Crossgates Wetherby railway line

[Squatch]

Hi Richard - thanks for the post - I've seen volumes 1 & 3 of Bairstow's book - no sign of volume 2 anywhere. Never heard of the other one you'd mentioned, but will have a trawl round and see what I can find.

Look forward to reading your article when it's published.

Regards, Matt

[The KLF]

Hi everyone - sorry for bumping an old topic, but I hope someone might offer me some assistance. I have several ties with both Scholes and Wetherby, and have recently become interested in the old railway line running from Crossgates to Wetherby and beyond. Information seems sparse (expect on this thread!!) though I have read some interesting articles (though I need to order the edition of Backtrack mentioned earlier) and seen 2 editions of the excellent "Railways around Harrogate".

As an ongoing project, I am trying to recreate this line in a PC game called Railworks - though the skills needed are a bit difficult, it's not impossible, though it's obviously easier if any of the line your modelling still exists!! I have some gradient info, but what would help me no end are track plans of any/all of the route, including stations. To be honest, I'll not turn any info down, equally any suggestions of publications that would be useful would be great too.

I intend to get to the NRM at some point over the next few weeks and see if their research section has any useful info too.

Thanks in advance, Matt

Very interesting, would like to see that when finnished.
I think there was another station infront of John Smeatons school, I went to the school, in our Art room were bits taken fron the railway, can't remember whet the rest were but one was something out of a signal box, track clear, train on line that sort of thing.

If you are on the A64 and turn beside the garden centre, a dirt road tackes you down to an old crossing, the crossing house still stands as does one gate, behind the scrap yard is a long wall, painted green, as if at one time it was inside a building, not sure what that could have been, signal box?

[Bryan]

Whilst on the subject of Leeds - Wetherby.
I added this to my collection of snowy subject matter.
As the title says it is Pendas Way near Crossgates Leeds.
I assume that is the tank factory in the background?

[The KLF]

Whilst on the subject of Leeds - Wetherby.
I added this to my collection of snowy subject matter.
As the title says it is Pendas Way near Crossgates Leeds.
I assume that is the tank factory in the background?

Factory is still there, it didn't make tanks, this one is near the school, it looked just the same(more trees) last time I was there.
Thanks for the picture, thats great, hope some more pics of the line come up

[The KLF]

Found a pic of the same bridge today.......snow to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samhirst63 ... otostream/

[lincolnian]

Richard,

I've been meaning to respond for some time re the location of the line through Thorner as I live in Bramham and have spent many a happy hour in and passing through said village.

On the main street through Thorner, in the Leeds to Bramham direction, after passing the 'Mexborough Arms' (why would you?!) there is a double bend to take the rooad around the church before the road climbs out of the village. Approx. 100 yds before this double bend there is a small, fairly new housing development on the left (north) side, opposite a grassed public area. Until the development of these houses, the end of the embankment on which the railway used to run was clearly visible and it is still easy to investigate on foot and loocate the continuation of the embankment. In addition, there is a road junction next door to the Mexborough and approx 200 yds. along this road there is a junction to a dead end which takes you to an overbridge where the embankment continues over the hills towards Bardsey.
At a railway exhibition some time ago in Wetherby, I saw a photograph of a goods train crossing the bridge over Thorner Main Street - the sight of a Pacific here in front of the church must have been something to behold, I cannot believe there are no photographs of this anywhere!

[richard]

Yes I haven't seen many photos of the village stations, and they're invariably empty (except for the one of KEVII's train at Collingham Bridge). Pacifics and WDs definitely used it post WW2, but pictures tend to be line side - seems that between Pendas Fields and Thorner is a popular stretch.

Richard

[Squatch]

Hi all - nice to see this topic is still going! I've been working on my project, and the line is (re)-built between Crossgates and Wetherby - all the stations are in, and I'm cracking on with learning how to deal with the signalling. I've done bits of detailing, but it's an arduous task in the game, much more consuming than actually laying the route. I'll post some pictures up of progress this evening when I'm at home.

I've really struggled with reference material, but every now and again, a gem pops up (like the photo attached off Pendas Way), which gives me a new perspective and helps answer a question or two. For info, the factory in the background is Charles Roes coach building firm, still there as Optare I think. The cutting looks a bit different today, much more overgrown.

I got editions 1 & 3 of the railways around Harrogate, and found the 2nd edition in the NRM library this week. Also came across the whole track diagram for the line (on 14 sheets of linen!!), which I photographed and stitched together into a PDF.

