25053 and 40105 come off the line from Reddish South heading towards the stabling point
moves…
45108 0005 St.Pancras-Sheffield Luton – Nottingham
45145 0005 St.Pancras-Sheffield Nottingham – Sheffield (via Derby)
DMU 0540 Sheffield – New Mills Sheffield – New Mills
DMU 0647 New Mills – Man Picc New Mills – Guide Bridge
506 EMU – set 05 1059 Hadfield – Man Picc Guide Bridge – Man Picc
location…
Guide Bridge was a busy freight junction with busy loco stabling sidings on the electrified Manchester – Sheffield via Woodhead DC freight only lines. Some 5 miles East of Manchester, I took up residence on a wall at the station close to the junction where the stabling point power moves could be closely observed.
notes from the day..
“Fresh” off the Midland overnight my 4 hour Guide Bridge spell from 0715-1124 saw much loco action with passing freight and a multitude of diesel and electric moves on and off the stabling point. Classes 24, 25, 40, 47 and 76 were viewed in good numbers. The then hourly class 506 units stopped on their Hadfield turns as did a few DMUs from New Mills and Rose Hill Marple.
1977 Phots – apologies for quality
One of only a few surviving 24’s in 24073 passing Guide Bridge on an Eastbound freight
40012 whistles off the loco stabling point, look at the then huge expanse of tracks at Guide Bridge
In tatty green livery 40136 passes the nose of 40181 with a Westbound freight
Split box 40144 looks the part with a freight off the Reddish South branch at Guide Bridge
76003 leaves for Gorton sidings with 25054 hovering behind too
Guide Bridge dawn light with 76022 coming off the stabling point
today’s scene
All pretty depressing i’m afraid, the former extensive loco sidings area is derelict, the long span footbridge that crossed the site has gone as have a lot of the tracks. Passenger services have increased though with now half hourly Hadfields and a few stone and cement trains still pass Guide Bridge. The Woodhead Route closed beyond Hadfield on July 18th 1981, the stabling point closing in the late 80’s.
End of the line literally at Hadfield, the main line long lifted returning to nature as 32339 looks on , Oct 6th 2026
friends of Guide Bridge station
The Friends have a plinthed wagon, museum and a signalling garden with the former Dewsnap signal gantry standing proud at Guide Brdge station. Their website is at http://www.wrhg.co.uk.
The former Dewsnap sidings gantry in the garden at Guide Bridge on October 6th 2026
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