Disused Stations: Diggle Station

[Source: Alan Young]

Diggle Station Gallery 4: March 1984 - October 2015

On 21 March 1984 British Railways English Electric Type 1 Bo-Bo Class 20 diesel-electric locomotive No.20064 of Tinsley TMD passes the site of the island platform of Diggle station on the up line hauling British Railways Brush Type 4 Co-Co Class 47/0 diesel-electric locomotive No.47221 of Thornaby TMD.. The view is north-eastwards, and beyond Station Road bridge the portals of the two disused single-track Standedge Tunnels can be seen to the right.

Photo by David Ingham from his Flickr photostream

A section of the old up fast platform at the disused Diggle station is seen in 1992 beneath
Station Road bridge.
Photo by Jonathan Cook

Looking north-east from the site of the island platform at Diggle station in 1992; a low mound is all that can be seen of the former platform, and it is accompanied by a derelict permanent way hut. The mouths of the two disused single-track Standedge Tunnels are obscured by the bushes. Since 1966 all rail traffic has used the double-track tunnel on the left.
Photo by Jonathan Cook

Looking south-west from Station Road bridge, Diggle, in July 1996. Only the former up and down slow lines and a loop are now in place. The old up and down fast lines and a siding used to occupy the space to the left. Until the late 1960s the station’s two flanking and single island platform would have been seen in the foreground.
Photo by Ben Brooksbank

British Railways Brush Type 4 Co-Co class 47/4 diesel-electric locomotive No.47540 of Crewe Diesel TMD passes by Diggle Junction signal cabin No.24 signal on the up main line with the 08.50 (daily) Scarborough to Bangor (1M58) on 21 March 1984. No.24 signal (Down Main Starting) was renewed 15yd closer to the signal cabin on 26 September 1982. The tubular steel post carries a white diamond which indicates to the driver that his train is occupying a track circuit which indicates his presence to the signalman. No.24 signal was replaced on 22 April 1990 with a two-aspect colour light signal numbered DE24 located 680yd from the signal cabin. Behind No.24 signal is Diggle Junction No.16 signal (Down Loop Starting). The view is north-east towards Station Road bridge and Standedge Tunnels. The site of the island platform of Diggle station is ahead, stretching from just before
the footbridge to the tunnel portal.
Photo by David Ingham from his Flickr photostream

Looking south-west on 13 October 2015 from a similar vantage point above the closed single-track Standedge tunnels as used in the Michael Schofield collection photo c1958. Uncontrolled growth of vegetation obstructs the foreground, but it can be seen that the platforms and station buildings so clearly visible nearly 60 years earlier have been erased. One of Network Rail's Windhoff MPVs is heading south-westwards towards Manchester. These German built derivatives of a diesel multiple unit use interchangeable modules for a number of purposes; de-icing, leaf clearing, weedkilling etc. Between the bridge and the distant Diggle Junction signal cabin a down loop line is provided, to the right of the two ‘main line’ tracks.
Photo by Alan Young

Looking north-east from Station Road bridge, Diggle, in October 2015 towards the Standedge railway tunnels. Vegetation obscures the left-hand ‘Nicholson Tunnel’, but the right-hand ‘Nelson Tunnel’ can be seen. The red-brick base of the tunnel water troughs tank is visible between the Standedge North Tunnel (left: still in use) and the old single-track tunnels. The single-track tunnels are
both 3 miles 62yd in length.

Photo by Alan Young

Looking east from Harrop Court Road close to the Diggle portals of the Standedge railway tunnels in October 2015. The water tank mounted on a red-brick base formerly supplied troughs in the tunnels where steam locomotives could take up water without needing to stop. The mouths of the two single-track tunnel can be seen beyond the tank; these were taken out of use in 1966. The double-track tunnel still used by trains between Huddersfield and Manchester is out of sight but one of the railway tracks appears in the left hand lower corner. At that point it is crossing the Brun Clough stream which continues in the walled cutting containing sandbags and passes in front of the tank.
Photo by Alan Young

Looking north-east from Station Road bridge at Diggle towards the Standedge North Tunnel. On 13 October 2015 TransPennine Class 185 diesel multiple unit 185 137 is operating the 12.06 from Manchester Airport to York and is disappearing into the 3 mile 64yd tunnel. The former down slow platform of Diggle station was on the left of the tracks and the up slow face of the island platform was on the right. Both platforms stretched up to the tunnel portal.
Photo by Alan Young

The site of Diggle station, looking south from Harrop Court Road on 13 October 2015. Station Road bridge crosses the double-track railway and continues, left, over the trackbeds of the former up and down fast lines and a siding. Diggle station’s platforms used to occupy all of the space this side of Station Road bridge and extended some way beyond it. The Northern Rail Class 150 diesel multiple unit is operating the service from Huddersfield (dep 12.15) to Manchester Victoria. Until the station closed in 1968 the train’s position would be adjacent to the building on the island platform.
Photo by Alan Young

1992

October 2015

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[Source: Alan Young]

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