Lifted ex Midland line from Heaton Lodge Jct to ex Midland Goods Yard (Newtown) Huddersfield
10th September 2008

Part 1 features the route of the trackbed which is now the Calder Valley Grenway from Heaton Lodge Jct Mirfield to Bradley, where the line originally crossed Leeds Rd, then on through Deighton down to Fartown and under Alder St.
The Route
From Newtown Goods yard 1/2 mile North of Huddersfield station. Now the Beck Road trading estate to Mirfield junction 1/2 mile West of Mirfield station.

Length 5 miles
Opening 1st November 1910
Closures (2 stages) Between Mirfield & Red Doles 1937* Between Red Doles & Newtown August 1968. Another infamous date, the end of Steam on B.R.

Note*
The newly formed London, Midland & Scottish Railway connected the Newtown branch to the Heaton Lodge - Huddersfield line at Red Doles in 1923.
The Mirfield - Red Doles section was hardly used & was closed altogether in 1937.

Midland Railway Main Line (Midland Railway Extension)
The branch from Mirfield to Huddersfield was originally part of a bigger scheme.
The Midland planned to build its own mainline between Sheffield & Bradford, to avoid the congested areas around Leeds.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire eventually gave the Midland running powers on its lines so the scheme was never completed.
The line only got as far as Dewsbury, where it terminated at Savile town goods yard, opened in 1906. see routes map & Royston - Savile town
Despite this the Midland still built the Huddersfield branch between Mirfield & Newtown goods yard. It was designed for two tracks, but only one was ever laid. It spent its whole life used only for local goods traffic.
The original plans were for Newtown to have a big passenger terminus & a hotel.

