Woodhead - the Last Day JULY 1981

July 1981 Woodhead.
The last day of trans Pennine freight haulage and empty movements through Woodhead tunnel, with EM1 Class 76 locos.
I had held this Super 8mm footage back because it was planned to have been part of a larger film about electric traction.
I now wish that I could have afforded more film to shoot on that day, but the following year we filmed the "sister" passenger EM2 Class 77 1500v locos in Den Haag, which were sold to Netherlands Railways in 1970, when passenger services had been curtailed on this route.
camera: Canon 512XLE
former Woodhead route British class 77s in their last days at Den Haag:
• Class 77 1500v DC EM2 ...

[@stuartbroome1258]

How priceless this line would be today! Very short sighted to close it.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

And 40 years from now it might be useless again. Just how do you think they would be able to work out what is needed in 40 years if they can't predict if Sheffield will have a white Christmas this year?

[@gainsbourg66]

All railway lines have tremendous value and potential. They just didn't realise that 40 years ago. They should have singled the line, and it would have resembled 100s of little used rural lines all over the country. In addition it would have made a great high speed, steam heritage railway - all set up and complete - the only one to connect two major cities, in fact ANY two cties.

[@BibtheBoulder]

I am utterly amazed. I never realised the Woodhead electrics lasted until 1981.

[@craigoliphant4]

14/7/81 40 years ago today. I was at Woodhead that day also, and saw a DMU pass with staff on a last jolly.

[@beckycrawford3862]

My Grandad, who was a train driver, was driving one of these trains on the last day. Apparently he was interviewed for the radio, would love to find that archive

[@laszlofyre845]

Hi, who was he, where did he work?I worked this line too.

[@MrJimbaloid]

@@laszlofyre845 Hello mate did you know Brian Higginbottom? I worked with him on tipper trucks and man did he have some stories about the woodhead.

[@BibtheBoulder]

@@MrJimbaloid I once worked with a former Woodhead driver: Don Stockdale. Smashing guy.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Absolutely fantastic 👍🏻 But what a waste pulling it all up 😢 I’m lucky enough to have travelled through it and spent many days train spotting round Manchester where the class 76s worked. And I’ve walked through it when it closed 😊

[@robertpagetfilms]

It was the second week of our honeymoon, and being able to afford enough cine film to record this was vital.

[@Isochest]

@@robertpagetfilms Thanks for filming!

[@roywatson8133]

fantastic railway hard to believe its gone forever

[@robertpagetfilms]

and the priority at the time was to retain the route which had most stations, and therefore most customers, with the opposite logic being applied to HS2. It could have had 25KV installed. Glad I was there to record it.

[@stevehutchinson5399]

Cracking footage. Somehow no sound makes it all the more wistful and eerie. Wish I'd been there...

[@tracya4087]

me too

[@train4905]

Awsome 😊

[@robertpagetfilms]

Thanks 🤗

[@markrich7171]

40 years ago. Seams like only yesterday. Had several trips over the route during the preceding months , either railtours or Sunday diversions and had a two day trip in May '81 Sunday/Monday slept in my mates Austin Allegro in Penistone Station Car Park. Woken up Monday morning by the first DMU of the day and spent most of the day photting, 76's. Of all the places we visited that trip only Toton remains. Tinsley, Dinting, Reddish, Wath all closed. As well as the Woodhead line we also griced the Clayton West Branch was also down for closure and indeed closed in May '83 but has subsequently reopened as the Kirklees Light Railway and even the pub and the chippy at Penistone that we frequented on several visits have both now closed.

[@clivebroadhead4381]

It's an interesting fact that if the DC overhead Line Equipment had been retained woodhead would be an excellent route into Manchester from the ECML at Dincaster and the MML at Sheffield with AC/DC compliant trains.

