Information about Halifax in the 70s

[Greetlander]

Hello. Long time lurker and first time poster here. As I‘ve been in Australia for years I don’t often think I have much to offer in the way of informed opinion about UK rail, but as I’m equally good at uninformed opinion I guess I’ll find things to say.

I’m just old enough to remember the late 70s, early 80s at Halifax Station with occasional goods movements and a station area that looked like a bombsite. I was just wondering

1. If there were any serious objections raised to the massive rationalisation that took place

2. Why there was still a track into platform 4, years after 3 had been lifted

On a more modern note, after the flurry of articles about the reinstatement of platform 3 it’s all gone quiet. Does anyone know any more?

 

[crosscity]

I was born and bred in Halifax but left to seek my fortune in 1974. At that time the service consisted of one dmu each hour to Leeds and one to Manchester. In addition there were a couple of dmu's per day to Blackpool plus one (loco-hauled) to London Kings Cross. Only the London train started at Halifax; the rest just called there. The two platforms were adequate for the service. My avatar photo is of the King's Cross train on a weekday in 1973; it left around 830-ish and meant I could see it and still get to school before the starting bell! It was worth seeing as you never knew what kind of loco would be hauling it.

This basic service was supplemented on summer Saturdays with additional trains to Weymouth, Blackpool and Llandudno, which all started from Bradford. The only time two platforms was a squeeze was on the Saturday of Wakes week in July when there were all manner of additional trains to destinations including Southport, Bridlington, Filey, Cleethorpes and Skegness.

I can't say why the track was kept on Platform 4. I have a picture taken in 1975 which shows it was not connected to the Bradford line, but ended in a kind of headshunt, which gave access back to the yard.

The rationalisation at the station took place in the early seventies and I was not aware of a huge outcry. There was probably upset that the through London service was withdrawn but that was after I left. Except for summer Saturdays this train was never busy - probably because by the time it left Wakefield it had reversed three times!

 

[Welshman]

I was born and bred in Halifax but left to seek my fortune in 1974. At that time the service consisted of one dmu each hour to Leeds and one to Manchester. In addition there were a couple of dmu's per day to Blackpool plus one (loco-hauled) to London Kings Cross. Only the London train started at Halifax; the rest just called there. The two platforms were adequate for the service. My avatar photo is of the King's Cross train on a weekday in 1973; it left around 830-ish and meant I could see it and still get to school before the starting bell! It was worth seeing as you never knew what kind of loco would be hauling it.

This basic service was supplemented on summer Saturdays with additional trains to Weymouth, Blackpool and Llandudno, which all started from Bradford. The only time two platforms was a squeeze was on the Saturday of Wakes week in July when there were all manner of additional trains to destinations including Southport, Bridlington, Filey, Cleethorpes and Skegness.

I can't say why the track was kept on Platform 4. I have a picture taken in 1975 which shows it was not connected to the Bradford line, but ended in a kind of headshunt, which gave access back to the yard.

The rationalisation at the station took place in the early seventies and I was not aware of a huge outcry. There was probably upset that the through London service was withdrawn but that was after I left. Except for summer Saturdays this train was never busy - probably because by the time it left Wakefield it had reversed three times!

I was also born and bread in that town, but left in 1967, to seek, not my fortune, unfortunately, but a place at university, but kept in touch with my parents, who still lived there, in the 1970s.

As I remember, the town was in decline in those times, with the engineering, carpet and woollen industries closing down [this was long before the Halifax Building Society became a bank and opened its massive headquarters on Wakefield Rd]. As crosscity has mentioned, the service was simply one stopping train per hour each way, with what were the Liverpool trains terminating at Manchester. And although there used to be through coaches to London St Pancras via Sheffield, the only remaining London service was three coaches, hauled by a Fairburn tank, and, as you say, provided an interesting run round, reversing at Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate and Westgate!

The station was by then far too large for its traffic, and I think many people considered at a bit of a dump, inconveniently-situated at the bottom of Horton St, with an uphill walk facing any arriving rail passenger seeking the town centre and bus station, which was even further away then at Crossfield. {This was before the Woolshops area was revitalised, moving the centre of town more towards the railway}.

