Wanted to have a trek around here for a long time. It's not hard to get into, at all, for anyone who wants to take a look -- but, in spite of being really rather vast, there's not much to see.
This area actually began life as a mine for the blue clay that bequeathed to Castleton its original name of Blue Pits. It then became the location of the Manchester & Leeds Railway's triangular junction with the Heywood branch. The line was horse-operated at first before turning over to steam operation.
With the expansion of the line and the transformation of the M&L into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, the area became, as well as a junction, a huge marshalling yard.
In 1959 it was remodelled to be a continuous-welded rail depot, the first place in the country to manufacture such rails.
Below is a map of the location in that condition -- its largest extent -- followed by today's photographs that really do show it in a very sorry state. Compare to the map, which shows the location of the travelling crane, aspects of which are still extant.
This area actually began life as a mine for the blue clay that bequeathed to Castleton its original name of Blue Pits. It then became the location of the Manchester & Leeds Railway's triangular junction with the Heywood branch. The line was horse-operated at first before turning over to steam operation.
With the expansion of the line and the transformation of the M&L into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, the area became, as well as a junction, a huge marshalling yard.
In 1959 it was remodelled to be a continuous-welded rail depot, the first place in the country to manufacture such rails.
Below is a map of the location in that condition -- its largest extent -- followed by today's photographs that really do show it in a very sorry state. Compare to the map, which shows the location of the travelling crane, aspects of which are still extant.
