Martin if u follow it after temple drive you come past overdale under the black harry subway and though the fields u come to the old railway bridge. We called it devils drop back in the day
Everyone who liked this should share it with a few of their friends. This is documentary-making at it's finest. Absolutely wonderful and compelling viewing.
I`ve been fascinated and curious about old railways since childhood , to me theses viaducts , platforms etc aren`t just bricks and mortar , when i stare at them and go deep in thought its like i start to visualise the people actually standing there building them and talking away to each other and people working away on the likes of platforms once completed , you bring them back to life Martin , to me it`s fantastic what you do , glad i stumbled across your video`s , I`m right there with you lol
The presentation is second to none, once again you transport the veiwer to a bygone age in a most sympathetic way, you make local history both appealing and interesting, thankyou.
Great video. The orginal Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway became the East Lancs Railway & and built the line by 1845 from Rawtenstall via Molyneux Brow , over the 13 Arches viaduct, joining the L&Y Bolton line to M/cr at Clifton Junction . However, the branch spur that went under Clifton Junction was constructed by a different company, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, about 5 years later. This spur was soley a freight line to carry goods from east Lancashire through to join the main M/cr to Liverpool line at Patricroft. The line closed after the famous tunnel collapse never having had any passenger services.
Another brilliant martin zero production. Im a roadside technician that works nights in my recovery van and nothing better than having my break and getting a brew and watching your vids even had a look at a few spots you’ve been to whilst getting about round manchester. You know how to make a good/nice video mate. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I live in Toronto Canada and I can tell you it's as fascinating here for me as it is for you. I could watch these explorations for hours and I can appreciate the time that goes into matching up the old documentation, pictures and maps to the present day views. You're a good man Martin, thanks for these. And by the way, that ain't cold for January, just so you know...!
I'm living in Quebec..... Summer has arrived at last, June 7th.... Better late than never. I was born in Halifax Yorkshire, and according to my DNA, my people hardly ever moved away at all ! I think that my soul resonates so much with this part of the world.. Love all of these videos that Martin so skillfully crafts.... I depend on them now , like an alcoholic needs his fix....
That brought the goose- pimples out! I moved to Salford c1959/60 aged 10/11 and spent many an hour playing at the southern end of Black Harry. From memory: The story amongst us kids at the time was that a train was trapped in the tunnel and they couldn't rescue the passengers so they filled it in, and that's how it got its name . Complete bunkum as we now know. We cycled along the East Lancs Road to where it crossed the track bed and climbed down by the side of the bridge. There was a small stream flowing from the tunnel and we used to catch sticklebacks and leeches. There was an earth bank filling the portal, with a small hole at the top. Going the other way from the East Lancs Rd there were houses to the right, the track bed was slightly elevated so we were on a level with the roof tops. All the track had been lifted and following the stream the area was desolate, I seem to recall the ground was black and there was a railway bridge standing on its own in the middle of nowhere. You can follow the line of the track on Google Maps along the west side of Swinton Park Golf Club to where it joins the main line near Patricroft. goo.gl/maps/7UbnzAubazm Perhaps another video, from the East Lancs Rd to Patricroft and to see if anything remains of the Patricroft engine sheds?
@@MartinZero As I said, from memory, there was an earth bank filling the portal, with a small hole at the top, but that was nearly 60 years ago. Looking at Google Earth the area has been landscaped. There is a clump of trees which may be hiding something interesting.
Can't believe I have only just discovered your video commentaries if what look great sites to visit once lockdown eases. My local haunts are in the north east.. places like the industrial past of the chop well woods area and the derwent valley. So far I've only took photos And printed old archive photos and information. The next be step maybe to be try making be a short vlog now I've just took early retirement, but sure if my mobile phone will cope with it
Great Video - I was born in 1940 and lived in Swinton off Campbell Road a few hundred yards from the Patricroft to Clifton Line. I used to play on that line (along with countless other kids I might add) as there were only 2 coal trains per day using it a loaded train in the morning and an empty one around 8pm . I walked through the tunnel with my pals many times before the collapse and was astounded at the time of the disaster having been under there only weeks before. They used to put fog warning charges which on the tracks & just near the east Lancs road bridge once a boy we knew threw a brick onto one and lost an eye in the subsequent explosion, I also heard around that time that a very young child had fallen off the top of the South portal of the tunnel and was taken away by ambulance but never knew the outcome. Thanks for posting.... excellent stuff brings back mixed memories.
I find it amazing how mother nature claims back that of what we changed, all be it only 50 years, she has almost totally erased all signs of that which once was a human construction, thank you for sharing with us the history , and taking the time to grant us a glimpse into the past, the past that we may never have known, if you had not taken the time to share it with the world. I really enjoy and admire your enthusiasm for the history of your surroundings, Thank you for sharing your passion with us
Hi Martin I really enjoyed your video of the former Clifton Junction, I used to play around that station as a young kid and it brought back a lot of happy memories. There was some old discarded station signs in the old BR livery relating to the old Bury line in that old subway you looked at, I didn't realise then that they would become such a collecters item. My grandfather often used Clifton Junction to catch the train to Bury Bolton Street Station and he told me how it used to be a hive of activity. Your enthusiasm is infectious keep up the great work.