They couldn't have known then that the town would experience such a growth as it has seen recently, and I don't remember many tears being shed at the rationalisation of what was once a fine joint-station serving the L&Y and GN with six platforms and an active goods yard. If I remember correctly, I think there was even talk of singling the line from Milner Royd to Bradford around this time.

Again, if my memory serves me well, the track was kept in platform 4 for a time to allow parcels vans to be loaded/unloaded, although they could only get in/out from the Manchester direction.

Welcome, Greetlander, to the forum. From your name, I presume you live [lived] in Greetland. [ I lived for some time in Copley]. Did you know there used to be a station at Greetland and a branch from the main line up to West Vale [I think part of the viaduct still remains, which you can see on the road up to Holywell Green]?

 

[crosscity]

I was also born and bread in that town, but left in 1967, to seek, not my fortune, unfortunately, but a place at university, but kept in touch with my parents, who still lived there, in the 1970s.

..... As crosscity has mentioned, the service was simply one stopping train per hour each way, with what were the Liverpool trains terminating at Manchester. And although there used to be through coaches to London St Pancras via Sheffield, the only remaining London service was three coaches, hauled by a Fairburn tank, and, as you say, provided an interesting run round, reversing at Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate and Westgate!

'Seek my fortune'='Left home'='Go to University'

I've never really thought about the origins of the London train, so your information about it in the steam age is very interesting. The seventies service must have been the result of custom and practice. No one in their right mind would decide to operate such an inefficient service from scratch. As it was loco-hauled the engine had to run-round at both Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirkgate. At Wakefield Westgate the coaches were backed on to the 'Deltic'-hauled 9:20 Leeds-Kings Cross. On summer Saturdays the train ran earlier with a full rake from Bradford. It was routed differently too: via Huddersfield, Penistone, Sheffield Victoria, joining the East Coast main line at Retford (I caught this train the first time I went to London in August 1971).

The return working was provided by the 17:30 from Kings Cross. In this direction the train split at Doncaster and called at Wakefield Kirkgate and Huddersfield, but only needed to reverse once. A further working was the 22:50 Kings Cross-Bradford (a newspaper/parcels train with a couple of passenger coaches). This arrived at Halifax at about 03:15. I caught this once too. Fortunately for me I woke up just before it departed for Bradford.

What was the route used by the service with the through coaches to St Pancras?

 

[Greetlander]

Thanks for the responses. Yes Welshman I'm originally from West Vale, but 20 years too late to remember any traffic on the viaduct. I did used to balance on the parapet to get around the barrier so I could walk across it though. I also remember there being a short length of track and a buffer stop about 500m into North Dean woods but it was about covered by moss and leaves last time I went in there. I'm now in Sydney so I can't really go and check.

Given how poor Halifax's service was even in the early 80's it's hard to believe the number of trains now. Platform 3 has depressed me for years though. The day they reopen it I'm coming back to visit.

 

[Welshman]

What was the route used by the service with the through coaches to St Pancras?

I only managed to use it once, but I seem to remember that, like the Kings Cross portion, it went via Huddersfield, reversing there, and then along the Wakefield Kirkgate line to Horbury and Ossett, then round the spur to Crigglestone Junction, then via Barnsley to Sheffield Midland, where the portion was attached to a Midland service from Leeds City.

This is in the dim and distant past though, and I'm happy to be corrected if my memory is failing me.

 

[Welshman]

I've never really thought about the origins of the London train, so your information about it in the steam age is very interesting. The seventies service must have been the result of custom and practice.

I think I read somewhere that Great Northern used to operate portions from Halifax via their Queensbury branch to Bradford, then going via Dudley Hill and Morley Top to be attached to their Leeds-Kings Cross services at Wakefield Westgate. When the GN line to Bradford was closed in the 1950s [1955?], services via the L&Y via Bradford and this one via Huddersfield were substituted.

There was also "The South Yorkshireman" from Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Penistone and Sheffield Victoria up the GC to London Marylebone, and I believe also at one stage, through coaches to London Euston via Huddersfield, Stalybridge and Stockport.

