Railway Memories of Wath Yard, Station, Manvers & Mexborough West

Welcome to the final part of the series where we are following the Penistone to Wath disused railway line. Part of the wider Woodhead Route and a super highway for coal traffic in it's heyday.
It was also famous for being one of the first UK railways to be electrified, opening in the 1950s. It would have been sooner if it wasnt for the 2nd world war delaying progress.
Today we pick up at Elsecar Junction and the start of the vast sidings of Wath marshalling yard, or Wath concentrion sidings as it was also known. These opened in 1907 to handle the large volume of wagons and coal traffic on the east side of the Pennines in Wath-upon-Dearne. This was the eastern end of the electrified railway from Manchester over the famous Woodhead route...but of course we've looked at this in earlier episodes. When the line was electrified, a locomotive depot was opened on the site, replacing the nearby Mexborough shed. The shed closed in 1983 but was usually a popular spot for trainspotters getting a view of the Class 76 engines stabled.
The sidings closed in 1988.
Next we will look at the site of the former Wath Central Railway Station. The station opened in 1851 on the South Yorkshire Railway as Wath. It closed in 1959 when the passenger service between Barnsley and Doncaster ceased, just like Wombwell Central on the last episode.
Next up is Manvers Main Colliery and associated workings. A large complex of plants and multiple adjoining collieries. The headline as far as the railways are concerned it that virtually nothing remains of the area.
We pass under the Midland Railway and onto the site of Mexborough West Junction and the Old Wath Road Tunnel next door. Again, once a thriving junction with many lines passing through, the vast impressive cutting approaching Mexborough has been land-filled. Though we can see evidence of remains.
Photo on video thumbnail: mark harrington
Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0
Thanks for Steve Calladine for the Mexborough West photos.
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[@ernestbailey9194]

What a brilliant video. Brings back loads of memories.When I was about 12 We used to walk on Sundays from Cudworth on the main midland line, pass through Darfield station, then walk down a lane to Elsecar jct signal box. There was a little footpath that went all the way to Wath sheds alongside the track. Boy was there a load of Locos. I have loads of photos. We would walk from the bridge and down a little lane to the right, as there were always loads of 25s and 31s parked on a single line that lead to the sidings and the other shed. When I got older I used to take my kids to the sheds {In the car) and show them all around. We also used to park up in front of the signal box where the Swinton & Knottingly line joined the Midland, as you could see all the move ment from Wath below you. What lovely memories. I am now 74 and never will I forget my spotting days. Thanks a lot.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Ernest. Great to hear. Fantastic memories. What a shame it's all being flattened.

[@peterstudley1804]

The photo at 9.51 is later than 1960, it shows a brush type 2 A1A-A1A , later know as a class 31 , it's wearing BR green it's pre tops = 1973 , with full frontal yellow ends , and in grubby condition, I would date this shot at being snapped between 1970 and 1971. Some locos were still seen in green occasionally up until 1975 . Great videos a big thank you to both of you .

[@davidbutterworth9609]

What a great series that is Paul; probably the best I’ve seen. I don’t think there is a place in the whole of the UK that has changed so much, in such a short space of time, as the Wath/Manvers complex. Thank you to you both.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks David. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chrischapman7514]

Brilliant video Paul bring back the class 76s i remember them great documentry nice to see all these old photos and filming to.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Chris. The old photos really bring it to life don't they :)

[@ThomasShirley-nk8ku]

My nana and my great auntie and great uncle were born in wath upon dearne wobbly runner because i remember going to wath with my nana and my uncle and my auntie to see there house when there brought up and my great grandad Harry Morris worked at wath colliery in the 1920s until he had brain tumour and passed away when my nana was a little tot in 1923

[@clivebroadhead4381]

A very good video of the huge rail facilities at Wath.. It's criminal that the double track between Doncaster and Barnsley via Wath, wasn't retained for through services to Penistone and on to Manchester.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Clive. That link from Mexborough over the Pennines would have come in handy these days.

[@mickd6942]

Moor road bridge was a brilliant place to observe the depot .

[@Carolb66]

Thats how i remember it! Its totally unrecognisable now & its not been that long since the last trains ran on the line. You always know where there was railway lines by the number of silver birch trees that grow there! Great explore Paul & John especially the area around the old Wath station & the huge infilled cutting towards Mexborough. ❤😊👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Carol.i had so much fun putting this together. So much lost history. I'm glad it brought back lots of memories.

[@roywatson8133]

great video of all the closed railways in the uk the woodhead route is the most interesting looking at it now its hard to believe there was a railway there in the first place

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks Roy. You're right. That extra capacity over the Pennines would have come in handy these days.

[@daveattrill2712]

Very much enjoy this one Paul. Great that you included (well good mention of) the third station at Wath and also the old sleepers lying decoratively by the roadside. I've trekked the Wath North (Midland) track bed section before during the gap between lockdowns back in Autumn 2020, from Cudworth via Darfield. A bit dodgy on the bike in parts, but do pass under or over at least two or three other lines and also take in the curve round to Grimethorpe along the way.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 cheers Dave. I wonder what the story is stuff those random sleepers. Very strange location to be left in.