I am a recent subscriber from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, perhaps one of the few remaining English-speaking residents, and I am fascinated and most impressed by the amounts of detective work and research you put into each of your videos. You have me as a lifetime subscriber. Yours is my favorite channel. Exceptionally well done. Stuart Coates
Hello Martin I love the nostalgic feel of this video and the accompanying music is just perfect. Just a thought that brilliant picture of Clifton railway junction just to the right of the signal box I,m sure I can see two railway workers unless I,m seeing things. no high vises then.
Fantastic video. Used to ride my bmx down there in the 80’s, off the top of the arches 😀. Live at the other end in Rossendale now, near Horncliffe Mansions
An amazing piece of History, Martin. Well uncovered - what an awful mid-night experience those people had when their house collapsed into the railway tunnel!!
Love the backstories,the commentary,the rock of ages overtone and especially the accent.Eeerm think I should empty the bookert now.A moth ago I would have been hard pressed to locate Manchester on a map.Not any more since discovering your great documentaries.Regards from down under.
These are a fabulous watch, all the good stuff, the scurrying round, finds, history echoing out and really amiable, attention grabbing presentation. Thanks indeed!
Clifton Junction, brings back memories. When we was kids we used to hang around down there. You could get underneath the platforms and we used to sit down there.
@@MartinZero no, at Clifton station itself, if you walked down to the end of the platform you can get underneath them, they seem to be like little waiting areas, the trains go by just meters from you.
Went to see the Clifton Tunnel today. The brickwork is a lot more visible (someone’s been digging) and you can now see clearly the top of the tunnel portal itself.
Nach so langer Zeit, ist wirklich nicht mehr soviel zu finden. Sie haben ja grundsätzlich alles abgesucht. Schön dass ich euch begleiten durfte. Thank you Martin 👍🏻👋🏻👋🏻
I loved this video...we used to play around Swinton golf course near the 'Black Harry' in the 60's and Drinkwater park in Agecroft too. Like the old photos...there's some nice Pilkington's pottery to see (by the way) at Salford Museum & Art Gallery...Thank you Martin
Hi Martin, Stunning video pt.1& pt.2. Your videos whatever the subject have a charm all of their own evoking a pensive and melancholy feeling about what made not only Manchester but Great Britain the envy of the world. Thank you for giving your time and effort to remind us of these long forgotten monuments. Im sure it goes without saying you must feel a sense of connect and admiration for these beautiful structures and the men that built them. We are all hooked. Keep up this wonderful passion you have martin and Thank you for letting us come along for the ride. 6.45 to 8.45 in your film is pure genius.
Two great films. Being brought up in Altrincham in the 1940s/50s, I can clearly remember the lines you visited. I was only 5 years old when the tunnel collapsed and have no memory of the incident.
I have lived my entire life in Swinton. Forty odd years ago, I used to ride a scrambler in the Irwell valley, including the '13 arches', after crossing the aquaduct. It looks lot different now, after the health and safety police have placed barriers to deter people from accessing the area. Thank you for your video, which shows how this landscape has been changed by the 'HSF' police, in order to save us from ourselves.
Fantastic story. I was waiting eagerly for you to talk about black Harry’s tunnel. I’ve known about this for awhile. I’ve been on the street a few times. Where you stood there is a original gate post to one of the houses. Another great story and yes I believe a lot more to come from this story. Thanks Martin
Brilliant video Martin. I like your choice of music in many of your videos, just the right amount of melancholy for times gone by (although I know times were hard). I regularly binge watch 10 vids in a row. Going to watch The Ghost Train now. Just imagine written by Arnold Ridley ( Godfrey in Dad’s Army). Have you seen The Signalman
you just keep upping the quality of work . you have a knack for story telling. i have no idea why anyone would do a thumb down??????thank you for your dogged research and thirst for adventure. Fans from Peru
What a fantastic exploration Martin,not forgetting Connor,,So interesting to see the remains after so long hidden away.Cant wait to where you venture next,another bit of old railway would be great,Best Regards to you both ,😉
When I was a kid growing up in Salford in the 60's, for a day out, we used to catch the train from the old Pendleton station to Clifton Junction and that branch line off to Bury was still in operation. I can't remember there being a line that went under the station then though.
The line under Clifton junction (from Molyneux Brow to Patricroft) closed to passenger traffic in 1939. Limited freight services still used the line until 1953, when the line closed permanently, following the Clifton Hall Tunnel collapse.
Having already seen up to the 21-minute mark, I used the re-upload to pick up where I left off. Well presented! Thumbs Up!! And, most importantly.... NO GLITCHES!!!
Brilliant part 2. I’m currently reading The Bulletin (The Radio Society of Great Britain’s magazine from the 1920s and 30s) and there are adverts for Exide batteries listing Clifton Works, Manchester.
Your videos bring local history to life. Well researched and with fascinating comparisons between the old photo's you've found and the new photo's you've made. I can't get enough of this..... thanks for posting.
Wow awesome video I love looking at old buildings and stuff I go in a disused mine under my village and see how thay dug it out and what is left behind
hi martin, just had to write a comment, only found your site october last year, now me and hubby watch no tv, we love your filming and vlogs, you have a great way of making all things sound really intresting, i love history always have, but the amount of things you have shown that are local is fab, i have visited many of them now,"not in the cannals on to them" please keep up the great work loving it and i have passed your name on to so many people who also love it x
Your videos are a masterpiece - everything from the content the music and the photography even down to the photography of a leaf or tree - BBC couldnt do better
I’m sure I seen the last 10 minutes the first time round. Never mind, enjoyed equally as much 2nd time round Good night to ya all 😉 Top stuff Martin and Conner
Only one train a day in either direction stop's there now. It's been like that for a while. Another fascinating look at railway history from you both. Since finding your channel, we always look forward to your next episode. Keep up the good work Martin.