All in all, there were some interesting attempts to link Halifax with London down the years!

 

[John Webb]

I regret that I've only come to know Halifax through holidays in Yorkshire from 1984 onwards. A number of former stations in the area can be found on http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/sites.shtml and the Geograph website, for example http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/SE0925 has around a 1000 photos of the central part of Halifax - here are a couple of examples (click on the photos to go to the larger originals on the website):
Taken 29 years ago:
View from Station Approach ,Halifax

© Copyright Dr Neil Clifton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Taken 11 years ago:
Disused Railway and Tunnel

© Copyright Steve Jaikens and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

 

[30907]

The 1958 timetable has the South Yorkshireman to/from Marylebone, plus a Kings Cross portion via Bradford Exchange (and Morley Top to Wakefield), plus a Halifax-Huddersfield-Stockport (with Euston connection). There is nothing on the Midland route (though the summer Saturday trains presumably got rerouted via Horbury at some stage after the GC closed).

The amazing Huddersfield-Kirkgate route was I think adopted after the Marylebone went and Wakefield-Bradford closed, but I don't have an early 60s timetable to work out what happened between say 1959-65. It lasted into the diesel era, and I think I remember using the southbound train around 1973; it disappeared along with other portioned workings out of KGX in the mid 70s.

 

[zac embleton]

manchester to leeds services later extended to York until 2008 and Selby until 2014 and extended through to Liverpool until 2008

 

[Greetlander]

Thanks everyone. It's funny the flashes of childhood memory I get. Most of our holidays when I was a child involved rail travel from Halifax, and I have great memories of being on the front seat of a packed Calder Valley DMU to Blackpool, and other train trips to Morecambe and Southport. For the latter two I'm assuming we changed somewhere, and I also have hazy memories of a decrepit Forster Square so that must have been a Morecambe leg? Llandudno was another favourite but that usually involved a loco-hauled Scarborough-Bangor from Huddersfield.

I also remember being on the platform at Halifax when a stubby looking shunter went through platform 1. Having seen pictures I think this must have been the outsourced Bradford shunter that lived in Halifax and did the run to Sowerby Bridge, so this must have been 1980 or before.

The other thing I was thinking of last night was when I used to wander down to Greetland Junction to watch the goods trains go through. Greetland box was disused (as was the curve up to Dryclough Jn) and the cast iron letters were falling of the sign. I think over a couple of years I collected a G, E, L and D, took them home and repainted the black trim and white top. Alas none of the others fell out and now the box is gone.

 

[crosscity]

manchester to leeds services later extended to York until 2008 and Selby until 2014 and extended through to Liverpool until 2008

This sparked a further memory from the very early seventies. There was one weekday direct service from Halifax to York which left just after 8am. It did not go via Leeds or Huddersfield but via the Calder Valley line calling at Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton, Castleford and maybe Church Fenton. I caught it a couple of times. There was no return working. There was also a two-hourly Sowerby Bridge-York service which didn't call at Halifax, and used the same route from Greetland Jct. I think all of these services were withdrawn by 1971.

Thanks everyone. It's funny the flashes of childhood memory I get. Most of our holidays when I was a child involved rail travel from Halifax, and I have great memories of being on the front seat of a packed Calder Valley DMU to Blackpool, and other train trips to Morecambe and Southport. For the latter two I'm assuming we changed somewhere, and I also have hazy memories of a decrepit Forster Square so that must have been a Morecambe leg? Llandudno was another favourite but that usually involved a loco-hauled Scarborough-Bangor from Huddersfield.

I also remember being on the platform at Halifax when a stubby looking shunter went through platform 1. Having seen pictures I think this must have been the outsourced Bradford shunter that lived in Halifax and did the run to Sowerby Bridge, so this must have been 1980 or before.

The other thing I was thinking of last night was when I used to wander down to Greetland Junction to watch the goods trains go through. Greetland box was disused (as was the curve up to Dryclough Jn) and the cast iron letters were falling of the sign. I think over a couple of years I collected a G, E, L and D, took them home and repainted the black trim and white top. Alas none of the others fell out and now the box is gone.

