restoration work was completed and from February 2020 it was undertaking a regular historic train service, usually being timetabled for Saturday running. [21][26]
A3 was built by Gleismac/EAA, after having suffered serious damage in an accident at Sardorella in 1974. It returned to service in 1983. It remained in service until 1999. After it was withdrawn, it doesn’t 12 years in storage before ultimately being dismantled in 2011. [21]
Elettromotrices, A1, A2 and A3 were part of a batch of about thirty electric locomotives which were built by Carminati and Toselli of Milan. Twenty-three of these were very similar to each other. being produced between 1924 and 1940. Three of this batch of locos (A1-A3) were deployed on the Ora-Predazzo line and on its closure came to the FGC. [21]
In addition, two 420 horsepower locomotives (max. speed 45 km/hr), B51 and B52 with Bo-Bo running gear were also transferred to the FGC in the early 1960s. [1]
Also from Val di Fiemme came six bogie-carriages, two longer coaches numbered C101 and C102 and four of shorter carriages, numbered from C103 to C106. [1]
Elettromotrices A4-A7 were built in 1957 on the chassis and bogies of locos built by TIBB/Carminati & Toselli in 1926 for the Spoleto-Norcia railway. That reconstruction was undertaken by Casaralta-TIBB. It saw the application of new electrical equipment and the adoption of a new rounded body, typical of the mid-20th century. These elettromotrices transferred to Genoa in 1970 with the closure of Spoleto-Norcia line. They entered regular service, re-numbered A4-A7, between 1971 and 1973 after gauge-conversion from 950mm to metre-gauge. [21]
Units A6 and A7 were visually the same as units A4 and A5.
Elettromotrice A6 at work on the line before it was set aside. [10]
Units A4 and A7 were scrapped (in 2014 and 2016 respectively), while A5 was restored to running order in February 2010, with the installation of fully electronic speed measuring devices and a dead man’s device, the application of a cream/blue anti-graffiti film and new AMT logos. It was taken away for restoration in 2022, and finally A6 has been shelved for over 10 years awaiting restoration. [21][22: p191]
Electric locomotives A8-A10 were built in 1993 by Firema-Officine di Cittadella at the request of Ferrovia Genova-Casella, they have identical bodies to the decommissioned A3. However, A8 uses the TIBB bogies from B51, the A9 those from B52 and the A10 those from A3. This last unit also has a body slightly different from the others due to the lower window line. [21]
Elettromotrices A11-A12 were built in 1998 by FiReMa-Officine di Cittadella at the request of Ferrovia Genova-Casella. They have a body identical to the A10. A11 underwent a restyling in 2011 with the application of cream/blue anti-graffiti film and new AMT logos and is currently used in regular service. A12 is also back in service after an extraordinary overhaul of the bogies. [21][22: p198]
Locomotive D1 was built in 1964 on behalf of the German railways by the manufacturer Gmeinder & Co. by adapting the MaK V100 standard-gauge locomotive to metre gauge, it was numbered V52 902 (later 252 902) and used on the 28 km long Mosbach-Mudau metre-gauge line. When it’s service on that line came to an end (2nd June 1973), it was first converted to standard-gauge by Gmeinder and used by Sudwestdeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft (SWEG) which put it to work on the Breisach-Endingen-Riegel line (numbered VL46-01). In 1986, it was sold to the Gleismac company which converted it to metre-gauge and then sold it to the FGC. It was used to haul construction and passenger trains during the renovation of the overhead line. It was then set aside at Casella Deposito for over 10 years until in 2008 it was sent to Monopoli where it was rebuilt by 2014 and it returned to service on the line in November 2015. [33][34]
Locomotive D1 responsible for a single coach. [9]And here with two coaches. [9]And here, escaping from a tunnel portal. [19]
Other Rolling Stock
We have already picked up some snippets of information about coaching stock and wagons. …
When the line opened there were “4 third-class carriages (Nos. 50-53); 3 mixed first-third class (Nos. 20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types (delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened).” [1]
We also noted that, along with the B51 and B52 locos “from Val di Fiemme came six bogie-carriages, two longer coaches numbered C101 and C102 and four of shorter carriages, numbered from C103 to C106.” [1]
The following information is gleaned from H Rohrer’s detailed website about Italian railways. That website can be found here. [35]
Coaches C20-C22 were built by Breda and supplied in 1926, of which C22 was renovated by FGC in 1960 and C21 was renovated by Gleismac in 1979-1980. An image of Coach 22 can be found here. [36]
Coaches C50-C53 were built by Breda and supplied in 1926. An image of Coach C50 can be found here. [37] An image of refurbished Coach C53 can be seen here. [38]
Coaches C101-C102 were long-wheelbase bogie coaches, built by Carminati Toselli and supplied in 1929. These were later renovated by Gleismac between 1980 and 1983. An image of Coach 101 in original condition can be found here. [39] The renovated Coach 101 can be seen here. [40]
Coaches C103-C106 were short-wheelbase bogie coaches built by Conti (?) and supplied in 1929 (?). Of these C105 and C106 were later renovated by Gleismac between 1980 and 1983. The original Coach 104 can be seen here. [41] A refurbished Coach C106 can be seen here. [42]
Coaches C60-C62 were built by Citadella Firema and supplied in 1996/1997. An example can be seen here. [43]
Huddleston looks at a number of different sections of the network and after looking at what he has to say about each we will endeavour to follow those railway routes as they appear in the 21st century. We will go into quite a bit of detail on the journey along the Kalka to Shimla narrow-gauge line. The featured image at the head of this post was taken at Taradevi Railway Station on the Kalka to Shimla line, (c) GNU Free Documentation Licence Version 1.2. [29]
Shikohabad to Farrukhabad
This branch line had, in 1906, recently been opened. Huddleston describes it as being 65 miles in length, running through the district of Manipuri from Shekoabad [sic] to Farukhabad on the River Ganges. Until 1906, Farukhabad [sic] had “only been served by the metre gauge line which skirts the river to Cawnpore.There was lots of traffic in the district and both the broad and metre gauge lines completed for it, whilst the river and canals and camels compete with the railways.” [1: p40]
The journey from Shikohabad to Farrukhabad. Indian Railways spellings of the two locations differ from those used by Huddleston in 1906. [4]
We start this relatively short journey (of 63 miles) at Shikohabad Junction Railway Station. “The old name of Shikohabad was Mohammad Mah (the name still exists as Mohmmad mah near Tahsil and Kotwali). Shikohabad is named after Dara Shikoh, the eldest brother of Emperor Aurangzeb. In its present form, the town has hardly any recognisable evidence of that era. Shikohabad was ruled under the estate of Labhowa from 1794 to 1880.” [5] “Shikohabad Junction railway station is on the Kanpur-Delhi section of Howrah–Delhi main line and Howrah–Gaya–Delhi line. It is located in Firozabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.” [6] The station opened in1866. “A branch line was opened from Shikohabad to Mainpuri in 1905 and extended to Farrukhabad in 1906.” [7]
Shikohabad Junction Railway Station, Uttar Pradesh. [Google Maps, October 2024]Shikohabad Junction Railway Station (c) Mohit Yadav. (2022)Shikohabad Junction Railway Station (c) Anshu Yadavv. (2021)
Trains from Shikohabad set off for Farrukhabad in a southeasterly direction alongside the Delhi to Kolkata main line. In a very short distance as the railway passed under a road flyover (Shikohabad Junction Flyover) the line to Farrukhabad moved away from the main line on its Northside.
The rail bridge carrying the Farrukhabad line over the Lower Ganga Canal seen from a point to the North alongside the canal. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking East-Northeast along the railway towards Farrukhabad from the AH1 Flyover. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Basdeomai, Uttar Pradesh. The covered way either side of the underpass is typical of many locations where local roads cross railways. This view looks Northwest across the railway. [Google Streetview, May 2023]looking Southwest along the railway. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking Northeast along the railway [Google Streetview, May 2023]
The first stopping point on the line is at Burha Bharthara. As can be seen immediately below, it is little more than a ‘bus-stop’ sign!
Burha Bharthara, (c) Dev Kumar. (2018)Burha Bharthara. [Google Maps, October 2024]
Very soon after Burha Bharthara, trains pull into Aroan Railway Station which is a little more substantial that Burha Bharthara having a single building with a ticket office.
Aroan Railway Station, (c) Rajput Boy. (2019]Aroan Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]
Takha Railway Station is next along the line.
Takha Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]The view East-northeast from Takha Railway Station, (c) Ketan Gupta. [October 2021 – Google Maps]
A couple of hundred meters short of Kosma Railway Station, the line crosses the Karhal to Ghiror Road at a level-crossing.
The level-crossing which takes the line across the Karhal to Ghiror Road, seen from the South. [Google Streeview, October 2023]Looking East from the level-crossing towards Kosma Railway Station. [Google Streetview, October 2023]
Kosma Railway Station provides a passing loop to allow trains travelling in opposite directions to cross.
Kosma Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Kosma Railway Station, (c) Rajat Singh, April 2023. [Google Maps, October 2024]The railway bridges an irrigation canal, (another arm of the Lower Ganga Canal (?)), a little to the East of Kosma Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]
A short distance further to the East is Tindauli Railway Station, after which the line crosses another arm the Lower Ganga Canal.
Tindauli Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Another arm of the Lower Ganga Canal. [Google Maps, October 2024]
Further East the line crosses a number of roads, most now culverted under the line.
This is a view East from one of the more minor crossing points near Auden Padariya (not far West of the junction on the approach to Mainpuri) which has yet to have an underbridge constructed and still had its crossing gates in 2023. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Passing under the Auden Mandal- Kharpari Bypass, the line meets the line from Etawah before running into Mainpuri Junction Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Mainpuri Junction Railway Station. [Google Earth, October 2024]Mainpuri Junction Railway Station, (c) Surabhl Study. (2022)Mainpuri Junction Railway Station, (c) Narendra Singh Chauhan. (2023)Mainpuri Railway Station seen from the level-crossing on the Mainpuri-Kishni Road at the station limits. [Google Streetview, May 2023]
To the East of Mainpuri Railway Station, the next station is Mainpuri Kachehri Railway Station, just to the East of the Sugaon to Husenpur Road.
Mainpuri Kachehri Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Mainpuri Kachehri Railway Station, (c) Protkarsh Kumar – still from video (2022), [8]Mainpuri Kachehri Railway Station, (c) Protkarsh Kumar – still from video (2022), [8]
The next station was Bhongaon Railway Station which had a passing loop to allow trains to cross.
Looking East towards Bhongaon Railway Station from a couple of hundred metres to the West of the Station. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Bhongaon Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Bhongaon Railway Station. [9]Bhongaon Railway Station. [9]Just at the East end of the station site the Aligarh-Kanpur Road (Grand Trunk Road) crosses the line at level. This is the view from the level-crossing, East towards Farrukhabad. [Google Streetview, May 2023]A short distance further East the line passes under the newly constructed Bypass. This view looks back under the modern viaduct towards Bhongoan Railway Station. [Google Streetview, May 2023]
Continuing on towards Farrukhabad, it is only a matter of a few minutes before trains pass through Takhrau Railway Station, where facilities are basic, and Mota Railway Station where facilites are a little more substantive.
Takhrau Railway Station building. (c) Pankaj Kumar, August 2017. [Google Maps, October 2024]Mota Railway Station, (c) Vinod Kumar, May 2023. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The Railway then bridges the Kaali Nadi River and passes through Pakhna Railway Station.
The railway bridge over the (c) Shiv Shankar, January 2020. [Google Maps, October 2024]Pakhna Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Pakhna Railway Station, (c) Gaurav Singh. (2021)Pakhna Railway Station, (c) Gaurav Singh. (2021)
The next stop is at B L Daspuri (Babal Axmandaspuri) Station.
Babal Axmandaspuri Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Babal Axmandaspuri Railway Station, (c) Rajat Singh (September 2023). [Google Maps, October 2024]
Another short journey gets us to Nibkarori Railway Station.
Nibkarori Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Nibkarori Railway Station seen from the Northeast, (c) Rakesh Verma (July 2021). [Google maps, October 2024]
The next stop is at Ugarpur Railway Station.
Ugarpur Railway Station. [Google Maps. October 2024]Ugarpur Railway Station, (c) Desh Deepak Dixit (December 2017). [Google Maps. October 2024]
Not much further along the line we enter Shrimad Dwarakapuri Railway Station.
Shrimad Dwarakapuri Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]
As the line reaches the town of Farrukhabad it turns sharply to the North.
On the South side of Farrukhabad the line turns to the Northwest. [Google Maps, October 2024]
It then enters Farrukhabad Junction Railway Station from the Southeast.
Farrukhabad Junction Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Farrukhabad Railway Station (c) Anil Yadav7883 (2022)Farrukhabad Railway Station (c) Qazim Khan (2022)Farrukhabad Railway Station (c) Provas Rautroy (2021)
Farrukhabad sits on the River Ganges. It is a historic city with a rich culture defined by the traditions of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb (Ganges-Yamuna Culture), [10] which amalgamates aspects of Hindu and Muslim cultural practices, rituals, folk and linguistic traditions. [11] The city was begun in 1714, and Mohammad Khan Bangash (a commander in the successful army of Farrukhsiyar, one of the princely contenders for the Mughal throne, who led a coup which displaced the reigning emperor Jahandar Shah) named it after Farrukhsiyar. It soon became a flourishing centre of commerce and industry. [12]
Initially, under the colonial state of British India, Farrukhabad was a nodal centre of the riverine trade through the Ganges river system from North and North-West India towards the East. [12] Farrukhabad’s economic and political decline under British rule began with the closure of the Farrukhabad mint in 1824. [11]
Farrukhabad, according to the 2011 census had a population of 1,885,204. This was just under four times its size in 1901. Its population is predominantly Hindu. [13]
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 94.96% of the population in the district spoke Hindi (or a related language) and 4.68% Urdu as their first language. [14]
Tundla to Agra
“From Shekoabad, it is only a matter of 22 miles to Tundla but very few people would ever hear about Tundla, if it was not for the fact that it is the junction for Agra. …Agra would have been on the main line if the East Indian Railway had the original intention been followed of taking the line across the Jumna river at Agra and then following its right bank into Delhi; but, instead of doing this, it was decided … to build only a branch to Agra, and to run the main line on the left side of the Jumna. … If we want to visit Agra, we must change at Tundla and go along the 14 mile of the branch line.” [1: p41]
Huddleston tells us that:
“Approaching Agra … from Tundla you see [the Taj Mahal] first on your left-hand side, wrapped in that peculiar atmospheric haze that adds charm to every distant object in the East, a charm even to that which needs no added charm, the marvellous and wonderful Taj Mehal [sic]. As you rapidly draw nearer it seems to rise before you in solitary dazzling grandeur, its every aspect changing as the remorseless train, which you cannot stop, dashes on. Once catch your first glimpse of the Taj and you have eyes for. nothing else, you feel that your very breath has gone, that you are in a dream. All the world seems unreal, and the beautiful construction before you more unreal than all. You only know it is like something you have heard of, something, perhaps, in a fairy tale, or something you have read of, possibly in allegory, and you have hardly time to materialise before the train rattles over the Jumna Bridge, and enters Agra Fort station.
There on one side are the great red walls of the fortress within a few feet of you, and there on the other side is the teeming native city, with its mosques and domes and minarets, its arches and columns and pillars. its thousand and one Oriental sights, just the reality of the East, but all quite different to everywhere else. … There are things to be seen in Agra that almost outrival the Taj itself, such, for instance, as the tomb of Ihtimad-ud-Daula, on the East bank of the river, with its perfection of marble carving, unequalled in delicacy by anything of the kind in the world. There are delightful places nearby of absorbing interest, as, for example, Fatehpur Sikri, and its abandoned city of palaces; there is enough in Agra and its vicinity to glut a glutton at sight seeing, but we must go back to the railway and its work. The Jumna Bridge, of which we have talked, belongs to the Rajputana Railway; the rails are so laid that both broad and metre gauge trains run over it, and above the track for trains there is a roadway.
But this is not sufficient for the needs of Agra, though supplemented by a pontoon bridge which crosses the river half a mile further up the stream. The trade of Agra first attracted the East Indian Railway, then came the Rajputana Malwa, and then the Great Indian Peninsular. Each of the latter two lines wanted a share, and the East Indian had to fight for its rights; to do its utmost to keep to the Port of Calcutta what the rival lines wanted to take to Bombay. Another railway bridge became a necessity, a bridge that would take the East Indian Railway line into the heart of the native city instead of leaving it on its outskirts, and the East Indian Railway began to construct it.” [1: p42-43]
In 1906 the new bridge over the River Jumna was under construction, due to be completed in early 1907. Huddleston describes the bridge under construction thus:
“The bridge will consist of nine soane of 150 ft., and there will be a roadway under the rails; the bridge is being built for a single line, and all the wells have been sunk to a depth of 60 ft , or more. The work … commenced in September [1905], and it is expected that the bridge will be completed in March 1907. It need only be added that the site selected for this new connection is between the existing railway bridge and the floating pontoon road bridge, and the chief point of the scheme is that, when carried out, the East Indian Railway will have a line through the city of Agra, and a terminus for its goods traffic in a most central position, instead of being handicapped, as it now is, by having its goods depôt on the wrong side of the river. Mr. A. H. Johnstone is the East Indian Railway engineer-in-charge of the work.” [1: p43]
We start the journey along this short branch in the 21st century at Tundla Junction Railway Station.
Tundla Railway Station. [Google Earth, October 2024]Tundla Railway Station (c) Amit Kumar (2023)Tundla Railway Station (c) Bikram Dhara (2022)
We head Northwest out of the station alongside the main line to Delhi.
Looking West towards Tundla Junction Railway Station from the South side of the lines. The closest rail line is the branch to Agra. [Google Streetview, July 2023]
The first station along the branch was Etmadpur Railway Station.
Etmadpur Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Etmadpur Railway Station, (c) Harkesh Yadav, March 2021. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The line to Agra next passes under the very modern loop line which allows trains to avoid Tundla Station.
Looking West, back towards Etmadpur Station under the modern relieving line bridge. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The next photograph shows the older single track metal girder bridge a little further to the West of Etmadpur with the more modern second line carried by a reinforced concrete viaduct.
Seen from the North side of the line looking South, the older single track metal girder bridge with the more modern second line carried by a reinforced concrete viaduct. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The line curves round from travelling in an West-northwest direction to a West-southwest alignment and then enters the next station on the line, Kuberpur Railway Station.
Kuberpur Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Kuberpur Railway Station seen from the approach road to the North. [Google Streetview, June 2023]Kuberpur Railway Station building seen from the platform, (c) sanjeev kumar, May 2018. [Google Maps, October 2024]A low definition view of the line heading West towards Agra as seen from the modern concrete viaduct carrying what I believe to be Agra’s Ring Road (a toll road). [Google Streetview, June 2023]
As we head into Agra, the next station is Chhalesar Railway Station.
