Bradfords Engine Sheds or should we say MPD's

Here Fairburn 2-6-4 tank 42116 on a spring day

in 1967 at Low Moor shed

 

 

Bradford in its railway heyday sported three sheds

One mentioned before at Manningham, the one above

 at Low Moor and Bowling Junction, sometimes known

as Hammerton St. They were in order, Midland, Lancashire

and Yorkshire with finally, The Great Northern.

 

1. Manningham shed was built in 1872 after needs outgrew the original shed, built just outside Market St station, as Foster Sq was then known. Manningham lies a mile or so north of the city and had a station for local commuters to both Bradford and Leeds passing through Shipley. It was built as a roundhouse though outwardly it was square and built to the cathedral like pattern of the Midland Railway. It has a 42ft turntable and a substantial coaling stage. In 1887 a further wooden shed was added to the north west of the roundhouse. A little later the roundhouse was upgraded with the addition of a 50ft turntable. Most of the allocation at that time was of Mathew Kirtley engines including '156' class 2-4-0's several '139' class 2-2-2's, 0-4-4 WT's and 0-6-0's.

 

 

Many thanks to Alan Whitehead for the above

 

In the Derby Midland Railway centre at Swanwick

junction. Lots of my pictures of the visit can be seen

elsewhere on the blog.

 

The sheds main work covered the passenger services between Bradford and Leeds, Skipton and the Aire Valley towns along with Ilkley and the Worth Valley branch. Express goods for London and Carlisle were served by 0-6-0's.

 

 

Here Johnson 0-6-0 3398 stands alongside the

coal stack at Manningham shed in 1906.

Many thanks to the R.M. Casserley Collection