Naughty boy! Did you take the letters to Australia?(!)

Around 1972 me and my best mate used to go down to a spot close to Milner Royd Jct after school. We were guaranteed the Red Bank newspaper empties but usually there were other freights too. We used to pitch up in a particular tree so that the drivers nor signalman could see us. One day we decided to be cheeky and say 'Hello' to the signalman. What was the worst that could happen? - he could tell us to b*** off. Alternatively there might be a more interesting outcome. So we walked up to the signalbox, climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. The signalman let us in! Not only that he invited us back. Over the coming months (and years) he introduced us to signalmen at Greetland and Halifax. It was fantastic as we could find out the special workings. One day in the summer hols the Halifax signalman said come back tomorrow, which we did. He had arranged with the Halifax shunter to join him in the cab for some shunting in the yard! To a teenager it was absolutely fantastic. Of course, it was all unofficial and strictly against the rules, so I couldn't take any pictures. To my shame, I can't remember the signalmen's names.

I understand Milner Royd Jct signalbox is still open. I was thinking of popping in one day when I visit Yorkshire to see what would happen today. Whether I would have the nerve is a moot point.

I've mentioned my photos before. One of my first is of the Halifax shunter taken in 1968 - D2090. This shunter is now part of the National Collection and is preserved by the National Railway Museum (at Shildon, I think). The Halifax shunters were based at Bradford Hammerton St, but remained at Halifax for most of the week. Once a week (I think it was on a Wednesday) it trundled off to Sowerby Bridge.

I have digitised my photos and will put some relevant Halifax-y ones on Flickr in the next few days and publish a link here.

 

[Welshman]

This sparked a further memory from the very early seventies. There was one weekday direct service from Halifax to York which left just after 8am. It did not go via Leeds or Huddersfield but via the Calder Valley line calling at Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton, Castleford and maybe Church Fenton. I caught it a couple of times. There was no return working. There was also a two-hourly Sowerby Bridge-York service which didn't call at Halifax, and used the same route from Greetland Jct. I think all of these services were withdrawn by 1971.


Naughty boy! Did you take the letters to Australia?(!)

Around 1972 me and my best mate used to go down to a spot close to Milner Royd Jct after school. We were guaranteed the Red Bank newspaper empties but usually there were other freights too. We used to pitch up in a particular tree so that the drivers nor signalman could see us. One day we decided to be cheeky and say 'Hello' to the signalman. What was the worst that could happen? - he could tell us to b*** off. Alternatively there might be a more interesting outcome. So we walked up to the signalbox, climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. The signalman let us in! Not only that he invited us back. Over the coming months (and years) he introduced us to signalmen at Greetland and Halifax. It was fantastic as we could find out the special workings. One day in the summer hols the Halifax signalman said come back tomorrow, which we did. He had arranged with the Halifax shunter to join him in the cab for some shunting in the yard! To a teenager it was absolutely fantastic. Of course, it was all unofficial and strictly against the rules, so I couldn't take any pictures. To my shame, I can't remember the signalmen's names.

I understand Milner Royd Jct signalbox is still open. I was thinking of popping in one day when I visit Yorkshire to see what would happen today. Whether I would have the nerve is a moot point.

I've mentioned my photos before. One of my first is of the Halifax shunter taken in 1968 - D2090. This shunter is now part of the National Collection and is preserved by the National Railway Museum (at Shildon, I think). The Halifax shunters were based at Bradford Hammerton St, but remained at Halifax for most of the week. Once a week (I think it was on a Wednesday) it trundled off to Sowerby Bridge.

I have digitised my photos and will put some relevant Halifax-y ones on Flickr in the next few days and publish a link here.

I look forward to seeing your photos.

