On the 21st of June the 2.45 from Rochdale and Liverpool approached the infamous Charlestown curve at about 40 miles per hour and left the line, killing four passengers.
Although off the rails, the train was carried for a further 100 yards…
Looking towards Hebden Bridge with the tall chimney of Calderside Mill and barely visible below it the road passing under Whiteley Arches. A railway signal can just be seen below the top row of houses.
Behind the viaduct is Calderside Mill built in the 1820s by John Whiteley, after whom the viaduct came to be named. Reputedly it had the tallest chimney in the valley.
The bridge over the canal was a very early skew bridge and also one of the very…
21 June 1912. 'The Manchester to Leeds express literally burst the rails asunder' on the already notorious Charlestown Curve between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge killing four passengers and injuring many more. Seen here the derailed Aspinall 2-4-2T…
Clearing the wreckage following the rail disaster on 21 June 1912 on the notorious Charlestown Curve between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden in which four people died. For further information: http://www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk/charlestown/events.html
21 June 1912. 'The Manchester to Leeds express literally burst the rails asunder' on the already notorious Charlestown Curve between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge killing four passengers and injuring many more. Seen here the derailed Aspinall 2-4-2T…
Re-aligned tracks and line of the notorious Charlestown Curve to its left. The curve was built as a temporary detour in 1840 and remained for over 80 years and was the cause of several derailments including a serious accident in 1912 killing four…
"This photo was taken from the South hillside with Woodland view in the foreground. Beyond the railway line Knott Hall is on the left, Old Charlestown and Stoney Lane are in the centre with Turret Royd just above. Turret Hall (Wood farm) can be seen…
1933. The bowstring bridge over the Rochdale Canal; when built in 1840 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway it was one of the first such in the country. It was replaced in 1939 with the metal trough bridge we see today. To the left Canalside Mill…
The steel bow string bridge was designed by George Stephenson and was one of the earliest of its type. He was employed by Manchester & Leeds Railway when the line was built in the late 1830's. The line was opened in October 1840 except for the…
Looking up the valley to Charlestown. The tall chimney is Calderside Mill built in 1824 as a cotton mill but converted to a dyeworks in 1875. It was built by John Whiteley and the neighbouring railway viaduct became known as Whitley Arches. The mill…
The track to left of train is the site of the infamous curve. It was the cause of many accidents over the years including a serious derailment in 1912 with several casualities including three fatalities. The detached house in the foreground is called…