Scotland bound…

10 Friday Jul 2015

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We’re on our way to Scotland so blogging will be taking a bit of a back seat for the next few days. Expect the occasional update and, if the anti hs2 campaign comes out with anything stupid (a bit of a certainty, really) some lampoonery.

We’ve just spent the night in the old railway town of Tebay. It’s a fine example of how the railways brought prosperity to an area and what happened to many towns after the Beeching cuts which closed their stations. After Tebay closed in 1962 the towns population dropped from 1000 to 700 because families left & one of the two schools was forced to shut. That school became a youth hostel & is now the private B&B where I stayed the night.

There and back again…

07 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in ACoRP, Railways, Torquay, Travel

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ACoRP, Railways, Torquay, Travel

I’m back in the bosom of the Pennines for the weekend after a few days on the English Riviera helping the folks from ACoRP with preparations for their community rail awards which will be held in Torquay in October.

I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by Torquay. Despite having a reputation as a destination for the elderly there’s a lot of life in the town – and if the floating gin palaces in the harbour are anything to go by there’s a fair bit of money too! The ACoRP awards will be held in the Riviera International Centre which is by the sea front & adjacent to the lovely Torre Abbey. The centre’s exterior isn’t up to much as it betrays its age & that eras love of bare concrete. Inside is a different story & the facilities we checked out make it ideal for the awards. The staff were very helpful & easy conversationalists, regaling us with stories of previous events & what happens when several thousand young farmers descend on the resort for a gathering at the centre!

I was only needed for some of the meetings so I had time to nip out & get pictures at Torquay’s attractive railway station which dates from 1878. Unlike many stations of the era it’s intact & boasts full length canopies on both the Up & Down platforms. Both the canopies and the footbridge have been listed Grade 2. The station is staffed & still possesses both a ticket office and cafe. Right now the buildings are being refurbished, the attractive old footbridge has been closed & passengers are using a temporary structure until May when all the work will be completed. Torquay isn’t the only station on the route receiving attention as both Torre & Paignton are being refurbished at the same time.

Torquay is served by both First Great Western and Cross Country trains so you get to see both ends of the spectrum when it comes to trains running the services.Local services are in the hands of 2 -car Class 143 Pacers which are strengthened to 3 cars by the addition of a class 153. You’ll also see 2-car Class 150s, some of which are old friends of mine as previously they were used on the Gospel Oak- Barking line in London. Intercity services are in the hands of the venerable HST whilst Cross Country use a mix of 4 & 5 car Voyagers.

The Up (London) side buildings at Torquay

The temporary footbridge with the main station buildings beyond.

After our meetings we had time to explore the cliff trails to nearby Babbacombe which form part of the South West Coast path. The weather was glorious & the views across Lyme Bay were at their best. Here’s an example.

Of course when we reached Babbacome we had to take a trip on the funicular railway down to Oddicombe beach.The 720ft long 5ft 8in gauge railway opened in 1926 but was closed during the war for security reasons & didn’t reopen until 1951. It’s a true community railway as ownership was transferred from Torbay Borough Council to the Babbacombe Cliff Railway Community Interest Company in 2009. You can find their website here.

The red sandstone cliffs around the bay are high, steep and unstable. The North end of Oddicombe beach is buried under a rather frightening looking cliff collapse that carried away a house from the end of the cul de sac 150 ft above back in 2013. Incredibly, despite the obviously dangerous condition of the landslide & the warning signs on the beach some people ignore them to risk both their own lives & those of their children to frolic under the nose of the collapse.

What bit of ‘danger’ don’t people understand?

Our brief chance to mix business with pleasure came to an end on Friday but it was very worthwhile trip. Now we’re all looking forward returning for the awards on October 1st. So,if you’d like the opportunity to join us all – now’s your chance. The closing date for entries to the ACoRP Community Rail awards is the 19th June. Here’s a link to the Awards webpage where you can download an entry form or book a table at the event.

A personal view of Railtex

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Hitachi, Rail Investment, Railtex, Railways, Siemens

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Hitachi, Rail Investment, Railtex, Railways, Siemens

Earlier this week I spent a couple of days at the Railtex trade trade fair at the NEC in Birmingham. In truth, I could have done with being there for all three days as the show had a record number of exhibitors and an awful lot to see & do – and people to talk to.

