Wardleworth Station Gallery 2: October 1965 - June 2015

Looking south towards the goods yard office and dock at Wardleworth station on 25 October 1965. Although the yard would remain open until 7 November 1966 the siding in the foreground has been abandoned, with weeds invading and a stack of sleepers dumped on it. The solitary mineral wagon, the Morris-Commercial J Type van parked on the dock and the open door of the office are reassuring signs of life. The building was demolished by autumn 1970.
Photo by Richard S Greenwood

On 6 April 1966 an accident has taken place at the Branch Sidings between Rochdale East Junction and Wardleworth with dramatic effect. By 1966 access to the branch was from the down goods loop; the main line connection to the branch had been disconnected in 1960. Thereafter the connection to the branch (and to the extensive coal yard that formed Branch Sidings) was via the down goods loop from Rochdale East Junction.  Branch Sidings signal box had closed on 17 February 1966, so its starting signal on the branch was no longer in use.  As the photo shows, there were a couple of headshunt lines for use when shunting at Branch Sidings, alongside the remaining (down) line of the branch to Wardleworth.  These headshunts were used at that time for storing condemned wagons. The crew of No.46416 were setting off with their goods train for the branch on a foggy morning. They thought they were on the line to Wardleworth but were actually in the more easterly headshunt line.  (In any case there was no longer a signal to be observed.)  The engine set off and almost immediately ran into the condemned wagons.  ‘Class 5’ No. 45206 has arrived with the breakdown train from Newton Heath.  The loco seen here is a Stanier-designed 4-6-0 built for the LMS by Armstrong-Whitworth at Scotswood (Newcastle upon Tyne) in November 1935. She lasted until the end of steam on British Rail, being withdrawn from 11A, Carnforth shed, in August 1968 and disposed of by Cohens, Cargo Fleet (Middlesbrough) in December 1968.
Photo and caption information by Ian G Holt


The Locomotive Club of Great Britain and Roch Valley Railway Society organised the ‘L&Y Pug Rail Tour’ on 19 February 1967 to visit the surviving section of the Facit Branch. At this time Wardleworth station’s two platforms are intact and the footbridge is in place, but the buildings have been demolished.
Photo from Jim Lake collection


Another view of the LCGB ‘L&Y Pug Rail Tour’ on 19 February 1967 to visit the surviving section of the Facit Branch. Three round trips were made on the tour between Rochdale and Whitworth; four brake vans were hauled by No.51218 and intermediate photo-stops were made at Wardleworth and Shawclough & Healey stations. The locomotive, BR No.51218 was an Aspinall 0-4-0 saddle tank, fondly known as a ‘Pug’. She was built at the LYR Horwich works in October 1901 and as a LYR Class 21 first carried the number 68, being re-numbered 11218 in LMS days. On 30 September 1964 she was withdrawn from 87A, Neath Court Sart shed, and was purchased by the L&Y Saddletanks Fund and housed on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. The Saddletanks Fund later became the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society, and more recently the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust, which now owns 51218
Photo by Ian G Holt

The Locomotive Club of Great Britain and Roch Valley Railway Society organised the ' L&Y Pug Rail Tour’ on 19 February 1967 to visit the surviving section of the Facit Branch – which terminated at Whitworth at this time. This view is looking east on the down platform, as some passengers on the tour admire the loco and investigate the footplate. Three round trips were made on the tour between Rochdale and Whitworth; four brake vans were hauled by No.51218 and intermediate photo-stops were made at Wardleworth and Shawclough & Healey stations.
Photo by David Cooke from his Flickr photostream


Looking south-east from the back wall of Wardleworth station’s up platform on 19 February 1967. At this time both platforms are intact, although the edge stones are missing from part of the down platform. The station building formerly stood on that platform, to the right of the loco, and the smaller building on the up platform was on the near side of the extant footbridge. The LCGB and Roch Valley Railway Society organised the ' L&Y Pug Rail Tour’ to visit the surviving section of the Facit Branch; at this date it had been cut back to Whitworth.
Photo by David Pearson


Looking south-east from the disused up track at Wardleworth station on 19 February 1967. Departures from Rochdale were timed to run at 10.00am, 12.30pm and 2pm taking 40 minutes to complete the journey to Whitworth (including the photo stops). There was a 50 minute stopover at Whitworth.
Photo by David Pearson


Wardleworth goods yard, including this exceptionally imposing warehouse, was behind and to the north-west of the down platform. The view is from the end of this platform, looking north-west. The goods warehouse, at the junction of Lawton Street and Major Street, was constructed in 1870 and extended in 1884 when cattle pens were built. It was stone-built and was distinguished by its conspicuous ‘ridge and furrow’ roofline. Two awnings extended towards the rails. The two-storey stone building closer to the camera than the warehouse - and looking as if it should have a residential rather than a commercial function – is the yard office. Wardleworth’s goods facilities closed in November 1966, and by the time of this view in August 1967 the warehouse looks gaunt and forlorn with the roof collapsing and many of its windows smashed. It was demolished by autumn 1970.
Photo by Ian G Holt


Looking south from the final train on the Facit Branch on 19 August 1967, by which time the line had been cut back to Whitworth. An unidentified Class 08 shunter is drawing a rake of empty 16-ton steel mineral wagons below the gantry on which the derelict Wardleworth signal box is mounted. The goods warehouse and office building are in the distance. The small shed in the foreground
was the signalmen’s privy.
Photo by Richard S Greenwood


Looking south-west along Yorkshire Street towards the Facit Branch railway bridge in August 1970, three years after the line closed to all traffic. The site of the former Wardleworth passenger station is about 50yd right of the bridge. No trace now remains of the bridge.
Photo by Neil Clifton


The line through Wardleworth closed to all traffic in August 1967 and by the time of this photograph, November 1970, the rails have been removed but the derelict platforms remain in place. The view is south-eastwards from the up platform, which is intact but disappearing under vegetation, while the removal of the edge stones from part of the down platform (as seen in photos from February 1967) has allowed the back-fill to collapse. The footbridge has been dismantled. Within a few years all trace of the platforms and trackbed would vanish as the site was turned over to light industrial use.
Photo by John Mann


Looking west from Rugby Road towards the site of Wardleworth station in June 2015. The up platform’s position was within this car park for GSF Car Parts, but at a slightly higher level.
Photo by Alan Young

Looking west across Yorkshire Street, Rochdale in June 2015. GSF Car Parts’ building is on the site of the north-western abutment of the former railway bridge, beyond which Wardleworth station was located. Nothing remains of the station.
Photo by Alan Young