# Healey Mills-night in the train grave yard.



## phill.d (Jan 27, 2009)

My night in the old train grave yard.





Cataclsmyic overtones!
The yard when first opened would have resounded to the ghostly whistle of the last steam trains in there final death throe years
Healey Mills in Osset near Wakefield was the largest marshalling yard in Europe when built. I used to visit here in the 80's when it was a hive of activity. 
Today it is so very different. The deopt has lost it's allocation of locos, and is in the process of been run down and closed for good. The depot is merely a fuelling point and is used for storage of a large number of withdrawn locos awaiting there final towed journey to the breakers yard.




I thought it would be nice to pay one last nocturnal visit when the atmosphere of the railways is filled with atmosphere. The white spot lights of the yard gave the condemned locos a ghostly appearence for sure.




56093 and 56099 head the line up of condemened locomotives.
I'm showing my age here but i can recall the class 56's entering traffic brand spanking new.
It seems strange to see them motionless and life expired 25+ years later.
A final trip to the breakers yard now awaits them.




The withdrawn locos were all class 56 and one solitary shunter 08865.
The class 56's were introduced between 1976 and 1983.The first thirty locomotives (Nos.56001-56030) were built by Electroputere in Romania, but these suffered from poor construction standards, and many were withdrawn from service early. The remaining 105 locomotives were built by BREL at Doncaster Works.




A drivers eye view from the cab of 56099 looking towards the Eastern end of the yard. The signal will stay red for this condemened locomotive forever.














Driver phill.d. Choo choo!
Boys will be boys lol 




The yard was built in the 1960's and was the largest purpose built marshalling yard in Europe. Today miles of rusty railway sidings now stand empty. An eerie silence prevails were once the clank of buffers, squeal of wheels and the sound of diesel engines ticking over could be heard.
Today the depot has no motive power allocated there, apart for long rows of condemened locomotives and rolling stock. These rusting hulks of engines now await there final journey, a tow to the breakers yard. 









There was very little activity in the yard. A goods train was held at signals for what seemed an age on the yard avoiding line opposite the scrapped locos. We also saw two goods trains stop in the yard, one for a crew change. Apart from that the hourly Wakefield-Huddersfield service occasionally thundered past to shatter the calm of the cold night air.




You've just got to love these little shunters nicknamed Gronks.
Production started in 1953 and when it finished in 1962, the class had become the most numerous of all British classes, numbering 996 in total.
This was the only class 08 (08865) in the line up of condemned locos.



















END OF THE LINE!

Thanks for looking guys!


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## BigLoada (Jan 27, 2009)

Wow killer shots Phill! These would be awsome printed big and put on the wall


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## Sabtr (Jan 27, 2009)

So sad. 

I understand that all things come to an end but it still breaks my heart to see these like this.
I used to watch Gronks at Ashington Colliery. Three would work there non-stop.

Thanks for posting.


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## Earth Worm Jim (Jan 27, 2009)

Nice work. Groovy.


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## phill.d (Jan 27, 2009)

Thanks Bigloada 
There's links to the full size pics on my set here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/72157612874852271/detail/
They do look better large size.

Cheers guys.
It is sad to see things at the end of there working life. 
In this case the engines and yard itself.


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 27, 2009)

Great stuff Phil 

An excellent write-up too -very evocative, and sad at the same time too 

Lb :jimlad:


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## Foxylady (Jan 27, 2009)

Excellent photos and write-up as always, Phil.
Beautiful images, very atmospheric and, as everyone else said, sad too.
Wonderful stuff.


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## Philip (Jan 27, 2009)

Brilliant photos


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## Neosea (Jan 27, 2009)

That's a cool location with some great photos, thanks.


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## Els (Jan 28, 2009)

Bob on that is


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## phill.d (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks guys. Glad you liked them.
There's loads more scrapped trains, steam and diesel in my 'End of the line' set here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/sets/72157613018688055/detail/


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## sam1990 (Feb 4, 2009)

If I had the money I'd buy one of them locos.....



...then again there are lots of things i'd like to buy!


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## pootles (Jul 18, 2009)

Great phots-really enjoyed looking at them-thanks.


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## marshall10 (Jul 18, 2009)

Fantastic photos Phil, really well done.


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## fluffy5518 (Jul 19, 2009)

sam1990 said:


> If I had the money I'd buy one of them locos.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...then again there are lots of things i'd like to buy!



Trust me SAMMY if you had the money and you bought one, you'd never have any money ever again !!!
Wot sort of IDIOT would do that !!


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