Manningham

Manningham was the first station out of Foster Square on the Bradford Leeds railway and was also the main motive power depot for Foster Sq. In some ways a pretty station though black and white does not do it justice. It was the station for the wool merchants and mill owners whose town houses were centered in the Manningham area of the city. It also served the large and spacious Lister Park which was situated at the top of the hill from the station. The valley floor of the dog legged Bradford dale widened out here and gave ample space for the engine sheds and workshops which would serve the railways needs for storage and maintenance of engine stock.

The villas, whose backs can be seen behind the station, running the length of the valley through to Frizinghall the next station were the homes of many upper middle class Bradfordians of the past and are still present along North Avenue.

The intensive nature of the handling, storing and maintenance of steam locomotives can be seen from this comprehensive set of pictures of Manningham sheds

Manual coaling and manual turntables within the sheds made for hard physical work common to those times.