As seen in my own sat pictures 43924, back on track

43924, back on track by news@kwvr Missing from the front line since the end of October, Midland 4F 0-6-0 43924 is back in action following a Winter maintenance programme that illustrates the amount of work required to keep the operational fleet operational. Thanks to Ralph Ingham's report we have an insight into what can be involved in what, to our untrained eyes, appears quite simple. A 14 month boiler exam and fitting new left hand and right hand big end bearings sounds quite straight forward, an assumption far from the truth. The previous set of big end bearings had done sterling service since fitting before the locomotive first ran in 1970. However these were not to the original dimensions, there being neither drawings nor patterns available when 43924 was first restored. As a consequence they could be a little thirsty on oil, although they happily resisted the 8 coaches that the Severn Valley Railway attached behind the tender on its visit there in 2014. A suitable drawing only came to light following the acquisition by the National Railway Museum of drawings located at Derby. Thanks to a time spent by 4F regular Ron Winfindale ferreting through Derby's drawings, we were able obtain copies of all those relating to the class. From these a correct pattern was produced and brasses cast, whitemetalled and roughed out. Once completed only then could time be found for the 95 year old veteran to be stopped long enough for the fitting work to be undertaken. Since withdrawal, and amongst other jobs, the shed staff “usual suspects” have machined and fitted new the big end bearings and after a successful test run in blizzard conditions on Saturday 30th January, the 4F returned to traffic at first in tandem with 75078 and then on its own with 4 coaches behind the drawbar. Thankfully photographers, braved the elements and were there to record 43924's triumphant return, a tribute to the hard work of Haworth shed staff and volunteers. ‘On shed’ being prepared for the test run. Coasting down to Keighley with 75078. Double-heading with 75078 at Damems Junction. 75078 & 43924 round the curve on the exit from Mytholmes Tunnel In blizzard conditions, journey’s end at Oxenhope. Back on duty, 43924 departs Keighley in difficult conditions but in fine style. Many thanks to Robert Batty and Chris King. Nice to know I wasn't the only mad photograper out on Saturday I include my own picture of the pair at Haworth in the morning. I caught the blizzard up at Oxenhope. Great to see this stalwart of the K&WVR back

Robin Riddles Austerity locomotive 90733 in disguise

Playing the part of 90711 which was the last steam 

locomotive to run over the Queensbury lines as it 

hauled the engineer's dismantling train which 

lifted the tracks

BR standard class 4 76079

Crew change at Grosmont gives us a good indication

of the size of these magnificent engines

Once again a summer day, soon be back.

Crisp, cold, clear winter sunshine at Oxenhope on the K&WVR

Just a couple of weeks ago, such a difference to

yesterday

90733 shines in the sun

Roll on the summer warmth

K&WVR today, sunshine and blizzard

I won't anotate every one I think they speak for

themselves. It was blinking cold though

What we do for this hobby of ours

The new Forster Square station

The New Forster Sq station

Some may recognise the arches

The new station is situated where the old school 

St bridge cross the old station platforms at their

extreme north end

We could still squeeze another line in for steam 

with a run round

Now served by modern electric sets

Keighley & Worth Valley railway today 30th Jan 2016

Had a run up to the K&WVR this morning 

Two engines in steam in the yard. BR Class 4 75078

and Midland class 4 43924

Only the BR class 4 was working trains

In between the blizzard conditions the sun came out.

Last outing for this engine before workshop checks 

prior to the Winter Steam gala next month

GWR Prairies, Moguls and 56/66XX series engines

I have often commented on my recollections of these 

very fine engines both in the South West and in South

Wales where I spent a good deal of my childhood

here the 56 and 66XX series now thankfully preserved

at Minehead on the West Somerset Railway

In my day they were a good deal grimier and here

we see them at Swansea shed

The Priarie's and the Moguls were the general 

workhorses of the GWR

Crofts Engineers Bradford and my love of all things Steam

In my own apprenticeship days the long workshops

seen in the pictures by the GNR Leeds-Ardsley line

contained the fitting and machining shops for the

heavy transmission equipment built by the successors

of Mess'rs Newton Bean & Mitchell, Mess'rs Crofts

Engineers and Co

Above you see the fabrication dept where large gear

box cases were fabricated before going for machining

Above and below the general fitting shop where 

worm wheel and helical gears were built for a 

multitude of purpose

Below can be seen the use of some of the worm 

and wheel gears manufactured on the Dudley 

Hill site

These I believe were powering malting drums at

a distillery in Scotland.

So now you know what went on those works next 

to the GNR line and my own association and 

eventual success, gaining my second and chief

engineers qualifications and when my engineering 

career ended with redundancy I was ideally placed

to study for a degree and taught mathematics 

and physics to would be future engineers. 

I do feel very sad these days that the

opportunities afforded me, albeit with 

great patience and understanding is not readily

available to the young men and women of today where

it seems everything has to be done and achieved between the 

ages of five and eighteen. My path has been one of lifelong learning. 

Dudley Hill and where I served my apprenticeship

Some of you have inquired about

the works where I served my apprenticeship

The works pictured at Dudley Hill, Dawson lane

were originally the works of Mess'rs Newton Bean

and Mitchell who produced would you believe 

STEAM ENGINES. 

Their steam engines were of course of 

the static variety that powered mills and 

generating plants.

