LOW MOOR - THORNHILL Cleckheaton Branch LYR Spen Valley Line Lost Railways of Yorkshire

A great explore following the spen valley line between Low Moor and Thornhill, although it closed in the mid 80s there are still a lot of artefacts still traceable.
The Spen Valley Line was a railway that connected Mirfield with Low Moor through the Spen Valley in West Yorkshire, England. Opened up by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847, with full opening to Low Moor in 1848, the line served a busy industrial and textile area (known as the Heavy Woollen District and allowed a connection for trains between Huddersfield and Bradford. The line was absorbed by the London & North Western Railway, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) (on grouping) and British Railways on Nationalisation. A separate link between Heckmondwike Central and Thornhill that opened later and was known as the Ravensthorpe Branch, allowed through running to Wakefield and beyond. The line was closed down to passengers in 1965 with freight continuing sporadically until 1981. In 1966 a new connection was made at Heckmondwike Spen Goods yard, see Leeds New Line page 3 between the L & Y Ravensthorpe branch & The Leeds New Line to Liversedge Spen. This was to supply the Charrington Hargreaves oil terminal at the former Liversedge Spen Goods Yard. This enabled the closure of the Heaton Lodge to Liversedge Spen Goods section of the Leeds New Line. The yard was sold to Charrington Hargreaves in 1967. The terminal was mothballed in 1986. In the 1980s, the West Riding Transport Museum, had intended to electrify the line between Low Moor and Heckmondwike to 1,500 volt Direct Current. This was so they could run a newly acquired Class 506 EMU on the line.
The line was double track throughout with a triangular junction in the Low Moor area to allow trains to access the line west to Halifax. The topography of the line was fairly flat with the steepest gradient being a 1 in 100 north of Heckmondwike and the line only required two tunnels. The spur between Heckmondwike and Thornhill cut 25 minutes from the journey time between Bradford and Wakefield and also reduced the congestion at Mirfield station. The spur line had a twelve-arch viaduct across the River Calder just east of Ravensthorpe Lower station.
The original station at Low Moor was situated at the junction of two routes - the line to Halifax and Greetland through the Calder Valley and that via the Spen Valley to Mirfield via Cleckheaton, both built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway.
Low Moor quickly became an important interchange station, as there was initially no direct route between Bradford Exchange and the LB&HJR route to Leeds and so many trains to/from Halifax and Manchester carried portions for both cities that were attached or joined here (a practice that continued even after Exchange was expanded and linked to the Leeds route in 1867).
Low Moor engine shed was steam locomotive shed built adjacent to Low Moor railway station, south of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. Originally opened in 1866 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the depot was rebuilt in 1890, 1945 and lastly in 1948 when it was under British Railways ownership. It was closed to all traffic in 1967, being one of the last steam sheds in the Leeds and Bradford area.
The depot at Low Moor was opened by the LYR in 1866 and was located to the northern side of Low Moor railway station. This had replaced an earlier structure built in the 1860s which was nearer the tunnel mouth.The engine shed was subject to alterations in size and structure in 1890 and 1945, by the LYR and London Midland and Scottish Railway respectively. During the First World War, many of the traditional male-orientated jobs were being undertaken by women due to most of the shed's able bodied men volunteering for war work.
In the 1940s, the shed had a turntable at the northern end, and twelve roads inside the shed, with access to the depot only from the northern end. By the 1960s, twelve roads still ran into the shed area, but the six most western lines had the overall roofing removed by then.
Filmed by Allan Roach

[@clivebroadhead4381]

It is great that the Spen Valley Line will be reinstated with the West Yorkshire Mass Transit.

[@alexhamilton4084]

Amazing that Ravensthorpe had 3 stations back in the day. 😃👍🏻

[@markberry3136]

Cycle the route on many a Sunday, lots of clues on the route. Great info and video 👏

[@andrewlindley837]

Well done....we were posh in Cleckheaton having 2 stations linked by a passenger and light freight viaduct ( now a protected structure) above Mann Dam in the delightful Spen Bottoms area.

[@kennethstill5945]

Great video Allan really enjoyed it especially with the original photos inserted. The railways were so interesting then but so labour intensive. Really looking forward to the New Line video as I used it regularly during the early sixties when the big diesels took over, sorry that closed so soon.

[@oldtykesmith2317]

Amazing! My Brother and I used to go down to the engine sheds at Low Moor on a Saturday afternoon, and just wonder round, never anyone about the engine sheds The loco's would be gently steaming away. Also often stand at the Oakenshaw Tunnel waiting for trains. At holiday times we also used to sit on the wall up Serpentine (Cleckheaton) watch all the holiday trains in and out. As toddlers my dad used to take us to watch Trains on the Leeds line by Harry Mann Dam What wonderful Memories.