You are a gifted man, Martin. This was an absolutely riveting 2 parter, the production was so professional, especially the way you incorporated the old film clip, "It goes nowhere" line. I can't say I've ever been interested in old railways, until now! You just got yourself a new subscriber geek, courtesy of Paul & Rebecca, who sparked an interest initially. Really lovely to watch this.
I have just watched the Williamson Tunnels PT 1 vlog, & am completely blown away, to say the least! I now live in Lincolnshire, but will be making a space mid Feb, for a visit to Liverpool to see these Tunnels tunnels over a couple of days, thanks so much for sharing this amazing find with us.
Another mesmerizing journey! You're work is so artistic and professional! I feel like I have this emotional connection to Manchester now and, if I ever cross that pond, I know where I want to go.
@@MartinZero I was only "re-watching " it last night so I couldn't believe seeing it referenced in your video. I think the bridge in the photograph in the waiting room that the station master points to is actually the bridge at Barmouth in Wales.... I might be wrong though.
Another really interesting video. Brilliantly done. Thanks so much! The track ballast in the photo is white - probably Buxton limestone. I remember when I was a kid in the 1960s watching long trains of Buxton limestone coming through Skelton Junction in West Timperley. I wonder where the limestone was going? I remember Skelton Junction well as there was a swamp near the tracks which was a great place to mess about making rafts out of old wooden sleepers and fish for newts. Those inter-railway embankment areas of swampy land were really mystical places to have adventures and learn a lot about nature.
Such an interesting video. An interesting subject which you have presented in a fantastic way. Some of the best youtube content i have seen. Years ago (early 80's) i used to be very interested in the old closed down lines on the Isle of Wight, i had read dozens of books regarding the old railways of the Isle of Wight, so it was really interesting when i finally got to the island to explore for myself. Like yourself i found nature had reclaimed so much, but, with some digging and perseverance i was delighted to start finding things. An old plate layers hut, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, yet it was something i recognised from the old photos of the line when in use. Bridges, culverts and old platforms, all being reclaimed by nature. Unless you were either alive at the time the railway was there, or you had seen old photos in a book, you could never have guessed how it used to look just a few decades previously. So watching your exploration on this Manchester line really brought back some good memories. Have subbed to your channel, the quality of your videos is fantastic.
Thank you Martin for this and all the other vids of Manc and surrounding areas. Commuted along M/c to Bolton in early 60s. One of the young lads in the office convinced an older member that there was only 12 arches in the Thirteen Arches Bridges, so he went out and checked...... :)
Great video, the other end of Black Harry tunnel comes out just short of the East Lancs rd, and the line goes under the road, and passes close to the ninth hole of Swinton Park golf course, there was a further subsidence at the top of Barton rd about 10/15 years ago near the old registry office.
very cool. I like the aspect of rediscovering history and imagining what things looked liked in the past. Well done. It looks so enchanted. I love learning about history. This shows just how quickly nature can reclaim what was once taken from it. It is always surprising to me just how soil accumulates to cover these massive structures up. Reminds me of archeological digs around Rome and ancient Carthage. Makes you wonder what will remain of us
It don't go nowhere, well it did once but what a sad end to the line and tunnel now abandoned and overgrown. Keep them coming Martin, that was another interesting vlog.
Find all your video`s fascinating, thanks for making them. When I was a kid used to walk part disused railway (Northern Heights) where I used to live, we just hung around it not realising the history and architecture. Its now a nature walk and nothing like I remember, we never owned cameras in those days, so only have the pictures in my head. Why do I find lost railways so nostalgic? Well done, maybe you should consider becoming a serious film maker?
A great video. To add further information about the tunnel, as others have said following the collapse it was completely filled with colliery waste. However, the waste started to settle and then in 2007 the top end of Barton Road started to collapse where the tunnel passed under the road. Barton Road was closed whilst repairs were made and the tunnel was filled in using modern materials. In 2019 the tunnel was re-inspected and it was further filled in using a pumping system which was located in Victoria Park (the park is adjacent to Temple Drive). To the south of the tunnel there is no evidence of the tunnel, but as you move further away from the tunnel you can see evidence of the rail way and the remains of what looks like an old signal box.
Another fabulous video really enjoyed it keep up the good work. Really enjoy old railway lines and looking at what’s left now so interesting. Videos are very well made too showing pictures and maps it really tells the story of what we are looking at. Top work.
Fabulous couple of videos Martin . I have trod those footpaths many many times with the family and dogs I will now look with new eyes and information all thanks to you. Loving your work pal keep it up. Kind regards John
Fantastic upload Martin. As a local of the area I have explored some of this and it really is a fascinating place. I am glad you found the remains of Black Harry Tunnel and now I know I don't really need to bother as there is not much there. You have though only just scratched the surface of what lies withing this valley and I am sure there would be many more hours of entertainment to come if you want to come back. Sadly the undergrowth closes in during the summer so it is very much more of a winter thing.
This is all very,very good....got into your channel after watching the WIlliamson Tunnels videos on Edge Hill, Liverpool. I'm loving your uploads Nice one :-)
Hi Martin, ... re Molyneux Brow - was inspired about this video which I watched late last evening ..,. so much so I tried to do some internet discovery about this area today. I use "railmaponline" often and would commend this to yourself and other posters. They give the opportunity to show "disused" lines & stations superimposed onto Google maps+satellite views which you can zoom quite closely into. Very useful, I find. As a result of your video I have "discovered" a whole new network of "old" lines in and around Manchester. Thank you! - A Butler.