Chhalesar Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Chhalesar Railway Station (c) Sabha Shankar, June 2018.Chhalesar Railway Station (c) Rohit Jaiswal, August 2023.
From Chhalesar Railway Station the line continues in a West-southwest direction towards the centre of Agra. The next station is Yamuna Bridge Railway Station.
Yamuna Bridge Railway Station Agra. [Google Maps, October 2024]Yamuna Bridge Railway Station, Agra, (c) Ashish Yadav, February 2022.Yamuna Bridge Railway Station, Agra, (c) Hasharema International Private Limited, September 2024.
South West of Yamuna Bridge Railway Station a series of bridges cross the River Yamuna.
Bridges across the River Yamuna. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The ‘Yamuna Railway Bridge’ crossing the River Jumna/Yamuna at Agra was opened in 1875, and connected ‘Agra East Bank Station’ to ‘Agra Fort Station’. The bridge carried the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CIR) Metre Gauge ‘Agra-Bandikui Branch Line’, the East Indian Railway (EIR) and ‘Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) Broad Gauge lines. [18]
The first bridge over the Yamuna River at Agra. It is the more southerly of the two bridges shown on the 1972 map of Agra below. [17]A map of Agra in 1962 which shows the two Yamuna River Bridges in place by then. Some of the significant features of the city can be identified clearly on this map: Agra Fort and its adjacent railway station appear close to the first Yamuna Bridge; the Taj Mahal is to the South East of the bridge on the South bank of the river; the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah can be seen to the East of the river just North of the Strachey Bridge; a number of railway stations can also be picked out around Agra City. [20]
The ‘Strachey Bridge’, to the North the older bridge at Agra, was opened in 1908. It was a combined Road and Railway bridge and constructed by the ‘East Indian Railway Company’ (EIR). The bridge was named after John Strachey who planned & designed the bridge. The 1,024 metres (3,360 ft) long bridge was completed in 1908, taking 10 years to complete since its construction commenced in 1898. The ‘Agra City Railway Station’ was thus connected by the bridge to the ‘Jumna Bridge Station’ on the East bank. This Broad Gauge line became the ‘EIR Agra Branch Line’. [18]
The Strachey Railway bridge over the Yamuna River, The two-tiered bridge facilitated simultaneous movement of road traffic at the bottom level and rail transport at the upper level. Though the bridge is still in use today, it’s closed for road traffic and is used only by railways. This bridge appears on the satellite image above, on the South side of the Ambedkar Road Bridge. [19]
Once the Strachey Bridge (this is the one about which Huddleston speaks at length above) was opened in 1908. The EIR had access to the heart of the city and particularly to Agra City Station. We will look at City Station a few paragraphs below. But it is worth completing a look at the bridges over the Yamuna River with the bridge which replaced the first Yamuna River railway bridge.
Huddleston comments: “Delhi is one of the most important junctions on the East Indian Railway. The Rajputana Malwa, the North Western, Southern Punjab, Oudh and Rohilkhand and Great Indian Peninsular Railways all run into Delhi. There is a regular network of lines in and around, and the main passenger station is that belonging to the East Indian Railway. All the railways run their passenger trains into the East Indian Railway station, and most of the goods traffic passes through it also. For some years past Delhi has been in a state of remodelling; the work is still going on, and it will be some time before it is completed.” [1: p43]
He continues: “When you alight on one of the numerous platforms at Delhi station, there is a feeling of elbow room; the whole station seems to have been laid out in a sensible way. You are able to move without fear of being jostled over the platform edge, everything looks capacious, and especially the two great waiting halls, which flank either side of the main station building. These are, perhaps, the two finest waiting halls in India; passengers congregate there, and find every convenience at hand, the booking office, where they take their tickets, vendors’ stalls, where they get various kinds of refreshments, a good supply of water, and, just outside, places in which to bathe; a bath to a native passenger is one of the greatest luxuries, and he never fails to take one when opportunity offers.” [1: p44]
Wikipedia tells us that “Delhi Junction railway station is the oldest railway station in Old Delhi. … It is one of the busiest railway stations in India in terms of frequency. Around 250 trains start, end, or pass through the station daily. It was established near Chandni Chowk in 1864 when trains from Howrah, Calcutta started operating up to Delhi. Its present building was constructed by the British Indian government in the style of the nearby Red Fort and opened in 1903. It has been an important railway station of the country and preceded the New Delhi by about 60 years. Chandni Chowk station of the Delhi Metro is located near it.” [21]
Delhi junction Railway Station was the main railway station in Delhi at the time that Huddleston was writing his articles.
Delhi Junction Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Delhi Junction Railway Station as it appears on OpenStreetMap. [21]Delhi Junction Railway Station. [22]The Red Fort, Delhi (c) M F Music. (2023)Jama Masjid, Delhi (c) Md Asif. (2022)New Delhi Railway Station is marked on this OpenStreetMap extract with a blue flag, it is just a short distance Southwest of Delhi Junction Railway Station which is marked by a grey train symbol to the top-right of the map extract and named ‘Old Delhi’. [23]
Delhi, Ambala (Umbala) and Kalka
The East Indian Railway proper terminated at Delhi Junction Railway Station but the railway company also operated the independently owned Delhi-Umabala-Kalka Railway.
“A railway line from Delhi to Kalka via Ambala was constructed by the Delhi Umbala Kalka Railway Company (DUK) during 1889 and 1890 and operations were commenced on March 1, 1891. The management of the line was entrusted to the East Indian Railway Company (EIR) who were able to register a net profit in the very first year of operation. The Government of India purchased the line in 1926 and transferred the management to the state controlled North Western Railway. After partition, this section became part of the newly formed East Punjab Railway and was amalgamated with the Northern Railway on 14th April 1952.” [3]
The terminus of this line is at Kalka, 162 miles from Delhi. Huddleston tells us that, “In the beginning of the hot weather, when the plains are becoming unbearable, Kalka station is thronged with those fortunates who are going to spend summer in the cool of the Himalayas, and, when the hot weather is over, Kalka is crowded with the same people returning to the delights of the cold season, very satisfied with themselves at having escaped a grilling in the plains. Therefore, nearly everyone who passes Kalka looks cheerful, but, of course, there is the usual exception to the rule; and in this case the exception is a marked one. All the year round there is to be seen at Kalka station a face or two looking quite the reverse of happy, and, if we search the cause, we find it soon enough. The sad faces belong to those who have reached Kalka on their way to the Pasteur Institute, at Kasauli; Kasauli is in the hills some ten miles from Kalka. It is at Kasauli that Lord Curzon, when Viceroy, established that incalculable boon to all the people of India, a Pasteur Institute. Formerly, when anyone was bitten by a mad dog, or by a mad jackal, and such animals are fairly common in the East, he had to fly to Paris, and spend anxious weeks before he could be treated-some, indeed, developed hydrophobia before they could get there, or got there too late to be treated with any hope of success. Now, instead of going to Paris, they go to Kasauli.” [1: p44-45]
The western approach to Deli Junction Railway Station. The station is on the right of this satellite image. The lines to the New Delhi Railway Station leave the image to the South, to the left of centre. The line to Kalka leaves the image towards the top-left. [Google Maps, October 2024]The view West from the bridge carrying Pul Mithai over the railway. The lines entering the photograph from the left are those from New Delhi Railway Station. Those ahead begin the journey to Kalka. [Google Streetview, February 2022]Looking West from Rani Jhansi Road/Flyover. It may be difficult to make out, but the line to Kalka curves away to the right. [Google Streetview, February 2022]
The first station beyond the junction shown in the photograph above is Sabzi Mandi Railway Station.
Heading North-northwest out of Delhi, trains pass through Delhi Azadpur Railway Station, under Mahatma Gandhi Road (the Ring Road), on through Adarsh Nagar Delhi Railway Station and under the Outer Ring Road.
Looking North-northwest from Mahata Gandhi Road. [Google Streetview, April 2022]Looking North-northwest from the Outer Ring Road. [Google Streetview, April 2022]
Outside of the Outer Ring Road the line passes through Samaypur Badli Railway Station which is an interchange station for the Metro; across a level-crossing on Sirsapur Metro Station Road; through Khera Kalan Railway Station and out of the Delhi conurbation.
Looking North-northwest from Sirsapur Metro Station Road Level-Crossing. [Google Streetview, April 2022]
The line runs on through a series of level-crossings and various stations (Holambi Kolan, Narela, Rathdhana, Harsana Kalan) and under and over modern highways before arriving at Sonipat Junction Railway Station.
A typical view from another level-crossing looking North-northwest along the line.[Google Streetview, April 2022]
Sonipat Junction Railway Station provides connections to Gohana, Jind and Palwal. [24]
(c) Mohit, March 2022. (c) Arvind, August 2021.(c) Rahul Singh, February 2019.
Northwest of Sonipat Railway Station a single-track line diverges to the West as we continue northwards through Sandal Kalan, Rajlu Garhi (North of which a line diverges to the East), Ganaur, Bhodwal Majri, Samalkha, Diwana Railway Stations before arriving at Panipat Junction Railway Station.
Panipat Junction Railway Station was opened in 1891. It has links to the Delhi–Kalka line, Delhi–Amritsar line, Delhi–Jammu line, Panipat–Jind line, Panipat–Rohtak line connected and upcoming purposed Panipat–Meerut line via Muzaffarnagar, Panipat–Haridwar line, Panipat-Rewari double line, via Asthal Bohar, Jhajjar or Bypass by the Rohtak Junction Panipat-Assoti Double line via Farukh Nagar, Patli, Manesar, Palwal. 118 trains halt here each day with a footfall of 40,000 persons per day. [25]
(c) Pintoo Yadav, May 2021.(c) Sunil j, January 2023.
Just to the North of Panipat Junction Railway Station a double-track line curves away to the West. Our journey continues due North parallel to the Jammu-Delhi Toll Road.
A view North along the line from one of the access roads to the Jammu-Delhi Toll Road. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
North of Panipat the line passed through Babarpur, Kohand, Gharaunda, Bazida Jatan Railway Stations while drifting gradually away from the Jammu-Delhi Toll Road.
Kohand Railway Station (c) Vikas Haryana (2012)Gharaunda Railway Station (c) Rohan Khodlyan (2021)
Beyond Bazida Jatan Station, the line turns from a northerly course to a more northwesterly direction before swinging back Northeast to a more northerly route. It then passes through Karnal Railway Station before once again swinging away to the Northwest and crossing a significant irrigation canal, passing through Bhaini Khurd, Nilokheri, Amin Railway Stations and then arrives at Kurukshetra Junction Railway Station.
North of Kurukshetra Junction the line passes through Dhoda Kheri, Dhirpur, Dhola Mazra, Shahbad Markanda (by this time running very close to the Jammu-Delhi Toll Road again), and Mohri Railway Stations before it bridges the Tangri River.
The Tangri River Railway Bridge seen from NH44, the Jammu-Delhi Road. The photograph is taking facing Northwest. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
Not too far North of the Tangri River the line enters Ambala City and arrives at Ambala Cantt Junction Railway Station.
Ambala Cantt Junction Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Ambala Cantt Junction Railway Station (c) Charan Singh (2021)Ambala Cantt Junction Railway Station (c) Ashish Jha (2022)
Ambala (known as Umbala in the past – this spelling was used by Rudyard Kipling in his 1901 novel Kim) is “located 200 km (124 mi) to the north of New Delhi, India’s capital, and has been identified as a counter-magnet city for the National Capital Region to develop as an alternative center of growth to Delhi.” [26] As of the 2011 India census, Ambala had a population of 207,934.
Travelling further North towards Kalka, trains start heading Northwest out of Ambala Cantt Railway Station. and pass through Dhulkot, Lalru, Dappar, Ghagghar Rauilway Stations before crossing the Ghaggar River and running on into Chandigarh.
The Ghaggar River Railway Bridge seen from the Ghaggar Causeway to the Northeast of the railway Bridge. [Google Streetview, June 2022]
Chandigarh Junction Railway Station sits between Chandigarh and Panchkula. it is illustrated below.
North of Chadigarh the flat plains of India give way to the first foothills of the Himalayas. What has up to this point been a line with very few curves, changes to follow a route which best copes with the contours of the land. Within the city limits of Chandigarh, the line curves sharply to the East, then to the Southeast as illustrated below.
The route of the railway between Chandigarh and Kalka to the immediate North of Chandigarh Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The line then sweeps round to the Northeast.
The route of the line is again marked by the thick blue line on this next extract from Google’s satellite imagery. [Google Maps, October 2024]It is possible to glimpse the line from the Chandigarh-Kalka Road (NH5) at various points. This image looks from the road into Chandimandir Military Station. The bridge over the access road which can be seen above the gates carries the line to Kalka. [Google Streetview, June 2022]
The next railway station is that serving the military base, Chandi Mandir Railway Station. The line continues to the Northeast, then the North and then the Northwest before running into Surajpur Railway Station.
A glimpse of the railway North of Surajpur. The camera is facing West across the railway which is on a low metal viaduct. Kalka is some significant distance away off the right of this photograph. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The line continues to sweep round to the Northeast before crossing the Jhajra Nadi River.
The Jhajra Nadi River Bridge seen from the Southeast on Jhajra Nadi Road. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
The line then runs parallel to the Jhajra Nadi River in a Northeasterly direction on its North bank before swinging round to the Northwest and entering Kalka Railway Station.
Kalka Station. [1: p40]An East Indian Railway Mail Train leaving Kalka. [1: p43]Kalka Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Kalka Railway Station as illustrated on the IndiaRailInfo.com website, (c) Shubh Mohan Singh. The train on the right is, I believe, the ‘Himalayan Queen’.Kalka Railway Station, (c) Saumen Pal (2022)The end of the broad gauge at Kalka Railway Station, (c) Janet Hartzenberg (2022)
The broad gauge terminates at Kalka and the journey on into the Himalayas is by narrow-gauge train.
Kalka to Shimla
Huddleston comments: “Simla [sic] is full of hill schools, and Kalka often sees parties of happy children returning to their homes; a common enough sight in London, perhaps, but in India quite the reverse. In India, European school children only come home for one vacation in the year, and that, of course, is in the cold season when they get all their holidays at a stretch. Many of them have to journey over a thousand miles between home and school. Needless to say, the railway is liberal in the concessions it grants, and does all it can to assist parents in sending their children away from the deadly climate of the plains. … At Kalka you change into a 2 ft. 6 in. hill railway, which takes you to Simla, the summer headquarters of Government, in seven hours. If you are going up in the summer, don’t forget to take thick clothes and wraps with you, for every mile carries you from the scorching heat of the plains into the delightful cool of the Himalayas, and you will surely need a change before you get to the end of your journey. … Kalka is 2,000 ft. above sea level, Simla more than 7,000 ft., therefore, the rise in the 59 miles of hill railway is over 5,000 ft., and the fall in the temperature probably 30 degrees Fahrenheit.” [1: p45]
Train of Bogie Coaches about to leave Kalka for Shimla. [1: p44]A portion of the sinuous course of the Kalka-Shimla line’s climb into the Himalayas. [1: p45]
The plan is to try to follow the line of the railway as it climbs away from Kalka Railway Station. First a quick look at the narrow gauge end of Kalka Railway Station.
The North end of Kalka Railway Station is devoted to the narrow-gauge line to Shimla. [Google Maps, October 2024]The narrow-gauge platforms at Kalka Railway Station seen from the Northwest. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The Kalka-Shimla Line. Kalka station throat looking Southeast into the station complex. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
The two views above were taken from the rear of a Shimla-bound train. This will be true of many subsequent photographs of the line.
Looking back towards Kalka Station from alongside the Diesel Shed. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The Kalka-Shimla line winds its way through Kalka. [Google Maps, October 2024]The line continues to switch back and forth on its way to the first station at Taksal. [Google Maps, October 2024]Taksal Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]Taksal Railway Station looking West. [Google Streetview, November 2017]Taksal Railway Station looking East. [Google Streetview, November 2017]From Taksal Railway Station the line continues to wander around following the contours, gaining height as it does so. The route can relatively easily be picked out on this satellite image. One length of tunnel has been highlighted in red. [Google Maps, October 2024]The Western Portal of the tunnel marked above. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The Eastern Portal of the tunnel marked above. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The line continues towards Shimla following the contours and continuing to rise into the hills. Its course runs relatively close to National Highway No. 5 (NH5)
Koti Railway Station and tunnel portal just at the northern limits of the station. [Google Maps, October 2024]
Train arriving at Koti from Kalka (c) Meghamalhar Saha. (May 2024)The tunnel portal at Koti (c) Divyansh Sharma. (April 2021)
Koti Tunnel (Tunnel No. 10) is 750 metres in length. Trains for Shimla disappear into it at the station limits at Koti and emerge adjacent to the NH5 road as shown below.
Koti Tunnel (Tunnel No. 10). [Google Maps, October 2024]The Northeast portal of Tunnel No. 10(Koti Tunnel). [Google Streetview, January 2018]Leaving the tunnel the line runs on the West side of the Kalka-Shimla Road (NH5). It can be seen here a couploe of metres higher than the road. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
For some distance the line then runs relatively close to the NH5. on its Northwest side and increasingly higher than the road. The central image below shows road and rail relatively close to each other. The left image shows the structure highlighted in the central image as it appears from the South. The right-hand image shows the same structure from the North. The structure highlighted here is typical of a number along the route of the railway.
For a short distance the line has to deviate away from the road to maintain a steady grade as it crosses a side-valley.
The line runs away North of the NH5 to allow gradients to remain steady. Top0-left of this image is a wayside halt serving the communities in this vicinity and as the line turns to cross the valley and return towards the NH5, there is a bridge carrying the line over the valley floor. [Google Streetview, October 2024]
The Halt and bridge shown in the image above on an enlarged extract from the satellite imagery. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The Halt. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The stone-arched viaduct to the Northeast of the Halt, seen from the platform. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Tunnel No. 12 is only a short tunnel relatively close to the NH5. This is the West portal. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The East Portal of Tunnel No. 12. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Tunnel No. 13. [Google Maps, October 2024]Tunnel No. 14. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The sort tunnels above are typical of a number along the line. Tunnel No. 16 takes the railway under the NH5.
The NH5 climbs alongside the railway line which can be seen on the left of this image. around 100 metres further along the line Tunnel No. 16 takes the railway under the road. [Google Streetview, August 2024]The line crosses under the NH5 at the bottom left of this satellite image and can be seen following the contours on the Southside of the road across the full width of the image, leaving the photo in the top-right corner. [Google Maps, October 2024]Looking back down the line towards Kalka through Sonwara Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Again looking back towards Kalka the structure that the train has just crossed is given its own sign board. It appears to be a 4 span stone-arched viaduct. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
The next tunnel on the line (No. 18) is a semi-circular tunnel.
