| There were a number of stations on the route between Whitehall Junction and Apperley Junction, Kirkstall,Newlay & Horsforth and Calverley & Rodley. Little evidence remained by 1980 of these stations, but the most obvious was Calverley & Rodley (equally remote from both of the places whose names it bore). The site of the station is marked by a wide area to the west of the Leeds ring road, location of the extensive goods yard.
At Apperley Junction the branch line to Ilkley diverges on the right, climbing steeply away from the main line. Continuing on past Esholt Junction where the line from Baildon trails in on the left, the first station reached is Guiseley. Ilkley station is a shadow of it’s former self, the DMUs used the two platforms forming the southern half of the station. The disused northern platforms were through lines that marched out across the road and on to Bolton Abbey and Skipton. At Esholt, the Leeds-Liverpool canal and the River Aire are both diverted to the north, but the railway dives straight through the hill causing the obstruction, the 1496 yards long Thackley Tunnel providing the direct route. Today he location has been spoilt by the raising of the bridge parapets as part of the electrification work, and the invasion of palisade fencing spoiling the lineside view. Today’s photographer is now denied the delights of sitting on the coping stone alongside the bridge dangling his feet over the edge waiting for the approaching whistle of a class 40 about to leave the tunnel… Continuing along the valley the two track main line passed Thackley Junction box where the the former four track layout was retained, providing two long loops between here and Shipley. The up slow was rarely used and in the photographs has rusty railheads, but the down slow was frequently used to allow freight trains to be held while other down trains passed by. Approaching Shipley, the route returns to double track. Today Shipley Dockfield is a desolate location, with one of the two overbridges removed, the other raised, preventing views of passing trains and high palisade fencing getting in the way elsewhere. A sad end for a favourite spot. A branch trails in on the north side of the main line at Guiseley Junction. This is the link between the main line at Shipley and the Ilkley branch at Esholt Junction south of Guiseley. Surprisingly, the line had a weekly freight service, Menston coal yard was supplied by a train from Bradford Valley Road goods yard. However the line’s finest hour came in the summer of 1981 when Baildon station played host to LNER Pacifics ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ and ‘Flying Scotsman’ as they used the triangular branch line to turn on the ‘North Yorkshireman’ steam specials. The next collection will feature Shipley station and the line to Bradford Forster Square. |
12th April 1982 40082 passes the site of Calverley & Rodley station with a westbound enthusiasts special. The Leeds ring road crosses the line in the background. 1280x854 01 - 1982149.jpg |
13th January 1979 31205 runs light engine through the down platform at Guiseley on a winter Sunday morning. Guiseley signal box was unusually cantilevered out over a narrower base unlike the standard Midland Railway designs elsewhere in the area. 1280x854 02 - 1979006.jpg |
5th June 1981 The prototype 2nd generation lightweight DMU 140001 is seen during it’s first week of network trials at Guiseley. The press launch of 16th June at Bradford Interchange may make it into these pages sometime in the future. 1280x854 03 - 1981075.jpg |
18th April 1987 A refurbished Derby Class 108 DMU runs under the footbridge into Ilkley station with an arrival from Leeds. Like Guiseley, Ilkley’s signalbox was modified from the standard Midland design to fit the available space. 1280x854 04 - 1987039.jpg |
18th April 1987 A Class 108 DMU sits in the remaining part of Ilkley station after arriving from Leeds. Today the station is electrified and the frequent services are formed of 4 carriage electric units, a successful metamorphosis of a quiet branch line. 1280x854 05 - 1987040.jpg |
26th March 1983 A former 3-car class 111 unit, now running as a power twin emerges from Thackley tunnel with a Saturday Leeds to Morecambe service. 1280x854 06 - 1983001.jpg |
17th April 1981 47471 emerges from the blackness of Thackley tunnel with the mid-morning Nottingham to Glasgow service. 1280x854 07 - 1981_07_32.jpg |
23rd April 1984 47270 with the diesel hauled leg of the ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ passes the down distant signal at Thackley. 92220 ‘Evening Star’ had already passed light engine, taking over the train further up the line. 1280x854 08 - 1984024.jpg |
24th April 1984 A 4 car class 101 Metro-Cammell DMU leaves Thackley Tunnel with a service from Leeds to Morecambe. By this date the former Inter-City & Trans-Pennine DMUs that were providing services had mostly been replaced by conventional sets like this. 1280x854 09 - 1984026.jpg |
13th February 1981 ETH fitted 47487 approaches Thackley tunnel with the morning Glasgow to Nottingham service. 1280x854 10 - 1981061.jpg |
21st September 1983 Carlisle Kingmoor shed provided the loco for the morning up train and return working, usually a type 4 and frequently a class 40. On this occasion something a little smaller in the shape of 25044 appeared on the 15:55 Leeds to Carlisle. 1280x854 11 - 1983297.jpg |
26th March 1983 Carlisle Kingmoor depot has borrowed Stratford based 47003 and allocated it to the four carriage stopping service from Carlisle to Leeds on the morning of 26th March. The working is seen approaching the overbridge at Thackley. 1280x854 12 - 1983006.jpg |