Why hasn't Martin got a million subscribers when his videos are full of in-depth detail and footage that wouldnt look out of place on a professional history documentary I think your videos are brilliant and you seem to enjoy what you do so that's where the passion must come from
Well I think once your videos start to reach the correct audience and people share your videos you have good potential to make it as I said I've seen people with over a million subs who's content is nowhere near as good as yours I wish you all the best and hope that you hit that million you deserve too
Hi Martin. Great set of videos. I live right near to Clifton Station and have done a lot of research of the surrounding area including the station/junction. I have been down the old trackbeds that you went down. However, if you would have crossed the tracks of the existing line at the end of the platforms, you would have found the old wings/abutments of the tunnel that took the Black Harry line under the Bolton - Manchester line. Nearby to to the station is another little known area called Robin Hood sidings, where there was a coal washing plant with loads of trackwork, sadly there isn't much evidence of it anymore but there are signs. If you ever fancy a wander down there then give me a shout, I'd be more than happy to show you. Take care guys.
I've seen your new video about the Outwood colliery on this line, and looked around on the map for other parts of the railway and spotted the 13 arches viaduct over the Irwell. I thought you must made a video about this, and then in one of your other videos - was it the Wet Earth Colliery one? - you mentioned that you made a video about this. And today came the time when I could watch these two. Having only 3 and a half year in Manchester, I already felt it my home, but your videos even make this feeling deeper and deeper. Thank you!
I do metal detect on old railway lines and platforms... it is hard work.. Nothing but track pins/nails and the coal slag also gives off a signal... you end up digging up rubbish basically .
Those viaducts look amazing, there are some good ones in New Mills that you can walk past on a nature walk. They make a great backdrop for photos Good photo of the train near the beginning
This is a re upload. The original upload developed a fault a few hours after it was Live. Fingers crossed this one should be ok
Can you cite the black and white film you used?
@@jean-lucpicard5510 the Haunted Ghost Train en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Train_(1941_film)
Martin if u follow it after temple drive you come past overdale under the black harry subway and though the fields u come to the old railway bridge. We called it devils drop back in the day
Everyone who liked this should share it with a few of their friends. This is documentary-making at it's finest. Absolutely wonderful and compelling viewing.
Thank you Adam
I`ve been fascinated and curious about old railways since childhood , to me theses viaducts , platforms etc aren`t just bricks and mortar , when i stare at them and go deep in thought its like i start to visualise the people actually standing there building them and talking away to each other and people working away on the likes of platforms once completed , you bring them back to life Martin , to me it`s fantastic what you do , glad i stumbled across your video`s , I`m right there with you lol
The presentation is second to none, once again you transport the veiwer to a bygone age in a most sympathetic way, you make local history both appealing and interesting, thankyou.
Absolutely brilliant the filming, the editing, the old pics, and the music.
Top drawer man every time m8.
Thanks very much mate appreciated 👍
Great video. The orginal Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway became the East Lancs Railway & and built the line by 1845 from Rawtenstall via Molyneux Brow , over the 13 Arches viaduct, joining the L&Y Bolton line to M/cr at Clifton Junction . However, the branch spur that went under Clifton Junction was constructed by a different company, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, about 5 years later. This spur was soley a freight line to carry goods from east Lancashire through to join the main M/cr to Liverpool line at Patricroft. The line closed after the famous tunnel collapse never having had any passenger services.
Another brilliant martin zero production. Im a roadside technician that works nights in my recovery van and nothing better than having my break and getting a brew and watching your vids even had a look at a few spots you’ve been to whilst getting about round manchester. You know how to make a good/nice video mate. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Jay. Nice to know your watching on your tea break 😀👍
Fantastic two part video. Interesting but sad story about Black Harry Tunnel.
I live in Toronto Canada and I can tell you it's as fascinating here for me as it is for you. I could watch these explorations for hours and I can appreciate the time that goes into matching up the old documentation, pictures and maps to the present day views. You're a good man Martin, thanks for these. And by the way, that ain't cold for January, just so you know...!
Hi James thanks very much. Yes I can imagine you have it much colder 😆
I'm living in Quebec..... Summer has arrived at last, June 7th.... Better late than never. I was born in Halifax Yorkshire, and according to my DNA, my people hardly ever moved away at all ! I think that my soul resonates so much with this part of the world.. Love all of these videos that Martin so skillfully crafts.... I depend on them now , like an alcoholic needs his fix....
I live in Swinton, around the corner from Temple Drive and never knew that was the reason for the gap!
That brought the goose- pimples out! I moved to Salford c1959/60 aged 10/11 and spent many an hour playing at the southern end of Black Harry.
From memory:
The story amongst us kids at the time was that a train was trapped in the tunnel and they couldn't rescue the passengers so they filled it in, and that's how it got its name . Complete bunkum as we now know.
We cycled along the East Lancs Road to where it crossed the track bed and climbed down by the side of the bridge. There was a small stream flowing from the tunnel and we used to catch sticklebacks and leeches. There was an earth bank filling the portal, with a small hole at the top.
Going the other way from the East Lancs Rd there were houses to the right, the track bed was slightly elevated so we were on a level with the roof tops. All the track had been lifted and following the stream the area was desolate, I seem to recall the ground was black and there was a railway bridge standing on its own in the middle of nowhere.