Tunnel No. 18The first portal , facing Southwest, encountered by Shimla-bound trains.The exit portal also facing Southwest.
Tunnels No. 21 and No. 22 are shown below. The first image in each of these cases is the line superimposed on Google Maps satellite imagery (October 2024). The other two images, in each case, are from Google Streetview, January 2018.
Immediately beyond the station the line is bridged by the NH5 and then enters another tunnel.
The short tunnel to the North of Dharampur Himachal Railway Station which perhaps carried the original road, (c) Balasubramaniam Janardhanan. (Video still, April 2022) {Google Maps, October 2024]The same bridge and short tunnel. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The line running North beyond the tunnel. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
After a deviation away to the North, the railway returns to the side of the NH5. Tunnels No. 27 and 28 take the line under small villages. Another tunnel (No. 29) sits just before Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station.
Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station, (c) Faizan Ahmed. (2020)Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station, (c) Bhushan Saini. (2023)Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station building. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
As trains leave Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station, heading for Shimla, they immediately enter Tunnel No. 30.
Tunnel No. 30 is a short straight tunnel which takes the railway under the village and NH5. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Two short tunnels follow in quick succession, various tall retaining walls are passed as well before the line crosses a relatively shallow side-valley by means of a masonry arched viaduct.
A short viaduct to the East of Kumarhatti Dagshai Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Tunnel No. 33 (Barog Tunnel) is a longer tunnel which runs Southwest to Northeast and brings trains to Barog Railway Station.
Barog Tunnel, Southwest Portal. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Barog Tunnel Northeast portal opens out onto Barog Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Barog Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Now back on the North side of the NH5, the line continues to rise gently as it follows the contours of the hillside. Five further short tunnels are encountered beyond Barog (Nos. 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38) before the line runs into Solan Railway Station.
Solan Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]A railcar at Solan Station, (c) N Nozawa. (2023)Solan Railway Station, (c) Vikas Chauhan. (2021)
Immediately to the Eat of Solan Railway Station trains enter Tunnel No. 39 and soon thereafter Tunnels Nos. 40, 41 and 42 before crossing the NH5 at a level-crossing.
Level-crossing on the main Kalka-Shimla Road. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Further tunnels follow on the way to Salogra Railway Station.
Salogra Railway Station was oriented North-South approximately.
Looking North through Salogra Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Salogra Railway Station buildings seen from the South. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Salogra Railway Station sign, (c) Travel More. (2015)
A further series of relative short tunnels protects the line as it runs on the Kandaghat Railway Station.
Tunnel No. 51, typical of many short tunnels on the line. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Approaching Kandaghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Kandaghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The stone-arched viaduct carrying the line over the NH5 (Kalka-Shimla Road) at the North end of Kandaghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, July 2024]
Tunnels Nos. 56 and 57 sit a short distance to the East of the viaduct above. the line now accompanies a different highway which turns off the NH5 close to the viaduct.
The next significant structure is the galleried arch bridge below.
More tunnels, Nos. 58 to 66 are passed before the line crosses another significant structure – Bridge No. 541 – and then runs through Kanoh Railway Station.
Bridge No. 541 seen from the aine approaching it from the South. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Bridge No. 541 seen from its West end. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Kanoh Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]Kanoh Railway Station, (c) Saumen Pal. (April 2022). [Google Maps, November 2024]
After Kanoh Station the line passes through a further series of short tunnels (Nos. 67-75) before meeting its old friend the NH5 (the Kalka to Shimla Road) again.
The Kalka to Shimla Railway line viaduct seen from the Southwest on the adjacent NH5 (Kalka-Shimla Road). [Google Streetview, July 2024]
Beyond this point the line passed through Tunnels Nos. 76 and 77 before arriving at Kathleeghat Railway Station.
Kathleeghat Railway Station.
Kathleeghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Kathleeghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Kathleeghat Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
Immediately the Northeast of Kathleeghat Station the line enters Tunnel No. 78 under the Kalka-Shima Road (NH5) and soon heads away from the road plotting its own course forward toward Shimla through Tunnels Nos. 79 and 80, before again passing under the NH5 (Tunnel No. 81). Tunnels Nos 82 to84 follow and the occasional overbridge before the next stop at Shoghi Railway Station.
Shoghi Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]Shoghi Railway Station, (c) Muhammed Riyas. (2022)Shoghi Railway Station, (c) Abhishek Dhiman. (2020)
North East of Shoghi Station the line turns away from the NH5 and passing though a series of short Tunnels (Nos. 85-90) finds it own way higher into the hills before passing through Scout Halt and into a longer Tunnel (No. 91).
Tunnel No. 91, seen from the track alongside Scout Halt, (c) Iqbal Singh. (2019)Scout Halt, seen from the South Portal of Tunnel No. 91. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The North Portal of Tunnel No.91. [Google Streetview, December 2017]
North of Tunnel No. 91, the line enters Taradevi Railway Station which sits alongside the NH5.
Immediately North of the station the line passes under the NH5 in Tunnel No. 92 and then runs on the hillside to the West of the road. It turns West away from the road and passes through Tunnels 93 to 98 before entering Jutogh Railway Station.
Jutogh Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]Jutogh Railway Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Jutogh Railway Station, (c). Manoj Rai. (2022)
Leaving Jutogh Railway Station, the line turns immediately through 180 degrees and runs along the North side of the ridge on which the town sits. Tunnel No. 98 is followed by a short viaduct.
This viaduct sits just east of Tunnel No. 98, above the Shima-Ghumarwin Road. Just a short distance towards Shima, the same road climbs steeply over the railway which passes under it in Tunnel No. 99. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
east of the road, Tunnel No. 100 is followed by a long run before an overbridge leads into Summer Hill Station.
Summer Hill Railway Station looking back towards Jutogh Station. [Google Streetvoew, December 2017]Summer Hill Railway Station looking towards Shimla. [Google Streetvoew, December 2017]
Beyond Summer Hill Station, the line immediately ducks into Tunnel No. 101 which takes it under the ridge on which Summer Hill sits and then returns almost parallel to the line whch approached Summer Hill Station but to the East of the ridge. It runs on through Tunnel No. 102 to Inverarm Tunnel (No. 103) which brings the line into Shimla.
Inverarm Tunnel (No. 103) Western Portal. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Inverarm Tunnel (No. 103) Sotheast Portal. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The incline on the approach to Shimla Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The incline on the approach to Shimla Station. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Shimla Railway Station. [Gpgle Streetview, January 2018]Shimla Railway Station. [Google Maps, November 2024]Shimla Railway Station, (c) Agrim Maurya. (2022)Shimla Railway Station, (c) Shishu Ranjan. (2022)
Shimla is the end of this journey on first the East Indian Railway and its branches and then the line to Kalka before we travelled the narrow gauge Kalka to Shimla Line.
Wikipedia tells us that “the Kalka–Shimla Railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway. … It is known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. The railway was built under the direction of Herbert Septimus Harington between 1898 and 1903 to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system. … Its early locomotives were manufactured by Sharp, Stewart and Company. Larger locomotives were introduced, which were manufactured by the Hunslet Engine Company. Diesel and diesel-hydraulic locomotives began operation in 1955 and 1970, respectively. On 8 July 2008, UNESCO added the Kalka–Shimla Railway to the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site.” [28]
References
G. Huddleston; The East Indian Railway; in The Railway Magazine, July 1906, p40-45.
A contemporary account of the completion of the additional rail bridge over the River Tyne.
This is the Bridge that became known as the King Edward VII Bridge. It is a Grade II listed structure and has been described as “Britain’s last great railway bridge”. [4]
The King Edward VII Bridge, Newcastle, (c) Ardfern and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [5]A map of the North-Eastern Railway at Newcastle -on-Tyne. This sketch comes from the article in The Railway Magazine and suffers from a minor problem that left me struggling, for a short while, to make sense of it. Surely Central Station, Newcastle is on the North bank of the Tyne? It was the lack of a North point on the map that left me confused! [1: p9]
The introduction to the article in the Railway Magazine says:
“Travellers journeying by the East Coast route to and from places north of Newcastle-on- Tyne, have always commented on an anachronism of the twentieth century, that hitherto has required trains to run into a ‘dead end’ station, thus compelling a stop, with consequent delay, whatever might be the stress of competition between the rival routes. Now however, all this is to be altered. Readers of The Railway Magazine are acquainted with the fact that for some years past the North-Eastern Railway has had under construction a duplicate high-level bridge across the Tyne, by means of which trains north to south, and vice versa, will be enabled to pass through the Central Station, without stopping, if necessary, but, at all events, without having the direction in which the train is travelling altered. The plan [above shows] how this improvement is effected by means of the new bridge and connecting lines. His Majesty the King has consented to open the new bridge, and thus inaugurate the improvement, on Tuesday, 10th July, after which date it will be possible to work the North-Eastern Railway trains that pass through Newcastle-on-Tyne in a manner showing a considerable improvement in the system now [pertaining]” [1: p9-10]
The New High Level Bridge Carrying the North Eastern Railway across the Tyne at Newcastle. [1: p10]
From the South side of the River Tyne a triangular junction gives access to the bridge, which is described by The Railway Magazine::
“A stone viaduct of three spans forms the approach to the bridge proper, which consists of four girder spans; the first being 191 ft. between piers, the two centre ones each 300 ft., and the northern span 231 ft. between the piers; this is followed by a stone viaduct of 10 spans each 25 ft. wide. The height of the ten piers of this viaduct, from road level to the spring of the arch, is 18 ft., and the arches are semi-circular, the arch stones being 18 in. in depth. The distance from road level to rail level is 33 ft., the foundations being on clay and averaging about 7 ft. in depth. This arching rests on ashlar piers 4 ft. thick and 51 ft. transversely, each pier being relieved by three 7 ft. arches.
The new line is next carried by a bridge across Pottery Lane, and then enters the well-known Forth goods warehouse of the North-Eastern Railway at the first storey level by steel girders resting on brick piers. The spans through the warehouse are 40 ft., and the foundations for the piers are taken down to good clay beneath the cellar floor. The distance from rail to the bottom of the foundation is 40 ft. The roof of the warehouse is held up by a wind screen, resting on the piers outside the parapet girders, and the corner of the building, cut off by the railway, is now being used as offices for the goods staff.
Beyond the goods warehouse the new line continues to a junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, a short distance west of the Central station at Newcastle.
The new bridge carries four pairs of metals.
The total length of the main bridge, measuring from the first abutment on the north side to the abutment on the south side is 1,150 ft. The girders measure 48 ft. 6 in. from centre to centre of parapets, and the breadth of steel work overall is 50 ft., so that there is thus provided a space of 6 ft. between the tracks, and room for a pathway for the use of platelayers on either side. The girders are built of double lattice work, with top and bottom booms 3 ft. deep, and are braced together at the top and bottom by transoms, of which the lower are of lattice work and the upper of plate work 164 in. deep, the latter carrying the timberway on which the rails run. Each girder has panels of 23 ft., of which the struts or ties are lattice girders 4 ft. 1 1/2 in. wide.
The girders for the centre spans have a camber of 7 1/2 in. and the north span of 6 in. The parapets, which are 5 ft. high are bracketed to the outside of the girders and are of lattice work, and, in order to carry the railway over the piers, the opposite top booms are bracketed out towards each other leaving a space of 6 in. between the ends of the top booms of the girders. To provide for expansion these girders rest on roller bearings at one end of cast steel, with a base of 38 sq. ft. each. The total weight of steel for each of the spans is: North span, 950 tons; two central spans, 3,482 tons; southern span, 1,350 tons. As the rails begin to diverge on the pier in the southern side of the river they are some distance apart at the next pier, there being then 132 ft. between the parapets. For this span of 191 ft. there are also five girders, but they spread out towards the south like a fan instead of being parallel.
The river piers are of Norway granite, and the foundations have all been taken down to the same depth, namely, 69 ft. below high water, and they have been built in caissons. The adoption of the caisson method of constructing the foundations marks a difference between the new high-level and the old bridge, as the latter was built on piled foundations. It should, however, be remembered that in 1845, when Stephenson’s great work was undertaken, the Tyne could almost be forded at low water, whilst there is now a deep-water channel beneath both bridges.
The total length of the new railway is 4 furlongs 2 chains, whilst the loop to the south-east is 1 furlong 2 chains in length. Of this length of railway 19 chains is straight, including the crossing of the river, but the rails are on a 10-chain curve on leaving the west end of the Central station, and again, on a similar curve on reaching the south side of the river, the south-east curve having a radius of 7 chains. The line is level from the commencement on the north side as far as the pier on the south side of the river, when the main curve falls to the south-west on a gradient of 1 in 132, and the loop falls at 1 in 226. The new high-level bridge has been constructed from the designs of Mr. C. A. Harrison, the chief engineer of the Northern Division of the North-Eastern Railway, and this gentleman laid the foundation stone on 29th July 1902, so that less than four years have been occupied in constructing the bridge and new approach railway to Newcastle Central station.” [1: p10-11]
Another view of the King Edward VII Bridge, Newcastle, (c) Nathan Holth, 13th May 2018. [6]
The original ‘High Level Bridge’ – designed by Robert Stephenson
The first High Level Bridge across the Tyne at Newcastle was opened in 1849. It was designed by Robert Stephenson, that bridge carried rail and road traffic and was the first in the world to do so.
Network Rail tells us that “the Newcastle & Berwick Railway secured the Act to build its line in 1845. It stipulated that the company should construct a combined road and rail bridge across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead, to be completed within four years. … The bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson and detailed drawings were made under the supervision of Thomas E Harrison. To avoid excessive width, and thereby expense, it was decided to carry the railway above, rather than beside, the roadway. The roadway itself was designed to be 20ft (6m) wide with a 6 1/2ft (2m) footway on either side. The combined width allowed three standard gauge tracks to run across the top rail level of the bridge. The overall length of the bridge was to be 1338ft (408m).” [2]
An extract from the contract drawings for Stephenson’s bridge. [2]
Network Rail goes on to describe the construction of the bridge:
“The bridge was a tied arch (or bow-string) bridge with the main structural elements made of either cast or wrought iron. It had in total six spans each 125ft (38m) in length, the cast iron bows supporting the railway while wrought iron ties supported the road deck below. To enable a level line for the railway across the deep and wide Tyne valley, the roadway was built at 96ft (29m) and the railway 120ft (37m) above high water on the river. Contracts for the production of the ironwork were let to local firm Hawkes, Crawshay & Co. of Newcastle.
The bridge sits on five masonry piers, 50ft (15m) thick and 16ft (5m) wide. Although the River Tyne at the point the bridge is constructed was no more than 3ft (1m) deep at low water, its bed consisted of some 30ft (9m) of silt before underlying bedrock could be reached.
A recent invention, the ‘Nasmyth Steam Pile Driver’, was used for the first time in bridge building, enabling the piles for the bridge foundations to be driven down to the bedrock quickly and efficiently. Rush & Lawton of York were contracted to build the five main masonry piers and the land arches on each side carrying the approaches; 50,000 tons of stone was quarried near Newcastle, mainly at Heddon on the Wall.
To assist in the construction work a wooden viaduct was built immediately to the east of the permanent one. This temporary structure was opened to railway traffic on 29 August 1848, just a year before the High Level Bridge itself was opened by Queen Victoria on 28 September 1849. The public roadway over the bridge was not completed and opened until some six months later.” [2]
A Gallery of photos, drawings and engravings of Stephenson’s High Level Bridge. …..
A coloured early engraving looking downstream (1863). [3]An engraving showing the roadway under the rail bridge in early days. [3]Three lines crossed the bridge. This is a view from the South side of the Tyne at high level. [3]A similar image but this time showing more of the West face of the structure. [3]An aerial view of the High Level Bridge in 1967. [3]The entrance to the road bridge in more modern times, after weight and width restrictions were imposed. [3]A view of the High Level Bridge from the Southeast in 2012, looking upstream. [3]A view of the High Level Bridge in 2014 from the Northwest. [3]A modern DMU (A Class 185 diesel multiple unit) crossing the High Level Bridge in 2015. [3]
References
The New High Level Bridge at Newcastle-on-Tyne; in The Railway Magazine, London, July 1906, p9-11.
This is the second article in a series about the Border Counties Railway. The first can be found here. [3]
An online acquaintance pointed me to a film made in the mid-1980s, ‘Slow Train to Riccarton’ which records something of the lives of people associated with this railway line:
The film shows different lengths of the line and records a number of people speaking about their life on and around the line.
This first image is a still from the film which denotes where we are starting this next length of the journey along the line. A few more ‘stills’ will help to locate us as we travel along the line.
The line travelled on, Northwest from Chollerton, much of the time in deep cutting as far as Dallabank Wood, by which time it was running on a northerly course. Soon after the wood, the line turned towards the Northwest, passed under the local road (Dalla Bank), crossed a short but high embankment under which Barrasford Burn was culverted, and entered Barrasford Railway Station.
The red line shows the route of the old railway immdiately to the North of Chollerton Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]The cutting South of Dalla Bank, Facing towards Chollerton in 2013, (c) Mike Quinn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [15]The line continued on as marked by the red line under Dalla Bank and on to Barrasford Station which was located at the top left of this extract from Google’s satellite imagery. [Google Maps, October 2024]The view along the old railway line North-northwest from Dalla Bank. [Google Streetview, August 2023]Barrasford Railway Station name-board. [2]
Barrasford Railway Station opened on 1st December 1859 by the North British Railway. The station was situated on a lane to Catheugh, around “200 yards northeast of the centre of Barrasford village. A siding adjoined the line opposite the platform and there was a further loop to the northwest. Both of these were controlled by a signal box, which was at the northwest end of the platform. The station was host to a camping coach from 1936 to 1939.” [4]
“Barrasford station was closed to passengers on 15th October 1956 but remained open for goods traffic until 1st September 1958, although it was downgraded towards an unstaffed public siding.” [4]
A short distance Northwest of Barrasford Railway Station, was Barrasford Quarry which was provided with its own siding.
