Diesel Multiple Units

Signalman Bill Tiffany took this photo of a Leeds bound Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit as it passed Waterloo signal box in the early 1960s.

Railway enthusiast Bill Halliday captured a Sheffield bound DMU at the junction of the branch to Water Haigh colliery. It was taken about 1970 when the pit was being demolished. The unit is of the same type as the one photographed by Bill Tiffany but by this time they were carrying the "new" British Rail all blue livery with yellow fronts instead of the distinctive "whiskers". The brewery is clearly visible in the background and the signals indicate that Woodlesford signal box was still open. Bill lived in Rothwell and remembers a campaign by local accountant George Lunn to keep the line open. He also remembers a ladder which was delivered by the station lorry and which for many years still had the destination "Woodlesford" stencilled on its side!

This shot of a Leeds bound three car "Calder Valley" Class 110 DMU was taken by Robert Himsworth at about the same time as the photo above, in the period after the station staff had been withdrawn but before the old "Up" platform waiting room was demolished. The brewery tower is just visible on the left.

E53601 and E54192 arriving at Woodlesford with 2G06, the 1105 Sheffield to Leeds via Barnsley on 1st February 1987. Photo by Keith Long who was a relief signalman who worked at Stourton and Stourton New signalboxes between 1975 and 1981. The large stone block is the balancing weight from the old hand operated crane. Its standing next to what looks like a chimney pot from the demolished station building.

Woodlesford

The Story of a Station