New Woodhead Line Museum at Guide Bridge

[D6130]

Sorry I can't do a link on my phone, but the Manchester Evening News is reporting that a new museum dedicated to the history and operation of the Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead line is to be established at Guide Bridge station. Plans have been submitted to Thameside Council for the museum in a former Network Rail office building at the station. The project, by the Woodhead Railway Heritage Group, aims to highlight the history of the Woodhead railway line that ran between Manchester and Sheffield, and which the application states was the first overhead electric railway in the UK....The building proposed for a change of use was formerly used by the signalling and track maintenance team at Guide Bridge station and has been empty since 2013.

Of course we all know that the Woodhead line was not actually the first overhead electrified line in the country....but it was the first and only 1,500V DC electrified main line outside of the London area and this museum - if it gets off the ground (and I hope it does) will be of great interest to a lot of enthusiasts and historians. It will make for a good day out in combination with a visit to the nearby Stalybridge station buffet for refreshments. Pie, peas and a pint anyone?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Link here... (It"s Tameside Council by the way).

New museum to be created to mark historic railway line

The project aims to highlight the history of the Woodhead Railway Line

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

BBC have run with virtually the exact same story also...

Woodhead line: Museum to celebrate Manchester-Sheffield rail link

A railway group hopes to create a museum that celebrates a line that linked Manchester and Sheffield.

www.bbc.co.uk

Extract...

Plans have been submitted for a museum celebrating a railway line which once linked Manchester and Sheffield.

Documents lodged with Tameside Council said the site at Guide Bridge station would highlight the Woodhead line, which opened in 1845.

 

[DarloRich]

Shildon > Newport was electrified in c.1915. The Woodhead was a jonny come lately at 1955!

 

[D6130]

Shildon > Newport was electrified in c.1915. The Woodhead was a jonny come lately at 1955!

Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham was electrified in about 1908 and much of the LBSCR's South London suburban routes shortly afterwards....but neither these, nor Shildon-Newport, were 'main' lines.

 

[jfollows]

BBC have run with virtually the exact same story also...

What’s amazing is that the BBC didn’t run its stock “old train” picture of a 4-VEP.

 

[2392]

OK to add to this game of one upmanship. The North Tyneside loop between Newcastle upon Tyne and the Coast at Whitley Bay/Tynemouth was electrified in 1904.....

 

[D6130]

OK to add to this game of one upmanship. The North Tyneside loop between Newcastle upon Tyne and the Coast at Whitley Bay/Tynemouth was electrified in 1904.....

Yes....but that was third rail. We're talking about overhead electrified lines - as per my OP!

 

[2392]

The section from Manors to Newcastle Quayside was Overhead wired.........

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Shildon > Newport was electrified in c.1915. The Woodhead was a jonny come lately at 1955!

Surely the Woodhead was electrified a year or two before 1955?

 

[jfollows]

Surely the Woodhead was electrified a year or two before 1955?

May 1954 I believe, “officially” opened in June 1954.
EDIT But the final leg to Rotherwood Sidings from Sheffield Victoria was not completed until January 1955, see later posts.

 

[D6130]

The section from Manors to Newcastle Quayside was Overhead wired.........

True....but not a main line!

 

[DarloRich]

Surely the Woodhead was electrified a year or two before 1955?

May 1954 I believe, “officially” opened in June 1954.

I stand corrected - I thought it was finished 1955. It was planned for many years and work was started by LNER but I think the war and then nationalisation got in the way before it could be finished

 

[jfollows]

I understand; “1954” has always been in my memory although I’m not that old and my first memories are from going to Guide Bridge in 1972 or 1973. And Reddish Depot Open Day 9/9/73.
EDIT And my memory was faulty, not unusual, see subsequent posts for more detail. The electrification east of Sheffield Victoria to Rotherwood Sidings was not completed until January 1955.

 

[ac6000cw]

The Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham was electrified at 1500V DC in 1930 (then converted to 25kV AC in 1971, and most of it converted to 750V DC in 1992 for Metrolink - three electrification systems in about 60 years).

 

[Trackman]

Thought it was a done deal, red tape etc..

 

[Western Sunset]

I think we can give Woodhead the "first mainline" tag, covering (as it did) both suburban, long-distance passenger and freight traffic.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham was electrified at 1500V DC in 1930 (then converted to 25kV AC in 1971, and most of it converted to 750V DC in 1991 for Metrolink - three electrification systems in about 60 years).