The line Northwest of Barrasford Railway Station. [Google Maps, October 2024]The track bed of the old railway a little to the Northwest of Barrasford Railway Station, looking back along the line towards the station in December 2013, (c) Mike Quinn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [12]Looking back towards Barrasford Station from Chishill Way. The line was carried at high level over the road. Only the embankments remain. [Google Streetview, August 2023]A wintertime view along the old railway to the West from the East side of Chishill Way, in December 2013, (c) Mike Quinn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [13]Looking West from Chishill Way. The railway embankment is to the right of the trees. [Google Streetview, August 2023]The track bed further West from Chswell Way, in December 2013, (c) Mike Quinn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [14]Barrasford Quarry Sidings and Tramway. [7]Tarmac’s quarry at Barrasford is a much larger affair in the 21st century. [Google Maps, October 2024]The entrance to Barrasford Quarry. The red line indicates the approximate route of the old railway which is treelined to the West of the quarry road and through open fields to the East of the quarry road. The siding was on the North side of the line. [Google Streetview, August 2023]Just to the Northwest of Barrasford Quarry Siding was a branch line to Camp Hill, Gunnerton Quarry.This branhc was about 2 miles in length and is recorded on some maps as an old Waggonway. [8]The same location in the 21st century with the old railways superimposed. [Google Maps, October 2024]
The Camp Hill Branch as shown on satellite imagery from Railmaponline.com. The branch was a short industrial line serving a relatively small quarry to the North of Barrasford Quarry. It appears to have been disused by 1920 as one of the local OS Map sheets across which the line travels shows the line lifted by that time and referred to as an ‘Old Waggonway”. The line is present on map sheets surveyed in 1895.
A short section of the Camp Hill Branch Line as shown on the 1920 25″ Ordnance Survey which was published in 1922. [18]
A little further to the Northwest, the access road to Short Moor crossed the old railway. Just before that lane there was another stone bridge which gave access between fields either side of the line.
Stone bridge Southwest of the Short Moor access road in December 2013, (c) Mike Quinn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [28]Two bridges crossed the line close to Short Moor. [29]
A distant view from the Southwest of the bridge carrying the access road to South Moor which is on the left of this image. The stone-arched bridge is just to the right of centre. [Google Streetview, April 2011]
Further to the Northwest, the line as shown on the railmaponline.com satellite imagery. {17}The line ran on to the Northwest and this is the next significant point on the old railway. Close to Chipchase Castle the line was bridged by a minor road. [20]The view across the old railway bridge from the Northeast. [Google Streetview, June 2009]This next roadoverbridge carries an access road over the Border Counties Railway close to Kiln Plantation shortly before the highway turns away from the railway to the West along the North side of the plantation. [21]The view from the South of the road bridge in the map extract above. [Google Streetview, April 2011]The same structure in a photograph taken by Paul Hill and shared by him on the Border Counties Railway Facebook Group on 17th August 2020. [23]
A short distance to the Northwest another access road runs off the highway and crosses the Border Counties Railway.
This map estract shows the lane leading to Comogon in 1920, which was carried over the old railway by means of a private access bridge. [24]The access road is private and this is the closest view of the old line at this location that is possible. The red lines show its route which was in a slight cutting to the right of the access road and a slight embankment to the left of the road. [Google Streetview, April 2011]Wark Railway Station as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1895. [25]The view Southeast along the Border Counties Railway through Wark Railway Station. [Google Streetview, June 2009]The Goods Shed at Wark Railway Station. [Google Streetview, June 2009]Wark Signal Box when still in use. It sat just Northwest of the station platforms. This image was shared by Ian Farnfield on the Border Counties Railway Facebook Group on 6th April 2022. The provenance of this image is not known. [26]Wark Signal Box in the 21st century. This image was taken by Ian Farnfield and shared by him on the Border Counties Railway Facebook Group on 6th April 2022. [26]
A short distance Northwest from Wark Railway Station the Border Counties Railway passed under another minor road.
This next extract from the 1895 25″ Ordnance Survey shows that bridge mentioned above crossing the old railway. [27]The bridge mentioned above. [Google Streetview, July 2023]
From this point, the line turns to a more northerly direction as this next extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery shows. An accommodation track and Blind Burn next passed under the line of the railway. The image below shows the location.
The view Northeast along Piper Gate towards what was a bridge carrying the Border Counties Railway over the Burn and road. [Google Streetview, Aril 2011]
Northwest of Piper Gate a private access road follows the track bed to a private dwelling. Further North another access track passed underneath the line (shown in the first map extract below)
Continuing North from Countess Park alongside the River North Tyne, the Border Counties Railway reaches Redesmouth Railway Station which was a junction station.
Redesmouth as shown on the OS Explorer Map Sheet. The dismantled railways can easily be seen. The Border Counties Railway bears Northwest from the Station and crosses the River North Tyne.
The two images immediately above focus on the railway infrastructure at Redesmouth which spreads over quite a large site surrounding the hamlet of Redesmouth. [Google Maps, October, 2024] [36]
More images of Sowerby Bridge Railway Station can be found here [67] and here. [68]
Just beyond the eastern station limits Fall Lane bridges the line – two views from the bridge follow.
The view East from Fall LaneThe view West from Fall Lane
To the East of Sowerby Bridge the line crosses the River Calder again.
Another extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905, published in 1907 shows Calder Dale Grease Works, Copley Bridge and Copley Viaduct. The Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Bradford line leaves the main line at this point. [25]The bridge and Viaduct as they appear on Google Maps satellite imagery in 2024. [Google Maps, October 2024]
An image of Copley Viaduct can be seen here. Just beneath the viaduct, at the left of the linked photograph, a train is crossing Copley Bridge on the line we are following. [61]
The Manchester and Leeds Railway then crosses the Calder once again and enters Greetland Station. The second arm of the Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Bradford line joins the mainline just before (to the Northwest of) Greetland Station.
Greetland Station shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905. Top-left the second arm of the triangular junction with the Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Bradford line can be seen joining the Manchester and Leeds Railway. Bottom-right, the Stainland Branch leaves the main line just before the main line bridges the River Calder once again. [26]The same location in the 21st century. Greetland Station is long gone and the branch South (the Stainland Branch has also been lifted. [Google Maps, October 2024]Greetland Railway Station in 1962, just before closure. The camera is positioned at the Northwest end of the station. [28]
Greetland Railway Station “was originally opened as North Dean in July 1844. It was subsequently changed to North Dean and Greetland and then to Greetland in 1897. Situated near the junction of the main Calder Valley line and the steeply-graded branch towards Halifax (which opened at the same time as the station), it also served as the junction station for the Stainland Branch from its opening in 1875 until 1929. It was closed to passenger traffic on 8th September 1962.” [27]
Looking West from the A629, Halifax Road which sits over the line adjacent to the West Portal of Elland Tunnel. [Google Streetview, July 2024]
Rake says that the line then approaches “Elland Tunnel, 424 yards, in length, and, after leaving Elland Station, pass[es] through a deep cutting, from which a large quantity of stone for the building of the bridges was obtained.” [1: p471]
To the East of Elland Railway Station the railway is carried above the River Calder, passing Calder Fire Clay Works. Further East again, “the railway is carried across a steep and rugged acclivity, rising almost perpendicularly from the river. … The viaduct consists of six arches of 45ft span each, and leads directly to Brighouse, originally the nearest station to Bradford.” [1: 472]
The view from the South of the bridge which carries the railway over Park Road (A6025), Elland. Elland Station stood above this location and to the left. [Google Streetview, July 2024]
From Elland, the line runs on through Brighouse
Brighouse Station and Goods Yard as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905. [31]The view West from Gooder Lane Bridge towards Cliff Road Bridge Elland. [Google Streetview, May 2023]The view East across Brighouse Railway Station from Gooder Lane. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Brighouse Railway Station (originally called ‘Brighouse for Bradford’). [1: p472]
Embedded link to Flickr. The image shows B1 No. 61034 Chiru at Brighouse Station on 2nd April 1964. The locomotive is arriving at the station from the East with a local passenger train. The locomotive had only recently been transferred to Wakefield from Ardseley. It was withdrawn at the end of 1964. The photograph looks Southeast through the station. [32]A much later photograph of Brighouse Railway Station (2006) which looks Northwest through the station from platform 1, (c) Ian Kirk and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY 2.5). [33]
To the East of the passenger facilities at Brighouse there were a significant array of sidings. The first length of these can be seen on the OS Map above. Around 75% of the way along these sidings Woodhouse Bridge spanned the lines. Much of the area has been redeveloped by modern industry. The next four images relate to that bridge.
Woodhouse Bridge in 1905. [69]Woodhouse Bridge in 2024. [69]Looking West from Woodhouse Bridge in 2023. [Google Streetview, August 2023]Looking East from Woodhouse Bridge in 2023. [Google Streetview, August 2023]
Leaving Brighouse Station, the railway is joined, from the North, by the Bailiff Bridge Branch (long gone in the 21st century).
Immediately to the East of Brighouse Station Goods Yards, the Bailiff Bridge Branch joined the Manchester and Leeds Railway. [62]Approximately the same area in the 21st century as shown on the OS map extract above. The line of the old Bailiff Bridge Branch is superimposed on the satellite image. [Google Maps, October 2024]
A little further to the East, in the 21st century, the line passes under the M62 and enters a deep cutting before, at Bradley Wood Junction, the Bradley Wood Branch leaves the line to the South (still present in the 21st century).
Looking West from the M62 in July 2024Looking East from the M62 in July 2024Bradley Wood Junction as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905. [70]Much the same area in the 21st century. [70]
“Beyond [Bradley Wood Junction] the Calder is crossed by a viaduct of two arches of 76 ft. span each. this is succeeded by an embankment, along which the line continues down the valley. [It] again cross[es] the Calder by a viaduct similar to that just referred to.” [1: p472] The line was widened to the South side to create a four-track main line and single span girder bridges were positioned alongside the original structures.
At the first crossing of the River Calder mentioned immediately above, the original two arches of the stone viaduct can be seen beyond the more modern girder bridge in this photograph, (c) Uy Hoang. [Google Streetview, September 2022]The same bridges as they appear on Google Maps satellite imagery in 2024. [Google Maps, October 2024]
In between the two bridges across the River Calder, was Cooper Bridge Station.
Cooper Bridge Station as it appears on the 1905 25″ Ordnance Survey. [34]The Station at Cooper Bridge is long gone in the 2st century, but the bridges remain. The station sat over the road at this location with platform buildings between the rails of the left edge of this image. This photograph is taken from the North on Cooper Bridge Road. [Google Streetview, July 2024]The second of the two crossings of the River Calder mentioned above. This photograph, taken from the Southwest, shows the girder bridge with the stone-arched 2-span bridge beyond, (c) Uy Hoang. [Google Streetview, September 2022]This view from the North East and from under an adjacent footbridge shows the stone-arched 2-span structure, (c) Uy Hoang. [Google Streetview, September 2022]
Rake’s journey along the line seems not to focus so closely on the remaining length of the line. Various features and a number of stations seem to have been missed (particularly Cooper Bridge, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Thornhill, Horbury & Ossett). It also seems to suggest that the line goes through Dewsbury Station. Rather than rely on Rake’s commentary about the line, from this point on we will provide our own notes on the route.
At Heaton Lodge Junction, the LNWR Huddersfield & Manchester line joined the Manchester & Leeds line with the LNWR Heaton & Wortley line passing beneath. The Manchester & Leeds line ran on towards Mirfield Station passing the large engine shed before entering the station over a long viaduct which once again crossed the River Calder.
Just to the East of Mirfield Station was Cleckheaton Junction and then Wheatley’s Bridge over the River Calder. A bridge then carries Sand Lane over the railway.
Looking West from Sands Lane Bridge back towards Mirfield. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking East from Sands Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2023]
Soon after this the line encountered Dewsbury Junction which hosted Ravensthorpe (Ravensthorpe and Thornhill) Station.
Dewsbury Junction and Ravensthorpe Station. [39]Looking West from Calder Road towards Mirfield. [Google Streetview, May 2023]The view East from Calder Road showing Ravensthorpe Station with the Manchester & Leeds line heading away to the right of the picture. [Google Streetview, May 2023]
Thornhill Railway Station was a short distance further East just beyond the junction where the Ravensthorpe Branch met the main line at Thornfield Junction.
Thornfield Junction, Goods Yard and Station as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905. [40]Thornhill Station opened with the Manchester & Leeds Railway and only closed on the last day of 1961, a short time before Beeching’s closure of of Dewsbury Central. [37]The same station looking East towards Wakefield, Normanton etc. In the background is the bridge of the ex-Midland branch from Royston to Dewsbury (Savile Town), closed 18/12/50, (c) Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [38]The view West from Station Road in the 21st century, through what was Thornhill Railway Station. {Google Streetview, March 2023]The view East from Station Road in the 21st century. The bridge ahead carries Headfield Road over the railway. [Google Streetview, March 2023]The view West from Headfield Road Bridge towards the site of the erstwhile Thornhill Railway Station and Station Road. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view East from Headfield Road Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]
East of Thornhill Station were Dewsbury West and Dewsbury East junctions which together with Headfield Junction formed a triangular access to Didsbury Market Place Station. This was a busy location which sat close to Dewsbury Gas Works, Thornhill Carriage and Wagon Works and Thornhill Lees Canal Locks and a canal branch. Just off the North of the map extract below was a further junction giving access to the GNR’s Headfield Junction Branch, before the line crossed the River Calder and entered Dewsbury Market Place Station and Yard and terminated there.
This extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905 shows the triangular junction which provided access to Dewsbury Market Place Station and a series of Goods Yards and Sheds. Headfield Road is on the left side of this image. [41]A similar area in the 2st century as it appears on Google Maps satellite imagery. [Google Maps, October 2024]
Dewsbury was very well provided for by both passenger and freight facilities. In its railway heyday the Midland Railway, the London & North Western Railway, the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and the Great Northern Railway all had access to the town. A computer drawn map showing the different lines can be found here. [42]
Continuing along the line towards Wakefield and Normanton, the next feature of note is the junction for Combs Colliery’s Mineral Railway at Ingham’s Sidings. Nothing remains of this short branch line.
Ingham’s Siding ran South, crossing the Calder & Hebble Navigation to reach Comb’s Colliery. [43]
Further East the line continues in a straight line East-southeast to cross the River Calder once again. It then passes the Calder Vale and Healey Low Mills at Healey and runs Southeast to Horbury and Ossett Station.
The bridge over the River Calder adjacent to Calder Vale and Healey Low Mills. [Google Streetview, April 2023]The bridge over the River Calder at Calder Vale and Healey Low Mills is in the top-left of this map extract from the 1905 25″ Ordnance Survey. This area was chosen by British Rail in the 1960s for a large marshalling yard. [46]British Railways developed a large marshalling yard in the 1960s at Healey Mills. The yard was opened in 1963 and replaced several smaller yards in the area. It was part of the British Transport Commission’s Modernisation plan, and so was equipped with a hump to enable the efficient shunting and re-ordering of goods wagons. The yard lost its main reason for existence through the 1970s and 1980s when more trains on the British Rail system became block trains where their wagons required less, or more commonly, no shunting. Facilities at the site were progressively run down until it closed completely in 2012. [46][47]Healey Mills Marshalling Yard in April 1982, (c) Martin Addison and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [48]Looking Northwest from Storrs Hill Road Bridge in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, March 2023]Looking Southeast from Storrs Hill Road Bridge in the 21st century through the throat of the old marshalling yard. [Google Streetview, March 2023]Horbury & Ossett Railway Station. [44]The site of Horbury & Ossett Railway Station in the 21st century. [Google Maps, October 2024]Looking Northwest from Bridge Road, A642 towards Storrs Road Bridge. Horbury and Ossett Railway Station goods facilities were on the left. [Google Streetview, July 2024]looking Southeast from Bridge Road. the passenger facilities were on the Southeast side of Bridge Road with the platform sat between the running lines. [Google Streetview, July 2024]
“Horbury and Ossett railway station formerly served the town of Horbury. … The station was opened with the inauguration of the line in 1840, on the west of the Horbury Bridge Road, to the south-west of the town. Later a new, more substantial structure was built just to the east. … British Railways developed a large marshalling yard in the 1960s at Healey Mills immediately to the west of the original station. … [The station] closed in 1970. Almost all that remains is the old subway which ran under the tracks. Ossett is now the largest town in Yorkshire without a railway station. Proposals to open a new one are periodically canvassed, perhaps on part of the Healey Mills site.” [45]
A little further East is Horbury Fork Line Junction where a mineral railway runs South to Harley Bank Colliery and the Horbury & Crigglestone Loop leaves the Manchester to Leeds line.
Horbury Fork Line Junction on the 1905 25″ordnance Survey. The junction sat just to the West of Horbury Tunnel. That tunnel has since been removed. [49]The same location in the 21st century. The tunnel sat to on the East side of the present footbridge which is just to the left of the centre of this image. This image is an extract from the NLS’ ESRI satellite imagery. [49]
These next few photographs show views of the line from a series of three overbridges to the East of Horbury Fork Line Junction.
The view West from Southfield Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view East from Southfield Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view West from Dudfleet Lane Bridge towards Southfield Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view East from Dudfleet Lane Bridge towards Millfield Road Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view West from Millfield Road Bridge towards Dudfleet Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]The view East from Millfield Road Bridge. [Google Streetview, October 2022]
The next significant location on the line is Horbury Junction.
Horbury Junction on the 1905 25″ordnance Survey. Horbury Junction Ironworks sat in-between the Manchester and Leeds Railway and the. There was a Wagon Works just off the South edge of this image. The line heading South from Horbury Junction was the L&YR line to Flockton Junction and beyond. [50]The same location in the 21st century as shown on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the NLS.. [50]
Industrialisation in the immediate area of Horbury Junction began “in the early 1870s with the construction of Millfield Mill, followed by the Horbury Ironworks Co. In 1873, Charles Roberts bought a site for a new factory at Horbury Junction and moved his wagon building business from Ings Road, Wakefield to Horbury Junction. Before that, the area of Horbury Junction was a quiet backwater with a corn mill and a ford across the Calder for farm traffic.” In reality, a beautiful pastoral area of countryside was changed forever with the coming of the Railway, Millfield Mill, the Wagon Works and the Ironworks.” [51]
In the 21st century, just beyond Horbury Junction, the line is crossed by the M1.
In the 21st century, just beyond Horbury Junction (on the left of this extract from Google Maps), the line is crossed by the M1. [Google Maps, October 2024.
Horbury Junction seen, looking Southwest from the M1. [Google Streetview, July 2024]Looking Northeast from the M1. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Green Lane Underpass seen from the North. This underpass sits just to the East of the modern M1. [Google Streetview, October 2008]
Following the line on to the Northeast, it next passes through Thornes.
The railway bridge at the centre of Thornes in 1905. [52]The same location in the 21st century. The now quadruple line is carried by two separate bridges. [52]Thorne Bridge seen from the South in June 2024. [Google Streetview, June 2024]
Northeast of Thornes, the Manchester and Leeds Railway ran at high level into Kirkgate Joint Station in Wakefield.
