mystery platform at Sheffield

[L&Y Robert]

A short distance out of Sheffield (heading south) there is a longish, evidently 'in use' platform against what I took to be a loop or relief line. What can it be for? I bet someone knows . . .

 

[Tomnick]

Dore station??

 

[L&Y Robert]

Dore station??

No, it's between Sheffield proper and Dore.

 

[Tomnick]

Just checking . There's the Up Loop at Heeley, and an additional running line on the Down for the last mile or so into Sheffield, but there's certainly no operational platforms along the length of either of those.

 

[L&Y Robert]

Just checking . There's the Up Loop at Heeley, and an additional running line on the Down for the last mile or so into Sheffield, but there's certainly no operational platforms along the length of either of those.

What about a non-operational one then?
It was lined along the back with bushes - greenery of some sort.

 

[Tomnick]

No idea, nothing shown in the Sectional Appendix, and I don't remember seeing anything of note. Can you be a bit more accurate with the location - which side of the line and how far away from Sheffield?

 

[Wyvern]

There were once three stations between Dore and Sheffield - Heeley, Millhouses and Beauchief.

There is some fairly reliable info in Wikipedia. They have mostly been removed though the platforms may still exist at Heeley or Beauchief.

 

[nathanclass323]

Do you know when these stations became disused?

 

[David Barrett]

Beauchief, January 1961.
Millhouses and Heeley both in June 1968.

From memory a good deal of demolition took place in the mid 1970s during the Sheffield re-signalling scheme and, apart from a few odds and ends, largely completed by the early 1980s.

 

[Eagle]

Is it here? That's Millhouses.

 

[richard1976]

A short distance out of Sheffield (heading south) there is a longish, evidently 'in use' platform against what I took to be a loop or relief line. What can it be for? I bet someone knows . . .

Are you sure it was the the, just outside to the north the platforms of the disused Attercliffe Road station can clearly be seen from passing train

The same is true for the disused Brightside station just before meadowhall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attercliffe_Road_railway_station

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightside_railway_station

 

[ANDYS]

L&Y Robert,

are you sure you do not mean slightly to the north?

I have travelled the line between Sheffield - Chesterfield many, many times and never noticed any platforms. The information posted earlier has certainly increased my knowledge of the line, I never knew that the three stations existed.

Andy S

 

[edwin_m]

There is a retaining wall just north of Dore which keeps an adjacent millpond from flooding onto the railway. It is about the right height and length that someone might think it was a platform. I think also some stonework remains from at least one of the disused platforms but I don't remember which one.

 

[talltim]

Its my daily commute, I don't remember any platforms, although some of the station buildings of Beauchief and Millhouses are still there

 

[Mugby]

What about a non-operational one then?
It was lined along the back with bushes - greenery of some sort.

Are there any remnants of Heeley Carriage Sidings still to be seen?

 

[L&Y Robert]

OK, thanks guys! I knew I'd seen something or other! There is a relic visible from a passing train - maybe someone who passes there regularly could confirm just where and what it is?

 

[edwin_m]

I should be passing through tomorrow and again on Tuesday - I'll see what I can see.

 

[lyndhurst25]

I recall reading that there were some dive-under lines just south of Sheffield station and that they were taken out of use during the re-signaling in the 1970s. Maybe it is the remains of those (retaining walls, etc.) that you saw? There's a 1970s Sheffield-St Pancras cab-ride video on YouTube (complete with ELO soundtrack!) that shows what I'm talking about.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've found a picture of the dive-under line -

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_03_2009/post-513-1238231801.jpg

According to Wikipedia, it was taken out of use in 1972. Wasn't a carriage-washer installed on the remaining stump?

 

[Mugby]

I recall reading that there were some dive-under lines just south of Sheffield station and that they were taken out of use during the re-signaling in the 1970s. Maybe it is the remains of those (retaining walls, etc.) that you saw? There's a 1970s Sheffield-St Pancras cab-ride video on YouTube (complete with ELO soundtrack!) that shows what I'm talking about.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've found a picture of the dive-under line -

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_03_2009/post-513-1238231801.jpg

According to Wikipedia, it was taken out of use in 1972. Wasn't a carriage-washer installed on the remaining stump?

Quite true. It was just a single line that dived under.

Approaching from the south, the lines from Derby were on the right and the lines from Manchester were on the left.
The dive under was a means of getting trains from London/Derby into Platform 1 without having to thread through lots of crossovers.
I think the intention was to have all down trains on 1 and 2, all up trains on 6 and 8. Not sure if 5 was bi-di then, but that's pretty much same as it is today.

I believe the dive under went when Dore - Sheffield was de-quadrified, one of those measures which could do with reversing today.

 

[David Barrett]

I recall reading that there were some dive-under lines just south of Sheffield station and that they were taken out of use during the re-signaling in the 1970s. Maybe it is the remains of those (retaining walls, etc.) that you saw? There's a 1970s Sheffield-St Pancras cab-ride video on YouTube (complete with ELO soundtrack!) that shows what I'm talking about.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've found a picture of the dive-under line -

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_03_2009/post-513-1238231801.jpg

According to Wikipedia, it was taken out of use in 1972. Wasn't a carriage-washer installed on the remaining stump?

The carriage wash road is the only section of track left in place but the crown of the tunnel can still be seen. I only ever went through the dive under once, in August 1971, on a Manchester Picc.-Sheffield D.M.U. in the days when the Calder Valley sets worked the services which replaced those via Woodhead. It also features on a Black & White B.B.C. production from 1969 "Engines Must Not Enter The Potato Siding" which is kicking about somewhere on the Internet but I can't remember where. As I recall Heeley, Millhouses & Eccleshall and Dore & Totley stations were all still reasonably complete at the time.

Edit. The film concerned can be found on B.B.C. Iplayer under the heading of Tuesday Documentary.

 

[L&Y Robert]

I think there's one outside Derby as well! I seem to have read that it was for a factory, getting the workforce to the factory. But if there isn't, there IS a tram! of european origin I think, and right next to the line, in a factory's back-yard! It's been there for years!

 

[bangor-toad]

The tram just south of Derby is a Boeing LRV tram. It's a type that was used quite extensively in San Francisco, Boston and in HO scale on my model railway

The reason why it's abandoned in Derby is covered well by Wikipedia
(Basically it was tested for use in the UK and found to be so inappropriate they couldn't be practically given away!)

Cheers,
Jason

 

[edwin_m]

Outside Derby is the remains of Ramline Halt, a platform built alongside a siding to serve the then ground of Derby County. I seem to recall it was only used once or twice, due to operational complications with passenger trains in the siding - sure someone will have more details?

On my trip into Sheffield yesterday I saw remains of two platforms on the right hand side, one just north of the junction north of Dore, and one by the Sainsburys. However it each case it was nothing more than the overgrown recess in the cutting and in once case what was probably part of the surface but nothing remaining of the front wall. Nearer Sheffield on the same side there is something that looks a bit platform-ish behind a palisade fence in the council depot, but I think it is just a concrete pad to park their gritting trucks on.

 

[martinsh]

On my trip into Sheffield yesterday I saw remains of two platforms on the right hand side, one just north of the junction north of Dore, and one by the Sainsburys.

Those would be Beauchief and Millhouses stations respectively