[@gainsbourg66]

Truly amazing. Thank you for capturing that

[@robertpagetfilms]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@dannycarter1966]

The closure was political. Mrs Thatcher saw 2 alternative routes and also wanted to smash the coal industry. She also wanted rid of the Settle and Carlisle as she saw 2 alternative routes. She didn't care, and we're still feeling the fallout now.

[@CarlSmith-bs4qx]

Even for diversion purposes it absolutely should have been retained for use with diesel traction. With a fairly simple new curve it would have been possible at the Sheffield end to have access to the Midland station without the need to reverse. For those that are proactive it is hard not to see the potential for a St Pancras - Man Pic service via Woodhead with a new curve at the Sheffield end.

[@bfapple]

When did Sheffield Parkway get constructed? The grade difference between the Midland and Victoria lines would creat an incredibly difficult challenge.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Meanwhile in reality. In 1981 we were in a recession with traffic levels falling nationally both freight and passenger. The traffic on the Woodhead route could be accommodated elsewhere.

[@Palestina.non.grata86]

How we still long for it to come back, 40 years later.

[@petesaunders5958]

The only electrified line across the Pennines. And they go and close it!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@petesaunders5958 worn out non-standard equipment and locomotives plus a recession causing fall in traffic volume and the need for each train to have 3 locomotives and crews making it more expensive to operate EQUALS a candidate for closure.

[@Andy-oe2ex]

I’ve just rode my bike down here, very sad to see how it is now

[@Isochest]

This route needs to be reopened with 25kv ac catenary

[@EM-yk1dw]

Shortsighted this closure.

[@leeosborne3793]

Why? The line needed a fortune spent on it to replace life-expired non-standard equipment, and the traffic it carried disappeared.

[@thomasoates3003]

@@leeosborne3793 The reasoning given is that it would give extra capacity in the network (for instance, if the Hope Valley line is shut for repairs).

[@jackbarrowclough1739]

An example was the floods at the beginning of the year. Now that Woodhead is closed, TPE services were diverted via Huddersfield, Wakefield and Barnsley

[@MASSspec1990]

@@leeosborne3793 everyone keeps citing that the equipment (locomotives) were life expired. They were only marginally older than the Class 77 which were sold to the Netherlands. The Dutch obviously didn’t think they were life expired. From everything I can find, and the people I have managed to speak to, that life expired line was just an excuse. Like a lot of what went on with the railroads.

[@levelcrossing150]

@@MASSspec1990 If they want to get rid of something then they will find an excuse. Class 37's still going strong.

[@easybeat]

Could have formed basis for modern, high-speed trans-Pennine route? Not sure. But pity formation wasn't safeguarded.

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

also closed in the same year Was the St Helens to Runcorn gap railway built in 1833

[@Isochest]

Capacity we need. It will be realised when truck subsidies end.

[@baconsandwich2007]

Yes, we need more capacity and yes, this line should have never closed but truck subsidies? I've been in road haulage for 30 years and I can assure you, we don't get any kind of subsidy.

[@Isochest]

@@baconsandwich2007 It's indirect. VED does not reflect damage done to highways by the heaviest loads. An American muscle car pays more VED than a 44 tonner!!!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

But in 1981 we had excessive capacity.

[@oliverbrelsford5472]

Aaand... spotters were out in force.

[@Isochest]

The Closure of the Woodhead Route was the First Step Backward in the Degeneration and Deindustrialisation of the UK. Elif Air Ab Tizak to the Co Conspirators is all I can say!!

[@HarryElliott_2007]

Is the woodhead line still in use like some of the areas

[@AdamL]

Yes - from Manchester Piccadilly as far as Hadfield and branch line to Glossop, the Woodhead Line survives kind of... there's also a single track goods line still in use on the Sheffield side

[@ekvedrek]

Yeah but it terminates at Hadfield

[@stanogden6254]

Arthur Moores RIP

[@laszlofyre845]

Good old Arthur. He was my instructor on my MP12 handling course.

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

3:04 naughty tresspasser