Thornes Lane BridgeA638, Ings Road BridgeThe bridge carrying the line over Kirkgate. [All three images from Google Streetview April 2023]The Manchester and Leeds Railway enters this extract from the 1905 25″ Ordnance Survey bottom-left, To the North of it id the GNR Ings Road Branch. To the South of it is a Goods Yard with access to Wakefield’s Malthouses and Mark Lane Corn Mill. [53]The same area in the 21st century. The rail lines remain approximately as on the map extract above. Wakefield Kirkgate Station (top-right) is somewhat reduced in size. Much of the built environment is different to that shown on the map above. This image is another extract from the ESRI satellite imagery. [53]
Wikipedia tells us that once it was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1840, Kirkgate station was “the only station in Wakefield until Westgate was opened in 1867. The railway station building dates from 1854. … Some demolition work took place in 1972, removing buildings on the island platform and the roof with its original ironwork canopy which covered the whole station. A wall remains as evidence of these buildings. After this, Kirkgate was listed in 1979.” [72]
Kirkgate Station was refurbished in two phases between 2013 and 2015. [72]
East of Kirkgate Joint Station in 1905. The landscape in Primrose Hill is dominated by the railway. The line exiting to the South of this extract is the L&YR Oakenshaw Branch which crosses the River Calder and runs past the station’s Engine Sheds. [54]the same area in the 21st century, much of the railway infrastructure has disappeared and is beginning to be taken over by nature. [54]
Just to the East of Wakefield Kirkgate Station were Park Hill Colliery Sidings.
Much the same area in the 21st century. The Midland’s lines South of Goosehill have gone, the footbridge remains but the large area of sidings to the Northeast of the Junction have also gone. [56]Park Hill Colliery Sidings and the River Calder in 1913. [55]The same location in the 21st century. [55]
And beyond those sidings a further crossing of the River Calder.
The three arched stone viaduct across the River Calder. This photograph is taken from Neil Fox Way and looks Southeast towards the bridge. [Google Streetview, June 2024]
Just a short distance further along the line, at Goosehill, the Manchester and Leeds Railway (by 1905, The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) joined the North Midland Railway (by 1905, The Midland Railway)
Goosehill Bridge and Junction witht he Midland Railway entering from the bottom of the extract and the Manchester 7 Leeds entering from the bottom-left. [56]Immediately to the Northeast of the last extract from the 1905 25″ Ordnance Survey, the Midland’s lines can be seen heading Northeast with branches off to the North and West. The branch heading away to the West is the St. John’s Colliery line running to wharves at Stanley Ferry. That to the North runs through the screens and serves St. John’s Colliery itself. [57]The same area in the 21st century. The roadway crossing the railway and heading off the satellite image to the West runs to a large opencast site. [57]Looking Southwest from the bridge carrying the access road to the opencast site. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking Northeast from the bridge carrying the access road to the opencast site. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking Southwest from the Newlands Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2023]Looking Northeast from Newlands Lane Bridge. [Google Streetview, May 2023]
From this point on the traffic from the Manchester and Leeds Railway ran on North Midland (later Midland) Railway metals, via Normanton Railway Station and then passing Silkstone and West Riding Collieries, and on towards Leeds, approaching Leeds from the Southeast. Normanton Station appears on the map extract below.
An smaller scale extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905 which shows Normanton and its railway station. St. John’s Colliery and Gooshill Junction are just of the extract on the bottom left. [58]Looking Southwest from Altofts Road Bridge through the site of Normanton Railway Station. [Google Streetview, April 2023]
Rake’s last words on a journey along the railway are these: “Just previous to reaching Wakefield, the railway is carried over a viaduct of 16 arches, and, quitting that station it enters a deep cutting, and crosses the Vale of Calder for the last time, a little to the east of Kirkthorpe. Here was the most important diversion of the Calder, by which the cost of building two bridges was saved. … The line terminated by a junction with the North Midland Railway, a mile to the north of which point was situated the Normanton Station, where the York and North Midland, and by its means, the Leeds and Selby and Hull and Selby Railways united with the former lines. The remainder of the journey to Leeds, 9 miles, was traversed on the North Midland Railway.” [1: p472]
Rake goes on to talk about the gradients of the railway which “were considered somewhat severe. Starting from Manchester, the line ascends to Rochdale, 10 miles, over a series of inclinations averaging about 1 in 155; from Rochdale to the summit level, 6½ miles, the ascent is 1 in 300; the total rise from Manchester being 351 ft. From the summit level plane, which extends for 1 mile 55 chains, to Wakefield, a distance of 30 miles, the line descends for the first six miles on a gradient of 1 in 182, after which it is continued by easy grades of an average inclination of 1 in 350. Below Wakefield a comparatively level course is maintained to the junction with the North Midland Railway, the total fall from the summit being 440 ft. The curves were laid out so as not to be of a less radius than 60 chains. The gauge adopted on the Manchester and Leeds Railway was 4 ft. 9 in., to allow a in. play on each side for the wheels. … The rails were of the single parallel form, in 15 ft. lengths, with 3 ft. bearings, and were set in chairs, to which they were secured by a ball and key, as on the North Midland Railway. The balls, (3/4 in. diameter), were of cast iron, and fitted into a socket formed in one side of the stem of the rail; the key, which was of wrought iron, was 8 in. long (and 5/8 in. wide at one end, from which it tapered to 3/8 in. at the other end). … Stone blocks were used where they could be obtained from the cuttings, and were placed diagonally, but sleepers of kyanised larch were used on the embankments, the ballasting being of burnt and broken stone.” [1: p472-473]
It is interesting to note that the tramway/tramroad practice of using stone blocks as sleepers was in use when this railway was first built!
Rake continues: “The Manchester terminal station was located between Lees Street and St. George’s Road, and was entirely elevated on arches. The passenger shed was covered with a wooden roof, in two spans, and the whole length of the station was 528 ft. The passenger platform was approached by a flight of 45 steps from the booking-office on the ground floor. [1: p473]
Early signals on the Manchester and Leeds.Railway which became part of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway network. [64]
“The signals were of the horizontal double disc or spectacle form which, when revolved to the extent of a half circle, caused both discs to be invisible to the driver and indicated all right, the lamp above showing, when illuminated, green; the colour shown by the lamp when both discs were crosswise to the line being red.” [1: p473]
Rolling Stock
“The carriages consisted of three classes, The first class, in three compartments, upholstered, and fitted with sash windows painted blue; second-class, in three compartments, but open at the sides and furnished with wooden sliding shutters painted yellow; and carriages termed ‘mixed’, in which the middle compartment was for first-class, and each of the ends was for second-class passengers. There was also a carriage of novel construction, built according to the plan of the chairman of the company and used at the opening of the line. The under-framing was of the usual construction, but the body was unique. The floor was considerably wider than ordinary, and the sides curved outwards until they joined a semicircular roof, the greater part of which was fitted with wire gauze to give air, but capable of being instantaneously covered with waterproof material, by the action of an inside handle, so that sun and rain could be shaded out at pleasure. The sides were fitted throughout with plate glass, and ranges of seats occupied the floor, having passages on either side. Tents were also contrived in the sides which closed at will by spring action. The effect of the interior was said to resemble the interior of a conservatory! These carriages were in each case mounted on four wheels, with a perforated footboard of iron running the whole length of the body, in substitution for the lower tier of steps in use on other railways at the time.” [1: p473-474]
I have produced Rake’s description of this ‘unusual carriage’ as I have found it impossible to imagine what it looked like from Rake’s word-picture.
At the end of 1840, “an improved form of third-class carriage was constructed, in which each wheel was braked; the brake levers were attached to the axle-boxes and, consequently, when applied by the guard. who sat on the roof, did not bring the body of the carriage down on to the springs, The buffing springs were placed in front of the headstocks, and a flat iron bar attached to the buffer worked in brackets on the sole bar. The doors were fitted with latches on the outside, which were fastened by the guard when the passengers were inside.” [1: p474]
An improved third class carriage. Looking back from a 21st century perspective, these carriages seem to be not much better than the wagons used to carry livestock. This is borne out by Rake’s notes below. It was, however, a significant improvement on the open wagons, having a roof, glass windows and brakes. Contrary to what Rake appears to say below, Wells suggests that these covered third class wagons did have seating. [1: p474][75: p85]
“The windows and the doors being fixed, no passenger could open the door until the guard had released the catch. Roof lamps were not provided in these coaches, which were painted green. … The third-class carriages. or rather, wagons, were provided with four entrances, to correspond with the “pens” into which they were sub-divided by means of a wooden bar down the centre, crossed by another bar intersecting the former at right angles in the middle of its length. There were no seats, and the number of passengers for which standing room could be found was limited solely to the to the bulk Stanhope or ‘Stan’ups’, as they were derisively termed. The contrivance of pens was said to be due to a determination to prevent respectably dressed individuals from availing themselves of the cheaper mode of conveyance, in which there was little to distinguish them, it was complained, ‘from the arrangements for the conveyance of brute beasts which perish’. The company’s servants were strictly enjoined “not to porter for wagon passengers‘!” [1: p474]
Rake’s illustration of an early Manchester and Leeds Railway first class coach. [1: p474]
Further details of Rolling Stock on the Railway can be found in Jeffrey Wells book about the line. [75: p81-85]
Locomotives
Rake tells us that the locomotives were all mounted on 6 wheels and purchased from Sharp, Roberts & Co., Robert Stephenson & Co., and Taylor & Co. They all had 14 in. diameter, 18 in. stroke cylinders and 5 ft. 6 in. diameter driving wheels. Jeffrey Wells provides a more comprehensive, tabulated, list of those early locomotives. [75: p79-80]
A typical 0-4-2 Locomotive of 1839/1840. [76]An early (1834) R. Stephenson & Co. 0-4-2 locomotive of very similar design to those supplied to the Manchester and Leeds Railway 9c0 Public Domain. [77]
The first three 0-4-2s were made by Robert Stephenson & Co., and that company supplied plans and specifications for its locomotives which meant that The Manchester and Leeds Railway could have the same design manufactured by other firms of the Company’s choice. The first 12 locomotives built for the Manchester and Leeds in 1839 were all to Stephenson’s 0-4-2 design. Wells tells us that of these locomotives, the first three (Nos. 1 -3) were called Stanley, Kenyon and Stephenson and were built by R. Stephenson & Co. They were supplied to the Railway in April and May 1839. [75: p79]
The next three locomotives (Nos. 4-6) were supplied by Sharp Bros., Manchester. Lancashire and Junction were supplied in May 1839 and York in July 1839. Nos. 7, 9 and 10, named respectively, Rochdale (16th July), Bradford (6th September) and Hull (7th September)came from Naysmith & Co., Patricroft. Nos. 8, 11, 12 (Leeds, Scarborough and Harrogate) were supplied by Shepherd & Todd by September 1839. [75: p79]
Wells comments that No. 1, ‘Stanley’ “was named after Lord Stanley, Chairman of the House of Commons Committee who supported the Manchester and Leeds Railway Bill in 1836. … Other Stephenson designs followed: 19 engines, numbered 15 to 40, of the 2-2-2 wheel arrangement were delivered between October 1840 and April 1842. These were recommended by Stephenson to work the eastern section of the line, between Sowerby Bridge and Wakefield, thus gradually removing the [Manchester and Leeds Railway’s] reliance on North Midland Railway motive power which had at first prevailed from late in 1840.” [75: p80]
R. Stephenson patented 2-2-2 locomotive No. 123 ‘Harvey Combe’ built 1835, from Simm’s ‘Public Works of Great Britain’, 1838. This locomotive is of a very similar design to those supplied by various manufacturers to the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1840-1842. These were given the Nos. 15-40 and were supplied by Charles Tayleur & Co., Rothwell & Co., Laird Kitson & Co., Sharp Bros., Naysmith & Co., and W. Fairburn & Co., (c) C. F. Cheffins, Public Domain. [78]
He continues: “Once again several manufacturers were involved in the supply of these locomotives. Goods engines were represented by a further batch of 0-4-2s; 13 were delivered (Nos 33 to 46) between April 1841 and June 1843, the three manufacturers involved being R. Stephenson & Co., Haigh Foundry, Wigan, and William Fairbairn & Co. of Manchester. … Three standard Bury-type 0-4-0s were the last engines to be delivered (Nos 47 to 49) the first two bearing the names West Riding Union and Cleckheaton respectively. All three were completed between November 1845 and January 1846 by the firm of Edward Bury of Liverpool.”
And finally. …
Rake concludes his article, the first to two about the line in The Railway Magazine (I currently only have access to this first article) with two short paragraphs. The first reflects on policing: “There were no police on the railway, the whole of the platelayers being constituted as constables on the completion of the first section of the line; and, we are afterwards told, that ‘the vigilance resulting from the pride these men take, in being thus placed in authority, had been found to supersede the necessity of any more expensive system of surveillance.'” [1: p474]
The second notes that: “The directors [were] very anxious to complete the railway as far as Rochdale, at the earliest possible time, and on the 4th July, 1839, it was opened through that town to Littleborough, a distance of about 14 miles, the event ‘exciting a most extraordinary degree of local interest and wonder’ we are told.” [1: p474]
References
Herbert Rake; The Manchester and Leeds Railway: The Origin of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; in The Railway Magazine, London, December 1905, p468-474
Jeffrey Wells; The Eleven Towns Railway: The Story of the Manchester and Leeds Main Line; Railway & Canal Historical Society, Keighley, West Yorkshire, 2000.
An article in the Railway Magazine in December 1905 prompted a look at the Manchester and Leeds Railway. For a number of years my parents lived in sheltered housing in Mirfield which is on the line. Looking at the line as it appeared in 1905 and again in the 21st century seemed a worthwhile exercise! Part 1 of this short series provides a short history of the line and takes us from Manchester to Sowerby Bridge.
The featured image at the head of this article shows the Manchester & Leeds Railway locomotive ‘Victoria’, in about 1878-80. This locomotive was designed by Edward Bury and built at his works in Liverpool. It was one of a batch of 0-4-0 engines ordered in 1845, and later converted to an 0-4-2 wheel arrangement (c) Public Domain. [65]
In his first article in 1905, about the Manchester and Leeds Railway which was accompanied by a series of engravings included here, Herbert Rake wrote that on 11th September 1830 a committee tasked with improving communications between Leeds and Manchester, emboldened by the success of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, decided to hold a meeting to form a new railway company.
On 18th October 1930, the decision was taken. A board of directors was appointed, a survey was authorised and work was undertaken to prepare for an application to Parliament. It was based on a junction with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway at Oldfield Lane, Salford and at St. George’s Road, Manchester.
The route from Manchester to Sowerby Bridge was easily agreed, that from Sowerby Bridge to Leeds was more difficult to agree. The Bill prepared for Parliament focused on the Manchester to Sowerby Bridge length of the planned line and was presented on 10th March 1831. Opposition from the Rochdale Canal Company and others and then the dissolution of Parliament halted the progress of the Bill.
Resubmission was agreed on 8th June 1830 but once again failed in its progress through Parliament. In the end, the project was revised, the company was reorganised, and the capital fixed at £800,000 in £100 shares in a meeting in October 1935.
Rake tells us that this “new project abandoned the Salford junction line, but embraced a deviated extension beyond Sowerby Bridge, along the lower portion of the Vale of Calder, past Dewsbury and Wakefield, to Normanton, thence to Leeds, in conjunction with the North Midland Railway. … [The line was] intended to form a central portion of a great main line running east and west between Liverpool and Hull.” [1: p469-470]
The prospectus noted a few important facts, particularly:
The population density with three miles either side of the proposed line was 1,847 persons per square mile. The average for England was 260 persons per square mile.
Within 10 miles of the line there were 29 market towns, twelve with a population greater than 20,000.
Within 20 miles of the line there were 48 market towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants.
Rake tells us that “The Act of Incorporation received the Royal Assent on the 4th July 1836, and authorised a joint stock capital to be raised of £1,000,000, with an additional amount by loan of £433,000.” [1: p470]
Construction commenced on 18th August 1837. On 14th February 1838 it was decided to apply to Parliament for an Act authorising branch lines to Oldham and Halifax.
Late in 1838, “a modification of the original plan for effecting a junction of the Manchester and Leeds Railway with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was proposed, by an extension of both to a joint terminus within 500 yards of the Manchester Exchange. … The Act of Parliament for this and other purposes received the Royal Assent on the 31st July 1839, authorising the sum of £866,000 to be raised for the purpose of constructing the Oldham and Halifax branches, for making a diversion in the railway at Kirkthorpe, for enlarging the station in Lees Street, and for constructing the line to join the Liverpool and Manchester extension.” [1: p470]
Rake explains that the railway ran through Miles Platting where the Ashton and Stalybridge branch diverges. At Middleton the Oldham branch connected to the main line. Mill Hills embankment (maximum height 75 feet) carries the line towards Blue Pits Station where the Heywood line joins the main line. The line runs on through Rochdale, Littleborough and Todmorden Vale before running in cutting (maximum depth 100 feet) to Summit Tunnel.
During construction, “Six contracts were awarded between the Manchester terminus and the Summit Tunnel and were progressing satisfactorily by August 1838.” [6]
The West Portal of Summit Tunnel is approached from Manchester through a deep cutting. [1: p469]The same portal of Summit Tunnel in 20th century steam days. [3]
When built, Summit Tunnel was the longest in the world. It opened on 1st March 1841 by Sir John F. Sigismund-Smith.
“The tunnel is just over 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long and carries two standard-gauge tracks in a single horseshoe-shaped tube, approximately 24 feet (7.2 m) wide and 22 feet (6.6 m) high. Summit Tunnel was designed by Thomas Longridge Gooch, assisted by Barnard Dickinson. Progress on its construction was slower than anticipated, largely because excavation was more difficult than anticipated. … It … cost £251,000 and 41 workers had died.” [4]
Rake noted that the tunnel is “14 shafts were necessary, and the strata of rock shale and clay was of so treacherous a character that the brick lining of the roof, which is semi circular, consists in places of no less than 10 concentric rings.” [1: p471] He also comments that: the tunnel entrance is if an imposing Moorish design; 1,000 men were employed with work continuing day and night.
Beyond the tunnel, the railway “entered a cutting in silt, which required piling to secure a foundation. Continuing onwards, we pass through the Winterbut Lee Tunnel, 420 yds. in length, and across a viaduct of 18 arches, one of which is of 60 ft. span we then proceed over the Rochdale Canal, on a cast iron skew bridge 102 ft. in span, at a height of 40 ft. above the surface of the water.” [1: p471]
“Tenders for work on the eastern section were advertised in 1838. … Contractors then worked fastidiously under the threat of heavy penalties should they over-run the set time limits. They were also forbidden to work on Sundays.” [6]
At Todmorden, “the railway is carried over almost the entire breadth of the valley by a noble viaduct of nine arches, seven of which are each of 60 ft. span, and two of 30 ft., at a height of 54 ft. above the level of the turnpike road.” [1: p471]
Quitting Todmorden, where the Burnley branch diverges, the line enters Yorkshire, passes through Millwood Tunnel (225 yards), Castle Hill Tunnel (193 yards), and Horsefall Tunnel (424 yards) and then arrives at Eastwood Station. Some distance further on is Charlestown. Afterwards the railway “crosses river, road, and canal, by a skew bridge of three arches, the canal being separately spanned by an iron bridge.” [1: p471]
Looking back West from Cross Stone Road across the western portal of Millwood Tunnel. [Google Streetview, April 2023]Looking East from the corner of Phoenix Street and Broadstone Street, above the eastern portal of Millwood Tunnel. [Google Streetview, April 2023]
These next few images give a flavour of the line as it travels towards Hebden Bridge.
