Loco Roster

Overhaul Page

On these pages we aim to bring you regular updates as to current overhaul progress. Also, from time to time we will use these pages to update visitors on other projects, such as Keighley re signalling, Oakworth Bridge repairs etc.

Sunday 8th March - A day many thought would never come. Southern Region West Country Class, No. 34092 City of Wells sits on the pit in Haworth Yard in light steam as part of her ongoing overhaul. This was the first time in over 20 years she had had a fire in her belly. Much is still required before she will be ready to run, hopefully within the next 12 months. 

The K.& W.V.L.R. occupies platforms 3 and 4 at Keighley station (platforms 1 and 2 are used by the national railway network's Bradford/Leeds to Skipton, Morecambe and Carlisle trains). Platform 4 is used by most services but platform 3 may be used when Keighley Station Yard Working is in operation (see below).

Signal & Telegraph

The line is worked by the "One Train Working" system using a train staff containing an Annetts key. All points on the main line, except those at Damems Junction, are secured by an Annetts lock. The O.T.W. staff may also be used to unlock the signal box lever frame at Damems Junction and institute electric token block working. This splits the line into two block sections: Keighley to Damems Junction and Damems Junction to Oxenhope. 

Provision also exists for unlocking an Annetts key at Keighley South ground frame to institute "Keighley Station Yard Working", which enables the Keighley station area, between 0m and 03m, to be worked as a separate section.

Signalling

Signalling on the line is a mixture of British Railways upper quadrant and Midland Railway lower quadrant semaphore signals. All points are operated by mechanical rodding from lever frames; the lever frames at Oxenhope use Midland Railway economical facing point locks.

Permanent Way

The most severe curve on the line is the down line to up line connection of Keighley West Crossover, (5.4 chains radius). There are two other check-railed curves: the 9 chain radius Keighley Curve (0m.5ch. to 0m.27ch.) and the 13 chains radius Globe Inn Curve (0m.32ch. to 0m.44ch.).

The line is predominately laid in 60 feet lengths of 95lb per yd. bull head rail; the inside rail is shortened to 59ft. 7Hin. on sharp curves to keep the rail joints parallel. A short section of older 45ft. rails survives between 0m.51ch. and 0m.63ch. The rails are secured by steel keys into cast iron S1 chairs which rest mainly on wooden sleepers but approximately 700 yd. rest on concrete sleepers.

Rail

There are two sections of flat-bottomed rail: approx. 3 mile of 98lb per yd. f.b. rail between Damems Junction and Oakworth and approx. 250 yd. of 109lb per yd. f.b. rail north of Haworth station; both sections are laid on concrete sleepers. All pointwork on the line is made from 95lb per yd. bull head rail save the loop side of Haworth North Points, which uses 85lb per yd. bull head rail.

Tunnels & Bridges

There are two tunnels on the line: Ingrow Tunnel (150 yards long) and Mytholmes Tunnel (75 yards long). The Railway's bridges number from 1 to 31 plus "X" of which four have been abandoned; 18 are underbridges and 9 overbridges (Bridge X was on the station approach road at Oxenhope over a mill dam) but there have been many alterations since the line was constructed by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Co. in 1867.

Midland Takeover

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Co. was vested with the Midland Railway in 1881 to allow the Midland to come to agreement with the Great Northern Railway, which had received authority to construct a line from Bradford and Halifax to Keighley.

The companies had agreed to share the Worth Valley track between Keighley station, rebuilt and enlarged in its present location, and Keighley (Great Northern Junction) at 0H mile. This involved doubling this section of track, together with Bridges1 to 4 ( the original Bridge 4 appears to have been a lengthy single track masonry viaduct) and constructing a new bridge (3A) over the double track of the Great Northern Railway's Keighley Goods Branch.

In 1892, shortly after the Midland purchased the K.& W.V.R. and dissolved the company, a deviation was constructed between 2miles 77 chains and 3 miles 26 chains to avoid the expense of major repairs to Vale Viaduct, which had been constructed out of timber. 

Bridges

The deviation required the construction of four bridges: 2 masonry (Bridges 18 and 19), 2 steel (Bridges 16 and 17) and the 75 yards long Mytholmes Tunnel (Bridge 20). With the exception of the demolition of Bridge 14 (an accommodation overbridge situated at 2m.34ch.) in 1923, and the replacement of the wrought iron trough girder Bridges 6 (0m.70ch) and 12 (1m.47ch.) by pre-cast concrete structures in 1954, few other changes took place until the present company took over the operation of the line in 1968.

Since then, the following bridges have been abandoned and replaced by embankments: Bridge 3A (underbridge, 0m.33ch), Bridge 5 (occupation underbridge 0m.65ch), Bridge 15 (cattle creep, 2m.36ch.) and Bridge 23 (corn mill goit, 3m.59ch.)