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Gelderd Road Viaduct - Leeds

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Masboroughlad

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I often drive past the old Gelderd Road viaduct on the way in/out of Leeds.

I can remember trains from South Yorkshire com ing into Leeds this way in the 1980s. I used to like going on this line because it really felt as though you were snaking along through the rooftops. (Remember being on a long trains of Mk1s with a Peak at the front billowing out exhaust - happy memories :D. Sorry I digress :roll:)

A few questions which I wonder if anyone can help with please?

1) Which trains in and out of Leeds used this line before it closed?
2) When did it close?
3) Are there any plans to re-use it again ever? Or is it scheduloed to be pulled down? (I do hope not!)
4) Any pics of (diesel) trains on this line please?

Thanks
 
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Ploughman

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I believe originally Transpennine services then when major works in leeds in the 70s it was used for ECML services.
Then during the remodelling work in Leeds again it was withdraw from use and abandoned.

I have driven cars and a number of vans down it quite often when working in the area.
 

Welshman

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As Ploughman says above, it was used by Leeds City/Huddersfield and Manchester Exchange services - the LNWR route out of Leeds. Then after Leeds was remodelled in 1967 and all services were diverted into Leeds City and Central closed, it was adapted to join the Wakefield line at the Farnley end of the viaduct and trains to London Kings Cross used it. However, such capacity proved unecessary, and London trains reverted to the route via Holbeck and the line was closed.

There are some photos of the line in use on this site:-

www.derelictplaces.co.uk

Select "Leeds" and then the thread "Leeds, Victorian Holbeck"

Beware, though. I think one of the captions is wrong - the double-headed van train would not have been heading to Kings Cross in the early 1960s, as the line still went to Huddersfield then. I suspect it was the Newcastle-Red Bank returning newspaper van train, as that was almost always double-headed during steam days.

edit - apologies to 142094 - he beat me to it re the website!
 
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bluenoxid

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They don't seem to have a clue what to with it at the moment. Either a pull down although I think that with a link to the Leeds Southern Entrance, it is a possible High Line for Leeds
 

Masboroughlad

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Awesome pictures - Thank you!!!

While on the theme of disused railway infrastructure around Leeds. Down at Crown Point, at the far end, there is a very obvious old railway cutting. Anybody know what like went to Crown Point / or through it maybe?

Stuff like this is fascinating!
 

yorksrob

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Waverley125

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PinzaC55

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Awesome pictures. Do wish they would bring this line back into use.

Thanks for sharing them.

Anyone else got similar pics - these brought back happy memories :D

The weird thing is that you tend to think of railways as "permanent" - HST , colour light signals - but sometimes they are here today gone tomorrow.
 

GingerSte

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As I've mentioned on another thread (see link below), I think this viaduct would be useful for threading terminating HS2 services through the city to the Station. With the right connections it could also take other terminating services (KX-Leeds, Doncaster/Sheffield-Leeds, possibly Huddersfield-Leeds) from their existing paths. These would cross over the existing throat and terminate in a new trainshed where the car park currently stands. This could also be designed with the customs facilities that international services would require.

With the right connections (again), any HS2 through trains could use the existing Platform 8 at Leeds Station.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=938362#post938362
 
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