If anyone has any piccies of Bardsey station, I'd be ever so grateful, especially if they're of the Wetherby side - every one I have is from the Leeds side, so I've had to make up the station entrance and yard.

Cheers, Matt

[Squatch]

Hi all - "photos" from the game to come, but thought you might be interested in this flickr group - some good piccies in there, and I'm sure they'd welcome any that you guys were to submit.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lwrg/pool/with/2180863051/

[James Brodie]

Sirs , We used to work from Teesside (51B then 51L) to Nev Hill eventually dropping down from Pendas Way to Cross Gates and in latter days worked either Birmingham type twos or Sulzer type twos in multiple-1250HP classes- and the diesel driving instruction train used to work to Wetherby with a Sulzer type two -1160HP and boiler fitted and a long train of LMS suburban coaching stock. Steam for us would be Austerities or B16/1s. Our freight loading backover was usually empty bogie bolsters.
Jim Brodie.

[helpfulimposter]

Hello!

I walked along a stretch of this line at the weekend, which is how I came across your site (I wanted to know more about it). I don't really know much about the line (hence my username 'imposter') but during my research, I found some links that others visiting this site might also find useful. I haven't seen them posted in this thread, so I thought I would list them below (please forgive me if you are already aware of them and there is any duplication):-

A collection of photos - including some of Bardsey area
http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co ... therby.htm

Barwick Historical Society articles
http://www.barwickinelmethistoricalsoci ... /8508.html
http://www.barwickinelmethistoricalsoci ... /4746.html

Secret Leeds discussion
http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... tMessage=0

Wikipedia entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetherby_% ... ay_station

David Hey
http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page3.htm

You can still ride on one of the carriages from this line (formerly stationed at The Buffers in Scholes)...

Vintage Carriages
http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org ... p?Ref=2743

I hope the above is useful to someone!

[warwick]

If anyone has any piccies of Bardsey station, I'd be ever so grateful, especially if they're of the Wetherby side - every one I have is from the Leeds side, so I've had to make up the station entrance and yard.

Cheers, Matt

Matt:

The only picture from the Wetherby side I can find is on the back of Bairstow vol 1. It shows the unloading platform for livestock deliveries and must be a late one as the footbridge is not there and a diesel is in the platform. The overview from the Leeds side on p53 of Bairstow vol.3 is good for most of the detail from that side. I've attached a sketch of the station layout as I remember it, not to scale and probably a few errors in it.

A very good article on the branch while it was still in operation (just), was written by D. Bartram B.A. in the Feb 1961 copy of Trains Illustrated, exactly 50 years ago (it cost me 2 shillings, or 10p). It is full of detail, if you can get hold of it, including some interesting b&w pics.

Finally a correction to an earlier post - the embankment washout/collapse south of Bardsey station was on 18 February 1953 and not as stated.

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[Boris]

Regarding an earlier part of this .
The intended tram way problem from Leeds was not the Marsh lane area, it was intended to come from Leeds via the main road to Cross Gates, up Cross Gates Road, down Station Road and then join the old Wetherby line near Cross Gates station where the old goods yard was.

This was all knocked in the head because of costing, although several millions had already been spent buying land for the route and studies.

Funnily enough a succesful tram system was very soon authorised in a town /city where the M.P. who knocked Leeds back either was M.P. for there or lived there.

Dont take this as all gospel truth, it is what I heard from a METRO officer some years back, don't sue me, sue him.

[Squatch]

I've attached a sketch of the station layout as I remember it, not to scale and probably a few errors in it.

Excellent, thanks very much for posting this, very useful (and a lovely looking drawing!) - looking at it, my guesses weren't bad, but I'd missed the trees next to the road, and a few other bits and pieces.

One question - I assume the steps from the coalyard went upwards to Wetherby Road (ie, the yard was below the road) - is that right, or do I need to do some remodelling? And thanks for the tip about the back cover of Vol. 1 - hadn't thought about looking at the back cover!!

Thanks, Matt

[warwick]

Matt:

Yes, the station yard was about 10-12ft vertically below the Wetherby Road level by the weighbridge and those steps led up to the road. So the road into the yard was on a slope, as was the leg down to what I called the Goods Yard - actually just an expanse of level ground, unsurfaced.

The whole formation, from where the line crossed Wetherby Road on the skew bridge, right down to about half a mile below the station towards Wetherby, was built on an embankment. This was about 20ft in vertical height, although the upper (Wetherby Road) side of the station was obviously level.

For the record, I lived about where the L of Keswick Lane was on my sketch, so memories of 50 years ago are still quite strong. Happy to supply any further details you may need

Cheers
Warwick