Dent Station

The view towards the North portal of Blea Moor Tunnel from above the road bridge 02/02/2002

2nd February 2002

The signal (see note below) in the picture replaced a banner repeater. The area around the tunnel portal is now quite heavily forested but the old spoil tips from the tunnel driving still make a nice vantage point to sit and watch the trains go by.

26/05/04 Technical note from Clifford Kilshaw, GTRM: The signal shown is a three aspect outer distant to Blea Moor's Up Home signal and normally displays two yellows, as there is an inner distant at the south portal normally showing a single yellow. With the Up home cleared for Settle Jn. both these distants will show a green aspect.

OS Grid Reference SD 776838

Blea Moor tunnel had originally been planned to be 2,112 yards long but it was extended Northwards by 66 yards because of the difficulties involved in the construction of cuttings. Almost immediately after leaving the tunnel mouth, the Dent Head viaduct is crossed.

OS grid reference SD 778843

Prior to the viaduct is a high road bridge. The Dent road drops rapidly down into the valley bottom before meandering its way down to Dent village, which is over four miles away.

OS Grid Reference SD 778843

This ten arch viaduct carries the line at a height of 100 feet over Fell End Gill. The nearby road is a popular vantage point from which to watch trains heading South from Dent Station.

OS grid reference SD 854777

An interesting and quite stylish bridge connecting the open fell with the lower fields

Height 117 ft., length 220 yards

OS grid reference SD 776859

A close up showing how the 11 arch viaduct over the deep Arten Gill is built on a curve.

OS grid reference SD 776859

After Dent Head Viaduct the line clings to the side of Great Knoutberry Hill and then crosses the deep valley cut by Arten Gill beck on the curving eleven arch viaduct.

OS grid reference SD 776859

The viaduct photographed from the small roadside hamlet of Cowgill. The road in the picture leads right up the valley of Arten Gill beck to an excellent vantage point high above the viaduct on the side of Dent Fell.

OS grid reference SD 764875

Looking pristine in the evening light. The platforms have been recently resurfaced and the reddish ballast on the up line is evidence of the recent re-laying programme with continuous welded rail.

The tunnel was originally known as Black Moss tunnel. Rise Hill tunnel is 1 213 yards long with two ventilation shafts, the deepest being 147 feet.

The tunnel was originally known as Black Moss tunnel. Rise Hill tunnel is 1 213 yards long with two ventilation shafts, the deepest being 147 feet. Cowgill Beck runs through the approach embankment in a long culvert, of mammoth proportions.

The line then runs along the contours above the dale of Garsdale. Water troughs were installed along the level stretch before Garsdale Station. The troughs were installed in 1907 and each trough was capable of holding 5 000 gallons of water. The water had to be chemically treated before it could be run into the troughs, in order to prevent excessive scale formation or even corrosion in the steam locomotive boilers. A typical locomotive water tender could hold about 2 000 gallons of water.

Cowgill Beck Culvert

 Dent Station