The Rail Enthusiast thread

[robjh]

I tracked down, via a bike ride on forestry logging roads, the location of Riccarton Junction station on the former Waverley route from Edinburgh to Carlisle (and once with onward trains via the Midland route to London St Pancras). It ceased to be a junction in 1956 when the Kielder line closed, and the Waverley line was shut for good in 1969. At one time it had a small village for railway workers around the station, accessible only by rail, but of all this very little remains and the site is being enveloped by the forest.
(I gather a small section of track was relaid by a heritage group in the 90s, but among all the trees I must have missed it)

The station in the mid-60s, from an information plaque

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Sunday 27th

Footbridge ‘footings’

Crigglestone
Wakefield

The 'tracks'/paths can be accessed from various points, the line was in a cutting here, as not too far ahead, it entered a tunnel
The south-east portal is covered over/blocked
However, if anyone reading this has joined the M1 southbound at jct 39/Calder Grove, the north-west portal can still be seen, to the left, just as the slip-road finishes

This was the route of a Midland Railway route from Royston, via NewMillerDam woods, under Barnsley Road/A61/through this tunnel
Then over the (still standing) 'Calder Grove Viaduct' that crosses the Denby Dale Road/A636, the Wakefield - Barnsley railway line

It also serviced Crigglestone Colliery

Then... the same line crossed 'Horbury Bridge viaduct, over Huddersfield Road/A642

The footbridge is marked on the 25" OS map; https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.7&lat=53.63989&lon=-1.52929&layers=168&b=ESRIWorld&o=72

There's no photograph of this on 'Geograph', but the alignment of the trackbed can be made out; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7146072

A trackbed level image of what can be seen from the M1 slip-road; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1066529

See 'Crigglestone Tunnel'; http://lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Royston Savile town.htm

 

[Jameshow]

Class 72 on KWVR

Damems station KWVR

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

View attachment 770704
Class 72 on KWVR

View attachment 770705
Damems station KWVR

Class 72?

That's not a class 73/0, that's a class 37.

 

[Jameshow]

Class 72?

That's not a class 73/0, that's a class 37.

Your correct must have miss read the number!

 

[wiggydiggy]

I tracked down, via a bike ride on forestry logging roads, the location of Riccarton Junction station on the former Waverley route from Edinburgh to Carlisle (and once with onward trains via the Midland route to London St Pancras). It ceased to be a junction in 1956 when the Kielder line closed, and the Waverley line was shut for good in 1969. At one time it had a small village for railway workers around the station, accessible only by rail, but of all this very little remains and the site is being enveloped by the forest.
(I gather a small section of track was relaid by a heritage group in the 90s, but among all the trees I must have missed it)

View attachment 770156

View attachment 770157

View attachment 770158

The station in the mid-60s, from an information plaque
View attachment 770166

I think I've posted this before but theres a lovely tv programme about this line: Abandoned Railways from Above I think they do interview someone that lived at Riccarton as a boy, and remembered how yes they relied on the train for everything.

There is a section of the line still in situ, part of Waverley Route Heritage Association. I have visited their main site but it was closed, possibly because of still in place COVID restrictions at the time. There website does say its still operational though.

I've got this book since I first found out about the line, bit of info here about Riccarton.

 

[Spartak]

Brussel-Zuid at lunchtime today.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Not much to report, other than I travelled on 318257 from Dalmuir to Yoker today

 

[Spartak]

 

[dicko]

Today we sat and watched a Canadian Pacific freight train pass us by. It had three diesel locomotives one at the front, one in the middle and one at the back. We counted 117 freight cars it was about 3 km long and it took 25 mins to pass by on a 2.5 deg uphill gradient.

We are at the roadside viewpoint of the spiral tunnel on the kicking horse river. The tunnel was blasted into the mountain where it turns 180deg and emerges briefly before entering another tunnel where it turns another 180 deg and emerges on its journey to Banff one way and Vancouver the other direction it is single track. We traveled through the spiral tunnel on our Rocky Mountaineer which is the only passenger train permitted to use the line. It was a truly magnificent experience.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Today we sat and watched a Canadian Pacific freight train pass us by. It had three diesel locomotives one at the front, one in the middle and one at the back. We counted 117 freight cars it was about 3 km long and it took 25 mins to pass by on a 2.5 deg uphill gradient.

We are at the roadside viewpoint of the spiral tunnel on the kicking horse river. The tunnel was blasted into the mountain where it turns 180deg and emerges briefly before entering another tunnel where it turns another 180 deg and emerges on its journey to Banff one way and Vancouver the other direction it is single track. We traveled through the spiral tunnel on our Rocky Mountaineer which is the only passenger train permitted to use the line. It was a truly magnificent experience.

We did the Rocky Mountaineer on our honeymoon
amazing trip

 

[Spartak]

Couple of pics between Stapleton Road & Ashley Down stations in Bristol this morning.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Apparently there is a Black 5 coming through later, en route eventually to Fort William (I presume).

Can I be bothered to go out to see it?

Probably not, but watch this space! 🤣

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I fell asleep and have probably missed it now anyway.
You see, they are very common here as they go up and down to Fort William for the Jacobite season, so the notion of mainline steam is not as special as it might be elsewhere.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

This was it apparently.

37516 leads 45407 and support coach on the 5Z32, from Inverness to Dumbarton (presumably for further workings tomorrow).

DISCLAIMER: Not my picture (yeah, as if you haven't already guessed 🤣):