You can follow the line of the track on Google Maps along the west side of Swinton Park Golf Club to where it joins the main line near Patricroft.
goo.gl/maps/7UbnzAubazm
Perhaps another video, from the East Lancs Rd to Patricroft and to see if anything remains of the Patricroft engine sheds?
Yes possibly another Roger
Our house on Dorchester Rd, Swinton backed onto Black Harry.
Any evidence of it ? (The tunnel)
@@MartinZero As I said, from memory, there was an earth bank filling the portal, with a small hole at the top, but that was nearly 60 years ago. Looking at Google Earth the area has been landscaped. There is a clump of trees which may be hiding something interesting.
@@MartinZeroI live around the corner going to have a look this week
Can't believe I have only just discovered your video commentaries if what look great sites to visit once lockdown eases. My local haunts are in the north east.. places like the industrial past of the chop well woods area and the derwent valley. So far I've only took photos And printed old archive photos and information. The next be step maybe to be try making be a short vlog now I've just took early retirement, but sure if my mobile phone will cope with it
Great Video - I was born in 1940 and lived in Swinton off Campbell Road a few hundred yards from the Patricroft to Clifton Line. I used to play on that line (along with countless other kids I might add) as there were only 2 coal trains per day using it a loaded train in the morning and an empty one around 8pm .
I walked through the tunnel with my pals many times before the collapse and was astounded at the time of the disaster having been under there only weeks before. They used to put fog warning charges which on the tracks & just near the east Lancs road bridge once a boy we knew threw a brick onto one and lost an eye in the subsequent explosion, I also heard around that time that a very young child had fallen off the top of the South portal of the tunnel and was taken away by ambulance but never knew the outcome. Thanks for posting.... excellent stuff brings back mixed memories.
Hmm interesting Thomas, I wish I had seen it as it was
I find it amazing how mother nature claims back that of what we changed, all be it only 50 years, she has almost totally erased all signs of that which once was a human construction, thank you for sharing with us the history , and taking the time to grant us a glimpse into the past, the past that we may never have known, if you had not taken the time to share it with the world. I really enjoy and admire your enthusiasm for the history of your surroundings, Thank you for sharing your passion with us
Thank you very much. Yes this video was a pleasure to make really enjoyed uncovering it all
Fascinating stuff. Love your videos. Here am I sitting in New Zealand in 35 degree (C) heat and watching videos of cold Manchester!
Great stuff 😆👍
Hi Martin I really enjoyed your video of the former Clifton Junction, I used to play around that station as a young kid and it brought back a lot of happy memories. There was some old discarded station signs in the old BR livery relating to the old Bury line in that old subway you looked at, I didn't realise then that they would become such a collecters item. My grandfather often used Clifton Junction to catch the train to Bury Bolton Street Station and he told me how it used to be a hive of activity. Your enthusiasm is infectious keep up the great work.
I am a recent subscriber from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, perhaps one of the few remaining English-speaking residents, and I am fascinated and most impressed by the amounts of detective work and research you put into each of your videos. You have me as a lifetime subscriber. Yours is my favorite channel. Exceptionally well done. Stuart Coates
Thanks Stuart and best regards to Quebec Canada 👍
Lest we forget ! ..... amazing, and not that long ago. Cheers Martin.
Roj
Hello Martin I love the nostalgic feel of this video and the accompanying music is just perfect. Just a thought that brilliant picture of Clifton railway junction just to the right of the signal box I,m sure I can see two railway workers unless I,m seeing things. no high vises then.
Yes I can also. Be great to be able to zoom in but it hasnt got the resolution in the pic
Great part 2. The time & effort you are putting in to production is appreciated 👍
Fantastic video. Used to ride my bmx down there in the 80’s, off the top of the arches 😀. Live at the other end in Rossendale now, near Horncliffe Mansions
An amazing piece of History, Martin. Well uncovered - what an awful mid-night experience those people had when their house collapsed into the railway tunnel!!
Yeah I cant imagine anything worse
Love the backstories,the commentary,the rock of ages overtone and especially the accent.Eeerm think I should empty the bookert now.A moth ago I would have been hard pressed to locate Manchester on a map.Not any more since discovering your great documentaries.Regards from down under.
Thanks very much John
I enjoyed the videos a great bit of history thanks very much for sharing.
Thank you very much
These are a fabulous watch, all the good stuff, the scurrying round, finds, history echoing out and really amiable, attention grabbing presentation. Thanks indeed!
Thanks very much Suzy 👍
Great video, it's like we are by your side walking with you!! I would have bought a flask of tea though!! Brave man Connor in a teeshirt!!
Clifton Junction, brings back memories. When we was kids we used to hang around down there. You could get underneath the platforms and we used to sit down there.
Hi was it in that underpass you sat ?
@@MartinZero no, at Clifton station itself, if you walked down to the end of the platform you can get underneath them, they seem to be like little waiting areas, the trains go by just meters from you.
Went to see the Clifton Tunnel today. The brickwork is a lot more visible (someone’s been digging) and you can now see clearly the top of the tunnel portal itself.
Nach so langer Zeit, ist wirklich nicht mehr soviel zu finden. Sie haben ja grundsätzlich alles abgesucht.
Schön dass ich euch begleiten durfte.
Thank you Martin 👍🏻👋🏻👋🏻
Danke schön. Freut mich, dass es Ihnen gefallen hat
Better put together than most TV and more entertaining , well done Martin.
