Then & Now | Timperley To Dunham Massey Disused Railway

[@welshwizard822]

Brilliant video, thanks for posting them ALL 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@anthonykeaveny8860]

Many thanks Lewis. I have over the years walked most of this area along the canal from Worsley to Sale Timperley, and along the old rail line to Dunham Massey, and on to Lymn Warburton and over the High Bridge to Glazebrook, and home to Eccles on the bus. You made it all come to life for me again. You put a lot of time and work into this film. Really Great !

[@RingwayManchester]

Hey Anthony thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Reggyrail]

As a former Skelton Jnc Signalman this brought back many memories. Such a waste. Thanks for posting.

[@pauldrinkwater2621]

I used to live on deansgate Lane opposite the crossing in the 2 up 2 down terrace houses . . Used to watch the trains in the 70,s the signal cottage a chap called roy I think lived there . A signal man . I was around 6 to 8 years old . Memories.

[@jennyhutchinson7309]

Fond memories, I was a box lad at Skelton Junction from 1962 till 1965.

[@dominicwood4508]

Did you know Roger Wood? I am his brother.

[@christopherholt6131]

Social history at its best. Lived in Timperley most of my life and had many adventures around Black Bridge as a kid. This has inspired me to walk this journey with my children.

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks Christopher glad you enjoyed!

[@angelsone-five7912]

Excellent, very well put together. I too am fascinated by disused railways and particularly like then and now, even though it can make me sad at times.

[@OliverWoodphotography]

Great coverage of a network that I remember so well and which used to fascinate me with its variety of interesting traffic.

[@bobjackson6524]

One of the most fascinating videos ive ever seen. Thankyou

[@eireannlyons3341]

Well done Lewis. The film is very good indeed.

[@RingwayManchester]

Thank you! This link will be taken down after the weekend so just look on my channel should you want to watch it again or perhaps share with any like minded people. Cheers

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks very much :)

[@callyc1633]

Some lovely shots of the track in the video. Love the one with the mist and the low angle shots

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks so much as always

[@antsuxx]

Absolutely fantastuc,I spent years spotting at Skelton Jn on that footbridge and also at Sinderland crossing on my old bike later to work over all three lines as a fireman and secondman.this film so evocative for me,I am so looking forward to your next priject Lewis,thank you for making this and sharing it.

[@RingwayManchester]

Hi Anthony, That's really interesting! Such a shame how it all changed. Thanks for the kind words, very much appreciated :) Cheers

[@bobjackson6524]

Probably the best video of this subject ive seen yet.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

I missed this one. really interesting and makes a change from radio.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Fred!

[@dodgy1954]

Have found this channel rather later than others it seems ;-). Like many other viewers interested in old infrastructure (particularly UK railways and canals), I found this a really nicely put together film which is a good 'paced' and informative piece of work for me to watch and enjoy even as a 'non-local'.

[@richardbutcher936]

Lovely video! I also used to stand on the Black Bridge at Skelton Junction and watch the steam trains. I remember being in Junior 4 at St Hughs and being regularly told off for watching the trains instead of doing my class work. I remember going into the signal box and taking some photos of the track board (I was invited in, by the way)

[@nickburke3466]

Really enjoyed that!... normally I go running on the TPT there, so it's good to see it from a different perspective!... 👍

[@SuperDALLAMAN]

Fascinating film, I used to fire along here and drove the pull&push motors as a 20 year old,Oxford Rd. - Ditton Jc. Worked right through till closure.Thanks for posting

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks so much :) Interesting stuff

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Excellent commentary from you Lewis

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks mate

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

@@RingwayManchester anytime Lewis

[@philbarrowclough]

Congrats, a great film. I used to live in Brooklands and regularly cycled this line. Thanks for filling in the blanks. 👍

[@RingwayManchester]

Thank you Phil! Much appreciated. I know Brooklands very well

[@richardberechula2942]

Professionally done AND really thorough - credit well-deserved. Impressive bit of research done there. As a young lad, I'd observe the coal-trains bound for Fiddlers Ferry Pwr Sta. - traversing the (now mostly-lifted) lines of Tameside. Cheers - NICE one.

[@lynnehayward7309]

Really appreciated this short film, thank-you. I ended up here after finding the line is to be reopened, or part of it, as either a steam heritage private rail, a metro link (least likely), or a cycleway. There is some dispute from Lindon Homes who have plans to build 1500 new homes in the area of Carrington / Partington. I always hoped to walk it, but your film shows how many access points and continuation points have been destroyed.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers lynn!

