| Back to homepage | Garsdale |
|
|
|
|
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
| Now that there is a service from Leeds to Glasgow running once more, the claim to be the highest main line station in England can be truly justified. The nearby sign warns motorists of the folly of driving over the Coal Road to Garsdale in winter conditions. | |
![]() |
The station master's house at Dent, looking lonely and windswept against a threatening sky. Slates were originally hung on three of the side walls of the building in an attempt to keep out the Pennine weather. |
| The station at Dent is of the "small" station type. The station buildings have been in private hands for over 25 years. The last owner, an ex-railway employee himself, has carried out a sympathetic restoration of the station buildings. The nearby Millenium waiting shelter is something of an anachronism, however, and despite the obvious attempts which have been made to harmonise the structure, it just does not fit in with its surroundings at all. |
![]() |
![]() |
The
bridge which carries the coal road over the line still carries a painted
square, used to improve the sighting of the starting signal. Dent signal
box was first brought into use on the 9th of August 1891 and closed finally
on the 28th of January 1981.
Just behind the speed restriction sign is the culvert over the strangely named Monkey Beck. |
| The platform waiting shelter, of standard Midland Railway design for the line, is in excellent condition. |
![]() |
| After Dent Station the line passes through Rise Hill tunnel, which was originally known as Black Moss Tunnel. Rise Hill Tunnel is 1, 213 yards long with two ventilation shafts, the deepest being 147 feet. The line then runs along the contours above the dale of Garsdale. Water troughs were installed along the level stretch before Garsdale Station. The troughs were installed in 1907 and each trough was capable of holding 5, 000 gallons of water. The water had to be chemically treated before it could be run into the troughs, in order to prevent excessive scale formation or even corrosion in the steam locomotive boilers. A typical locomotive water tender could hold about 2, 000 gallons of water. | |
| Back to homepage | Garsdale |