The connection with the company with whom I 

served my apprenticeship was in the power 

transmission side such as gears and pulleys

Such were needed in abundance to transmit the power

of the steam engine to the looms and spinning mules

of the mills. 

There is an excellent example of just such an engine 

in the Bradford Industrial Museum seen below

This was a Newton Bean & Mitchell Uniflow engine.

Before the development of the steam turbine,

as with the marine industry, power generation

was by means of steam reciprocating engines as

seen above. Newton Bean & Mitchell built some

very large engines. In my day it was the first shop 

entered and was called the heavy fitting shop. It

was of course by that time owned and operated 

by Crofts Engineers and it was where the very 

large gearboxes were assembled that drove

large sugar mills and indeed turbine 

installations and was of course the 

raison-d'etre for my eventual

move to P&O as a junior 

marine engineering officer.

Now in old age I harbor fond 

memories of the Newton Bean works 

and the men who very patiently taught me my trade

The artistic side of me says my cup raneth over

Laisterdyke East junction and Cutlers junction

I have been asked how access to the Dudley Hill 

GNR Ardsley line was gained from the Bradford

 side. Well it was from these two junctions. 

Above we see Cutlers junction which was a little

way past Laisterdyke station and formed the GNR

line to Leeds from Ardlsley and of course Low Moor

the lines in the centre foreground are the main line

from Leeds to Bradford via Laisterdyke some 

quarter mile to the west of this junction, here we

see a Thompson B1 coming off the GNR Leeds 

to Ardsley line having passed through Dudley Hill

some mile and a half back or of course maybe it 

just turned on the triangle 

Above in the second picture is Laisterdyke east

with the line to Cutler Heights and Dudley Hill 

on the left with the Fowler tank and train. The

line to the right of the picture is the main line 

from Bradford to Leeds. Originally of course line

 down past Laisterdyke into Bradford terminated

at Adolphus St station which was the original

terminus for trains from Manchester via Low 

Moor and Bowling tunnel. However by the time

the Cutlers junction to Low Moor line was built

everything running down into Bradford would

have terminated at Exchange. Adolphus St was

by that time only used for goods. So the train in

the picture would probably have been a Wakefield

train via Laisterdyke, Dudley Hill and Ardsley.

West Yorkshire railways map

Here a better map showing the Dudley Hill

Low Moor line and many others

A GN and L&Y bill was deposited in 1883 for new junctions between the two systems, at Dewsbury and Low Moor. Work on these connections did not begin until 1890. The Dewsbury connection running from a point 0.5 miles south-east of Dewsbury to the L&Y Thornhill-Dewsbury branch at Headfield Junction and was a rather costly affair. It incurred building a 300 yard long masonry viaduct from the Gn Bradford-Wakefield  line, a substantial cantilever bridge across the River Calder, a girder road bridge and finally a smaller edition of the river bridge across a cul-de-sac of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal. The Low Moor connection to Dudley Hill involved earthworks and road bridges only and was nearly two miles in length.

When these lines were completed in 1893 the GNR was able to advertise a circular passenger service from Leeds Central station through Tingley and Dewsbury via Thornhill to Dudley Hill, and then back to Leeds through Pudsey. Sadly the public did not show any enthusiasm for the new route and the service was withdrawn some twenty years after its opening. The Low Moor to Dudley Hill branch closed in 1917 and track later taken up.

Dudley Hill Station was described in the 1960’s as: ‘Grass sprouts on the four platforms as the station was closed on April 7^th 1952. The two eastern faces are even more decrepit, for they have not been used since the withdrawal of passenger services between Dudley Hill and Low Moor in 1917. This branch, the earthworks of which are still to be seen, descended to pass beneath the parent line some 300 yards south of the station and turned south-westward towards Low Moor.’ 

The Dudley Hill station story ending

Once again for your convenience I include the view

of the line from above. Crofts Engineers Dawson

lane works dominates the centre top. The Low 

Moor line can be seen in the cutting bottom right

where it entered a short tunnel to pass under the

Great Northern Leeds to Ardsley line. We can 

all to easily forget how the local railways scene 

was dominated by the Great Northern Railway

who were determined to gain footholds in the 

Lancashire & Yorkshire territory now under the 

influence of the Midland and LNWR soon to be

the LMS

The large shed like building which can be seen in

the picture below, centre left, can be seen bottom 

right corner of the aerial view above. In my days

working at Crofts it was a bicycle shop

The view above is take from the Great Northern 

line looking towards Dudley Hill station. The steel

over bridge at the top of the picture carries Dawson 

lane over the railway. To my back would be seen 

Crofts Dawson lane works and the line to Ardsley

and further on to Wakefield. The small bridge on

the right of the picture carried Tong St across the

Low Moor line whose short tunnel parapet can be

seen centre right 

Above picture taken from the Tong St bridge facing

Knowles lane bridge and shows the good branch now

unused and disconnected on the centre left

Here the cutting is now being infilled in the 1970's

The steel bridge being Dawson lane. How short a

 life these very costly civil engineering projects

lasted is testimony to the railway mania of the time.

Above the last views of what little remains of  a

once busy station, goods depot and junction. 

Dudley Hill station bereft of all buildings 

showing the view towards Knowles Lane

Below the end of the Low Moor line

How quickly we cast aside that which we have no further use of only to find that we needed it after all