Lobb Mill Viaduct sits alongside the A646, Halifax Road between Castle Hill Tunnel and Horsefall Tunnel. [Google Streetview, June 2023]Looking Southwest along the line towards Todmorden from E. Lee Lane. [Google Streetview, April 2023]A little to the Northeast, Duke Street passes under the railway. This view looks West from Halifax Road [Google Streetview, June 2023]Eastwood Railway Station as it appears on the 1905 25″ Ordnance Survey. [63]Thye approximate location of Eastwood Station as it appears on Google Maps satellite imagery in 2024. [Google Maps, October 2024]A little further Northeast, this is the view Northwest along Jumble Hole Road under the railway. [Google Streetview, June 2011]The view Northwest from he A646, Halifax Road along the Pennine Way Footpath which passes under the railway at this location. [Google Streetview, June 2023]Again, looking Northwest from Halifax Road along Stony Lane which runs under the railway. [Google Streetview, June 2023]The view Southwest along Oakville Road which runs next to the railway. [Google Streetview, April 2023]The view Northeast from the same location on Oakville Road. [Google Streetview, April 2023]
A short distance Northeast, the railway “crosses river, road, and canal, by a skew bridge of three arches, the canal being separately spanned by an iron bridge.” [1: p471] The location is shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905 below.
The bridge mentioned above, as it appears on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1905. [11]The same location shown on Google Maps satellite imagery in 2024. [Google Maps, October 2024]Looking Northeast along Halifax Road, the three arches of the viaduct are easily visible. Beyond it there is a girder bridge which Rake does not mention. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
A little further East Stubbing Brink crosses the railway.
Looking West along the railway from Stubbing Brink Bridge. [Google Streetview, April 2023]The view East along the line from Stubbing Brink. [Google Streetview, April 2023]
The line next passes through a short short tunnel (Weasel Hall Tunnel (124 yards)) and arrives at Hebden Bridge Station.
After Hebden Bridge Station, the line proceeds along the South bank of the River Calder, through two small stations (Mytholmroyd and Luddenden Foot) and by a number of riverside mills.
East along the line towards Luddendenfoot, Brearley Lane bridges the line.
Looking West from Brearley Lane Bridge towards Mytholmroyd Station. [Google Streetview, July 2009]Ahead to the East, the line curves round towards the location of Luddendenfoot Railway Station. [Google Streetview, July 2009]Luddenden Foot Railway Station. The station closed on 10th September 1962. The site has been developed since 2007 and the northern half is now occupied by the Station Industrial Park, which is accessible via Old Station Road. Two gate pillars from the original station flank the entrance to the road. [14][17]The location of the erstwhile Luddendenfoot Railway Station as seen from Willow Bank, (c) Matt Thornton. [Google Streetview, February 2021]Looking Southeast from Willow Bank. The arch bridge visible ahead carries Jerry Fields Road over the line, (c) Matt Thornton. [Google Streetview, February 2021]
To the Southeast, Ellen Holme Road passes under the line.
Ellen Holme Road passess under the railway to the Southeast of the old Luddendenfoot Railway Station. [Google Streetview, June 2023]
Passing other mills and traversing a deep cutting the line enters Sowerby Tunnel, (645 yards) and reaches Sowerby Bridge Station.
We complete this first part of the journey along the Manchester and Leeds Railway here at Sowerby Bridge Railway Station.
References
NB: These references relate to all the articles about the Manchester and Leeds Railway.
Herbert Rake; The Manchester and Leeds Railway: The Origin of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; in The Railway Magazine, London, December 1905, p468-474
A note in the August 1905 edition of The Railway Magazine mentions a 1904 report from the Light Railway Commissioners and comments from the Board of Trade in 1905. [1: p170]
The Regulation of Railways Act 1868 permitted the construction of light railways subject to ‘…such conditions and regulations as the Board of Trade may from time to time impose or make’; for such railways it specified a maximum permitted axle weight and stated that ‘…the regulations respecting the speed of trains shall not authorize a speed exceeding at any time twenty-five miles an hour’. [2]
“The Light Railways Act 1896 did not specify any exceptions or limitations that should apply to light railways; it did not even attempt to define a ‘light railway’. However, it gave powers to a panel of three Light Railway Commissioners to include ‘provisions for the safety of the public… as they think necessary for the proper construction and working of the railway’ in any light railway order (LRO) granted under the act. These could limit vehicle axle weights and speeds: the maximum speed of 25 miles per hour (mph) often associated with the Light Railways Act 1896 is not specified in the act but was a product of the earlier Regulation of Railways Act 1868. … However, limits were particularly needed when lightly laid track and relatively modest bridges were used in order to keep costs down.” [2]
Sir Francis Hopwood’s report to the Board of Trade on the proceedings of the Light Railways Commission during 1902, indicated “a growing tendency to embark on private and municipal light railway schemes all over the country. Thirty-one fresh orders, of which only two for steam traction, were submitted, eighteen being confirmed, making a total of thirty-five for the year. No order was rejected. Since 1896, 420 applications [had] been made, more than half being confirmed. They represented 3,900 miles of line, with a capital expenditure of £30,371,193. The total mileage sanctioned during 1902 amount[ed] to 1,500 miles, with a capital expenditure of £10,148,900, or over a third of the aggregate for five years.” [10]
The short report in the August 1905 Railway Magazine highlighted the “number of applications made to the Commissioners in each year since the commencement of the Act, the number of orders made by the Commissioners, and the number confirmed by the Board of Trade, with mileage and estimates.” [1: p170]
Applications for Light Railway Orders (*From 278 applications. + From 237 Orders submitted). [1: p170]
Railways built under the Light Railways Act 1896 struggled financially and by the 1920s the use of road transport had put paid to the majority. Some survived thanks to clever management and tight financial control.
“The Light Railways Act was repealed in 1993 for England and Wales by the Transport and Works Act 1992 and no new light railway orders were allowed to be issued for Scotland after 2007. … Until the Transport and Works Act 1992 introduced transport works orders, heritage railways in the UK were operated under light railway orders.” [2]
Among many others, Light Railways which were built under the Act include these examples:
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, opened in 1903, closed in 1956, reconstructed and reopened between 1963 and 1981 on the entire route except Welshpool town section. Articles about this line can be found here, here and here. [3]
Tanat Valley Light Railway, articles about the line can be found here and here. [4]
Shropshire & Montgomery Light Railway, five articles about this line and its rolling stock can be found here, here, here, here and here. [5]
Kelvedon & Tollesbury Light Railway, an article about this line can be found here. [6]
Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway is referred to in this article. [7]
Bere Alston and Calstock Light Railway, the East Cornwall Mineral Railway and this line are covered in three articles which can be found here, here and here. [8]
Ashover Light Railway, is covered in three articles which can be found here, here and here. [9]
A parallel act governed light railways built in Ireland.
I was reading (in August 2024) the July 1903 Railway Magazine and came across an article about the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. [1: p64-68] The article marked the opening of the line at the beginning of April 1903.
After the first railway entered Welshpool on 10th June 1862 – the Oswestry (by 1903, the Cambrian) Railway – a series of three different schemes were proposed to connect Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion. The first scheme was put forward in 1864, the second in 1875, the third in 1887. None of these schemes came to fruition. However, “in 1896 a ray of light (the Light Railways Act) illumined the gloomy darkness of uncertainty and failure. Before the measure had received the Royal assent, Dr. C. E. Humphreys (Llanfair) had launched a scheme for connecting Llanfair with the Cambrian Railways, by means of a line through the Meifod Valley and Four Crosses. This was not allowed to pass unchallenged. Immediately Welshpool … entered the lists with a Bill for a 2ft. 6in. gauge light railway, to run from Welshpool to Llanfair. If Llanfair was to have a railway (which was of all things most desirable) that railway, said they, must run from Welshpool. … A spirited war of routes resulted, terminated by the Light Railways Commissioners giving the award to Welshpool for a 2ft. 6in. gauge railway from Welshpool to Llanfair.” [1: p64]
The successful company “was liberally supported by Welshpool, the Montgomery County Council, Forden District Council, and Llanfyllin Rural District Council.” [1: p64]. The Treasury granted a gift of £17,500 – one-third of the estimated cost. The new railway was planned as a single line, 2ft, 6in. gauge running from the road outside Welshpool Railway Station, along “the Lledan Gorge, over the Pass at Glyn Golfa to Castle Caereinion, through the Banwy Valley to Llanfair. An agreement was entered into with the Cambrian Railways to work and maintain the line; the construction of the line [was] … under the supervision of the Cambrian Railway’s Engineer, Mr. A.J. Collin: Mr. Strachan (Cardiff) being the contractor. On 30th May 1901, … Viscount Clive the son of the Earl and Countess Powys … cut the first sod for the new line. In February [1903] the line was completed; and passed by Major Druitt, of the Board of Trade.” [1: p64-65]
On 4th April 1903, the first passenger train navigated the new line. The Railway Magazine described the route: “The new railway [cut] through the town of Welshpool, over the brook and canal, and burrow[ed] its way up the Golfa Pass.” [1: p66]
The length of the line through the town of Welshpool has already been covered. For the relevant articles, please check these two links …
Those articles cover the length of the line abandoned when Welshpool undertook highway improvements, the run from Welshpool Railway Station as far as Raven Square, now a roundabout.
The roundabout at Raven Square appears top-right. The abandoned length of line heads off to the Northeast. The preservation line has a new station to the Southwest of the roundabout, approximately on the site of the passing loop shown here. 1:2500 Ordnance Survey SJ2007-SJ2107 – AA Revised: 1966, Published: 1967. [4]A sketch map of the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway. [1: p64]
The preservation line occupies the trackbed of the line from Raven Square to Llanfair. It runs immediately alongside the A458 on the North side of Nant-y-caws Brook.
A first length of the line to the West of Raven Square. This extract, and the following map extracts, is from the OS Landranger map series as held by Streetmap.co.uk. [5]The same length of the line as it appears on railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery. [6]This extract from the OS War Office, England and Wales One-Inch Popular, GSGS 3907 – 1933-43, Sheet 60 – Shrewsbury & Welshpool was printed in 1943 on a base map dated around 1916. It shows the location of the halt at Raven Square (immediately above the ‘309’) and shows the line continuing Northeast towards the centre of Welshpool. [18]Looking Southwest along the A458. The road and railway are separated by no more than a hedge or fence. [Google Streetview, May 2024]Ungated crossing adjacent to the A458 at the junction with the lane which appears bottom-left in the map extract and satellite image above. [Google Streetview, May 2024]
The Railway Magazine continues: In the Golfa Pass, “by means of a series of curves of small radii and steep inclines, the great natural beauty of the surrounding country has been retained. Rising 300ft, in the first two miles it reache[d] Golfa … with its lung-filling expanse of common – its garden of fern, gorse, and broom – where at 1,000ft above the sea level is presented a glorious panorama of typical Welsh pastoral scenery – the ideal of the pedestrian, artist, and rambler.” [1: p66]
The line then moves away from the A458 to enable it to best find its way up the valley at a reasonable grade. In doing so it follows the contours and passes through a series of tight curves. [5]The same length of the line on satellite imagery. [6]In Sylfaen Dingle, to the West of Barn Farm, it returns to run very close to the A458. [5]Once again, this satellite image covers the same length of the line as the map extract above. [6]The level crossing at Cwm Ln from the Northeast. [Google Streetview, May 2024]
The Railway Magazine continues to describe the route ahead, the line “threads the beautiful Pass of Sylvaen; there, far to westward, is spread the famous vale of Caerinion, where, silhouetted against the misty horizon, Cader Idris and The Arrans lend an air of magnificent solemnity to an impressive scene.” [1: p66]
The railway remains close to the road as far as Sylfaen Halt after which it turns away to the South. [5]A similar length of the line on railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery. [6]Farm/forest access road crossing just to the East of Sylfaen Halt. [Google Streetview, May 2024]Sylfaen Halt seen from the A458. The photo is taken from the East. [Google Streetview, May 2024]Gradients are shallower here, witnessed by the broadening of the contours. the line crosses Coppice Lane and passes to the North of the Sewage Works. [5]A very similar length of the line as it appears on railmaponline com’s satellite imagery. [6]
Castle Caereinion is South of the line down Coppice Lane from the level crossing which can be seen in the bottom-left of the image above.
Coppice Lane level crossing seen from the South. [Google Streetview, May 2024]
Again, the article in The Railway Magazine continues: the village of Castle Caereinion is about 0.5 mile from the station bearing its name. The line passed the site of the Castle of Caereinion and ran on through Cyfronydd and along the banks of the Afon Banwy, also known as the Afon Einion. It crossed the Bryn-Elen Viaduct, “a very substantial piece of engineering. The rails [were] then carried across the dingle which [ran]up to Cwmbaw by a stone bridge of six arches, at a considerable height above the bottom of the ravine. Half a mile further on is the Banwy Viaduct.” [1: 67]
After another tight curve the line enters Castle Caereinion Station. It is here that some of the services from Llanfair on the preservation line terminate. The loco runs round its train and then shepherds its carriages back to Llanfair Caereinion. Immediately at the edge of the station site the line crosses the B4385 and turns sharply to the Northwest. [5]Once again, a similar area to that covered by the OS map extract above. Along this length of the line trains for Llanfair first encounter Castle Caereinion Station, then cross the B4385 and, as they turn northward they again cross the B4385. [6]Castle Caereinion Railway Station as seen from the first level-crossing with the B4385, looking East. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The first rail-crossing on the B4385 seen from the South. Castle Caereinion Station is of the picture to the right. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The vIew West along the line from the same level-crossing with the B4385. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The second, more westerly, level-crossing over the B4385. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The view back towards Welshpool. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The line ahead towards Llanfair. [Google Streetview, May 2024]The line runs Northwest towards Cyfronwydd Bridge and Cyfronydd Station from the crossing on the B4385. [5]Railmaponline.com covers the same length of the railway. [6]
The line continues down through Cyfronydd Railway Station, over Bryn-Elen Viaduct to the banks of the Afon Banwy.
After running for a while on the South bank of the Afon Banwy (Afon Einion) the line crosses the river on a three-span girder bridge, Banwy Viaduct. It turns West once again and enters Heniarth Railway Station. Opened as Heniarth Gate on 6th April 1903 the station was renamed ‘Heniarth’ on 1st February 1913. [16]
Heniarth “is the centre for Meifod District. A short distance further on is the picturesque Melin [Dol-rhyd-y-defaid] where the rails are carried between the mill race and the River Banwy, by means of a substantial stone embankment.” [1: p67]
The Railway Magazine commented on the importance of this new railway: “This railway opens up and connects to an established system of railways, an area of over 100 square miles of Welsh scenery of great natural beauty-possessing abundance of excellent fishing and many other attractions. … Llanfair, a typical little Welsh town, is now within easy access, and the greatest obstacle to its success as a health resort has been removed. In the year 1824 (Montgomeryshire Collections) the medicinal properties of the springs of Llanfair, were discovered by one ‘Madock’, sulphur being present in one; another, close by, had chalybeat properties; while a third was saline. Pumps and other appliances were erected for the convenience of those who would make use of the springs, and the value of the waters becoming more widely known, the place was largely visited by invalids. The waters are still in good repute, and now that the difficulties consequent upon bad roads are removed, it is believed that they will become as popular as the waters of Llandrindod and Llanwrtyd in South Wales.” [1: p67]
The track is of a small gauge – 2ft 6in. The Railway Magazine described the rails as being “of the Vignoles section, flat bottomed, 421bs. per yard. The small radii of the curves, with their steep gradients, have necessitated a general use of check rails, sole-plates, and cross-stays to ensure a safe and substantial track.” [1: p67]
Although the railway gauge is only 2ft 6in “care in designing the rolling stock has prevented this line being catalogued under the title of ‘Toy Railways’, as will be apparent from the photographs. The responsibility of designing and providing the whole of the rolling stock devolved upon Mr. Herbert Jones, the Locomotive Superintendent of the Cambrian Railways, and is of a substantial and commodious character. The coaches, very roomy and comfortable vehicles – bogie type being built after the style of the one-storey electric car, are provided with first, third, and smoking compartments, divided by sliding doors; adjustable platforms, also, at the ends provide a convenient means of communication.” [1: p68]
The railway was initially worked by the Cambrian Railways, for 60 per cent. of the earnings. [1: p68]
Original Locomotives
The railway originally operated with two locomotives, No. 1, ‘The Earl’ and No. 2, ‘The Countess’.
As The Railway Magazine says: the engines were “two in number, named respectively ‘The Earl’ and ‘The Countess’, [they were] six-wheeled coupled, side tanks, with outside cylinders, built by Messrs. Beyer, Peacock and Co. Weight in working order, 194 tons; cylinders, 11in. diameter by 16in. stroke; diameter of cast-steel wheels, 2ft. 9in.; wheel base, 10ft.; steel boiler, 7ft long, 3ft. 5.5in. diameter; 119 copper tubes, 1.75in. diameter.” [1: p68]
With Walschaerts valve gear and a maximum boiler pressure of 150 lbf/in2 (1.03 MPa), they yielded a tractive effort of 8,175 lbf (36.36 kN). [17]
The Earl and TheCountess ran the line from 1903 until closure of the railway in 1956. The engines were overhauled at Oswestry Works and were sent there on closure of the railway. [17]
By 1959, negotiations had begun with British Railways and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Company had leased the line from British Railways by the end of 1962. On 28 July 1961, The Earl returned after storage and overhaul at Oswestry Works, with Countess following not long after. They have continued to work on the line ever since. [17]
During their lifetime the locos have had many modifications, particularly after the takeover by the Great Western. During this period they were fitted with a larger cab, handles on the smokebox door, rather than the original wheel, a larger dome, a much larger and more sophisticated safety valve and two different funnels. They were painted in Great Western green. … When taken over by British Railways, their shunting bells and chopper couplings were removed, and were repainted black. … From 1997 to 2001, the locomotives were fully overhauled at Llanfair, which included the fitting of new boilers and cylinders. They are currently the same design as the BR era, but have worn different liveries in preservation. [17]
Original Rolling Stock
The Railway Magazine said: “The stock is painted in the Cambrian colours coaches, bronze, green and white; engines, black, picked out with red and yellow.” [1: p68]
3rd class bogie coach. [1: p67]
Carriage details were: “Length over headstocks, 35ft.; centres of bogies, 24ft.; width outside, 6ft. 6in.; wheel base of bogies, 4ft.; size of journals, 6in. by 3in. diameter; centres of journals, 4ft. The body [was] built of oak and mahogany, the steel underframes [were] fitted with the automatic vacuum brake, and a hand brake [was] placed on each carriage. Weight of carriage, 94 tons.” [1: p68]
Cattle Wagon. [1: p67]
“The whole of the stock was fitted with central ‘buffer couplings’ and safety chains.” [1: p68]
Goods Brake Van [1: p67]
Sadly, the coaches purchased for the opening of the line did not survive into preservation. When passenger services were suspended in 1931 the coaches were sent to Swindon for ‘storage’ but never re-entered traffic and were broken up in 1936. That would have been the end of the story but for a desire by the preserved Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway to reverse history and through the generosity of donors a complete new rake was built by the Ffestiniog Railway at their Boston Lodge works. [23]
References
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway; in The Railway Magazine, London, July 1903, p64-68.