Thanks David
How the *fu** can anybody give it a thumbs down???? As we say up North, "Tw*T" and it's not an I........
Love that response
Straight to the point!
You always get one k#£&, well two to be precise
@MR PICKLE'S yep they down everything irrespective of merit.
That word is TWAT which is what the thumbs downers are.
Always some tit pal
Absolutely fascinating channel/ I've been binge watching for two days. Great stuff and very, very informative. Cheers Martin. Scotty (Iowa) USA
Once again Martin a brilliant video !!! Just love to see the old photos and to see how the places are now . So very interesting, thank you !😀😀.
I loved this video...we used to play around Swinton golf course near the 'Black Harry' in the 60's and Drinkwater park in Agecroft too. Like the old photos...there's some nice Pilkington's pottery to see (by the way) at Salford Museum & Art Gallery...Thank you Martin
Hell Shan thanks very much
Hi Martin, Stunning video pt.1& pt.2. Your videos whatever the subject have a charm all of their own evoking a pensive and melancholy feeling about what made not only Manchester but Great Britain the envy of the world. Thank you for giving your time and effort to remind us of these long forgotten monuments. Im sure it goes without saying you must feel a sense of connect and admiration for these beautiful structures and the men that built them. We are all hooked. Keep up this wonderful passion you have martin and Thank you for letting us come along for the ride. 6.45 to 8.45 in your film is pure genius.
Thanks Ian. I actually went back to film that little sequence you like, Thank you 👌
Two great films. Being brought up in Altrincham in the 1940s/50s, I can clearly remember the lines you visited. I was only 5 years old when the tunnel collapsed and have no memory of the incident.
martin that was wonderful and you found it all for us thank you again for all the hard work cheers from trev
Took the East Lancs Railway back in May 2018 love this history. Great job on the video and the music Martin.
I have lived my entire life in Swinton.
Forty odd years ago, I used to ride a scrambler in the Irwell valley, including the '13 arches', after crossing the aquaduct.
It looks lot different now, after the health and safety police have placed barriers to deter people from accessing the area.
Thank you for your video, which shows how this landscape has been changed by the 'HSF' police, in order to save us from ourselves.
Thanks Gary, yes I loved that area I had never been before
Top work, fantastic explanations. Couldn't stop watching! Thank you!
Fantastic story. I was waiting eagerly for you to talk about black Harry’s tunnel.
I’ve known about this for awhile. I’ve been on the street a few times. Where you stood there is a original gate post to one of the houses.
Another great story and yes I believe a lot more to come from this story.
Thanks Martin
Thanks Dave
Dont go nowhere !!! ... What a coincidence, i watched that great old b/w movie just last week
Brilliant video Martin. I like your choice of music in many of your videos, just the right amount of melancholy for times gone by (although I know times were hard). I regularly binge watch 10 vids in a row. Going to watch The Ghost Train now. Just imagine written by Arnold Ridley ( Godfrey in Dad’s Army). Have you seen The Signalman
you just keep upping the quality of work . you have a knack for story telling. i have no idea why anyone would do a thumb down??????thank you for your dogged research and thirst for adventure. Fans from Peru
I've now watched it twice and it was just as good the second time.
Well done Martin.
Thanks very much 👍
What a fantastic exploration Martin,not forgetting Connor,,So interesting to see the remains after so long hidden away.Cant wait to where you venture next,another bit of old railway would be great,Best Regards to you both ,😉
Thanks very much Antony
When I was a kid growing up in Salford in the 60's, for a day out, we used to catch the train from the old Pendleton station to Clifton Junction and that branch line off to Bury was still in operation. I can't remember there being a line that went under the station then though.
The line under Clifton junction (from Molyneux Brow to Patricroft) closed to passenger traffic in 1939. Limited freight services still used the line until 1953, when the line closed permanently, following the Clifton Hall Tunnel collapse.
Having already seen up to the 21-minute mark, I used the re-upload to pick up where I left off. Well presented! Thumbs Up!! And, most importantly.... NO GLITCHES!!!
Neil Forbes interesting seeing this in comparison to the Australian railway
It was a well-researched and presented 2-part account of the old Manchester railways. Martin Zero deserves congratulations for this. Brilliant.
Neil Forbes if UA-cam had a awards ceremony I’d vote for this
I think UA-cam are avoiding such type of award ceremonies for fear of developing narcisistic egos among UA-cam's content creators.
@@neilforbes416 Neil thanks for watching and the award suggestion. Dont worry am too old to get big headed 😆
Brilliant part 2.
I’m currently reading The Bulletin (The Radio Society of Great Britain’s magazine from the 1920s and 30s) and there are adverts for Exide batteries listing Clifton Works, Manchester.
Wow great stuff Phil
Your videos bring local history to life. Well researched and with fascinating comparisons between the old photo's you've found and the new photo's you've made. I can't get enough of this..... thanks for posting.
Thanks Paul
Just brilliant! A fascinating quest uncovering the Victorian past.
Thanks very much
Absolutely loved this video Martin, thank you 👍
Wow awesome video I love looking at old buildings and stuff I go in a disused mine under my village and see how thay dug it out and what is left behind
Brilliant video. Nearly watched all your videos. Looking forward to a new one. 😊
Thanks for watching Judith
I like your studies in Natural History as well as all the evidence you are showing of the not-so-distant past, Martin
hi martin, just had to write a comment, only found your site october last year, now me and hubby watch no tv, we love your filming and vlogs, you have a great way of making all things sound really intresting, i love history always have, but the amount of things you have shown that are local is fab, i have visited many of them now,"not in the cannals on to them" please keep up the great work loving it and i have passed your name on to so many people who also love it x
Thank you, very pleased you enjoy the videos. Much appreciated
Another great film Martin, always enjoy your films & the stories behind them! All told with complete humbleness too, brilliant!
