epw061327 ENGLAND (1939). The town centre, Batley, 1939

Sorry Gerddi you have placed the pin for the Maternity Home on Park Road School by mistake. I have placed a pin on the correct site adjacent to Princess Street. The Maternity Home was opposite the bottom entrance/exit to Batley bus station. Best regards, Cabby.

Well done, cabby, you're spot on, I was just about to remove the pin when I saw your comment. Regards.

Sorry Class 31 I have to correct your annotation.My father was born in Birstall,Batley in 1930.He could remember seeing the locomotives and various wagons etc.as a boy.This line was known locally as the "coddy" and the passenger train was known as the"Coddy Bob".These were usually mixed traffic trains,goods wagons with passenger carriages attached.The locos were shedded at Mirfield.In later years the line went out of use around 1959 ish.And I played on the trackbed as a boy in 1968-1971.

As a child during 1961 I remember seeing a steam train pass along this line from the nursery I was at at the top of Beck lane. Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be any track on these photographs. Carlinghow station/ Halt was positioned outside the hospital on Carlinghow Field Hill.

In response to the comments by Cabby I can find two sources giving details of the closure dates for the ex LNWR Batley to Birstall Lower line. The sources are as follows

a. http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Railway%20Ramblers%20Kirklees.htm#LNWR BATLEY - BIRSTALL and

b. http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Birstall%20Goods.htm

One source gives 31st December 1916 as the closure date for passengers. The other site gives 1.1.1917.

The closure date for goods is given as 17.6.62 on one site and 1962 on the other site.

Class 31 is quite correct in his reports of the closure dates for passenger services on the coddy line. I too have seen these reports and they clearly represent the "official word" on the part of the LNWR. I contribute to the Lost railways of West Yorkshire website and some of my photographs of this line where I used to play as a boy in the 60's are available to view.However,passenger services continued after these dates perhaps on an "unofficial" ad hoc basis to suit local needs as they arose.Carriages were coupled to timetabled goods services to provide the service.There was a passenger entrance/exit from Birstall lower goods station onto Huddersfield Road at Birstall Smithies(just a door in a wall apparently).