J. Holt Schooling produced a series of articles in The Railway Magazine after the turn of the 20th century. I came across the third of these in the July 1903 edition of the magazine. [1: p20-28] Elsewhere in the same magazine, there was a short note which highlighted the total net receipts of all Britain’s railways companies with the figures tabulated. [9: p59]
Headline figures for Britain’s railway companies for 1901 and 1902. [9: p59]
The figures show a small but significant increase between 1901 and 1902.
Holt Schooling’s article looked at some detailed statistics relating to British railways, with some comparisons made with statistics relating to the railways of the USA. …
Accidents
Holt Schooling highlighted the decrease in the chance of death or injury to railway passengers over the period from 1877 to 1901. Accidental deaths fluctuated over the period, injuries fell significantly in absolute terms (4,330 injured between 1877 and 1881 and 2,988 in 1897 to 1901) during the same period, the number of passengers carried rose significantly (2.9 billion to 5.5 billion). In relative terms, the number of deaths and injuries improved dramatically. The proportion killed, reducing from 1 in 17.9 million to 1 in 75.6 million, and the proportion injured refusing from 1 in 700 thousand to 1 in 1.2 million.
Passenger accident statistics on British railways. [1: p20]
Comparable figures in the USA show that the chance of death or injury while travelling by rail in the USA is very much higher, close to eight times higher.
Passenger accident statistics on railways in the USA. [1: p20]
Holt Schooling notes that “This result, unfavourable to the United States, is partly qualified by the fact that American railway journeys are of greater duration than English railway journeys, American passengers thus being exposed to risk of accident for a longer time than the British pas- senger, and also the American returns do not explicitly state whether or not the accidents to passengers are ‘from causes beyond their own control’ – a condition that applies to the foregoing accident facts for British railways.” [1: p21]
Holt Schooling produced a 10year summary of the causes of accidents. …
Causes of accidents in the British Isles during the ten years 1802-1901. [1: p21]
He notes that, “collisions account[ed] for 60% of all train accidents that happened, and that only two other causes of accidents had any material degree of frequency.” [1: p21] These were defects in the permanent way and trains entering stations at too great a speed.
Rates of Dividend on Ordinary Stock
In 1901, over £454 million was invested in railway companies ordinary stock. Schooling focuses on Ordinary Stock because it is the largest of the stocks under which railway capital is grouped. He explains that Guaranteed and Preference Stock amounted to more than £425 million, and Loans and Debenture Stock, just over £316 million.
Rates of Dividend Paid in 1901. [1: p22]
31% of Ordinary Stock paid a dividend between 2 and 3%. Interestingly, nearly 20% of the stock paid a dividend from 5 to 6%. [1: p22]
Working Expenditure
Railway costs per 1000 train-miles all rose between 1900 and 1901, with the exception of the cost of compensation which marginally decreased.
Railway Expenditure 1900/1901. [1: p22]
In absolute terms, the pattern is similar. Railway costs rose by just over £2.7 million between 1900 and 1901.
Railway Expenditure 1900/1901. [1: p23]
That increase in costs was only partially matched by a £1.5 million increase in gross receipts.
Train Mileage
Holt Schooling compared British and American figures for the year 1900 which was the latest year he had figures for. …
USA passenger train miles were 363.5 million, goods train miles were 492.6 million. A total of 856.1 million miles. The figures for the UK were respectively, 220 million, 180 million and a total of 400 million miles.
It is worth noting that freight mileage in the USA was considerably higher than passenger mileage. In the UK passenger mileage exceeded freight mileage. Train mileage in total in the USA was more than double that in the UK.
It is interesting, however, to consider the intensity of use of lines in the USA and the UK. This provides a very different picture. …
Train mileage per mile open for traffic. [1: p24]
Holt Schooling comments that on “average, each mile of American railroad is passed over by a train 4,400 times in the year, or twelve times per day. But each mile of British railroad is passed over by a train 18,300 times in the year, or fifty times per day. This is a striking fact, and it is another of those fundamental differences between the railway systems of the two countries … Our railways are used more than four times as often as the American lines are used, and this fact necessarily carries with it many other important differences between the two railway systems and the methods by which they are worked.” [1: p24]
Classes of Passengers
Three different classes were used on Britain’s railways. Holt Schooling tabulates the figures for each class in 1901.
Patronage of British railways passenger trains by class in 1901. [1: p24]
Holt Schooling notes “the overwhelming preponderance of the third-class passenger … 91.2 per hundred. The [highest] proportion of third-class passengers [was] in Scotland; and the lowest proportion of third class passengers [was] in Ireland, 81.4 per 100.” [1: p24-25] It is worth reminding ourselves that the whole of Ireland, at this time, was still considered to be part of the UK.
Holt Schooling goes on to note that the highest proportion of second- and first-class passengers in the UK was in Ireland and then comments that these figures suggest that Irish travellers do not feel the need for thrift in the way others in the UK do. He seems to suggest that his figures show that Ireland was not as poverty-stricken as was currently being made out in 1903.
It seems to me that this is only one way of interpreting the figures. Surely it is, at least, just as possible that these figures suggest that relative poverty was greater in Ireland given that a lower proportion of people were able to afford to travel third-class. It is also possible to infer from the figures that there was a greater disparity between rich and poor in Ireland than in the rest of the UK.
Receipts from Passenger and Goods Traffic
Gross receipts of British railway companies in 1901 were £106.5 million of which over £99.5 million were traffic receipts (passenger and goods combined). Holt Schooling notes that “Goods Traffic yielded more than one-half of this amount namely, £53 million, and passenger traffic, £46.5 million.” [1: p25-26] He goes on to state that over the 10 years (1892-1901), passengers receipts had increased in relation to goods receipts as shown in the table below.
Traffic Receipts of the Railways of Britain. [1: p26]
Overall receipts had increased year on year from £78.6 million in 1892 to £99.6 million in 1901. Despite the slight discrepancy in figures between Holt Schooling’s narrative and the table above, it is clear that the relative proportion of income changed over the 10 year period from 45% passenger/55% goods, to 47% passenger/43% goods.
Holt Schooling looks behind these overall figures and notes that close to 77% of passenger receipts came from third-class passengers! The figures were: 76.8% third-class; 10.7% second-class; 12.5% first-class.
Comparison of some Individual Railway Companies
Holt Schooling provides some details of individual railway company receipts/expenditure in 1901. [1: p26]
The lowest percentage of expenditure to receipts that he quotes is for the Furness Railway, 51%, closely followed by the Great North of Scotland Railway (52%), the North British Railway (53%), the Caledonian Railway (56%), the Great Northern Railway of Ireland (56%), the Taff Vale Railway (58%), Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland (59%) and the Glasgow and South Western Railway (61%).
The average of all British railways was 63%, a figure which also applied to the GWR, the L&Y and the LNWR. Those with higher percentage of expenditure included: the Great Southern & Western Railway of Ireland, the London & South Western Railway and the Midland Railway (64%), the North Eastern Railway (65%), the Great Eastern Railway (66%), the Great Northern Railway (67%) and the Great Central Railway (70%)
Holt Schooling suggests that these figures are counterintuitive. Rather than the larger companies being the most efficient, it seems that it was the smaller companies for whom this was true. There also appears to be a Northwest/Southeast divide with the least efficient companies being to the South and East of the country, while the more efficient were in the North and West, including Ireland!)
Holt Schooling also looks at receipts per train mile in pence/mile. …
Railway company receipts per train-mile. [1: p27]
Holt Schooling comments: “Here, again, are very large differences. The Taff Vale Railway received nearly 7s. per train-mile run from passenger and goods traffic, while the Great North of Scotland Railway received little more than 4s., the mean result for all railways in the United Kingdom being almost exactly 5s. per train-mile run. There are many important railways in the above list whose receipts per train-mile run are appreciably below the average, although upon general considerations, one would expect them to be above rather than below the average.” [1: p27]
Delayed Arrival of Trains
The most recent figures available to Holt Schooling, issues by the Board of Trade, related to some companies’ long-distance train arrivals in London in the 3 month period, June-August 1895. …
Punctuality of Railway Companies’ Trains at London termini in June to August 1895. [1: p27]
Figures for trains originating more than 50 miles from London may well feel comparable for the first four companies in the table above. Given the greater distances travelled by trains in the GWR, it is to be expected that a smaller percentage would have arrived within 5 minutes of the scheduled time than other companies in the list.
Rail Usage, January to March 2024 and earlier.
How do the statistics from 1903 compare with modern figures? The Office of Rail and Road produces quarterly statistics about rail usage. At the time of writing, the latest statistics cover the period from January to March 2024. [2]
The ORR report is dated 13th June 2024.
“A total of 1,610 million journeys (1.61 billion) were made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the latest year (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024). This is a 16% increase on the 1,380 million journeys (1.38 billion) in the previous year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023). There were 405 million journeys in the latest quarter (1 January to 31 March 2024). This is a 13% increase on the 359 million journeys made in the same quarter in the previous year (1 January to 31 March 2023).” [2]
“Total passenger revenue was £10.3 billion in the latest year. This is a 13% increase on the £9.1 billion in the previous year (when adjusted for inflation). In the latest quarter, total passenger revenue in Great Britain was £2.6 billion. This is 13% more than the £2.3 billion generated in the same quarter in the previous year (when adjusted for inflation).” [2]
Included within the ORR report was a graph showing passenger numbers since 1946.
Passenger numbers on British railways since 1946 [2]
In 1946, passenger numbers were 1,270 million. A nadir was reached in 1982, just 630 million passengers. The peak since then was reached at the end of the 2010s, 1,740 million. At the turn of the 20th century Holt Schooling reported annual passenger numbers as 1,712 million, almost the same as the figure for 2019/20. The effect of the pandemic was marked. In 2020/21, passenger numbers fell to 388 million, recovering to 990 million in 2021/22, 1,380 million in 2022/23 and 1,610 million in 2023/24.
Before 1946, figures were interrupted by the two world wars. It is possible, however, to produce a similar graph to that above covering the period prior to 1946. The ORR has done so and an extract from another of their regular reports is below.
Passenger numbers on British railways from 1872 to 1947 and beyond. [8]
Peak patronage of the country’s railways occurred in 1920 when the railways carried 2,186 million passengers.
Passenger train kilometres: distances are recorded in kilometres in 2024. Between January and March 2024, “there were 126 million passenger train kilometres travelled, … an 8% increase on the 117 million recorded in the same quarter in the previous year. However, this is 93% relative to the 136 million in the same quarter five years previously (January to March 2019).” [2] These figures record full train movements.
Passenger vehicle kilometres: “include both the distance covered by locomotives and the carriages they transport. In the latest quarter (January to March 2024), there were 764 million passenger vehicle kilometres operated. This is a 6% increase on the 722 million kilometres in the same quarter in the previous year. However, this is still slightly below prepandemic levels, at 96% relative to the 800 million five years ago (January to March 2019).” [2]
The ORR report summary says that the key results of their statistical work are:
A total of 1.61 billion journeys were made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the latest year (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024). This is a 16% increase on the 1.38 billion journeys in the previous year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023).
There were 405 million journeys in the latest quarter (1 January to 31 March 2024). This is a 13% increase on the 359 million journeys made in the same quarter in the previous year (1 January to 31 March 2023).
Total passenger revenue was £10.3 billion in the latest year. This is a 13% increase on the £9.1 billion in the previous year (when adjusted for inflation).
A total of 60.1 billion passenger kilometres were travelled in the latest year. This is a 13% increase on the 53.0 billion passenger kilometres travelled in the previous year.
Rail Accidents to 2024
Annual rail safety statistics on mainline rail, London Underground, and other non-mainline networks (trams, metros, other light rail, minor and heritage railways) are provided by the ORR, “reporting on fatalities and injuries to passengers, members of the public and workforce in Great Britain. It also covers train accidents and (annual and quarterly) number of signals passed at danger (SPADs). These incidents are reported to the Office of Rail and Road under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation (RIDDOR).” [4]
The ORR reports on rail safety at the end of September each year, at the time of writing the latest report was published on 28th September 2023. [5]
“There were eight non-workforce fatalities (passenger or public) in the latest year (April 2022 to March 2023), a decrease from 11 in the previous year. These included five fatalities which occurred in mainline stations and at the platform-train interface, two passenger fatalities at stations on the London Underground and one fatality from a collision between a member of the public and a tram.” [5] The 8 fatalities in the year are lower than those reported by Holt Schooling. The total number of passenger fatalities in the years 1887 to 1901 was 520 people. The average number of fatalities per annum during that time was close to 35. But the network in the 21st century is much smaller.
“As of August 2024, the UK’s National Rail network is 10,072 miles (16,209 km) in Great Britain and 189 route miles (303 route km) in Northern Ireland. This network includes 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels, and viaducts, and around 2,500 stations.” [6]
By 1914, “the country had 23,000 miles of rail track and 4,000 stations, according to industry body Rail Delivery Group.” [7] Assuming the parameters are consistent, this means that the network in 2024 is less than 45% of that serving the country in 1914. If the network were of a similar size to that in 1914, the 8 fatalities in 2022/23 would equate to nearer to 15 fatalities after the turn of the 20th century. It is reasonable to think that, at least as far as fatalities are concerned, the modern rail network is safer than that operating in the early 20th century.
Conclusions
The statistics quoted and reviewed by Holt Schooling, provide an insight into the activities of railway companies at the turn of the 20th century. Passenger numbers were to increase further over the years and hit a peak in 1920 but then dropped to a low point in 1982 before recovering strongly. Only to see a drastic temporary reduction as a result of the pandemic.
Both passenger numbers and accidents are reported differently in the 21st century. However, as much as it is possible to compare figures from times more than a century apart, and as limited as this analysis has been, we can tentatively say that modern railways are comparably well patronised and safer than they were early in the 20th century.
References
J. Holt. Schooling; Lessons from Railway Statistics; The Railway Magazine, London, July 1903, p20-28.
Railway World magazine in early 1965 carried a two part article about Horwich Locomotive Works.
I always take note of articles about the Works when I find them as my paternal grandfather worked there in the early years of the 20th century, before the great depression when eventually he moved his family to Stapleford in the Derby/Nottingham area and where he took a job at the Loco Works in Derby as a blacksmith.
An article about the Works 18″ internal railway can be found here. [7]
The two-part article in Railway World was written by John Marshall and carried in the January and February copies of the magazine. This present article is substantively based on John Marshall’s work and sections of this article in “italics” come directly from Marshall’s article of 1965. [1]
“On 6th May 1964, Stanier 2-8-0 No. 48756 left Horwich works after a general overhaul, since when, the great works of the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway has been occupied entirely with rolling stock and road vehicles. The history of Horwich works goes back to 1884. When the main locomotive works of the L&YR opened under Sir John Hawkshaw in 1846, was on a very cramped and inconvenient site at Miles Platting, Manchester, almost surrounded by slums in the town.” [1: p22]
On 27th April 1873, “a serious fire caused considerable damage to the workshops but the pressure of work was such that the shops had to be rebuilt. It was during this period that ten Ramsbottom Newton class 2-4-0 engines were bought from the L.N.W.R. Repairs to locomotives were also carried out at the old East Lancashire Railway shops at Bury and smaller repairs were undertaken at several locomotive sheds, and it was therefore difficult to achieve any standardisation of work.” [1: p22]
During the 1870s, the L&YR was in a bad shape. “Train services were slow and unpunctual, and stations, carriages, services, goods and locomotive depots alike were some of the worst in the country. … The wretchedness of the railway was a popular theme upon which both counties of the roses were absolutely unanimous. By the early ‘eighties all this was being changed and it was now the turn of the locomotive works. Expansion at Miles Platting was not possible; a quarter of the machinery and other equipment there was out of date and ill-fitted to cope with work on the larger locomotives of W. Barton Wright. The obvious solution was to build a new works on a different site.” [1: p22]
After retiring because of ill health as Locomotive Superintendent of the LNWR in 1871, John Ramsbottom returned to railway work in 1883 and “became connected with the L&YR as a consulting engineer. At the L&YR directors’ meeting on 19th March 1884, he stated that locomotives could no longer be repaired satisfactorily at Miles Platting works and that it was essential to find a new site for the works. He recommended that in selecting a site the principal considerations should be the price of labour, a good supply of cheap water, cheap coal and a fairly central situation to avoid long runs by light engines. Various sites were suggested and Ramsbottom and Barton Wright were instructed to examine them and report back to the next meeting. Wright was also asked to ascertain the rates of wages in locomotive workshops in different parts of the country.” [1: p23]
At the next board meeting on 21st May 1884 it was noted that an estate in Horwich was about to be auctioned. The board authorised a maximum spend of £65,000. The purchase was secured for £36,000.
The site “was centrally situated and within easy reach of Bolton and Manchester. On 14th February 1870, a branch railway had been opened into the town from Blackrod, on the Bolton to Preston line. Horwich, at the foot of Rivington Pike at the western extremity of the Pennines, had a population of 3,761 in 1881.” [1: p23]
On 26th September 1884, Ramsbottom submitted drawings showing ground levels and locations for various buildings/workshops. The question of a curved connection from the Bolton direction was raised. “Plans were prepared and the ‘Fork Line’ was authorised by Parliament on 16th July 1885.” [1: p23]
Horwich Railway Station was close to the centre of Norwich and only a short distance from the proposed location of the Loco Works. The 25″ Ordnance Survey from the turn of the 20th century. [2]
Work on the site required the legal closure or diversion of several footpaths. The Thirlmere Aqueduct, planned by Manchester Corporation, had to be diverted at L&YR expense.
