By

Brian Haworth

&

Nigel Kirby

 

 

 

 

 

A

Single-track, stone-overbridge at Whitworth

looking towards site of Whitworth Station and Bacup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B

With the bridge in the previous picture behind the camera,

a view of track-bed

looking towards Broadley Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C

The wet nature of the area is highlighted by this rushing stream,

and the need for robust, stone embankments and culverts

is epitomised by this solid, stone-culvert under the embankment close to Broadley Station

built with typical railway fit-for-purpose style !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D

The remains of the platform at Broadley Station.

Note the massive stone retaining walls, which ran the length of the station platforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E

Close up of the retaining walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F

Rochdale end of Broadley platform

showing stone piers, wing walls and steel-spanned, brick-vaulted Station Road overbridge.

G

View of Broadley Station site from Station Road Bridge

The noticable gap in the platform is the location of the former signal box.

 

Stone retaining wall is shown to good effect in this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H

View looking under moss and litchen-covered Station Road Bridge towards Broadley Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway had to cross the River Spodden

to obtain road access to Broadley Station

 

and built this stone viaduct to facilitate this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J

The spectacular setting of Station Road Viaduct

with the tumbling River Spodden in full flow.

 

 

 

 

 

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K

Beyond Broadley station, towards Rochdale,

stands a very American-looking wooden trestle bridge.

 

The trackbed continues on towards Healey Dell viaduct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L

Viewed from the other side of the trestle bridge,

the gradient towards Broadley can be clearly seen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M

View looking back up gradient towards trestle bridge,

and close to Healey Dell Viaduct

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N

View across Healey Dell Viaduct

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O

View from the viaduct

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P

Side view of viaduct.

The line was carried 105 feet above the River Spodden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q

View towards the viaduct

with the raised mill race clearly visible.

R

All eight spans of the viaduct are shown in this view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S

With the misty arches in the background, the stone slabs in the foreground are part of a mill complex,

which stretched over the River Spodden just behind the camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T

The last span of the viaduct is steel carrying the line over a minor road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U

Just beyond the Rochdale end of the viaduct, stands one of the few railway relics on the route

- a moss-covered 14 mile post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V

Between the viaduct and the station at Shawclough & Healey stand the two bridges.

 

The original bridge slid down the embankment during construction, and was abandoned.

A second bridge was constructed, adjacent to the original, and, amazingly, both survive today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W

View under the abandoned bridge looking towards the second bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

The graceful stone-built Healey Dell Viaduct on the Bacup to Rochdale branch,

which opened to traffic in 1870, closed to passengers in 1947, and finally freight in 1963.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Angled stone-arched overbridge located on the stiff climb out of Bacup.

The angled-bridge once carried a tramway over the line,

which was used for bringing stone down from the many quarries in the area.

 

The view under the bridge in the direction of the overhead pipe is towards Bacup.

3

This rather pretty lattice-truss footbridge

is situated between Brittania Station and Shawforth Station

 

and the view is down the valley towards Rochdale.

 

 

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