Days gone by at Guide Bridge.

[9K43]

The enclosed link is to a great set of photographs from a bygone age 35 years ago.
They were taken in and around Guide Bridge in the 70's/ 80's, and show some great shots of railways and locomotives which are now all gone to the big shed in the sky.
I started on the railway at the latter end of this time frame, and this is what I remember.
No plastic multi coloured crap carts, but proper engines and coaches.

Av a look at them all and comments as you wish.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadmans_handle/sets/72157623225335472/

 

[flymo]

Cracking stuff there.

I can't remember ever seeing a 76 in service but the 40's bring back a memory or several. I recall 40's, as well as 45's and 46's on the Newcastle - Liverpool services. Even the 47's stir happy memories.

Ooohhh yesterday where art thou.

ad: and yet

 

[WL113]

Fantastic collection.

Why on earth did the Woodhead Route close?

 

[NightatLaira]

Brilliant - just brilliant. Rare to see HQ colour photos from the 70s like this. Wish they'd bring back the Woodhead Route

 

[The Engineer]

Fantastic collection.

Why on earth did the Woodhead Route close?

Woodhead route closed because - at the time - there was spare trans-pennine capacity and rail freight was in nose-dive. A "conspiracy theory" at the time was that the route (and tunnels??) could be used by the M67 extension from Manchester to the M1 at Sheffield/Barnsley. In the end the motorway was cancelled......

Sadly, I don't think we'll ever see the volume of trans-pennine freight we had in the 50's to 70's. But I'd love to see the line reopened as a high speed passenger route between Manchester and Sheffield.

I have happy memories of trips to Doncaster involving Class 76 express haulage between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield Victoria. Also, one "mad" overnight trip to Doncaster using the 01:17 Manchester Picadilly to Cleethorpes passenger, mainly a newspaper train. Class 40 from Piccadilly 25 kV platforms to Guide Bridge, change for a Class 76 at Guide Bridge and then a Class 37 at Penistone. Then onwards direct to Doncaster via a stop in Barnsley and then via Wath and Mexborough... Happy days!! (about 1969....)

 

[9K43]

Regarding to MSW,
As a guard at Huddersfield in 1981, we worked the Penistone Line through Denby Dale, Penistone, and down to Sheffield Vic. reverse opposite Nunnery CS, down the bank to Sheffield Midland.
On going to HM in July 1982 we worked into Wath and when Wath shut, we road learned all the Wath Jobs in and around Barnsley.
A Few years later in 1984 we lifted all the tracks around Wath, Manvers, Dovecliffe, Stairfoot and Cudworth.
All brand new railway.
That as we say is life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX09oyf8jFY&feature=related

Have a look at this link and cry.....

 

[The Snap]

National Grid now own all three of the tunnels and use them to carry power cables under the Pennines, so any possibilitiy of the line reopening is slim, which is a great shame .

 

[theblackwatch]

Fascinating stuff. Sadly I can't remember seeing any 76s running, although I saw a good number of them parked up at Guide Bridge on trips to Crewe (from the Stalybridge-Stockport unit - normally a Gloucester Class 100).

There's a fascinating series of books with pictures from that era called "Seventies Spotting Days".