Ramsbottom’s plans of the locomotive and wagon works and offices “showed that the locomotive works would occupy nearly 20 acres and accommodate 112 engines; the wagon works would have occupied about 14 acres, for 1,008 wagons, but they were not in fact built. In January 1885 Wright’s detailed elevation of the office building was approved; this included a clock tower which was later omitted.” [1: p23]
Contractors began work on 9th March 1885; “a siding was constructed to bring materials onto the site and a powerful crane and locomotive were soon at work. By August the excavations for the foundations of the erecting shop were almost complete. The next stage involved the removal of a hill on “old Hart’s Farm” containing some 450,000 tons of earth. To carry out this job in one year meant the removal of 1,500 tons daily, and a force of 350 men and boys, two steam navvies, five locomotives and 130 tipping wagons were employed continuously; work continued at night under electric light. … The erecting shop … [was] a vast building 1,520ft long (well over a quarter of a mile) and 118ft wide with three bays running the whole length, the two outer ones being wider than the centre.” [1: p23-24]
A careful review of the equipment at the Miles Platting and Bury works was undertaken showing that only around 50% was suitable for the new works.
In September 1885, the disposal of surplus land to the northeast of the works began, “Some plots were … reserved, including sites for a hotel and a a bowling green but the rest was … sold for building. … Victoria Road and several streets leading from it were laid out by the company; the names chosen for the various streets … [included] Ramsbottom, Hawkshaw, Fairburn, Stephenson, Webb, Gooch, Brunel, Smeaton, Brindley, Telford, Armstrong and Siemens. … A letter was received the Bishop of Salford offering, one penny a square yard for a plot of land for a church, but the Companyhad already requested fourpence a square yard for a Wesleyan Chapel site.” [1: p24]
“Work on the office block, the boiler shop, the smithy, forge and foundry, a large store shed and a large water tank. The new gasworks was erected at this time. … Work on the Horwich fork line began on 21st September! it was opened for goods traffic on 20th June 1887, and for passengers on 1st July with an improved service between Horwich and Bolton and Manchester.” [1: p24]
This extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey from the turn of the 20th century shows the Horwich branch with both curves in place from the mainline and with the connection into the loco works evident as well. [2]
On W. Barton Wright’s retirement in October 1887, in his place came J.A.F. Aspinall from Inchicore in Ireland to become Chief Mechanical Engineer. At the time of his appointment Aspinall was only 35 years of age.
He persuaded the Company to introduce a premium apprentice scheme and to fund a Mechanics Institute at Horwich. He also urged the immediate purchase of locomotives as prices at the time were relatively low. Based on his assessment of average mileage per locomotive in various railway companies he demonstrated that the L&YR needed a stock of 1,114 locomotives against an existing complement of 963. The shortage of engines was resulting in over use, engines becoming neglected and breakdowns being too frequent.
As an emergency measure, “Aspinall ordered 30 6ft 4-4-0s of Barton Wright’s design, but with Joy’s valve gear, from Beyer Peacock and from the same firm he ordered two small locomotives, at £250 each, for the 18in gauge internal railway system at the works. A third, ordered in 1887, cost £300. Aspinall quickly showed his concern for the well-being of the workers at Horwich. He was dissatisfied with the way the houses were being built and arranged for better supervision of the work. He also arranged for a local doctor to attend to accidents in the works until a permanent arrangement could be made.” [1: p24]
As construction work on the fitting, painting and erecting shops was nearing completion it was possible to “take in the first six locomotives for repair. They included the Barton Wright 4-4-0 No. 865 Prince of Wales, built by Dübs in 1885 and named in honour of a royal visit to Preston.” [1: p24]
The large office block, 323ft long and 58ft wide was brought into use on 19th February 1887 Beyer Peacock supplied two 18in gauge locos by 7th April and they were set to work in the erecting shop.
The foundry was completed next and work began here on 12th April. “The first castings were small engraved iron paper weights which were presented to the L&YR directors as a memento of the occasion. With the opening of the foundry Henry Albert Hoy, at that time manager at Miles Platting, was appointed works manager at Horwich and on Aspinall’s recommendation his salary was increased from £225 to £300, to become £400 in two years.” [1: p25]
Aspinall submitted further plans to the directors meeting on 27th September 1887, for a “further nine shops at an estimated cost of £26,738. For the whole of the work to be transferred from Miles Platting at an early date, it was necessary to start the brass foundry and copper shop at once and to cover in the space between the foundry and the forge to form the steel foundry. Of the shops proposed, the board sanctioned the erection of the tin and copper-smiths shop, the brass foundry, telegraph shop, steel foundry and an extension of the foundry for rail chairs.” [1: p25]
By the end of 1887, Miles Platting workshops were closed, “a few months later the shops at Bury were also closed, and all locomotive repair work was transferred to Horwich. The Miles Platting shops were converted into carriage sheds and the Bury shops used for stores.” [1: p25]
Horwich Locomotive Works as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey from the turn of the 20th century. [2]
In January 1888, “work was started on the first order for new locomotives. This consisted of 10 2-4-2 tank engines of Aspinall’s design, the famous “radials”; the first one No. 1008, left the works on 20th February 1889, the second following in about three weeks. Because the steel foundry was not ready, the wheels and tyres were obtained from Germany, but the other parts of the engines were built entirely at Horwich. The tenth was completed during the following August.” [1: p25]
Work began on the first of the numerous Aspinall 0-6-0s in January 1889. The first order was for 10 engines, the first being completed in September and the last on 27th March 1890. Marshall’s article lists “the building dates of … all batches of locomotives built at Horwich until locomotive work ceased. Between 1891 and 1900 Aspinall rebuilt 230 of Barton Wright’s 4ft 6in 0-6-0s into saddle tanks for shunting. This released an equal number of serviceable tenders, hence the large number of locomotives built without tenders during this period.” [1: p25]
A table showing the building dates of all the batches of locomotives built at Horwich. The table was provided by John Marshall in his article in Railway World. [1: p26]
The Mechanics Institute building was opened in December 1888. Courses in electricity, mechanics, mathematics and machine drawing were introduced. There was a staff of 5 teachers with 90 students per week. “Fees were nominal, but if a student attended less than 21 classes in each subject, the charge was doubled.” [1: p26] The Institute was extended by the addition of a public hall to seat 900 people, a library, reading rooms and class rooms which were opened in October 1895.
By 1892 “the works were in full operation and by this time Horwich had become a fair-sized town, the census of 1891 recorded a population of 12,850, and this continued to grow. Social and recreational amenities were provided by the company including a large dining hall with accommodation for 1,100 men, and a large recreation ground laid out with two bowling greens, tennis courts, a cricket ground and a children’s playground. … A cottage hospital was built and accidents could thus be attended to promptly. To serve the new population the company had about 70 shops erected along Chorley New Road. On 13th April 1900, the Bolton Corporation electric tram service was extended to Horwich and on 19th May a route was opened via Victoria Road and through the main street of the old town, but this was closed in December 1907. There is no doubt that the trams were the cause of the later reduction in the train service to Horwich from Bolton.” [1: p26]
Marshall described the Works soon after they opened: … “The main entrance in Chorley New Road is attractively laid out with gardens and lawns, and beyond, at right angles to the road and the rest of the works, stands the office block. A wide corridor runs down the centre giving access to various offices including the drawing office. This is a long room occupying much of the north-west side of the building. Connected to the office at the far end and conveniently accessible by road and rail is the general store, 198ft long and 111ft wide, arranged on two storeys with a gallery round the four sides leaving the centre open to the roof.” [1: p62]
Marshall goes on to write about the 18in gauge internal railway which linked the stores with every part of the works, the length of track amounting to 74 miles. Eight 0-4-0 steam locomotives worked the system; Robin, Wren and Dot built in 1887, by Beyer Peacock and the others built at Horwich: Fly and Wasp in 1891, Midget and Mouse in 1899 and Bee in 1901. They had no works numbers and do not figure in the tabulated list of new engines above.. They had wheels of 16 in dia. and cylinders 5in dia. by 6in stroke.
He then returns to his description of the Works: … “The boiler shop is 439ft long and 111ft wide and its three bays are traversed by 12 ton and 20 ton capacity overhead cranes. For tapping stay holes Aspinall designed a multiple stay-tapping machine worked by ropes and pulleys. Boilers are rivetted up at the end of the shop in two Tweddle rivetting towers designed by Fielding and Platt. The whole of the machinery and equipment is arranged so that the progress of the work from the entry of the plates to completion proceeds step by step through the shop with no doubling-back or crossing to other machines. From the boiler shop we enter the boiler shop smithy, the same width and 120ft long. This is equipped with fires and hydraulic flanging presses for flanging firebox backs, tube plates, throat plates, ashpans and other pressings. The presses and rivetting towers use water at a pressure of 1,500 lb/sq in.” [1: p62]
Marshall’s narrative goes on to the next section of the building, the forge. It was the same width and 452ft long, and contained a series of Siemens regenerative furnaces for reheating. Among the machines were a 35 ton duplex hammer, one 8 ton and two 5 ton hammers. Beyond the forge, in the same row of buildings, was the steel foundry, 150ft long and 135ft wide, the iron foundry 212ft long and 111ft wide and the chair and plate foundry 124ft long and 128ft wide.
“In 1899 two 2 ton Tropenas Converters were installed in the steel foundry which [was] fitted also with Siemens Martin regenerative melting furnaces and facilities for annealing steel castings. The iron foundry and the steel foundry form[ed] a continuous building in three bays traversed from end to end by overhead 12 ton electric cranes. The ground on the north side of the iron and chair and plate foundries [was] at a higher level and from here the melting furnaces and cupolas [were] charged. In the iron foundry [were] produced railway castings of every type.” [1: p62]
The next row of buildings were narrower, only 47ft wide; “first [was] the tinsmith’s shop, 92ft long, next the motor shop, 153ft long, where electric motors and other equipment [were] maintained; the coppersmith’s shop, 89ft long and the brass foundry, 164ft long. … The central power station, next in the line, produce[d] electricity for the entire works and [was] 32ft long. The adjoining boiler house contain[ed] a battery of Lancashire Boilers, some fitted with underfeed mechanical stokers and Green’s Economisers, and others with forced draught grates for burning inferior fuel. In the fettling shop castings from the foundries [were] dressed. The carriage & wagon wheel shop, 200ft long, [was] equipped with lathes for turning and boring wheels, and presses for pressing tyres on to wheels for forcing wheels on to axles.” [1: p62]The middle row of buildings has a uniform width of 111ft. Opposite the stores is the paint shop, 234ft long, uniformly lit without glare by a north light type roof and maintained at an even temperature of 55 to 60 deg. F. by hot water
Plan of Horwich Locomotive Works in 1961. [5]
The middle row of buildings was uniformly 111ft wide: “Opposite the stores [was] the paint shop, 234ft long, uniformly lit without glare by a north light type roof and maintained at an even temperature of 55 to 60 deg. F. by hot water pipes laid along the engine pits. The shop accommodate[d] about 20 engines on six rows of pits 2ft deep, and include[d] a store from which all colours, oils, varnish and other materials [were] issued and a plant for mixing paints. It was the custom to spend about three weeks painting a new L&YR engine. After the filling and priming operations three coats of paint were applied followed by three coats of varnish.” [1: p62-63]
The testing shop occupied the next 27ft of the building. It was “equipped with a vertical 100 ton Buckton hydraulic testing machine using water at a pressure of 1,000 lb/sq in. Also working at the same pressure [was] a 100 ton horizontal chain testing machine. There [were] machines for preparing test specimens, a steam hammer and appliances for testing oil and springs. The chain smithy occupie[d] the last 28 ft of the building, and beyond it [was] a chain annealing furnace, Between this and the next shop, the yard [was] spanned by a large gantry used for handling boilers and other heavy items. … The millwright’s shop, 143ft long, maintain[ed] the various types of machines used on the railway. Adjoining this [was] the pattern makers’ and joiners’ shop, 164ft long, fully equipped with woodworking machinery and for saw maintenance.” [1: p63]
The fitting and machine shop sat at the centre of the Works. It was 508ft long. “Four 5 ton electric jib cranes travel[led] along the centre of the two outer bays and serve[d] the machines on each side. The end of the building [was] occupied by the points & crossings shop, 72ft long, and signal shop, 128ft long. … Some 150yd beyond the signal shop [was] the bolt shop, 60ft long, and the smithy, 212ft long. Among the equipment here [were] 11 double and 27 single hearths, steam hammers and drop stamps.” [1: p63]
“The fourth row of buildings beg[an] with the engine shed, alongside the paint shop. The heavy machine shop, 360ft long and 48ft wide contain[ed] machines for straightening frame plates, and slotting, radial arm drilling machines and the means for making built-up crank axles. Beyond [was] the spring smithy, 153ft long, where spring plates [were] made. … Finally there [was] the enormous erecting shop … with room for 90 engines and 30 tenders. Access [was] by the ends and by two traversers 32ft wide. The shop [was] divided into five sections each equipped with four 40 ton capacity overhead travelling cranes, two on each side. The total area of the works [was] 81 acres of which the area covered by workshops [was] 17 acres.” [1: p63]
Aspinall was appointed General Manager of the L&YR in June 1899, by then, 677 locomotives had been built at Horwich. He was succeeded by H. A. Hoy, under whom a further 220 locos were built. Hoy was succeeded by George Hughes in 1904. Hughes was an internal appointment and he remained at Horwich until he retired in 1925. “The 1,000th locomotive to be built at Horwich. No. 15, one of the Hughes 0-4-0 Railmotor locomotives, Works No. 983, appeared in March 1907. … During the 1914-18 war Horwich works was engaged in manufacturing military equipment of all types. On 1st January 1922, the L&YR was amalgamated with the LNWR. and George Hughes became CME of the combined company. When the LMS was formed a year later, Hughes was appointed CME of the entire system. … For the next three years [Horwich] this became the CME’s headquarters for the whole of the LMS.” [1: p63]
Change occurred after Hughes retired in 1925. The LMS began centralising activities. “The telegraph shop, signal shop, points & crossings shop, forge, and steel foundry were closed and the work transferred elsewhere. The spring smithy was transferred to the general smithy and the original building became a tube and bar store. In about 1927, the high level boiler house was closed down. During the great depression in 1931, locomotive building was suspended after completion of a batch of 15 standard 0-6-0 tanks on 15th October and locomotive work was confined to repairs. From 1932, after the closure of Newton Heath carriage works, the electric multiple-unit trains on the Liverpool-Southport-Crossens and Manchester-Bury-Holcombe Brook services were taken to Horwich for repair, and occupied the north western end of the erecting shop, this section becoming known as the car shop.” [1: p63-64]
Part of the Works was used between 1939 & 1945 for the manufacture of armoured fighting vehicles and shells. “From May to November 1943, 33 American 2-8-0 engines passed through the erecting shop for some 30 modifications, chiefly the fitting of a Gresham & Craven combination injector and graduable steam brake valve, the overhaul of part of the motion and the fitting of hand brake gear to the tender. … In June 1943 locomotive building was resumed with a batch of Stanier 2-8-0s and tenders.” [1: p64]
“The last steam locomotive to be built at Horwich was B.R. Standard Class 4 2-6-0 No. 76099 which left the works on 27th November 1957. On 20th August 1958 work began on a series of 350 h.p. 0-6-0 diesel shunting locomotives. The last of these, No. D4157, was completed on 28th December 1962.” [1: p64]
Marshall tells us that, “after the war a mechanised foundry was built in the shop which was originally the forge. The casting of chairs was transferred to the new foundry. A typical year’s work during this period included 20 new locomotives, 350 heavy repairs and 240 light repairs to locomotives, and repairs to 200 boilers and 90 electric vehicles, and the general production work of castings, etc. With the closure of Gortonworks in 1963 the manufacture of points and crossings began again at Horwich. During 1963 the number of locomotives for repair declined and the erecting shop was invaded by wagons, many of them the result of the running down of Earlestown works, and the last locomotives entered the shop in April 1964.” [1: p64-65]
“Altogether, some 50,000 locomotives [were] repaired in 76 years, an average of over 680 a year.” [1: p65]
Marshall concludes his articles by noting that Horwich Works were a place of training and development for a number of significant people in the history of railways in the UK: Sir Nigel Gresley, R.E.L. Maunsell, George Hughes and Sir Henry Fowler, and others of significance to railway history around the world, for instance J.P. Crouch, who became CME of the Argentine Central and Rupert Fawker, CME of the Sudanese Railways.
The Works were also an important place of employment for generations of people in Horwich. Inevitably, economic conditions varied over the years, families had to travel around the country to find other work when redundancies occurred.
My paternal grandfather and grandmother found alternative work and a new home in the Midlands. I guess that there were many like them, both in the 1930s and in subsequent generations right through to the eventual closure of the Works for whom redundancy brought family trauma, a loss of dignity and a sense of hopelessness. People who felt trapped in their circumstances, swept along by a tide of events over which they had little or no control. People who had to find a new route through life for themselves and their families and who showed the same courage and commitment in their own circumstances as those who were prime movers in the development of Horwich Locomotive works in the late 19th century.
An aerial view of Horwich Locomotive Works, seen from the Southeast. [4]A closer aerial view of Horwich Locomotive Works, seen from the Northwest. [4]
Of additional interest relating to Horwich Locomotive Works is a short note in The Railway Magazine of September 1909 entitled “The Lancashire & Yorkshire Locomotive Stud.” …
“The usual summer convention of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers which this year was held at Liverpool, after a long interval, will be remembered as a railway convention, particularly as a Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway one. Firstly, because Mr. J. A. F. Aspinall, the chairman of the meeting and president of the Institution, is the General Manager of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; secondly, because the principal paper was contributed by Mr. Geo. Hughes, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; and lastly, because of the visit paid to the Horwich Works.” [8]
“Mr. George Hughes’ paper was entitled “Locomotives Designed and Built at Horwich, with some Results.” In it he stated that formerly there were in service on the Lancashireand Yorkshire Railway 29 types of passenger engines and 26 types of goods engines, the total stock being 353 passenger and 647 goods engines. There are now 1517 locomotives, of which 1,052 have been built at Horwich. About 1,100 are in steam daily. Mr. Aspinall, while chief mechanical engineer, had adopted the policy of reducing the number of types, introduced standardization, and, wherever possible, interchangeability. The number of types had now been considerably reduced. Experience with the Druitt-Halpin thermal storage tank had shown that where stopping places were frequent on rising gradients it led to distinct economy, the saving varying from 4 to 12 per cent. Experiments were now being carried out with a super-heater, the results of which would be communicated at a later date. The average life of boilers on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway for the three years ended December, 1908, was 14 years, representing an average mileage of 356,268. Copper fire-boxes ran from 150,000 to 275,000 miles, while over a period of 20 years it was found that the life of cylinders varied from 8 to 14 years. With the more severe modern conditions of service the solid type crank axle had been supplanted by the built-up pattern.” [8]
References
John Marshall; Horwich Works – Parts 1 & 2; in Railway World, Ian Allan, January & February 1965.
Roger Farnworth 
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