[@altfish2]

Hi Lewis, Excellent, thoroughly enjoyed this. I still live on Deansgate Lane. I used to train spot at Skelton Junction in the early/mid 60s. I can vaguely remember the passenger trains along this line (we always called it "The Broadheath Line" as opposed to "The West Timperley Line" which was the one to Partington & Glazebrook). One error in the commentary is the Liverpool/Ditton Jnc/Warrington passenger trains did NOT go through Skelton Junction. There was a chord from the Broadheath Junction box over Deansgate Lane to join the MSJ&A Railway just south of Timperley Station. You can make out where the line crossed Deansgate Lane on the level as there is a 'hump' in the lane near where the entrance to the canal side flats is. There used to be a box and a crossing keeper's cottage, the last time I remember them being used was for the passage of one of those push pull passenger carts so loved by Ealing Comedies. I recall many summer holiday excursions using the line from Yorkshire and further afield to North Wales - often hauled by B1s. One great memory is our local primary school debunking to the back garden of one of the houses on Dale Grove to watch the Royal Train passing. I missed the Queen as I was too busy writing down the engine numbers. That must have been 61 or 62. Another anecdote is that Jubilee 45695 Minotaur met its fate at Broadheath Goods Yard, in March 1964, when it was cut up by a local scrap firm after it crashed into the rear of a freight train whilst hauling a mail train. If I think of anything else I'll post on Skyscraper City

[@RingwayManchester]

Hi Mike, Cheers for clearing up the error in the commentary too! I always wondered about that little chord, I wonder when that disappeared? It's not on 1975 view of the area I've seen somewhere. Interesting stuff on the box and crossing keeper cottage too! I was going to include the Minotaur crash in the film but I couldn't find out exactly where the crash happened as I've seen conflicting stories from the approach to dunham, to just before cinderland, to just outside broadheath station, also the film was starting to run too long also. Cheers for the stories and kind words Mike, much appreciated :) Lewis

[@MarkJT1000]

Ah, so there were 2 crossings on Deansgate Lane within a few yards of each other. That does ring a vague bell. I can see on Google Earth the line of that chord and the hump in the road you mention.

[@MarkJT1000]

Just found an aerial photo from 1926 which shows that chord quite clearly...... britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW016488

[@MarkEverson-e2q]

Very well presented video and very good information of the line .

[@nicksmith3245]

Wonderful video. Shows how much history is sadly hidden

[@andykirby]

Congrats on your first documentary mate!!! Turntables man! I remember those from my model railway days! Do they still even have them, they must do in some places. I'd love to ride those disused lines on my Ebike!

[@RingwayManchester]

Dude you had a model railway? Thats cool. If you're ever up in the north I'll show you that line for your ebike! Cheers man

[@andykirby]

Ringway Manchester yeah mate, me and my dad built a pretty big one! I loved it! Maybe I can bring two ebikes up in the trailer and we can rip it lol!

[@RingwayManchester]

haha sounds like a plan mate

[@Zentron]

Great to see the old footage, I explored all these station areas the other year myself, finding out how much was left, or not as the case was, so great to see some video record was made whilst the line was still around!

[@jamessilgram3894]

This is really interesting. I'm from Broadheath and it's good to see old photos of around the area. There's something haunting about looking at the remnants of old railway stations and tracks

[@37418]

This Was a Excellent Video So many great memories. Skelton junction looks so bad today. My Mum Lived jbehind the coal yard Near Broadheath Station and My dad worked at Tilghmans I remember then knocking it down in 1995.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers my grandad worked at tilghmans! Retired early 90’s

[@christinaburton9297]

Thank you so much! Lymm needs its railway back.

[@Tom_Roberts]

Thanks for posting this .

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks Tom

[@chrisreddy4815]

Great video. I spoke to the lady in the house at Dunham Station a couple of years ago. Turns out She's got an old freight waggon still in the back garden next to the trail. You can see it in the photo, looks like a shed. I live locally and find both this line and the west timperley one really interesting. Cheers

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks Chris!

[@jackiegriffin4127]

Just watched your film. It was really interesting. Kept pausing the film when something was familiar. My dad worked at Tilghman's and I lived on Davenport Lane. Going to show this to my dad.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Jackie, my grandad worked at Tilghmans until he retired in the late 1980's. Ask your dad if he remembers Albert Goddard.

[@colinedward3147]

Very interesting matey, lived round here since being a kid and messed about on the disused railway, always wondered about it. Really well put together 👍.

[@raquelembleton6902]

Thankyou very interesting and brings back memories 👌👍

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Raquel

[@anthonykeaveny8860]

Raquel I agree ! Only a couple of years ago I could walk and explore all these wonderful places . Now I can't and I am so grateful to Lewis for taking us back there.

[@MarkJT1000]

I have some memories of Deansgate Lane in the 1970s as being semi industrial with the railways and looking pretty run down. More recently I've become interested in disused railways and wanted to find out more about how they used to be. Skelton junction and the lines to Broadheath have long interested me. So great video for me. Thanks very much. I've walked the bit of that line around Lymm a few times soI must look at some other bits.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers mark glad you enjoyed it!

