Calder Valley Article Trains Illustrated November 1955

Hall Royd Junction Box nameboard as preserved at the East Lancashire Raiway, Bury

NEW! Upper and Lower Quadrant 2mm signal transfers!

'Trains Illustrated' Calder Valley Main Line article
November 1955 - January 1956

Trains Illustrated magazine covers: November 1955, December 1955 and January 1956

In 1955 the then editor of 'Trains Illustrated', G. Freeman Allan, wrote up a journey he had taken on the Calder Valley Main Line. This involved the 10.10 a.m. York-Manchester which he joined at Normanton, and was hauled by a B1.The author notes that the loco returns on the 5:10 p.m. Manchester-York.

I am very grateful to the publisher of 'Modern Railways' - the successor in title - for permission to reproduce the three articles in full.

In the Letters pages of the January 1956 issue a number of errors in Part 1 were corrected. JP Wilson noted that the Anchor Pit Junction - Wyke Junction line was opened on 1 March 1881, and not 1878 as given. The Heckmondwike loop was closed to passenger services on 5 October 1953, and the Stainland branch on 23 September 1923. GJ Aston queried the name of the colliery at Goose Hill Junction, claimimng it was St John's or Locke's but not Welbeck.

For those participating in the Match 2016 'Lanky Day' out, Mr K Field notes that the varying lengths of Summit Tunnel may be attributed to the 'false' eastern entrance under the Todmorden-Rochdale road, and suggests that the original entrance was further west, with that the cutting leading to the tunnel was roofed over and covered..

Trains Illustrated article Calder Valley main line November 1955.

Click here for Part 2 of the article, and here for Part 3.