<-- Index | Showing 1-36 of 53 pictures | Next -->
01. Photo taken from the old embankment of the ex Midland Line 158861 Spirit of the South West Heaton Lodge Jct 10/4/08
01. Photo taken from the old embankment of the ex Midland Line 158861 Spirit of the South West Heaton Lodge Jct 10/4/08
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01.158861 Heaton Lodge Jct 158861.jpg
2008-04-10 07:24:44
 02. Bridge over Wood Lane looking towards Mirfield
02. Bridge over Wood Lane looking towards Mirfield
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02. looking towards Mirfield.jpg
2008-04-10 07:27:48
 03. Turning 180 degrees on the bridge over Wood lane in the direction of Huddersfield
03. Turning 180 degrees on the bridge over Wood lane in the direction of Huddersfield
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03. looking towards Huddersfield.jpg
2008-04-10 07:27:43
 04. Filed in cutting and bridge at Helm Lane
04. Filed in cutting and bridge at Helm Lane
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04.Helm Lane Bridge.jpg
2008-04-10 07:32:31
05. Turning 45 degrees right from previous photo trackbed continues towards Bradley viaduct
05. Turning 45 degrees right from previous photo trackbed continues towards Bradley viaduct
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05. Heading towards Bradley Viaduct.jpg
2008-04-10 07:33:14
 06. Filled in trackbed now drops towards Dalton Bank Road
06. Filled in trackbed now drops towards Dalton Bank Road
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06. Aproaching Dalton Bank Road.jpg
2008-04-10 07:39:17
 07. Bridge under Dalton Bank Road
07. Bridge under Dalton Bank Road
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07. Dalton Bank Road.jpg
2008-04-10 07:39:12
 08. Other side of Dalton Bank Road
08. Other side of Dalton Bank Road
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08. Dalton Bank Road.jpg
2008-04-10 07:40:44
09. Bradley Viaduct
09. Bradley Viaduct
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09. Bradley Viaduct (1).jpg
2008-04-10 07:40:36
 10. Bradley Viaduct looking back towards Dalton Bank Road
10. Bradley Viaduct looking back towards Dalton Bank Road
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10. Bradley Viaduct (2).jpg
2008-04-10 07:43:03
 11. End of Bradley Viaduct looking straight ahead line crossed the now used Huddersfield to Mirfield line and Leeds Road
11. End of Bradley Viaduct looking straight ahead line crossed the now used Huddersfield to Mirfield line and Leeds Road
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11. Bradley Viaduct (3).jpg
2008-04-10 07:43:09
 12. 170304 passes the approx spot were the line originally crossed
12. 170304 passes the approx spot were the line originally crossed
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12. 170304.jpg
2008-04-10 06:56:43
13. Site of the bridge that once carried the line across Leeds Road, it was just to the right of the Terrace House on the right of the photo
13. Site of the bridge that once carried the line across Leeds Road, it was just to the right of the Terrace House on the right of the photo
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13 Leeds Road Crossing.jpg
2008-04-10 07:48:19
 14. Cyclepath on Trackbed rises as section is filled in as it nears Deighton Road
14. Cyclepath on Trackbed rises as section is filled in as it nears Deighton Road
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14.Trackbed.jpg
2008-04-11 07:29:19
 15. There was once a railway line under this bridge
15. There was once a railway line under this bridge
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15. Deighton Road Bridge.jpg
2008-04-11 07:30:52
 16. Path continues along tracbed route towards Whitaker St Deighton
16. Path continues along tracbed route towards Whitaker St Deighton
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16. Trackbed to Whitaker St.jpg
2008-04-11 07:31:07
17. Another filled in bridge at Whitaker St, just 50 yards away from Deighton Station
17. Another filled in bridge at Whitaker St, just 50 yards away from Deighton Station
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17. Bridge under Whitaker St.jpg
2008-04-11 07:32:37
 18. This used to be a cutting undr a bridge at Deighton
18. This used to be a cutting undr a bridge at Deighton
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18. Deighton bridge.jpg
2008-04-11 07:34:01
 19. Looking from Deighton as path descends to track level
19. Looking from Deighton as path descends to track level
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19. Deighton.jpg
2008-04-11 07:34:07
 20. Looking towards Fartown with a Class 144 dmu on the LNW route
20. Looking towards Fartown with a Class 144 dmu on the LNW route
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20. Deighton & 144???.jpg
2008-04-14 06:54:07
21. Sunrise at Deighton on the old trackbed
21. Sunrise at Deighton on the old trackbed
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21. sunrise.jpg
2008-04-14 06:54:29
 22. 170308 on the LNW line passes the old Midland route between Deighton & Fartown
22. 170308 on the LNW line passes the old Midland route between Deighton & Fartown
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22. 170308.jpg
2008-04-14 06:56:08
 23. Just West of Deighton Station the old Midland Line ran next to the LNW route
23. Just West of Deighton Station the old Midland Line ran next to the LNW route
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23. LNW & Midland.jpg
2008-04-14 06:56:35
 24. Lnw & Midland route next to each other looking towards Fartown
24. Lnw & Midland route next to each other looking towards Fartown
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24. LNW & Midland.jpg
2008-04-14 06:58:47
25. 144022 on the LNW route alongside the old Midland trackbed
25. 144022 on the LNW route alongside the old Midland trackbed
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25. 144022.jpg
2008-04-14 07:02:45
 26. Footbridge accross bothe the old Midland route & the in use LNW route
26. Footbridge accross bothe the old Midland route & the in use LNW route
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26. footbridge.jpg
2008-04-14 07:05:35
 27. View from the bridge over the lines, LNW on the Left, trees on the old Midland route on the right
27. View from the bridge over the lines, LNW on the Left, trees on the old Midland route on the right
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27. LNW left, Midland right.jpg
2008-04-14 07:07:39
 28. View from the previous photo from under the bridge looking towards Fartown
28. View from the previous photo from under the bridge looking towards Fartown
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28. Towards Fartown.jpg
2008-04-14 07:09:02
29. Midland route now bears right as it approaches Fartown, and ends at a new Housing estate
29. Midland route now bears right as it approaches Fartown, and ends at a new Housing estate
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29. Fartown.jpg
2008-04-14 07:11:12
 30. Approx route of old trackbed
30. Approx route of old trackbed
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30. Follow the white line.jpg
2008-04-14 07:12:43
 31. There was once a bridge here, over Red Doles Lane as you can see the embankment in the distance
31. There was once a bridge here, over Red Doles Lane as you can see the embankment in the distance
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31. Here was a bridge.jpg
2008-04-14 07:13:46
 32. Embankment at Red Doles Lane
32. Embankment at Red Doles Lane
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32. Former bridge now embankment.jpg
2008-04-14 07:20:27
33. Trackbed used to run in a cutting between the Council estate at Abbey Road and Ashmere Grove Fartown
33. Trackbed used to run in a cutting between the Council estate at Abbey Road and Ashmere Grove Fartown
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33. Filled in Cutting .jpg
2008-04-14 07:22:56
 34. Path now descends steeply to the bridge on Alder St.
34. Path now descends steeply to the bridge on Alder St.
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34. Alder St.jpg
2008-04-14 07:24:58
 35. Bridge under Alder St heading towards Huddersfield
35. Bridge under Alder St heading towards Huddersfield
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35. bridge under Alder St.jpg
2008-04-18 07:10:03
 36. Looking back at the bridge under Alder St
36. Looking back at the bridge under Alder St
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36. Other side of Alder St Bridge.jpg
2008-04-18 07:12:31
© 1998-2008 Neil Dimmer - All copyrights rest with the Author
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