[@gagwithgaffer8385]

Very informative, well presented lad

[@yvonnetomlinson6717]

I used to live on Moss Lane Bridge in Altrincham, our houses backed into the railway sidings and allotments. We used to play on the trains that were “parked” here, particularly the last carriage (forget what they called it - the one with the wheel in). This part of the line has also disappeared - it went out into the street through big iron gates and down to the gas works near Bannermans. My dads uncle worked at Altrincham station & I still have his metal railway buttons off his jacket.

[@RingwayManchester]

Great stuff Yvonne :) Thanks for commenting

[@raquelembleton6902]

Yvonne Tomlinson I bet they knew my dad from when we lived on navigation road

[@anthonykeaveny8860]

Yvonne the last carriage is called the guards van. In the States they are called caboose, (A little house on wheels!) .

[@pauldrinkwater2621]

Hi Yvonne I used to live on oakfield Road opposite pickfords removal co .in the early 70s . I remember the gates just before the bridge Inn pub . Ha ha memories 😄

[@yvonnetomlinson6717]

Thanks for all your comments everyone. Yes the last carriage was called the guards van, thanks for reminding me.

[@TalesFromTheBlahSide]

My Dad and I rented offices in the Kearns' Richards machine tool factory (which I think is now called Blue Chip industrial estate). We looked out onto the lane that passed under this line to join Craven Road on the other side. The day was punctuated by the regular freight trains thundering by until one day (as you mention) in 1985 they just stopped.

[@NeilTaylor]

Well done on this, even I have learnt a lot.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Neil

[@mrangry1960]

Fascinating.I'm a van driver and do a lot of deliveries in the Deansgate lane area. When you turn left from the road alongside the canal into Deansgate labe, there is a hump upwards before the level crossing, just before the left turn to where the garages are (Ace mobile, Oglethorpes and Truckcare) did this have something to do with the railway as some old maps show a curve from the MSJA line to the route via Broadheath. Was this where this crossed?

[@littlemissie7978]

Very nice video showing the old rail lines between these 2 areas. I like to visit Dunham Park once in good while. I live close (ish) to Timperley and Altrincham. But it seems there is now... never going to be any direct train or tram (metro link) route to get to Dunham Park, right? I really wish there could be a new tram line setup near there, otherwise how does someone like me who likes to visit places such as Dunham Park be able to get there easily? :-/ Starting at about 11:24 (ish) in the video, looks a bit like where the old station and line might have been at one time? Obviously it looks a lot different now. I'm a bit disappointed by this. :-/ (always a lot of things that change over the years) I think there might be a bus route near there somewhere. Not as convenient as a train or tram (metro link) line though, but still..... not too bad I suppose. Very nice video setup again. Nice work showing off the areas nevertheless.

[@MartinZero]

I think I went on a Bike ride down this railway bed. Ended up near Runcorn ?

[@RingwayManchester]

Yeah that's right mate.

[@stebishopnomad1838]

Great video Lewis

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers mate!! How you doing?

[@stebishopnomad1838]

I'm great Lewis thanks

[@scs7798]

I wish people restored this and made it into a heritage railway

[@ianbd77]

I got stuck on the green canal bridge as a kid while a freight train went over. I remember all the lines when they were in use and after Skelton Junction there was a little swamp.

[@aedale1]

Thank you that was really interesting.

[@peterhughes1074]

Found it very interesting used to work as a guard over this route also worked a weed killer train from Arpley over a week after it closed passing all signals at danger & stopping at all crossing while P-Way opened them for us

[@nicemandan]

Nice, I went to st. Hughes school and was always getting into trouble for playing around Skelton Junction probably told off by Reggyrail once or twice :-)

[@jillmitchell9468]

Great video. I used to live backing on to Stockport line and remember sitting on the bank counting the number of limestone waggons with my brothers. They used to make the house shake.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers jill!

[@annescholey6546]

Do you know a Jubilee class engine called Minotaur was cut up at Broadheath goods yard in 1966? Any photos of the event?

[@RingwayManchester]

I think I have photos... I’ll let you know if I do

[@johneyres3045]

Great video. Do you have any plans to do part 2 towards Arpley?

[@RingwayManchester]

Hi John not at this time

[@johneyres3045]

no worries bud

[@ts.railways9293]

hi mate i live in the local area i trainspot at stoney bridge and navigation road alot, is there anyway onto the railway just to take pictures or anything like that, just thinking so i can have a look on daily exercise, thanks alot, love the video, Cheers Tom

[@RingwayManchester]

Hey Tom, you can access it at multiple points, the brick tunnels near the black bridge is the easiest way but it's so heavily overgrown and quite hard to navigate.

