Model Railway Forum

The final pictures (for now) of the nearly finished 'new' layout.

Crown Point Yard. The 'American style' locomotive I have had for a little while. Maybe I shall Anglicize it.
A couple of photographs of Sovereign Street.

A K&ESR passenger train arriving whilst a Calder Railway locomotive shunts wagons in the yard.

My next project will be 'Clarence Dock'. It is something I have been wanting to do for some time.

Glencairn

Steam trains to Sovereign Street hasn't been forgotten.

More scenery added here and there.

View from the control area towards Crown Point.
Wild flowers in the long grass.
A couple of Midland Railway four wheel rolling stock getting their first trip on the layout.
Glencairn

Here I am thinking I am running a fictitious layout. ( I am really). Then I am reliably informed Crown Point area had a station then a goods yard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_Hun ... ay_station

Wonders never cease.

Glencairn

A Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby Rlwy goods train waits at the signal before travelling to Blackburn's Aircraft Co Factory at Oakwood, Roundhay.


A Calder Railway goods train passes bound for the LNWR Goods Yard.

The LSWR goods train proceeds to Oakwood, Roundhay.
Glencairn

A 'troop train' from the north is passing the level crossing and heading south. A mix of different carriages from different Companies is evident.

Same train passing Sovereign Street Station.

Another 'troop train' heading south passing Crown Point.
Glencairn

The early morning Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway passenger train from Barnbow on its return to Kirkstall. Locomotive 'Titan' is in charge.

A K&ESR Goods train has clear way through Sovereign Street.
Glencairn

A train from the north. A LSWR goods train heading for LNWR Goods Yard.
Calder Railway locomotive 'Huxtable' passing Wyndham Farm and heading to Earlsheaton Junction with the railgun.
The railgun is rather heavy, but the little 0.4.0 handles it with ease.
Glencairn

A (new) short history of Sovereign Street


The Calder Railway Line To Leeds


The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway saw the Light Railways Act of 1896 as an opportunity as a way to build a line to York.

With the support of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and Great Northern Railway, the newly formed Calder Railway Company proposed a bill to Parliament for a line from Earlsheaton Number 23 (on the GNR Dewsbury Loop line) to Lofthouse and Outwood Station, via Chickenley Number 24 East.

In the same Bill, two new curves to be built. The first from the Lancashire Yorkshire Market Place Branch Line to the GNR Headfield Branch Line. The second curve to be from the Headfield Branch to the Dewsbury Loop Line eastwards towards Earlsheaton.
Those two curves allowed Calder Railway to run from Dewsbury Market Place Station to Earlsheaton, then eventually to Leeds

North of Lofthouse the Calder Railway would use the grandly named East and West Yorkshire Union Railway and South Leeds Junction Railway line to Stourton.
The E&WYUR/SLJR were effectively the same Company, but were in financial difficulties. Allowing the Calder Railway running rights brought much needed capital to their coffers.

A further proposal of a Light Railway from Stourton to Leeds Sovereign Street passing Balm Road and Crown Point was made. A Goods Yard to be at Crown Point.

The Midland Railway was wary of the threat of the interloper and opposed the Bill. The Calder Railway successfully fought the appeal and the line was built.

The line to Sovereign Street was fully opened in 1902.

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway now had their own line into Leeds.

Glencairn

The Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby Railway


At the same time with the backing of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, the Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby Railway Company put a proposal to Parliament for a Light Railway from the proposed Sovereign Street Station to Wetherby with stations at Burmantofts, Oakwood, Roundhay, Shadwell, Scarcroft, Bardsey, East Keswick, Collingham arriving at Wetherby NER Station. Blackburn's Aircraft Factory near Oakwood also backed the plan.

A Light Railway Branch Line was proposed in 1899 from Burmantofts to Seacroft with stations at Torre, Gipton, South Parkway arriving at Seacroft.
The line to Wetherby was completed in 1910 and 1912 to Seacroft.

As all the lines were built to main line standards (though run as Light Railways) in 1909 a Bill went to Parliament to join the line from Sovereign Street to the Leeds Central Station. The short line was completed in 1913.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway had reached Wetherby. Their next proposal was put to Parliament in 1910 to extend the line from Wetherby to Copmanthorpe; just before York.
The North Eastern Railway opposed the plan, but before any final outcome could be reached War intervened.

Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway

With the building of Barnbow Number 1 Munitions Factory in progress, the line from Seacroft was extended to Barnbow. A new Company, Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway was formed. They were to run materials etc. from Kirkstall Forge (near Central Station) to Barnbow.

Some new wagons have joined the 'fleet''

Douglas and Graham are family names. We used to live in the Border Region and I would often walk part of the old Border Railway line' . A couple of wagons with the family name, The D. Jenkinson wagon ( of Marthwaite layout fame) is the in honour of him starting me to making my own wagon names.
A stalwart on the Calder Railway. 'Leefy''.
Glencairn