The event was opened by Network Rail Chairman Professor Richard Parry-Jones who delivered a keynote speech in which he talked about way technology is transforming lives (and railways), the cost of providing extra capacity & his worry that the industry is under-providing capacity for future demand. Afterwards he went ‘walk-about’ to visit some of the exhibitors such as Siemens, Hitachi and Derby based Rail Vehicle Engineering Ltd (RVEL).

Network Rail Chairman, Professor Richard Parry Jones chatting to Andy Lynch RVELs Managing Director on their stand at Railtex

Network Rail Chairman, Professor Richard Parry Jones chatting to RVEL Managing Director, Andy Lynch on their stand at Railtex

Meanwhile, the show was getting into full swing. The Chinese had a big presence this year with both CSR and CNR having large stands that must have kept Chinese model makers busy for months as both displayed huge numbers of product models – including CNRs high speed trains. On the CSR stand a signing ceremony was held to seal co-operation between the company & the universities of Birmingham, Southampton & Central London by forming the China-UK joint research & development centre for rail technology. In a statement, CSR said the centre would look at developing new technologies, new materials and new production processes.

Although they had separate stands, the two companies are merging to create the world’s largest railway equipment manufacturer. The merger should be complete by the end of the year.

Elsewhere, Hitachi were demonstrating their 3-D interior images and design theory of their ‘British Bullet train’ – a potential offering for Hs2. The design draws upon key influences from existing and influential rolling stock in the UK. Using these to look forward & address the needs of future passengers by providing a train that has the flexibility to grow and evolve with their needs. Take a look..

Sleek & stylish, the British bullet train from Hitachi.

How standard class might look

Could this be the 1st Class of the future?

The Europeans had been busy too. Siemens had a large stand showcasing their impressive array of products, including Trains, signalling systems & power supplies. In a low key launch the company had slipped out a model of a new 125mph EMU for the UK market – the Desiro Verve. Siemens told me they’ll be doing an expanded launch for this train later in the year.

The new Desiro Verve.

Of course Railtex wasn’t all about new trains. One of the strengths of the event is variety of exhibitors from the massive multinationals through to the small UK companies who supply equipment & expertise worldwide. Railtex is the ideal opportunity to check-out what they have to offer. It’s also a fantastic place to touch base with companies you already work with -and meet potential new ones. I ended up working for several at the event itself as well as arranging new business. At the end of day 1 the networking event allowed many of us to meet in an relaxed atmosphere over a drink & some snacks before heading off to more events – or take the weight off tired feet!

Day 2 began with another keynote address, this time by Alstom UK President Terence Watson (wearing his Rail Supply Group Co-Chair’s hat). Terence spoke about the value of the rail supply chain, how big the world wide market is – and how small UK exports are at the moment compared to the likes of China & Germany.

Wednesday seemed far busier than the first day & I found myself tied up with visiting as many of my contacts, colleagues & friends as I could before I had to leave. This meant that I missed out on many of the interesting seminars that I’d wanted to listen to altough I did make time to get to the Hs2 update. Sadly, Prof McNaughton was double booked, so a change in the programme saw him replaced by Jon Kerby, Director of BIM at High Speed 2 who talked more generally about the strategic implementation of BIM & the development of a digital railway. I’d have loved to have made it to the Thameslink & Great Western route modernisation seminars too, but I ran out of time. Another day – hopefully…

From my personal perspective Railtex was a great success. Many others I talked to thought so too. I’ll certainly be back next time. One theme I was left with was the continued development of rail technology & the growth of high speed rail. What was on offer at Railtex shows just how uninformed & stupid Jeremy Paxman’s Financial Times rant about HS2 & HSR being ’19th century’ really is!

If you want to see more pictures of Railtex,follow this link to the gallery on my picture website;

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p508759096

The anti Hs2 campaign in the last week of the election.

02 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in General election, Hs2, Hs2aa, Politics, StopHs2

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General election, Hs2, Hs2aa, Politics, Railways, StopHs2

As we’re in the final week of the election campaign I though I’d take a look at how the anti Hs2 campaign’s going. The answer is – very badly indeed.