The 8.10am Halifax-York you mention was an interesting working.
It was formed of a Calder Valley [now Cl.110] dmu, and arrived in platform 3 from Manchester Victoria at 7.55am. It then moved forward of the starting signal and crossed-over to platform 2 [the crossover was short of the link from up line into platform 1, so the 8.04 to Manchester used that platform]. I also used the train occasionally. Sometimes it was late arriving from Manchester, so was reversed in platform 3, making an interesting departure westbound from that platform. I don't think the signaller at Halifax West box appreciated that movement though, as his crossover was not locked for passenger trains, so he had to leave his box and clip the points! This also delayed the 8.16am to Leeds, which was by then waiting at his home signal for access to platform 3. There were never many people on it when I used it, but it provided a convenient way to get to York without trekking across Leeds from Central to City stations. It arrived in York at 9.30am, and then formed the 10.10am back to Sowerby Bridge, connecting with a Liverpool train at 11.50am. It then shuttled between Sowerby Bridge and Wakefield for the rest of the day.

I remember there were about 3 or 4 through trains per day from Manchester Victoria to York via the Calder Valley and Castleford in those days, and other connecting services from Sowerby Bridge to Wakefield Kirkgate/Normanton. There was an interesting Sunday service which left Sowerby Bridge at 3pm, and used the spur at Gascoigne Wood Junction and went via Selby and what is now the disused part of EC main line to York.

I'm sorry to be so long - memories come flooding-back and I could go on all afternoon!

 

[crosscity]

I look forward to seeing your photos.
The 8.10am Halifax-York you mention was an interesting working.

....There were never many people on it when I used it, but it provided a convenient way to get to York without trekking across Leeds from Central to City stations. It arrived in York at 9.30am, and then formed the 10.10am back to Sowerby Bridge, connecting with a Liverpool train at 11.50am. It then shuttled between Sowerby Bridge and Wakefield for the rest of the day.

I remember there were about 3 or 4 through trains per day from Manchester Victoria to York via the Calder Valley and Castleford in those days, and other connecting services from Sowerby Bridge to Wakefield Kirkgate/Normanton. There was an interesting Sunday service which left Sowerby Bridge at 3pm, and used the spur at Gascoigne Wood Junction and went via Selby and what is now the disused part of EC main line to York.

This service was clearly cut back in the late sixties. In my youth there were no through trains from Manchester Victoria other than via Halifax and Leeds Central had been closed to passenger traffic. The Sowerby Bridge starters used the bay platform and I think they all went to York (but I may be wrong - I lived up Pellon Lane, and was in walking distance of the town so never needed to start from Sowerby Bridge). I don't know if there was a Sunday service either. All interesting stuff, though.

 

[Welshman]

This service was clearly cut back in the late sixties. In my youth there were no through trains from Manchester Victoria other than via Halifax and Leeds Central had been closed to passenger traffic. The Sowerby Bridge starters used the bay platform and I think they all went to York (but I may be wrong - I lived up Pellon Lane, and was in walking distance of the town so never needed to start from Sowerby Bridge). I don't know if there was a Sunday service either. All interesting stuff, though.

I believe you're right about the 8.10am Halifax to York.
With the closure of Leeds Central in 1967 and the diversion of Calder Valley services into what was Leeds City, the need for a through service to York avoiding the walk up Wellington St was removed.

 

[crosscity]

The 1958 timetable has the South Yorkshireman to/from Marylebone, plus a Kings Cross portion via Bradford Exchange (and Morley Top to Wakefield), plus a Halifax-Huddersfield-Stockport (with Euston connection). There is nothing on the Midland route (though the summer Saturday trains presumably got rerouted via Horbury at some stage after the GC closed).

The amazing Huddersfield-Kirkgate route was I think adopted after the Marylebone went and Wakefield-Bradford closed, but I don't have an early 60s timetable to work out what happened between say 1959-65. It lasted into the diesel era, and I think I remember using the southbound train around 1973; it disappeared along with other portioned workings out of KGX in the mid 70s.

You might find some information from this site which has the complete LM passenger timetable for Sep 62-Jun 63 (I know Halifax and the Calder Valley were Eastern Region):
http://www.timetableworld.com/timetable_catalog.php?cat=4

 

[30907]

You might find some information from this site which has the complete LM passenger timetable for Sep 62-Jun 63 (I know Halifax and the Calder Valley were Eastern Region):
http://www.timetableworld.com/timetable_catalog.php?cat=4

The regional timetable books were almost as parochial as modern TOC publications, and don't show the full service beyond Sowerby Bridge and Huddersfield. It shows an afternoon Halifax-Stockport to add to the list of London options - I suspect that ran in 1958 too, but haven't checked.