Thanks Glyn 👍
Your videos are a masterpiece - everything from the content the music and the photography even down to the photography of a leaf or tree - BBC couldnt do better
I’m sure I seen the last 10 minutes the first time round.
Never mind, enjoyed equally as much 2nd time round
Good night to ya all 😉
Top stuff Martin and Conner
Me too!
I did the same thing ! watched part two with out knowing what I was about !! Never mind.. I cannot have too much of these great videos..
Only one train a day in either direction stop's there now. It's been like that for a while.
Another fascinating look at railway history from you both. Since finding your channel, we always look forward to your next episode. Keep up the good work Martin.
Thanks a lot Aidan
You are a gifted man, Martin. This was an absolutely riveting 2 parter, the production was so professional, especially the way you incorporated the old film clip, "It goes nowhere" line. I can't say I've ever been interested in old railways, until now! You just got yourself a new subscriber geek, courtesy of Paul & Rebecca, who sparked an interest initially. Really lovely to watch this.
Thank you very much for subscribing. I did enjoy filming and making that video. The old Film clip just seemed to fit
I have just watched the Williamson Tunnels PT 1 vlog, & am completely blown away, to say the least! I now live in Lincolnshire, but will be making a space mid Feb, for a visit to Liverpool to see these Tunnels tunnels over a couple of days, thanks so much for sharing this amazing find with us.
Another mesmerizing journey! You're work is so artistic and professional! I feel like I have this emotional connection to Manchester now and, if I ever cross that pond, I know where I want to go.
Thanks Sarah, yes its a lovely place and knowing the history tops it off
"Ghost Train" 1941......one of my favourite films ! Love these explorations of yours too !!
Thanks very much Catherine. I was made to watch Ghost train when I was about 5 😆
@@MartinZero I was only "re-watching " it last night so I couldn't believe seeing it referenced in your video. I think the bridge in the photograph in the waiting room that the station master points to is actually the bridge at Barmouth in Wales.... I might be wrong though.
Another really interesting video. Brilliantly done. Thanks so much! The track ballast in the photo is white - probably Buxton limestone. I remember when I was a kid in the 1960s watching long trains of Buxton limestone coming through Skelton Junction in West Timperley. I wonder where the limestone was going? I remember Skelton Junction well as there was a swamp near the tracks which was a great place to mess about making rafts out of old wooden sleepers and fish for newts. Those inter-railway embankment areas of swampy land were really mystical places to have adventures and learn a lot about nature.
Hello thanks very much, great memories 👍🏼
Great work Martin. I really enjoy your stuff. Top man!
Another cracking pair of videos the time and effort you spend on these is extremely impressive
Thanks Stephen
This is a wonderful video with very interesting content.
Thanks John
Really interesting and informative video. Thanks for uploading and sharing.
Thanks Paul
Such an interesting video. An interesting subject which you have presented in a fantastic way. Some of the best youtube content i have seen.
Years ago (early 80's) i used to be very interested in the old closed down lines on the Isle of Wight, i had read dozens of books regarding the old railways of the Isle of Wight, so it was really interesting when i finally got to the island to explore for myself. Like yourself i found nature had reclaimed so much, but, with some digging and perseverance i was delighted to start finding things. An old plate layers hut, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, yet it was something i recognised from the old photos of the line when in use. Bridges, culverts and old platforms, all being reclaimed by nature. Unless you were either alive at the time the railway was there, or you had seen old photos in a book, you could never have guessed how it used to look just a few decades previously. So watching your exploration on this Manchester line really brought back some good memories. Have subbed to your channel, the quality of your videos is fantastic.
Thank you very much for your comment. I agree it’s impossible to know how it was back in the day we can only imagine. Thanks for subscribing
Thank you Martin for this and all the other vids of Manc and surrounding areas. Commuted along M/c to Bolton in early 60s. One of the young lads in the office convinced an older member that there was only 12 arches in the Thirteen Arches Bridges, so he went out and checked...... :)
Ha, its actually hard to count them with all the undergrowth 😃
Great video, the other end of Black Harry tunnel comes out just short of the East Lancs rd, and the line goes under the road, and passes close to the ninth hole of Swinton Park golf course, there was a further subsidence at the top of Barton rd about 10/15 years ago near the old registry office.
I must keep binge watching Martin Zero ... lol ! great and interesting discoveries.
😃
Very interesting this video thank you Martin
top dramatic reveal the 1910 Clifton Junction photo, appropriate to the excellence of the research.
Thanks Phil
very cool. I like the aspect of rediscovering history and imagining what things looked liked in the past. Well done. It looks so enchanted. I love learning about history. This shows just how quickly nature can reclaim what was once taken from it. It is always surprising to me just how soil accumulates to cover these massive structures up. Reminds me of archeological digs around Rome and ancient Carthage. Makes you wonder what will remain of us
It don't go nowhere, well it did once but what a sad end to the line and tunnel now abandoned and overgrown. Keep them coming Martin, that was another interesting vlog.