Their laughable ‘no votes for you with Hs2’ campaign has got absolutely nowhere. It’s not even persuaded individual politicians to backtrack on their support for Hs2 never mind the actual parties. Instead, all the major players (including the SNP) have restated their support for the Hs2 project in no uncertain terms. Take this example from Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, who gave an interview to the Liverpool Echo;

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/general-election-2015-ed-balls-9148898

Or this, from Labour leader Ed Miliband, who was talking to the Yorkskire Evening Post:

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/labour-will-back-hs2-miliband-1-7194044

All political parties know that (in reality) the anti Hs2 campaign is tiny. It has little real support & commands fewer votes. To illustrate this fact here’s the latest antis social media ‘scores on the doors’. These are a record of the leading anti Hs2 groups & leaders following on social media (Twitter & Facebook). Note the usual caveat. Not everyone following them opposes Hs2. Some followers are pro’s there just to keep an eye on them!

To say the results are pathetic is an understatement. They started off from a ridiculously low base and have hardly made any progress since February.There’s been no election effect at all. To put their campaign numbers in perspective, the total number of UK parliamentary electors in 2013 was 46,139,900. I’d work out what % of the electorate is actually following StopHs2 or Hs2aa but I don’t have a calculator that works to that many zero’s!

That’s not all. The main players (Stophs2 & Hs2aa) have been almost absent from the fray. Having run out of money & with a shrinking activist base they’ve relied on both UKIP & the Greens to make all the running. Their problem is – both parties are slipping in the polls.

What will be interesting to watch is what happens to their campaign after the results of the election come in and it becomes obvious they’re a disaster for them.

Watch this space…

On the road again..

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Politics, Railways, UKIP

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Politics, Railways, UKIP

– well, rails really, but you know what I mean!

After a day at home I’m heading South on Grand Central’s 08:04 from Halifax to Kings Cross. I’m actually on my way to Norwich as Abellio Greater Anglia are showing off the first of their refurbished Mk3 sets to the press tomorrow. Norfolk’s county town isn’t the easiest place to get to from West Yorkshire so I’m heading down a day early & using the time to get pictures for my library. For once I’m not working over a bank holiday & I’m looking forward to having some quality time at home on my return.

Before I left this morning I remembered to get my postal ballot in for the general election. The list of candidates caused a wry smile. Despite the range of parties they all (bar one) had something in common. They all live in Yorkshire. The one that doesn’t is (yep, you’ve guessed it) the UKIP candidate, who actually lives in that well known Yorkshire town of Canterbury, Kent!

I dunno, coming up here, taking our votes…

The latest scores on the anti Hs2 mobs doors.

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Hs2aa, Politics, Railways, Scores on the doors, StopHs2

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Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Hs2aa, Politics, Railways, Scores on the doors, StopHs2

It’s that time of month to look at the anti Hs2 campaign’s ‘progress’ when it come to getting their message out to all those imaginary millions who oppose Hs2 in the run up to the election. As there’s only 2 weeks to go – you’d think they’d be seeing support swell.

Of course not. It’s all a figment of their imaginations. I’ve shown the Twitter & Facebook followers with % increases or decreases and once again, the news for their campaign isn’t good..

The usual caveat applies. Not everyone following them is a supporter. Many will be there just to see what they’re up to.

To put these numbers into perspective, in 2013 the total number of UK parliamentary electors was 46,139,900….

Time to catch my breath for a moment…

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Germany, Siemens, Thameslink, Trams

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Germany, Railways, Siemens, Thameslink, Trams

I’m scribbling this on board a TPE train from Huddersfield to York, where I’m volunteering at tonight’s Railway Benefit Fund spring ball. Here’s the poster;

It’s been a hectic week that’s left me with no time to blog – but plenty to blog about. It began with another press trip to Germany where Siemens were hosting a pre UITP 2015 conference event at their factory at Krefeld & test track at Wildenrath. 50 plus journalists from across Europe attended. To say Siemens had plenty to talk about & show us was an understatement – the press pack weighed a ton! At Krefeld we had a choice of seminars on digitalization, the Thameslink Class 700s and improving rail capacity through the use of electronic signalling. There was even a presentation on eBuses. After the presentations we toured the Thameslink Class 700 production line & were treated to a demonstration of the company’s 3-D design technology. All this has provided a huge amount to write about (I’ll be blogging about the Thameslink 700s in a separate piece when I’ve more time).

