| We begin at the western end of Leeds station, which prior to the major reconstruction of the 1960s was Leeds City, the former LMS station. Following rebuilding, Leeds became a major interchange with services from London Kings Cross via the East Coast Main Line, Trans-Pennine services via both Huddersfield and Bradford, and of course the Midland Main Line both north and south.
By 1979 the Thames Clyde Express was but a memory, the Midland services being truncated to a thrice-daily Nottingham to Glasgow train, reversing at Leeds. Although severely rationalised, local services continued to serve Ilkley and Skipton from both Bradford Forster Square and Leeds stations. The eastern approach to Leeds is a much more cramped arrangement than that of the western end. The approach is along a viaduct bordering the southern edge of the city centre, passing Leeds Parish Church to the south. As the Corn Exchange is passed on the northern side of the viaduct the formation begins to fan out to serve the through platforms of Leeds station. On the north side of the station were a series of lower level sidings and platforms which served the large volume of parcels traffic. Between these and the main-line station were platforms 1 to 3. These were the home of the local services to Ilkley, Harrogate, Bradford Exchange and Skipton. At the western exit of the staton the former LNWR lines swing away to the south over a viaduct overlooking Holbeck depot. A connection at the western end of the viaduct allowed Kings Cross trains to join the Wakefield Westgate route from the 1960s. The viaduct is now disconnected from the network at it’s west end and is an electrified dead-end siding, now little used. Whitehall Junction is passed by all other passenger services as they head west and the freight-only line from Holbeck trails in on the left. Almost immediately the lines split; the Midland and North Eastern lines continue straight on, but a sharply curved incline (newly laid in the mid 60s) leads away to the left, used by the Bradford and Huddersfield routes. Today all the Kings Cross services also use this route following the disconnection of the LNWR viaduct described earlier. The next collection of photos to be uploaded will take us on the two former Midland Railway routes to Ilkley and towards Shipley. |
11th July 1976 ‘Deltic’ 55012 ‘Crepello’ runs light through Leeds, heading for Neville Hill depot from Holbeck to collect empty stock. Unusually the locomotive then proceeded to work a local service to Bradford Exchange in place of the normal DMU. 1280x842 01 - 1979136.jpg |
2nd May 1981 47415 approaches the west end of Leeds station with a delayed service from Liverpool, forming the 10:59 departure to York. 1280x840 02 - 1981_08_16.jpg |
9th February 1980 37112 and 37096 with a permanent way train at the west end of Leeds on a gloomy winter’s day. Class 37s were relatively rare at Leeds at this time despite allocations at Tinsley, Healey Mills, Immingham and Thornaby. 1280x854 03 - 1980004.jpg |
11th July 1981 45053 still retains it’s split headcode boxes as it waits to take over the Glasgow to Nottingham service at Leeds. 1280x854 04 - 1979134.jpg |
11th July 1979 08369 waits between platforms 8 and 9 with a pair of 57’ gangwayed brakes to be attached to an arriving train at Leeds. A class 47 hides in platform 12 with an eastbound Trans-Pennine service. 1280x854 05 - 1979135.jpg |
19th December 1981 47553 stands in a snowy platform 12 with a Trans-Pennine service to Liverpool. 1280x854 06 - 1981335.jpg |
20th May 1982 Variety at the eastern end of Leeds. A High Speed Train has arrived on platform 5 from Kings Cross, a Class 108 DMU sits alongside with a local arrival and 47557 is on platform 9 with an eastbound Trans-Pennine train. 1280x854 08 - 1982180.jpg |
8th February 1982 The Western Region named class 47s were rare visitors to the Leeds area, but here 47077 ‘North Star’ runs round the back of Leeds station with a brake van. 47077 later became one of the celebrity ETH 47s used on the last summer of Virgin 47 hauled services, restored to the same BR Blue livery. 'North Star' has now entered preservation and was restored to its original green livery by Brush at Loughborough before it worked under its own power to Minehead and retirement. 1280x854 10 - 1982042.jpg |
8th February 1982 46052 arrives at Leeds and is routed into platform 12 to form the 12:20 to Liverpool. The Peak looks to be providing plenty of steam for heating the train on a cold winter’s day. 1280x854 11 - 1982044.jpg |
2nd May 1981 40113 has arrived back at Leeds with an excursion train, the train-heating boiler venting steam, a long forgotten daily sight on British Rail. 1280x854 12 - 1981_08_37.jpg |
21st July 1981 I took this an hour or so after watching Bob Willis take 8 for 43 to win the 3rd Ashes Test at nearby Headingley. 47453 enters from the east with a Trans-Pennine service. A Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Works ‘Calder Valley’ Class 110 DMU runs in alongside. These units were built for the hilly route via Hebden Bridge but could be found regularly on services anywhere in the area. 1280x854 13 - 1981143.jpg |
22nd September 1984 Although the loco carries the number 279, the Mk 3 carriage in the next platform is the only clue that this is a 1980s view not one from the early 1970s. 40079 had recently arrived after a spirited run on the morning Carlisle to Leeds service. 1280x854 14 - 1984144.jpg |
