| Stocksbridge Railway | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A freight train crossing the River Don bridge on the Stocksbridge Railway | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | South Yorkshire |
| Termini |
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| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| Operator(s) | Stocksbridge Steelworks |
| History | |
| Opened | 1877 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 1.88 miles (3.03 km) (main line) |
| Number of tracks | One plus multiple sidings |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Stocksbridge Railway was a subsidiary of Samuel Fox and Company and linked the company's works at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, with the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway at Deepcar. As the size of Fox's steelworks expanded, better transport links were needed, and the railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1874. It was completed in 1877, and remained an independent subsidiary until 1992, when it became part of the steelworks operation. When the Woodhead line was closed to the north of Deepcar, the line south to Sheffield was singled, and operates as a long siding.
A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension was constructed between 1897 and 1898 by Sheffield Corporation, to service the construction of reservoirs at Langsett and Underbank. It was unusual in that it used dual gauge track to allow both standard gauge and 3 ft (914 mm)-gauge stock to work on it. Reservoir building was completed in 1904, but the locomotive was retained until 1907 when Underbank Reservoir was finally full. Subsequently, the line was used occasionally until 1912 for deliveries of chalk, using locomotives from the steelworks.