CHERRY Pink and Apple Blossom White went to number one in the charts and Chelsea topped the old Football League first division.
But rail enthusiasts and locals of a certain generation may well recall April 30, 1955 for a different reason.
Sixty-five years ago today (Thursday) the Delph Donkey branch line was closed to passengers for the final time.
Trains still ran carrying a limited amount of freight and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother enjoyed an overnight rest halt on the line in 1960. But the end of the line was in sight with final closure on November 4, 1963.
While the main Huddersfield to Manchester rail route, passing through Saddleworth, opened in July 1849, it wasn’t until September 1851 when the branch line through to Greenfield opened.
Some of early services were reputedly horse operated leading to the nickname of the Delph Donkey. In July 1856, the line from Greenfield to Oldham opened signalling the end of any necessity for horsepower through the Donkey kept its moniker.
Today, the route is a popular footpath and bridlepath for locals and visitors who can find fascinating information boards at regular intervals.
Were you or your relatives one of the last passengers to use the Delph Donkey in 1955? If so, we would love to hear about your experiences. Email trevor@localcommunications.co.uk with your memories.
Hi I live in the house next to the bailey mill site. My garden backs onto station approach, our garden walk is still original to when the train passed our house. My great grandfather Henry Gamble was one of the Delph Donkey engine drivers so I have huge emotional attachment to the area and obviously my house which he would of passed daily. My grandfather Frank Gamble worked at Measurements and would board the train in Lees where they lived.. and share the journey with his dad where he would disembark at Measurements. I have a newspaper article regarding Henry who rescued a runaway train near park bridge he was given a monetary reward for his bravery . Thankyou for your article I love the history of the Delph donkey I walk my dog every day down the path that my great grandad once drove the train .
Whilst hearing the term Delph Donkey I never for my life felt any one would presume a donkey on the tracks. Oil pumps called nodding donkeys have nill to do with that, neither does the term doing the donkey work mean that folk will don large saddle bags. I was gobbed smacked to the signs on the Donkey route that OMBC have installed saying even a link to donkeys doing that. It would appear many have lost sence in ode to the warming thoughts of a donkey on the tracks. I got talking to others on the old rail track that were told that’s exactly what used to happen. This is like history lost under Chinese whispers, many old rail tracks did have donkey tracks leading to that branch line a narrow gauge from canals or from the mill carts on tracks. The largest reason for the name Delph donkey comes from the shunting engine that it used also known as Donkeys as a slap in the face as to there larger cousin that were measured in horse power, that shunting engines were not . hence the the term Donkey work of shunting the rolling stock. This also due to being single tracked it was easier to use a shunter ( donkey ) as it was better manageable at reversing away from the station being a single track line, this being particular important due to two turns on the track that could not be managed at faster speeds by larger trains. When the queens large train went down the track, it was at a limp speed due to that fact. I have no problem calling it the Delph Donkey at all but the connotations and some peoples ideas that it had something to do with Donkeys on that branch line is ridiculous. Loved the article and responce from Claire Lees and her lovely story.
Thankyou that was very informative. I grew up hearing the saying “donkeys work” and never to this day did I associate it with the trains . I just assumed it as an old saying for hard work .