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Pickle Bridge Line  Page: 1 of  2    [ 1 2  Next >> ]
1881 - 1952
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway                    
Contributors:  © Reproduction prohibited / Graeme Bickerdike / Matt_uk / Mike Scargill / David Bradley / John Marsh / David Webdale
The Route
From Anchor Pit Junction east of Brighouse, on the Manchester & Leeds Calder Valley main line,
Via Clifton Road & Bailiff Bridge, to Pickle Bridge junction, near Wyke, on the Halifax Bradford line.

Length
3 3/4 Miles.
Original Company
Opened by the West Riding Union Railway company.
The west Riding Union Railway company was formed in August 1846 by the merging of the
West Yorkshire Railway company & the Leeds and West Riding Junction Railway company.
In November 1846 it amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway Company.

Main Line Status
 The line gained mainline status in 1900, when a Bradford Exchange to Marylebone was routed this way.
A five hour journey via Huddersfield & Penistone. Known as The South Yorkshireman, it ran until 1960
(re-routed via Halifax).
A popular route in its day. In 1910 it carried 18 down & 20 up weekday passenger trains.

Opening
 1881

Closure
1952




12 Lightcliffe
13 Wyke & Norwood Green










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Anchor Pit Junction & signal box (19-02-1966) : John Marsh
42055 Bradford Exchange to Stockport at Anchor Pit junction.
The train departed Exchange at 15.20. see Calder Valley
Anchor Pit junction & signal box (30-04-1966) : John Marsh
The taken from the veranda of the signal box on 30th April 1966. see also Calder Valley
70034 William Wordsworth with coal empties from Lancashire to Healey Mills.
You can see the track bed of the Pickle Bridge Branch curving off behind the loco and in front of the white building.
Anchor Pit junction & signal box (30-04-1966) : John Marsh
45154 Lanarkshire Yeomanry 11.15 Waklerfield- Bfd exch parcels at Anchor Pit Junction 30-04-1966. see also Calder Valley
Anchor Pit junction & signal box (30-04-1966) : John Marsh
45208 Coal empties for Healey Mills at Anchor Pit Junction 30-04-1966. see also Calder Valley
Anchor Pit signal box (12-03-08) : David Bradley c/o Graeme Bickerdike
The old and rather ramshackled signal box from Anchor Pit Junction.
The remains are on private property, just a short distance from the box's original location.
Anchor Pit Junction facing East (25-10-03) David Webdale
Taken from Woodhouse lane. (M62 in background) Anchor pit junction signal box was situated to the right of the multiple unit.
The Pickle bridge line veered off to the left. From Anchor Pit junction the gradient over the first mile is about 1 in 60.
Footpath facing west (25-10-03) David Webdale
Just behind the building on the left, in above photo, I found this overgrown footpath, probably an iron deck bridge crossed here.
 
Woodhouse Lane bridge Brighouse : Bernard Coomber
A westbound Austerity with a coal train for Lancashire passes under Woodhouse Lane bridge Brighouse. see Calder Valley
8F Brighouse : Bernard Coomber
An eastbound 8F leaving Brighouse with empty wagons back to the Yorkshire coal fields.
Woodhouse Lane bridge visible in the background. see Calder Valley
River Calder facing north west (29-08-05) David Webdale
Photographed from my mates barge. Found this bit of bridge on the north embankment of the river Calder.
This is the the only bit of evidence I've found in this area.
Footpath Clifton facing West (25-10-03) David Webdale
 No evidence of bridges over Wakefield road.
The next thing we found was this bridge over a footpath, situated a few yards from Wakefield road.

Clifton Road station
Opened 01-03-1881. Closed 14-09-1931. Demolished 1934.
 Clifton Road Station Facing East (25-10-03) David Webdale
 The station was reached via Station road here on the left behind the gates. Took this photo from Clifton common road.
The Viaduct crossing here was demolished in the 1970s.
Clifton Road Viaduct
 See Alf Mullins photo's on flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/49903268@N02/4586635323/in/photostream/
Thornhills Beck facing North (23-11-03) David Webdale
Followed the embankment north for a while came across this massive five arch viaduct spanning Thornhills Beck lane.
Still looks in good nick. This is the view from the embankment.
Thornhills Beck facing East (23-11-03) David Webdale
View from down on Thornhills beck lane. Bit of repair work on the parapet. Apparently someone jumped off this viaduct a while ago.
Thornhills Beck viaduct (09-10-06) Graeme Bickerdike   website - http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/
Close-up of the masonry on Thornhills viaduct. It never ceases to amaze me how the Victorians dealt so elegantly with difficult structural problems such as a skew arch, and without any of the technological advantages of today’s engineers.
Thornhills Beck facing West (23-11-03) David Webdale
Thornhills beck lane, Looking down toward Bradford road.
Bradford Road facing East (24-11-03) David Webdale
The view from Bradford road across the valley.
Bridge (09-10-06) : Graeme Bickerdike
 A fine accommodation bridge about 300 yards north of the viaduct.

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