[@johneaton621]

Great video. I was living next to Liversedge station in the 1950's when steam was still king. The coalmine was known as Dymonds pit, I believe it closed around 1920. The station building at Cleckheaton was 'stolen' by a demolition contractor, not moved to a heritage railway. The L&Y Society have a booklet about the Cleckheaton branch.

[@zipdiskdude]

I used to live locally to Low Moor. The tracks you saw embedded in the tarmac would have been part of the tram system from the ill fated Transperience museum that used to occupy that site.

[@MrKristiano77]

on my doorstep this and 30 years ago the tracks were still down and quite a lot more to see although today there is some quite impressive relics left untouched as you found

[@rsmickeymooproductions4877]

Great work. Look forward to the "new line" video. Leeds New Line services ceased in 1965. But Charrington Hargreaves had a rail supplied oil depot at Liversedge goods yard. To maintain access a rail link was constructed at Heckmondwike Smithies Lane to transfer oil trains from the Ravensthorpe - Low Moor line. When the depot closed in 1986 the track was taken up. Thornleigh Drive was built there.

[@timmoontransported.6385]

The biggest railway relic at Low Moor is the row of terraces which were built by the L&Y for their staff. Some of the track you found was put in by Transperience, a failed museum project, many of the newer buildings were built for the museum. You also missed the old shed turntable which is now a pond for wildlife. When Low Moor, 56F, was opened I would cycle down after school to see the steam. Low Moor was a major junction. As well as the Thornhill line there was the GNR line to Dudley Hill and it served as an interchange for the Pickle Bridge line and where Eastbound services split for Leeds and Bradford.

[@timmoontransported.6385]

The sculptures were made from local industrial relics when the Greenway was created. As were the poems on the bridges. The Central suffix’ was applied to differentiate from the LNWR stations, which were called Spen.

[@jimz5]

I remember the tracks still being in situ and I remember the pit head at Stanley colliery being fenced off with danger signs around it, not sure that would be adequate for today's youth to stay away haha, had amazing days down the line. Shame you didn't get to see heckmondwike goods yard when all the platforms were still there you would have loved that explore. Thanks for the video!!

[@BobbinsB]

Another top video again Alan used to bounce by there back in the 80's and 90's (especially when they put a 142 on it or Pacer) glad to see they have at least opened a station there as it used to be a desolate patch of wasteland with a couple of rusty lines set of stop blocks under the bridge and a sign that used to proclaim it was to be a Transport Museum (but as Tim said came to nowt) used to wonder where that Branch went to as I was gazing out the window, now I know thanks again Alan 😉

[@barrythedieselelectricstea5217]

excellent video 👍shame to see what it's like now and what it was like then pity really

[@suesmith4366]

Cleckheaton station was stolen 😂 aledgedly. Enjoying your video very much 😎

[@nickmelling4238]

We never knew the original Low Moor station, but passed the sheds a few times, mainly B1s on from memory, but we never actually visited the sheds, I expect you would have had to catch a bus from Bradford. According to the 1962 shed directory, the sheds was 5 minutes from the station, so the station my have closed under Beeching

[@alg6576]

Great video, but the Cleckheaton Branch was the first line in, at 19.29 mark you mention spur to Mirfield (Cleckheaton Junction), but that was the mainline, the portion to Thornhill was added later.

[@a11csc]

great vid

[@happyknightinternationalma116]

Nice informative video, but sometimes I struggle to visually link where you are to the old pictures used. Is there anyway you can find a similar spot and fade the current picture with a previous picture. I notice Darren from adventure me does it perfectly. Such a big help in visualising where structures are located. Showing over grown vegetation and giving an explanation is hard to understand. I don’t wish to be critical, but felt the need to explain why I struggle to understand. 👍🏻

[@justinfuller8803]

It makes me wonder who actually benefited fiscally from the massive destruction wrought on the railway system as was?

[@jimz5]

I think they were called central because of the 2 lines that run through the towns, on the other line the Leeds new line they were all called heckmondwike spen, liversedge spen and cleckheaton spen stations

[@Haunteddookie]

You should check out the Birkenhead dock railway from rock ferry down to the waterfront

[@onemanc]

Watch this space…

[@jennythescouser]

Have you done the Southport to Preston line? I was going to suggest the old Cheshire Lines route from Old Roan to Southport via Lydiate but looking at Google Maps, it's probably been obliterated.

[@alexhamilton4084]

Mirfield not Milfield.