# The lost railways of Wakefield



## phill.d (May 5, 2009)

Horbury and Osset a few miles from Wakefield, was a once busy rail centre in the Noth of England.
A number of lines converged at the massive marshalling yard at Healey Mills.
The yard had been slowly run down, and closed to all operation around January/February this year.





Crigglestone curve to the South of Healey Mills was closed in 1991.




The Crigglesone curve was opened in 1902 and is also known as the Horbury west curve.
The line is 1 3/4 miles long and passenger traffic stopped in 1961 with freight continuing untill 1991. In its latter days it was regularly used by the royal train.




The overgrown 40 yard long Horbury tunnel.









Decaying overbridge over the river Calder.




Walking along the old trackbed brings you to Horbury South jnct.
The line joined up to the main line at Healey Mills Marshalling yard.




Rusty sidings and point work at the East end of the closed Healey Mills yard.

Healey Mills occupied a 140-acre purpose built site with 57 miles of track.
When work began in 1959, it was necessary to bring in three quarters of a million cubic yards of landfill to level the site.
The River Calder was diverted into a new channel to the south of the yard.
Four bridges had to be constructed to carry tracks over the river Calder. 




Healey Mills was a natural concentration point for east-west flows of freight, linking the industrial West Riding with the east coast ports of Hull and Goole, the industrial areas of Lancashire and the Merseyside ports. It is also a convenient half-way house between the heavy industrial area of the North East and Lancashire.




The yard contained 120 sidings, at the west end there were 14 reception sidings.
There were 50 main sorting sidings and 25 secondary sorting sidings; 15 staging sidings and 13 departure sidings. In addition, three sidings were provided for internal services.









Trees start to grow on the track at the West end of Healey mills yard.




The footbridge that provided safe access for the staff to the centre of the yard, consisted of lattice girders, recovered from the old 120ft span footbridge which formerly crossed the lines at the north end of Darlington station.




Built circa 1960, time has ran out for this veteran class 08 shunter.
08865 minus wheel rods awaits it's last towed trip to the scrap yard.




Today the yard stands silent and overgrown.
The only trains to occupy the once busy sidings are condemened locos, and rolling stock awaiting there last journey to the scrap yard.









A Tilt shift toy train set effect for this one 




*Frieght train Hobo time*
Harmonica please! 





























The pits!









*Oil mmm!*




Dear friends.




Grid iron latent power!




Healey Mills worked around the clock. A high standard of artificial lighting during the hours of darkness was essential.
This was taken care of at Healey Mills yard by eight 150ft. high steel lighting towers designed to give lighting intensity throughout the yard of approximately one lumen per sq. ft.
The floodlights at the top of the towers contain 1500 watt lamps arranged in banks. On five of the towers, lighting is on all four faces, and on the other three towers, on three faces only.














*GHOST TRAINS-THE END!*

If anyone likes this old scrapped railway stuff there's my full:

*End of the line set on Flickr*

HERE

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/72157613018688055/detail/

Cheers guys!


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## littledasypus (May 5, 2009)

*Nice*

Really nice pics. Seems like a big amount of stuff to abandon.


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## inveigh (May 5, 2009)

So beautiful! I love trains!  I will be taking a look there very soon!


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## cardiffrail (May 5, 2009)

Lovely pics there. I did the Crigglestone Curve and Horbury tunnel a couple of months ago, but didn;t know about the yard. Thanks.


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## Trinpaul (May 5, 2009)

That is a huge and awesome site  Great pics, I enjoyed this post. Thanks


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## Lightbuoy (May 5, 2009)

Tip top report Phil 

Some interesting trains and a great old bridge to boot!

Thanks for sharing.


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## sheep21 (May 5, 2009)

thanks for sharing, what an epic site in size and scope.

Definitely worth a visit!


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## The_Revolution (May 5, 2009)

Excellent stuff; as always.