 

[BrianB]

There was a daily Halifax to Sheffield service years ago which attached to a Bradford FS to St Pancras train at Sheffield. Not sure when it ended, but in 1962 the Mon-Fri schedule was:

HALIFAX............0850............2225
BRIGHOUSE.......0900............2213
HUDDERSFIELD..0911............2202
PENISTONE........0936............2142
BARNSLEY..........0953............2118
SHEFFIELD M.....1023/1040....2038/2046
CHESTERFIELD...1103............2010
NOTTINGHAM.....1148............ ----
DERBY............... ---- ............1938
LEICESTER......... ---- ............1858
ST PANCRAS......1400.............1705

 

[30907]

There was a daily Halifax to Sheffield service years ago which attached to a Bradford FS to St Pancras train at Sheffield. Not sure when it ended, but in 1962 the Mon-Fri schedule was:

HALIFAX............0850............2225
BRIGHOUSE.......0900............2213
HUDDERSFIELD..0911............2202
PENISTONE........0936............2142
BARNSLEY..........0953............2118
SHEFFIELD M.....1023/1040....2038/2046
CHESTERFIELD...1103............2010
NOTTINGHAM.....1148............ ----
DERBY............... ---- ............1938
LEICESTER......... ---- ............1858
ST PANCRAS......1400.............1705

Thanks, I hadn't thought to check the MML timetable. It was obviously a direct replacement for the South Yorkshireman.

I've now locate the NER 1965 timetable.
There are 2 Stockport services still, the Midland service has gone and the KGX via Kirkgate has appeared.
Incidentally, there are also 3 Westgate-Huddersfield DMUs.

 

[Greetlander]

This sparked a further memory from the very early seventies. There was one weekday direct service from Halifax to York which left just after 8am. It did not go via Leeds or Huddersfield but via the Calder Valley line calling at Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton, Castleford and maybe Church Fenton. I caught it a couple of times. There was no return working. There was also a two-hourly Sowerby Bridge-York service which didn't call at Halifax, and used the same route from Greetland Jct. I think all of these services were withdrawn by 1971.


Naughty boy! Did you take the letters to Australia?(!)

Around 1972 me and my best mate used to go down to a spot close to Milner Royd Jct after school. We were guaranteed the Red Bank newspaper empties but usually there were other freights too. We used to pitch up in a particular tree so that the drivers nor signalman could see us. One day we decided to be cheeky and say 'Hello' to the signalman. What was the worst that could happen? - he could tell us to b*** off. Alternatively there might be a more interesting outcome. So we walked up to the signalbox, climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. The signalman let us in! Not only that he invited us back. Over the coming months (and years) he introduced us to signalmen at Greetland and Halifax. It was fantastic as we could find out the special workings. One day in the summer hols the Halifax signalman said come back tomorrow, which we did. He had arranged with the Halifax shunter to join him in the cab for some shunting in the yard! To a teenager it was absolutely fantastic. Of course, it was all unofficial and strictly against the rules, so I couldn't take any pictures. To my shame, I can't remember the signalmen's names.

I understand Milner Royd Jct signalbox is still open. I was thinking of popping in one day when I visit Yorkshire to see what would happen today. Whether I would have the nerve is a moot point.

I've mentioned my photos before. One of my first is of the Halifax shunter taken in 1968 - D2090. This shunter is now part of the National Collection and is preserved by the National Railway Museum (at Shildon, I think). The Halifax shunters were based at Bradford Hammerton St, but remained at Halifax for most of the week. Once a week (I think it was on a Wednesday) it trundled off to Sowerby Bridge.

I have digitised my photos and will put some relevant Halifax-y ones on Flickr in the next few days and publish a link here.

No - the (nicely repainted) letters were in the cellar of my parents house when I went off to University, and I assume were still there when the house was sold. I collected them over a four year period.