[@ts.railways9293]

Ringway Manchester thank you gonna head there today will give it a go and if it’s too overgrown I’ll either try knock down the overgrowness or try find another place to get up there, thanks mate

[@RingwayManchester]

Let me know how you get on

[@ts.railways9293]

@@RingwayManchester thanks mate will do the black bridge is only a 15 min walk/3 min drive so should be good. thanks mate

[@Wickedacorn]

That was great.

[@islaws4589]

Nice one 💜ed this! Some of that coal traffic you mention near the end used to pass along the now disused Godley to Apethorne line near Hyde - also now part of the TPT. There is still an intact Coaling Stage & Turntable basin along the line from the steam days! Back over in your neck of the woods there's what looks like either a disused line or canal on google maps just west of Wythenshaw Hospital that leads directly to Brooklands roundabout. Any ideas?

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks so much! The part you're looking at is Brooks's Drive. It does look like a railway and I thought the same thing too. There's even a house where a road cuts through it that looks like a box keepers house but it has always just been a pathway. Cheers

[@islaws4589]

Ah ok - thanks for clearing that up. And shit a brick - see my darling 10yr old has changed my account name! 😹😹😹 Kids pod avem!

[@RingwayManchester]

Haha!

[@RingwayManchester]

Shout out coming for you in tomorrows vlog!

[@islaws4589]

Ringway Manchester Hey nice one cheers!

[@anthonybeaman3300]

Is the Steve Waplington you mentioned was he a one time speedway rider?

[@RingwayManchester]

Not that I’m aware of

[@NenadKralj]

And that is how time passes (like a train) fast!

[@gerardjones7881]

a map with overview of the towns mentioned would help. The names are familiar but I can't place some of them, I've been in USA for 50 yrs, grew up in Fallowfield M/C.

[@RingwayManchester]

Fair point Gerard

[@cjb7575]

Great film. I miss the sound of a class 37 pulling a rake of ICI hoppers through Skelton.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Christian!

[@memeyladtv7351]

great sesh spot

[@jimloach4075]

Enjoyed that mate

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Jim

[@craiglogistics2092]

This was part of the CLC (Cheshire Lines Committee) Railway as was the line to Glazebrook

[@ewanbauld607]

Was good - I used to live near Deansgate Lane and I can remember the bridge thats now gone and indeed the arches in Broadheath. Always wondered why it was called black bridge lol

[@anthonymcdonnell5384]

this just one part of The Warrington to Stockport Railway, there was an accounment 2 weeks ago by the Government on reopening line to Passenger and Goods, the bridge at Latchford warrington is going to be rebuilt but it will cost £20 million to replace the viaduct

[@gzk6nk]

Very well done. Thank you. I remember all the railways you mention when they were busy with passenger and freight trains, and the DC electric trains ran on the Manchester to Altrincham line. I used to watch 8F steam locos and others on freights from the Black Bridge at Skelton. I have forwarded the link to your film to the Manchester Locomotive Society, as I suspect many of their members will find it interesting. MLS also hold an extensive library of historic photos which you might find useful. Contact them through their web site manlocosoc.co.uk/. Vince Chadwick.

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks very much Vince for the kind words and also for sharing the video on. Cheers

[@dereklatham6800]

yea i remember all this, I spotted at skelton till the end of steam in 1968.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Derek

[@jamesbraithwaite478]

Michael Portillo was trying to get that reopened. I wish it would be.

[@dabsstudio1800]

does not feature anything about the line behind broadheath school an the new bramley farm Pub

[@RingwayManchester]

That’s a completely different line so it wouldn’t.

[@raquelembleton6902]

I thought that station was called navigation road station I used to live there in my first 6 years of life and went to navigation primary

[@RingwayManchester]

There's Navigation Road (navigation road), Broadheath (Closed/demolished, where Pizza Hut is now), West Timperlery (Closed/disused) near Stamford Van Hire.

[@bto1970]

Navigation Road is now a metrolink station

[@richardwills-woodward]

What a tragic waste of capacity that we need now. This country's politicians have been short-sighted since the War. We have only recently seen the error and to some credit, the attitude has changed. The problem is, replacing lines is much more expensive than maintaining them, not to mention a process of years. We are still a car dominated country with rail useful in (some) areas and cities. Our coverage however is far short of where it needs to be, especially in Manchester. Lines should be criss-crossing Manchester by now in far greater density. Replacing existing lines with trams is entirely wrong though. Manchester's transport policy is a mess.

[@simondavids9438]

Northern powerhouse now looking into using part of this line by 2030.

[@pauletchells4127]

cant spend in the north england on public transport,

[@benmacauley4147]

big up the D massive

[@scs7798]

I leave 0.1 mile away from it