Queensbury Station - Queensbury, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The railway line was abandoned to passengers in 1955 and then goods traffic in 1965. Part of the route has now been converted to The Great Northern Railway Trail cycle and walking route (National Route 69).

The boards have an old map drawn at the time of the railway opening showing the railway lines and junction at Queensbury station. There is also a modern map showing the area as it is now and available walking routes.

THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY TRAIL
QUEENSBURY STATION

Welcome to the Great Northern Railway Trail
Before you was once stood Queensbury Station which was a busy railway junction linking the industrial towns of Bradford, Halifax and Keighley. The station was one of only a few in the country with platforms on each side of a triangular junction and therefore became known as the `Queensbury Triangle: Queensbury station owed its existence to the efforts of local business leaders - notably John Foster, owner of the Black Dyke Mills - who had campaigned for many years for the town to be connected to the growing railway network.

Because of its elevated location, it was difficult and expensive for raw materials to be brought up to Queensbury and for finished goods to be sent out to customers, so rail transport was seen as essential.
The campaign for a rail link eventually came to fruition when the Great Northern Railway started constructing a line between Bradford and Thornton in 1874. This was completed in 1878 and a junction station at Queensbury was opened with temporary platforms in 1879 when the Bradford & Thornton line was joined by a new route from Halifax. However, the GNR was in no hurry to upgrade the station which was a mile from the village it served and at the end of a bleak, steep, unlit and windswept road. It took another 11 years for Queensbury to get a station fit for purpose, along with a proper access road lit by gas lamps. The new station, opened in 1890, had platforms on all three sides of the triangular layout which allowed people to switch between connecting trains operating the Bradford, Keighley and Halifax routes.
Goods sidings were built behind the Bradford / Halifax platform and these mainly handled exports from the Queensbury mills and incoming wool bales and coal. Because of its distance from the village, the station struggled to attract large numbers of passengers and competition from trams and, later, omnibuses, reduced its appeal even more.
A scheme to build an inclined railway linking the station and goods yard to the township itself floundered after preparatory work, which included construction of bridge abutments, the remains of which can be seen half way down Station Road. Passenger services were withdrawn in May 1955 and the Queensbury goods sidings were closed in April 1961. Goods trains continued to run through to Thornton until June 1965 when the line closed. Track was lifted at Queensbury during May 1966 when the last remains of the station were also demolished. Fortunately, the old rail route to Thornton has been reopened to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, thanks to the efforts of local people, SUSTRANS and Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Please enjoy your experience of retracing the tracks of the famous Queensbury lines.

Type of Historic Marker: Standalone metal board Historical Marker Issuing Authority: City of Bradford MDC Related Website: [Web Link] Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed

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