After a night in Dusseldorf we moved on to the Siemens test track on the former RAF base at Wildenrath which is a fantastic resource. It has two circular test tracks (the longest is 6km) and numerous testing & commissioning workshops. We’d come to see two different vehicles fleets; first was the new Avenio hybrid tram for Doha in Qatar. I have to say, this concept has the potential to be a real game changer for tramways – you’ll be able to read a full report about it in my next article for RAIL magazine. As well as being shown a static tram we took a ride on another which was under test. For a battery powered vehicle, their performance is impressive. Later we were treated to a ride on one of the 12-car Class 700s which are at Wildenrath for testing before they move to the UK later this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing them arrive as they’ll make a huge difference to capacity on the network. As an aside, Siemens mentioned that the Desiro City operating costs are 47% lower than the Class 450 Desiro. The presentations often contained interesting nuggets of information like this. Another mentioned that 3D printers have solved the problem of obsolescence in spare parts as it’s now possible to recreate them – even in small numbers.

One of the 19 3-car Avenio hybrid trams Siemens are building for Doha in Qatar.

Here’s 700101 on the test track at Wildenrath. Earlier in the month I had the opportunity to drive it at 80mph!

Right, we’re almost at York, so it’s time to go. I’ll write more about my experiences with Siemens soon. In the meantime, if you want to have a look at the rest of the pictures from Germany, follow these links;

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p273014381

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p921265531

Stop Hs2’s Vicky Pollard moment.

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Penny Gaines, Politics, StopHs2

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Anti Hs2 mob, Hs2, Politics, Railways, StopHs2

The anti hs2 mob are having a terrible election. Their ‘ no votes for you with Hs2’ has been as much use as a chocolate teapot. None of the major parties (or even a single MP) have been persuaded to change their minds. Yesterday it went from bad to worse as the Labour party released their manifesto containing a clear commitment to build Hs2.

Desperately looking for any crumb of comfort Stop Hs2 Chair Penny Gaines had a hilarious ‘Vicky Pollard’ moment – along with one another anti (who’ve featured here before).

'What,the labour party still support Hs2? Yeah, but no, but yeah but no...'

‘What,the labour party unequivocally support Hs2? Yeah, but no, but yeah but no…’

Here’s the ludicrous press release from Pollard – sorry, Gaines:

Labour’s support for HS2 leaves a get-out clause

“they claim to support HS2, but their support leaves a large get-out clause in the form of costs” Thunders ‘Vicky’, neatly falling for her own spin.

Why? Because Hs2 costs haven’t actually risen. What has happened is the economic case which contains detailed costs & revisions after some projects have been scrapped hasn’t been re-issued yet. And remember, those costs already contain a huge contingency. Hs2 are designing the line without using that contingency in their calculations. So, when Labour talk about costs, they they know they’re on pretty safe ground.

Poor ‘Vicky’ can’t mention this as it would expose StopHs2’s years of deception on ‘rising’ costs. Instead, she tries & fails to find some political tea-leaves to read & give false hope to the poor people who still fall for Stophs2’s lies & deceit.

Meanwhile, what does Labour leader Ed Miliband think about Hs2? His recent Yorkshire Post interview answers that:

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/labour-will-back-hs2-miliband-1-7194044

“But asked whether Leeds voters who back Labour can expect HS2 to be delivered on the current timetable if the party wins power, Mr Miliband told the YEP: “Yes.”

He continued: “We support HS2, absolutely, we support HS2. We are not backing off it, we are not changing our position on it. We are supporters of HS2 and that’s clear.

“What Ed Balls has said is that we need the east-west link as well and that’s right.”

Mr Miliband’s commitment on the issue means the election campaign has now produced unequivocal backing from both major parties on pushing ahead to connect Leeds to London and to Manchester and Liverpool with high speed rail.”

Now,’Vicky’ Gaines. Which bit of unequivocal’ don’t you understand?

‘Yeah, but no – but yeah, but no…’

In praise of the return of the station buffet bar

12 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Community, Rail Investment, Railways, Station buffets

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Community, Investment, Railways, Station buffets

Anyone who has been a rail traveller since the 1970s will remember the BR era of station rationalisation when many stations lost all their fine buildings & facilities & had them replaced with draughty bus shelters, ugly brick bunkers – or nothing . Thankfully, that era is long gone & stations are enjoying a new age where they’re very much part of the community again. One great example of this is the rebirth & spread of the station buffet & bar. There’s a fantastic mixture of these places. Some are survivors from the past whilst many are brand new. There’s been a veritable explosion of food outlets on the railways in recent years, driven partly by the massive growth in passenger numbers & also by a new commercial focus within Network Rail. I should also mention the Railway Heritage Trust. They’ve been a great help by offering both advice & funding to some of these schemes.