It's interesting to note that Halifax was still retaining the vestiges of a regional station even into the 70s, albeit without the slightly stranger services in the early part of the century. I seem to recall reading that at one point it also had a Glasgow service and a train that connected to a Belfast boat train. Paradoxically it probably has the best service now it's ever had, even before Northern Connect comes in.

 

[crosscity]

.......On summer Saturdays the (Kings Cross) train ran earlier with a full rake from Bradford. It was routed differently too: via Huddersfield, Penistone, Sheffield Victoria, joining the East Coast main line at Retford (I caught this train the first time I went to London in August 1971).

I have a copy of the relevant 1974/5 WTT. By this time the Summer Saturday train to London was no longer going via Penistone, but reversed at Huddersfield and continued via Wakefield Kirkgate (but didn't stop there) to join the main line at Hare Park Jct. The Weymouth train continued to turn right just after Healey Mills to continue to Sheffield via Barnsley.

 

[cadder toad]

I've just finished reading WA Tuplin's book, Great Northern Steam. There is a fascinating discussion on the Halifax-Keighley- Bradford lines, in particular on how early it was possible to reach Denholm, a station west of Queensbury. A train arrived at 6.26am with a connection from Bradford. This was not the ealiest arrival however. There was an arrival at 5.25am which as WA Tuplin says, would have been early enough for most purposes.

WA Tuplin also discusses the thro connection from Halifax to London via Doncaster. It seems it took around four hours to London before the first world war. The Halifax coach took an hour or so to reach Wakefield, 15-20 miles away.

The Halifax coaches reversed at Mirfield onto a coach from Huddersfield that was dropped off by an earlier train. At Wakefield Kirkgate, it appears an engine attaches to the rear and takes the train up to Westgate, thro the station then reverses into the up platform. The loco then hauls the train forward into a loop waiting the arrival of the main train from Leeds. It then reverses its coaches onto the rear of that train, loco detaches and the ensemble proceeds swiftly to KX.

 

[John Webb]

Those interested in the history of the lines around Halifax might like to find a copy of "The Great Northern Railway in the West Riding", by Martin Bairstow, published by the author in 1999, ISBN 1-871944-19-8. This gives a good deal of information about the lines to the north of Halifax. Peter Waller's book "Celebration of Steam - West Riding" (Ian Allan, 1994, ISBN 0-7110-2252-6) has a chapter on Calderdale covering the area around Greetland and so forth.

 

[crosscity]

As promised, I have uploaded some of my photos to Flickr.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmfxE8vm

If you're not used to Flickr, click on any photo and it will be enlarged and allow you to see the caption and other info. Use or press < or > to move through the photos. Enjoy.

 

[Greetlander]

They are fantastic. Can’t wait to get to the big screen on my desk. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Greetlander]

So Crosscity - I'm assuming from one of your photos that you've also edited the Halifax station page on wikipedia on occasions.

Looking at the photo of a Leeds-Manchester DMU on Platform 4, three years before rationalisation - should I be depressed at the reduction in facilities or rejoicing that Halifax now has the sort of service that could have been only dreamed about back then. This includes direct London trains that don't reverse eight times.

Incidentally given your name and location, it may also interest you that for four years my local stations were University and Selly Oak.

 

[Welshman]

As promised, I have uploaded some of my photos to Flickr.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmfxE8vm

If you're not used to Flickr, click on any photo and it will be enlarged and allow you to see the caption and other info. Use or press < or > to move through the photos. Enjoy.

Excellent views - thank you for posting them..


The use of platform 4 by the Manchester dmu is interesting.
Normally, platforms 1 or 2 were used for Manchester trains and 3 for Leeds services. But for a period, platform 4 was used for Manchester trains, but only at weekends. During the week, platforms 1 or 2 were used as usual.
This was just before the rationalisation, and it was to help decide which of the island platforms, 1 & 2 or 3 & 4 to keep. In the end, the 1 & 2 island was kept, and the other sold. I thought that was a mistake, because all the main buildings were on the 3 & 4 island, and, if they could have been renovated, then they would have made a very smart station. Also, this would have allowed the bridge over to the 1 & 2 Island to be demolished, along with a saving on its maintenance.