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## Labb (May 5, 2009)

Very nice pictures! The pictures of the old rusty rail are just TOP ! I will try to get to the place to see for myself.


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## smileysal (May 5, 2009)

Ooooooooh now this I love. From trains, to rails, bridges and tunnels. Excellent pics mate, I really want to see this. 

Will start working on Mendo now for a trip across lol.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## peanuts (May 5, 2009)

me and bunggle were planning a trip sal looks like weve been beaten to it


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## TK421 (May 5, 2009)

Nice one Phil, really good report, I love that shot of the decaying bridge. I understand EWS are getting round to clearing out redundant locos' so I wonder how long the class 56's will remain.


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## big grea (May 6, 2009)

*healey mills*

some good pic's mate well worth a look soon


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## smileysal (May 6, 2009)

peanuts said:


> me and bunggle were planning a trip sal looks like weve been beaten to it



Let me or Mendo know when you're coming across and we'll go with you.  If it's on a day when Mendo isn't here, will have to wait till cars on road.


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## Foxylady (May 6, 2009)

Excellent pics and write-up as always, Phill. Such a lot of interesting remains and some fab bridges.


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## Sabtr (May 7, 2009)

Excellent report phill.

I know that nothing lasts forever but seeing old rail stock awaiting the scrapman saddens me. 

This yard is massive. It is good that you managed to see inside the engine sheds too. The sheds at Cambois, Northumberland are now demolished - I missed seeing in those.

Thanks for posting.


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## D-Sub (May 10, 2009)

Impressive pictures, what strikes me the most is the fact that they leave such inspiring pieces of machinery to rot. Maybe it's because around here everything that isn't in use is either vandalised beyond repair or taken away by the owners. 

That's not to say that hasn't happened/will happen for all this rolling stock however, but I'd hope that the people who roam around the sidings have a little respect for the old trains.


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## Dirus_Strictus (May 10, 2009)

D-Sub said:


> I'd hope that the people who roam around the sidings have a little respect for the old trains.



Everybody on this forum shows respect for every site they visit, no matter what it contains or its size. 

What do you expect should happen to redundant/life expired locomotives and rolling stock, before they go for scrap? Much of the freight stock and locomotives were well past their sell by date when operated by BR, privatisation did nothing to improve their life expectancy. The EU environmental rules governing scrapyards has outlawed much onsite scrapping, so old stock is bound to be held on 'railway' sites whilst awaiting access to a licensed scrapyard.


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## D-Sub (May 11, 2009)

Just a silly nostalgic sentiment I hold is all. I know these things wear down after years of usage and can't last forever. 

How long does it take for them to become scrapped? I get the impression that it can take years and years.


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## Vintage (May 12, 2009)

great thread, love the old trains there mate!


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## littlelaura (May 13, 2009)

Cracking picks mate, looks like a many visit jobby due to size and sheer amount of stuff to look at !
Good job and well done on a super find !
x :notworthy: x


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## and7barton (May 13, 2009)

Seeing those rails still in situ makes me want to grab a couple of wheeled axles and cobble together a little motorbike-engine-driven rail trolley........and ride those rails........
If it's all disused now, it would surely be safe to do so ?


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## Bignickb (May 14, 2009)

a colleague told me once of an old sidings in that vicinity!
someone told me that they had all been towed away but I think that was somewhere else!
Fantastic explore pics that really do the site justice!
Respect!


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## Steiner (May 19, 2009)

*on my doorstep!!*

Hey Phill!

Awesome set of pics!! I only live 10 mins from Healey yard and I never knew you could get in to take such great photos!! Might have to go exploring soon!! 

Steiner


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## phill.d (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for all the comments guys.
Glad you liked it.

Although the locos and rolling stock are all scrapped, the yard is non operational these days..
It's still very much on 'live railway property' Both running lines see regular trains, and are in full operation either side of the yard. 
Just something to note for you guys!


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## Westieuk (May 20, 2009)

Absolute beaut of a site!


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