The quality & range of offerings is a vast improvement on what was on offer in the 1970s when the BR sandwich was a staple – but only of comedian’s jokes…

My nomadic lifestyle allows me to visit these places on a regular basis so here’s a sample of what’s on offer. These are some of my regular haunts & particular favourites. I’m always on the lookout for new places to visit so feel free to make any suggestions. Where I can I’ve provided links to the bars websites.

Stalybridge
This has to be one of the most famous bars on the entire UK network. There’s been a buffet on Stalybridge station almost continuously from 1885 until a brief closure in the mid 1990’s. Fortunately, the bar reopened in 1997 under the auspices of John Hesketh & Sylvia Wood who turned it into a welcoming real ale Mecca decked out with railway memorabilia. Sylvia finally retired in 2013 & the lease was taken over by Mike Field & Sarah Barnes. I love popping in here on a cold winter’s day when you can sit by a roaring fire & enjoy a pint or a pie. In the summer you can sit in the conservatory or soak up the sunshine outside. Here’s a look at the place;
http://www.stalybridgebuffetbar.co.uk/the-buffet-bar/

There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s day than a pint by a roaring fire as you’re waiting for pie & peas..

The restored conservatory at Stalybridge buffet bar

As you can see – you don’t have far to go when you step off the train from Manchester…

Sowerby Bridge
I couldn’t fail to mention the Jubilee refreshment rooms on my local station. This award winning business was opened in 2009 by two local railway enthusiasts, Chris and Andrew Wright who secured the lease on the former waiting room & converted it into a lovely cafe-bar that’s become a real community focus. They hold a whole host of events, meetings & trips as well as being the base for the Friends of Sowerby Bridge station. In fact, I’m giving a photo show here in August (see their website for details)..
http://www.jubileerefreshmentrooms.co.uk/

Chris Wright serves food from the ‘hatch’ during the annual rushbearing festival. The window is used to sell food & drink to hungry commuters every morning before the rooms open.

Chris & Andrew are keen to let customers know how long the beers been on – hence these beer labels..

A busy weekend inside the Jubilee refreshment rooms

Birmingham Moor St
The Centenary Lounge is a place I always visit when I’m in town. It’s a delightful Great Western Railway /Art Deco themed cafe which was opened by Birmingham businesswoman Aasia Baig in 2009. It’s a great place to sit outside on the concourse with a coffee & watch the hustle & bustle of this busy station, or relax inside & enjoy a snack or one of their range of bottled beers whilst using the free wifi. I can recommend the sandwiches too…

Home

The Art Deco inspired interior of the Centenary Lounge at Moor St.

The Great Western feel is carried through to these delightful coffee cups.

Sheffield
The Sheffield Tap is a superb example of a station bar that has been restored after decades of disuse & neglect. It really is a gem. In 2008 friends Jamie Hawksworth & Jon Holdsworth began restoring the former Edwardian bar in the main station building with the help of a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust. The rooms had been vandalised & left to rot by BR, who finally locked up & abandoned them in 1976. The restoration of the Grade 2 listed rooms has been extensive & it’s a joy to behold. The place has been such a success that it’s extended from the original bar & taken over the former First Class dining room next door. This has allowed them to install a micro brewery on the premises. There’s always an impressive range of hand pulled real ales & bottled beers on sale, making the Tap a ‘must visit’ location for beer lovers. I love sitting here with a pint, admiring the quality of the restoration work whilst watching the trains go by outside.

The pair have since gone on to open a splendid bar at York station as well as two bars at Euston, the Euston Tap & the Cider Tap – all are well worth a visit.

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What a gem! The refurbished bar, tiling & restored ceiling in the Sheffield Tap – back from the dead after years of deeliction.

The gorgeous former First Class Dining Room has been reopened as the Tap extension, which housies the microbrewery.

How’s this for a stylish place to enjoy a beer whilst waiting for a train? The former First Class dining room.

Ridgmont
This little station building on the Bedford-Bletchley line has been leased from Network Rail and managed by Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity. The project was instigated by Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership. Having been derelict for many years the building underwent a 5 year restoration before reopening as a visitor centre & lovely little cafe in 2013. The building is staffed entirely by local volunteers. I visited in summer last year & was really impressed with the quality of the food, much of which (like the cakes) is made by the volunteers. As well as the indoor cafe the station has an outdoor seating area. The project is a great example of a community coming together to bring back a station to life.
http://www.fennystratford.org.uk/index.php/transport/65-restored-ridgmont-station-now-open

The outdoor seating area at Ridgmont is a real sun trap in the summer.