[@mickd6942]

Spent some happy hour's spotting at wath as a kid and got to operate the barriers at elsecar junction thanks to two signalmen Ernest and Gordon who took pitty on me when it was raining as i was spotting there , i can remember the pneumatic signals and the row of little slide levers that operated them , now i cycle there a lot on the TPT .

[@WobblyRunner]

Great memories there Mick. 👍

[@Andrew-Simmons]

My dad worked there for many a year his name was big Les Simmons, can remember going to meet him in Wath yard with mum after his shift, and just before it shut, my dad too me and my brother through one of the locos, he was Ben sat us in the drivers seat and dad stood behind us with us in the drivers seat took it up the yard to a set of points then back again , will always remember that. Plus also seeing the Flying Scotsman when it was down there with the great bell on front. Great memories of a kid.

[@WobblyRunner]

Great memories Andrew. Thanks for sharing.

[@gilesestram]

I remember having a look around some S Yorks Depots in about 1981 and i reckon we got a 2p Bus from Mexborough to Wath to that bridge to scoop up some 76s that were always on that siding. Always seemed to me that they stabled the older non multiple working vacuum brake only examples on this siding (no doubt somebody will proove me wrong) maybe as the Multi fitted were more busier and mainly semi permanently paired up becasue of the heavier Fitted MGR duties. Not to mention another 2 being needed on banking duties.

[@WobblyRunner]

You ever do Rotherwood/Orgreave Phil?

[@gilesestram]

@@WobblyRunner Used to see 76s stabled at Rotherwood if i went to Worksop or old road to Chesterfield but never actually visited there.

[@BegudMaximan-zp2tc]

Overlaying the 6 inch to the mile OS maps and making comparisons will pin point all features past and present with greater accuracy. A then and now, can be envisaged, with the aid of photographs. The drone footage also helps from an aerial viewpoint too.

[@barrythedieselelectricstea5217]

excellent video 👍sad to see it change so much sad to see it go do we know why it closed and where did the soil come from to fill it there must be 1000's of tonnes must bring back lots of memories who remember it as it was

[@WobblyRunner]

Really good question. Someone did tell me where all the land fill came from now, but I can't remember. Unrecognisable isnt it.

[@scaleop4]

👍👍

[@KevinRead-gz3cs]

Remember the midland line at Wath as a kid great video I am 77 severn

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Kevin. Must have been a great very busy around there with the multiple lines compared to now.

[@stevenstopford9847]

Absolutely brilliant video unbelievable change since closing many thanks 👍🏻

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Ste. Hardly recognisable isn't it.

[@stevenstopford9847]

@WobblyRunner many thanks again and stay safe on your bike! Still got my 85 CB750F 👍🏻

[@WobblyRunner]

@stevenstopford9847 👍 and you. I've still not been out on it yet this year. I seem to be failing at finding the time to go out. The videos are almost a full time job 😄

[@stevenstopford9847]

@WobblyRunner you need to put everything on hold for a day get your bike gear on and blow some cobwebs away! I for one am extremely thankful to you for brilliant vids 👍🏻

[@WobblyRunner]

You're right 😄👍

[@jamesrichards7644]

Great video the tunnels on wath road we used to ride motorbikes through there late 80s was known as raga the bridge on queen street was filled in 1993 that bridge was really high

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers James.

[@ravenseft]

It would be great to get your dad's slides done at some point. The ones you've shown are top quality. Having scanned a large batch of slides myself, I would recommend the Kodak Pakon which can handle serious quantities. An F235 Plus will do 800 frames an hour at 3000×2000 resolution, so 33 35mm rolls a time. Then there's the question of identifying and sorting them, that's another matter.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 cheers. I'll look into that. Maybe something for the winter. I've still got about 25 or so colour photo prints to get through too

[@Carolb66]

Thanks

[@WobblyRunner]

Thank you Carol

[@maestromanification]

Unbelievable Paul. I did my driver training in 88 and we had an instructor that lived locally. We walked into what had been the yard and as I recall most of the site was still visible I signed the route from the north just after and manvers coking plant was still open but closed soon after

[@WobblyRunner]

Had they already lifted the tracks by that point Russ?

[@maestromanification]

@WobblyRunner I seem to recall there were odd bits but certainly not usable. We walked from Mexborough along the trackbed and the sleepers were still in. That was before they reinstated Swinton curve. Seems weird when you see where the line used to go under the midland and it's now a pond

[@WobblyRunner]

Canoe only service to Mexborough now 😉

[@maestromanification]

@@WobblyRunner 😄😄😄

[@andyroid7339]

Is Manvers lake completely artificial? I'd always assumed that it was sunken from the mining in the area. Incredible to see this area and how it used to look!

[@WobblyRunner]

I think (someone may correct me) that it's artificial. At least it doesn't show on any maps. Was it open cast like Rother Valley?

[@andyroid7339]

@@WobblyRunner I wondered if it was a 'Flash' - caused as a result of mining subsidence? Then again, if a marshalling yard was over the area. surely any subsidence would have appeared before the yard was removed.