Welcome to the final part of the series where we are following the Penistone to Wath disused railway line. Part of the wider Woodhead Route and a super highway for coal traffic in it's heyday.
It was also famous for being one of the first UK railways to be electrified, opening in the 1950s. It would have been sooner if it wasnt for the 2nd world war delaying progress.

Today we pick up at Elsecar Junction and the start of the vast sidings of Wath marshalling yard, or Wath concentrion sidings as it was also known. These opened in 1907 to handle the large volume of wagons and coal traffic on the east side of the Pennines in Wath-upon-Dearne. This was the eastern end of the electrified railway from Manchester over the famous Woodhead route...but of course we've looked at this in earlier episodes. When the line was electrified, a locomotive depot was opened on the site, replacing the nearby Mexborough shed. The shed closed in 1983 but was usually a popular spot for trainspotters getting a view of the Class 76 engines stabled.

The sidings closed in 1988.

Next we will look at the site of the former Wath Central Railway Station. The station opened in 1851 on the South Yorkshire Railway as Wath. It closed in 1959 when the passenger service between Barnsley and Doncaster ceased, just like Wombwell Central on the last episode.

Next up is Manvers Main Colliery and associated workings. A large complex of plants and multiple adjoining collieries. The headline as far as the railways are concerned it that virtually nothing remains of the area.

We pass under the Midland Railway and onto the site of Mexborough West Junction and the Old Wath Road Tunnel next door. Again, once a thriving junction with many lines passing through, the vast impressive cutting approaching Mexborough has been land-filled. Though we can see evidence of remains.

Photo on video thumbnail: mark harrington
Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0

Thanks for Steve Calladine for the Mexborough West photos.



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