Inside the tea room at Ridgmont

Another view of the tea room – and some of the delicious cakes baked by volunteers…

The old booking office has been turned into a museum. Volunteers are happy to give you a guided tour & talk about the history & significance of the exhibits

Bridlington
Another long-standing gem, this two room bar dates from 1912 & is still in use –although nowadays privately owned. The bar retains its original mahogany fittings, marbled topped and terrazo floor, whilst the walls are full of various items of railwayana from all over the world. There’s also an outdoor seating area on the concourse, sheltered from the elements by the glazed roof. You can always find a good selection of real ales on sale, as well meals & snacks. I really enjoy sitting outside herein the summer as the bar almost disappears behind a wall of flowers growing from the multitude of baskets & boxes adorning the walls.
http://www.stationbuffet.co.uk/

The bar at Bridlington is a fascinating room to explore. It’s said that the crack in the floor is the aftermath of a particularly bad ‘heavy shut’ in years gone by…

Another view of the bar looking towards the door out onto the concourse.

The dining area & counter in the station bar.

– I did mention that wall of flowers on the concourse!

LINKS

If you’d like to learn more about the valuable work of the Railway Heritage Trust, visit their website at;

Railway Heritage Trust

A brief blog on my travels & Yorkshire’s abandoned railways..

09 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Paul Bigland in Abandoned railways, History, Railways, Yorkshire

≈ 2 Comments

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Abandoned railways, History, Railways, Yorkshire

After an all too brief break I’m back on the road & back to London to do a couple of jobs for Network Rail. This one will see me atop the roof at Liverpool St station apparently…

Whilst I’ve not been blogging you’ll find that a lot of new pictures have appeared on my website – with more to come. The beautiful weather we enjoyed in the Pennines yesterday encouraged me to eschew picture editing for picture taking. A leisurely stroll around the Calder Valley allowed me to document a pair of magnificent railway viaducts – although, sadly – one hasn’t seen a train in decades. Nowadays it carries cyclists & pedestrians in lofty isolation on 13 arches spanning 230 yards across West Vale near Greetland. It’s one of a pair of viaducts on the short Holywell Green branch. Despite the L&Y increasing the service & cuttings costs by using their railmotors, the line succumbed to competition from a growing tram network on the 23rd September 1929 (although it still carried freight until September 1959). With the hue & cry over the Beeching era it’s easy to forget that the era between the wars saw quite a few lines lose their passenger services. There’s another even closer to me, the line between Sowerby Bridge & Rishworth. Like the Holywell Green branch this was run by the Lancashire & Yorkshire railway & it closed to passengers on the 8th July 1929. It remained open for freight until 1953 when the line was cut back to Ripponden. The whole route finally closed on September 1st 1958. I’ve walked both routes & you’ll find a selection of pictures on my website. You can see the latest ones in this gallery:

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p921265531

There’s something ineffably sad about walking old railways. The sense of lost opportunity is quite palpable on some. Yet, at the time the pendulum had swung away from rail in favour of roads. Now, half a century later, it’s swung back again. Many lines that were closed in the Beeching era would be extremely valuable today. Of course, some (like East-West rail & the Borders railway) are returning – but others will remain lost forever – like these two…

Here’s a taster of the pictures. Firstly, West Vale viaduct.

I have a whole gallery of abandoned railway pictures that includes several on the Rishworth branch. Here’s a sample.

You can find the abandoned railways gallery here;

http://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/p632134043

Oh,I did mention that I’d been up on the roof of Liverpool St station today didn’t I? Here’s part of what I saw;

	Charles Esteppé on Southport: The 12th July…
	Ian Dinmore on 5th July picture of the d…
	Andy Davies on Rolling blog. Capital times. D…
	Andy on Rolling blog. Three peaks by r…
	Rob Shepherd on Political plus ça change…

Paul Bigland

~ Blogging on transport, travel & whatever takes my fancy.

Tag Archives: Railways

Scotland bound…

There and back again…

A personal view of Railtex

The anti Hs2 campaign in the last week of the election.

On the road again..

The latest scores on the anti Hs2 mobs doors.

Time to catch my breath for a moment…

Stop Hs2’s Vicky Pollard moment.

In praise of the return of the station buffet bar

A brief blog on my travels & Yorkshire’s abandoned railways..