The Altrincham line was still operational at 25kV AC until Xmas Eve 1991, it wasn't converted to Metrolink operations until well into the following year (1992).

 

[Trackman]

I think we can give Woodhead the "first mainline" tag, covering (as it did) both suburban, long-distance passenger and freight traffic.

Hence this poster. Apparently worth £££s if you have an original.
Photo posted with permission.

 

[jfollows]

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester–Sheffield–Wath_electric_railway):

The Wath to Penistone section was the first to be energised, on 2 February 1952. Completion of the main line was delayed until 1954 by a collapse in the new Woodhead tunnel, and also by the decision to completely re-signal the whole main line with colour-light signals after sighting problems with the semaphore signals on the Wath branch (nevertheless, some semaphores were retained, which generally remained in service until closure). On 30 May 1954 electric trains began running through the tunnel and the Manchester to Penistone section was fully energised on 14 June. The Sheffield Victoria to Penistone section followed on 20 September 1954. At this time the system had its official opening despite not being fully complete: the final few miles from Sheffield Victoria to the system's eastern extremity at Rotherwood was declared open on 3 January 1955.

Hence the “completion of electrification” in the poster above.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2023 ==

I stand corrected - I thought it was finished 1955. It was planned for many years and work was started by LNER but I think the war and then nationalisation got in the way before it could be finished

You’re right, apologies! June 1954 was Woodhead Tunnel and not the whole route.

 

[ac6000cw]

The Altrincham line was still operational at 25kV AC until Xmas Eve 1991, it wasn't converted to Metrolink operations until well into the following year (1992).

Thanks, earlier post corrected.

 

[Western Sunset]

Plus there was an additional extension of 1500V DC wiring into the new Tinsley Yard in 1965.

 

[timj]

I love the way the new electric loco is hauling a load of coal !

 

[32475]

I love the way the new electric loco is hauling a load of coal !

Coal haulage was the line’s main source of revenue back then and continued to be so right up until closure

 

[snowball]

Coal haulage was the line’s main source of revenue back then and continued to be so right up until closure

The reason the line was closed was that the electricity industry eventually built big new power stations on the east side of the Pennines where the coal was, and the national grid to move the electricity across instead of moving the coal.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Also Fiddler's Ferry power station took more of its coal supply from the Lancashire and Staffordshire coalfields. Later most of its coal was imported via Liverpool and Hunterston until the power station closed in 2020.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Also Fiddler's Ferry power station took more of its coal supply from the Lancashire and Staffordshire coalfields. Later most of its coal was imported via Liverpool and Hunterston until the power station closed in 2020.

Still took a fair bit from Yorkshire though. Much of the traffic from Clayton West (until the pits there closed in the early 80s) was for Fiddler's Ferry.

 

[D6130]

Still took a fair bit from Yorkshire though. Much of the traffic from Clayton West (until the pits there closed in the early 80s) was for Fiddler's Ferry.

That's true....although IIRC the coal from Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe was tripped to Healey Mills before being worked across the Pennines to Fiddler's Ferry either via Standedge or the Calder Valley.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That's true....although IIRC the coal from Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe was tripped to Healey Mills before being worked across the Pennies to Fiddler's Ferry either via Standedge or the Calder Valley.

Must admit I wasn't certain what routing the trains took. My best guess would have been either a shunt at Healey Mills (and possibly combining with a run from other collieries in Yorkshire) or via the Bradley curve onto the Calder Valley which was taken out of use in 1986 (and reopened in 2000).

 

[33109]

I believe that the 506 cab owned by richard benyon who has the cab yard collection will be moving back to home turf once it's been restored.

Think if I remember reading at the time it was planned to loan it to the museum & display it.

 

[8A Rail]

Also Fiddler's Ferry power station took more of its coal supply from the Lancashire and Staffordshire coalfields. Later most of its coal was imported via Liverpool and Hunterston until the power station closed in 2020.

Fiddlers Ferry PS first took imported coal from Liverpool Docks from Autumn 1989, carried on until mid 2015 (also the latter date applied to Ellesmere Port traffic too). After that some came from Hunterston with the rest from Yorkshire again (recycled PS coal).