The permanent use of platform 4 for westbound traffic meant a conflict with eastbound trains at both ends, so a redesign of the track layout to enable platform 3 to be used westbound and 4 eastbound would have been necessary, and I suppose at the time they simply were wanting to save money rather than spend any more, so it didn't happen.

 

[crosscity]

So Crosscity - I'm assuming from one of your photos that you've also edited the Halifax station page on wikipedia on occasions.

Incidentally given your name and location, it may also interest you that for four years my local stations were University and Selly Oak.

Yes, well spotted! I posted the picture on Wikipedia in 2012. I had just started the project to scan my railway slides which had been unseen for more than 30 years. The upload to Wikipedia was a test to see whether I could share my slides via the internet. I wasn't too impressed with the image quality, so I've spent the last few years re-scanning and enhancing the colour and removing scratches. It is only now I am in a position to share them on-line.

I moved to Birmingham in 1978 after studying (ie for my first job). The re-vamped Crosscity line started in that year, and since then my local stations have been Bournville, Longbridge and Kings Norton. Hence the moniker.
​

Excellent views - thank you for posting them..
The use of platform 4 by the Manchester dmu is interesting.
Normally, platforms 1 or 2 were used for Manchester trains and 3 for Leeds services. But for a period, platform 4 was used for Manchester trains, but only at weekends. During the week, platforms 1 or 2 were used as usual.
This was just before the rationalisation, and it was to help decide which of the island platforms, 1 & 2 or 3 & 4 to keep. In the end, the 1 & 2 island was kept, and the other sold. I thought that was a mistake, because all the main buildings were on the 3 & 4 island, and, if they could have been renovated, then they would have made a very smart station. Also, this would have allowed the bridge over to the 1 & 2 Island to be demolished, along with a saving on its maintenance.

The permanent use of platform 4 for westbound traffic meant a conflict with eastbound trains at both ends, so a redesign of the track layout to enable platform 3 to be used westbound and 4 eastbound would have been necessary, and I suppose at the time they simply were wanting to save money rather than spend any more, so it didn't happen.

I wasn't aware of any of this at the time as I was quite young. On my 12th birthday I was given a Kodak Instamatic and the 1968 slides were some of the first pictures I took. They were all taken on the same day. The previous year I had caught a train for the first time on my own (I still have the ticket!). It was from Halifax to Sowerby Bridge on a 'Calder Valley' unit. I was so impressed, when I got back to Halifax I bought another ticket and went to Hebden Bridge!

One thing I've only just noticed is that the London train, although it usually left from Platform 2, occasionally left from Platform 1.

 

[crosscity]

WA Tuplin also discusses the thro connection from Halifax to London via Doncaster. It seems it took around four hours to London before the first world war. The Halifax coach took an hour or so to reach Wakefield, 15-20 miles away.

How about this: I have a re-print of the July 1938 Bradshaw and the relevant 1973 BR Eastern WTT. In 1938 the train left Halifax at 920 and departed Wakefield Westgate at 1032 1h12m later. In 1973 it left Halifax at 841 and departed Wakefield Westgate at 956 1h15 minutes later. That is it was slower in 1973 with fewer stops!

It amazes me that the pedigree of this train was from the pre-war LNER not BR. I confirm that the 1938 journey took 4h27m to reach Kings Cross. Furthermore for stations Greetland, Elland, Thornhill and Horbury & Ossett there is a note 'Stops if required to take up for Doncaster and South thereof'. So it could potentially have four additional stops. Presumably the station master had a word with the signalbox if there were passengers intending to catch this train.

 

[Greetlander]

You’ve all been a trove of wonderful info. Welshman I agree it’s a shame they didn’t retain 3 and 4, particularly as it would probably have meant there being enough space for the reopening/building of the extra platform they’re discussing.

Although it was taken out of use in 71, 3 and 4 were not sold off so quickly. I remember it being derelict well into the 80s, even getting a repaint for the visit of Prince Charles in 87 (I was at Eureka that day). In historical terms it’s only recently that they sold off the building and built the glass extension fronting the trackbed, ironically just before the discussion started about the need for a platform 3. Forward planning anyone......