Thanks Brian
Find all your video`s fascinating, thanks for making them. When I was a kid used to walk part disused railway (Northern Heights) where I used to live, we just hung around it not realising the history and architecture. Its now a nature walk and nothing like I remember, we never owned cameras in those days, so only have the pictures in my head. Why do I find lost railways so nostalgic? Well done, maybe you should consider becoming a serious film maker?
Thanks Les, yes same here I missed do much when I was younger
Superb video. You put a lot of thought and work into these. Thank you for these meaningful history lessons, you make things come alive.
Thanks very much
A great video. To add further information about the tunnel, as others have said following the collapse it was completely filled with colliery waste. However, the waste started to settle and then in 2007 the top end of Barton Road started to collapse where the tunnel passed under the road. Barton Road was closed whilst repairs were made and the tunnel was filled in using modern materials. In 2019 the tunnel was re-inspected and it was further filled in using a pumping system which was located in Victoria Park (the park is adjacent to Temple Drive).
To the south of the tunnel there is no evidence of the tunnel, but as you move further away from the tunnel you can see evidence of the rail way and the remains of what looks like an old signal box.
Thanks for that info Paul
Another fabulous video really enjoyed it keep up the good work. Really enjoy old railway lines and looking at what’s left now so interesting. Videos are very well made too showing pictures and maps it really tells the story of what we are looking at. Top work.
Thanks very much Michelle
Fabulous couple of videos Martin . I have trod those footpaths many many times with the family and dogs I will now look with new eyes and information all thanks to you. Loving your work pal keep it up.
Kind regards
John
Hi Martin could I ask where I could find the map you show of swinton and pendlebury around 25 mins in the video. Thanks in advance.
John
National Libraries of Scotland 👍🏼
Fantastic upload Martin. As a local of the area I have explored some of this and it really is a fascinating place. I am glad you found the remains of Black Harry Tunnel and now I know I don't really need to bother as there is not much there. You have though only just scratched the surface of what lies withing this valley and I am sure there would be many more hours of entertainment to come if you want to come back. Sadly the undergrowth closes in during the summer so it is very much more of a winter thing.
This is all very,very good....got into your channel after watching the WIlliamson Tunnels videos on Edge Hill, Liverpool. I'm loving your uploads
Nice one :-)
Thanks very much for watching and glad you like
Once again brilliant mate, following your travels on Ordnance Survey map - fascinating!!!
Thanks 👍
One of your best Martin
Cheers 👍
Hi Martin, ... re Molyneux Brow - was inspired about this video which I watched late last evening ..,. so much so I tried to do some internet discovery about this area today. I use "railmaponline" often and would commend this to yourself and other posters. They give the opportunity to show "disused" lines & stations superimposed onto Google maps+satellite views which you can zoom quite closely into. Very useful, I find. As a result of your video I have "discovered" a whole new network of "old" lines in and around Manchester. Thank you! - A Butler.
Thanks I’ll look at that
Why hasn't Martin got a million subscribers when his videos are full of in-depth detail and footage that wouldnt look out of place on a professional history documentary I think your videos are brilliant and you seem to enjoy what you do so that's where the passion must come from
Thank you. A million I wish. I could do it full time then 👍
Well I think once your videos start to reach the correct audience and people share your videos you have good potential to make it as I said I've seen people with over a million subs who's content is nowhere near as good as yours I wish you all the best and hope that you hit that million you deserve too
Another fantastic video
Awesome chaps !!! Thanks
Pt 1 Pt 2 Fantastic video, orating and history lesson.
Thanks Scott
Another excellent video Martin, your research and presentation are top notch mate, much appreciated.
Hi Martin. Great set of videos. I live right near to Clifton Station and have done a lot of research of the surrounding area including the station/junction. I have been down the old trackbeds that you went down. However, if you would have crossed the tracks of the existing line at the end of the platforms, you would have found the old wings/abutments of the tunnel that took the Black Harry line under the Bolton - Manchester line. Nearby to to the station is another little known area called Robin Hood sidings, where there was a coal washing plant with loads of trackwork, sadly there isn't much evidence of it anymore but there are signs. If you ever fancy a wander down there then give me a shout, I'd be more than happy to show you. Take care guys.
Thanks Mark. I think we want to visit Robin Hood
Stunning production as always Martin. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
Thank you
I've seen your new video about the Outwood colliery on this line, and looked around on the map for other parts of the railway and spotted the 13 arches viaduct over the Irwell. I thought you must made a video about this, and then in one of your other videos - was it the Wet Earth Colliery one? - you mentioned that you made a video about this. And today came the time when I could watch these two. Having only 3 and a half year in Manchester, I already felt it my home, but your videos even make this feeling deeper and deeper. Thank you!
Thanks very much Daniel
Amazing stuff Martin & Connor. Keep it coming lads.
Thank you
MartinZero, rapidly becoming a UA-cam Manchester history legend. Keep it up pal, this will never get old
Thank you Sir, but am no legend 😆
Be interesting to run a metal detector around this area . Great to watch this fascinating exploration.
I do metal detect on old railway lines and platforms... it is hard work.. Nothing but track pins/nails and the coal slag also gives off a signal... you end up digging up rubbish basically .
Another brilliant video Martin. Keep em coming. Once again your bringing this stuff to life.
Thanks Mark
Awesome video martin, thank you for adding me just happy to help you out with your video really appreciate it 👍👍
Thanks Paul
Those viaducts look amazing, there are some good ones in New Mills that you can walk past on a nature walk. They make a great backdrop for photos Good photo of the train near the beginning
Thanks, yep I love a good Viaduct