Copy Pit Line and summit

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I had long been aware of the tales told by old railwaymen of the climb to Copy Pit summit. The climb is long and hard from both directions, Burnley and Todmorden. Heavy freight trains were almost always banked by engines from Rose Grove Burnley and even lighter freights and passenger trains experienced difficulties if manned by less experienced crews

So after our sojourn at the East Lanc's Railway I decided to drive back via Burnley then onto the A 646 Burnley Todmorden road which takes you through some beautiful country up through Cliviger Gorge and through Copy Bottom past the site of Copy Pit colliery now disappeared but that which gave it's name to the run. The country side is indeed stunning and well worth a Sunday afternoon drive (keeps the wife happy) and of course the A 646 follows the Copy Pit line in  it's entirety The summit is reached on or about the place where the A 646 crosses the line.  

From the summit the the gorge passes to Theivley scout. Thieveley Scout was scoured out when a huge glacial lake burst through towards Todmorden 100000 years ago, the area around Thieveley Scout by Thieveley Farm was a popular Victorian Picnic site at the turn of the last century

The line is still in use for both passenger and goods. As we had sandwiches and tea a timely sprinter past by on it's way from Todmorden to Burnley.