Unused Woodhead Electrification Gantries

[MK Tom]

I just watched a driver's eye view of Manchester-York and it reminded me of how many lines there are branching off from the Hadfield/Glossop line that have masts left in situ from when they were electrified. I'm sort of asking three questions here:

• How many places are there where Woodhead masts still stand but don't carry wires? I'm not including locations where they were over additional tracks on the surviving line.
• Is there any chance of them being re-used in the event of electrification, for example on the line away from Guide Bridge towards Stalybridge and Huddersfield?
• Do any masts survive at the Sheffield end of the line?

Many thanks.

 

[Kneedown]

There's a few disused masts at Ashton Moss Jct in Manchester, on the line to Guide Bge. I see no reason why they couldn't be reused if required, seeing as the masts on the Manchester - Hadfield - Glossop route hail from the Woodhead era.
Not sure about Sheffield end, and would indeed be interested to know myself.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Haven't noticed any masts or gantries on the Yorkshire side - I've cycled most of what's cyclable, and looked at most of what's still railway from passing trains or from bridges. Would love to be proved wrong though.

 

[W230]

Haven't noticed any masts or gantries on the Yorkshire side - I've cycled most of what's cyclable, and looked at most of what's still railway from passing trains or from bridges.

Likewise - and found nothing.

I seem to remember seeing old gantries somewhere around Ashburys (or was it Ardwick?) around 10 years ago, which i'd assumed were from the Woodhead era.

 

[edwin_m]

I can see a few on Bing birds eye around Guide Bridge North Jn, of which about two are above the Stalybridge line. However between working out whether they are in the right place and devising a non-standard way of fixing the new equipment to them, I would guess they'll deploy the gas axe rather than trying to re-use.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I can see a few on Bing birds eye around Guide Bridge North Jn, of which about two are above the Stalybridge line. However between working out whether they are in the right place and devising a non-standard way of fixing the new equipment to them, I would guess they'll deploy the gas axe rather than trying to re-use.

Agree, then melt down and recycle. Much easier.

 

[Manchester77]

Think there's a few beyond the buffers at Hadfield

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For maybe 10-15 years after the line closed, there were still gantries over the Woodhead line platforms at Penistone along with stacks of sleepers between those two platforms. Other than the odd few here and there I don't think there's many left at all on the closed sections now- I'm certainly not aware of any East of the Woodhead tunnels.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There's a few disused masts at Ashton Moss Jct in Manchester, on the line to Guide Bge.

Is this the same junction in the Guide Bridge area that the trains on the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge railway to Oldham Clegg Street used ?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Between Torside Crossing and Woodhead there are no masts left in situ. On the Yorkshire side, between Dunford Bridge and Penistone there are no masts left either but there could be some still suviving but rusting and rotting in the Woodhead Tunnels themselves.

The only 'Woodhead' masts left will be the few that suvive north east of Hadfield and as mentioned in the Tunnel itself.

 

[JohnB57]

Is this the same junction in the Guide Bridge area that the trains on the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge railway to Oldham Clegg Street used ?

It's the same part of the layout Paul, but the 1500v DC transfer sidings were served from the west facing part of the Y on the line from Guide Bridge, known as Ashton Moss North Junction, which still exists. The Clegg Street line very briefly joined the Victoria/Stalybridge line at Oldham Ashton and Guide Bridge Junction before turning north to Oldham. OA&GB Jct was taken up some years ago.

 

[MK Tom]

On the video (made in 2000) there are wireless masts all the way onto the viaduct on the line from Guide Bridge towards Stalybridge. Are these gone now then?

When I visited Hadfield in 2011 there was only one mast beyond the end of the wires.

Maybe just me but I think they're beautiful structures.

 

[Manchester77]

Gantries in the tunnel:

Woodhead (No 3) Tunnel by robertfarmar, on Flickr
Also in this image, the 25 is beneath some disused gantries, I think they're still in place:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/9535103965/

 

[paulb1973]

On the video (made in 2000) there are wireless masts all the way onto the viaduct on the line from Guide Bridge towards Stalybridge. Are these gone now then?

When I visited Hadfield in 2011 there was only one mast beyond the end of the wires.

Maybe just me but I think they're beautiful structures.

There is something quite imposing about those original 1500v dc OHL masts - some of them are massive portal structures, certainly on multi-track sections. Although not as large, some of the early WCML electrification equipment was almost as bulky, look at Euston, Rugby (albeit modernised) Stafford (although Trackwatch in the most recent Modern Railways magazine suggests some thinning out is on the cards) Crewe and so on.

 

[LowLevel]

Gantries in the tunnel:

Woodhead (No 3) Tunnel by robertfarmar, on Flickr
Also in this image, the 25 is beneath some disused gantries, I think they're still in place:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/9535103965/

I don't *think*, if I remember rightly, that they're still there in the tunnel - the new electrical equipment has now been fitted. I may be wrong though!