The Woodhead Route

[thesectionalappendix]

Does anyone know when Ardwick Junction to Woodhead became a part of the LMR?

Having known a few Gorton drivers, I bet there was a wailing and gnashing of teeth, whatever the date was

[mr B]

Heres one of Woodhead tunnel before the wires got hung ...

mr b

[thesectionalappendix]

Fabulous picture. Oh for a time machine. I used to love working over that railway and I constantly kick myself that I took so few pictures.

I have cycled the route a few times, which is really interesting, but the highlight for me was away from the railway. It's this: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 2&t=h&z=20

These are the ruins of the Salters Brook Inn, situated on the old pack horse road between Woodhead and Dunford. It was here that the directors of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway used to meet. It's pretty bleak, but I challenge any railway history buff to close his eyes and to not hear the clip clop of horses hooves pulling carriages full of great men of business and engineering to their meetings to the inn, all of them no doubt looking forward to the warmth inside. Or the rowdy singing of navies relaxing after a day of toil. Sadly, the fires of the Salters Brook Inn went out forever after the second bore was completed. This spot really gives me a sense of history and, having worked over Woodhead, I guess I am a small part of the story of the line.

Brian.

[The KLF]

Brian
Thanks for that, I plan on taking my camper van up there during summer, I go look at the old inn

[harvester]

Another sight that could be seen for many years a little to the west of the tunnels were the ornate stonework remains of the line side buildings at Woodhead, demolished when the new tunnel was finished. Why they were dumped in a field at the side of the road to Glossop I don't know

[Mickey]

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[thesectionalappendix]

I don't know about passing out, but certain stories about the old tunnels are certainly true.

I heard first hand about drivers and firemen lying on the floor of the cab to avoid the worst of the smoke. And, of course, they had to touch the side of the tunnel with the shovel to tell what direction they were going in.

And in books I have read that there is a signal box in the up(?) bore that was intended to break up the block, but that it was impossible to get signalmen for. Also the drivers couldn't see the signals. On a similar vein, the working lives of the track workers in the tunnel was shockingly short as they succumbed to industrial disease.

[Mickey]

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[thesectionalappendix]

Of course trains used to run away for the fun of it over Woodhead in steam and electric days. At Valehouse there was a huge sand drag and, failing that, they used to put them through a set of buffers in Mottram Yard, as photo evidence proves. Personally, I never really worked heavy trains. By my day unfitted were fairly light and the engines were mostly up to the job. Still had to AWB sometimes though, especially on the Woodley bank on the Cheshire Lines railways, and Miles Platting Bank on the Lanky.

[Mickey]

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[thesectionalappendix]

Oh yes! Guide Bridge was a wondrous place for a train spotter in the 1970s. I spent hours there and it rarely - if ever - disappointed. I have working timetables going back to that era, and earlier, and it is fascinating seeing how much traffic went over the line then.

As for the signalling, I can't remember anything about it east of the tunnel, but certainly most of it to the west was colour light. The exceptions that come to mind are, all of the signals associated with Dewsnap Yard, most shunt signals (Dollys), the signal off the Hyde North branch, and the famous lattice fixed distant on the goods between Hyde Junction and Guide Bridge. It was a fixed distant and I can't for the life of me remember if it was for GB Est or Ashton Junction Possibly the signals off the Stockport line at Stockport Junction were semaphore as well.

By the way, did you know that GB once had TWO buffet bars? I just missed the last one when I started there as a guard in 1979.

[thesignalman]

As for the signalling, I can't remember anything about it east of the tunnel, but certainly most of it to the west was colour light. The exceptions that come to mind are, all of the signals associated with Dewsnap Yard, most shunt signals (Dollys), the signal off the Hyde North branch, and the famous lattice fixed distant on the goods between Hyde Junction and Guide Bridge. It was a fixed distant and I can't for the life of me remember if it was for GB Est or Ashton Junction Possibly the signals off the Stockport line at Stockport Junction were semaphore as well.

The main signals to the east of the tunnel were colour-lit too, this was a side-process of the electrification for ease of visibility of signals, really. The boxes remained mechanically worked, so points and shunt signals, and often miniature arms in loops etc mostly remained mechanical.

Reference an earlier comment, yes there was a box in the tunnel in early days. It wasn't the only place to have a tunnel signal box (there was one under St Pancras station, for example) and for obvious reasons these weren't very nice places to work. But in early days, staff didn't question things like that if they wanted a job.

John

[Mickey]

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[thesignalman]

I found some more information on the box inside Woodhead Tunnel. It was accessed from above, and was sometimes referred to as "Woodhead Tunnel No12 Manhole" signal box. It was in use by 1899 and closed in 1909.

As to the original question as to when Ardwick to Woodhead became LMR, this must have been before 1953 because the new Woodhead (1953) and Dunford West (c1954) boxes were fitted out with LMR equipment.

John

[thesignalman]

I found some more information on the box inside Woodhead Tunnel. It was accessed from above, and was sometimes referred to as "Woodhead Tunnel No12 Manhole" signal box. It was in use by 1899 and closed in 1909.

Further to the above, new information has come to light.
Opening date was 1899 (not "by")

Signalmen worked six-hour shifts owing to the unpleasant environment, quite a concession in the days when most signalmen worked twelve-hour shifts.

John