Rishworth Trestle Bridge was built in 1880 and spanned the Ryburn.
It was constructed to allow traffic from the local mills and factories to get to Rishworth Railway Station from the Oldham Road at Slitheroe Bridge.
It was 20 ft in width and was paved with stone setts for the horse-drawn goods traffic.
The weight of the setts threatened the stability of the bridge. It was strengthened in 1923.
The bridge was demolished in 1953
Contributor Geoffrey Siddall recalls
This bridge never had any tracks but was the station access road.While I was in Ripponden, the railway company sent an engine with 2 or 3 covered trucks every day, and these were left at Rishworth Station.
A Carrier Cob – a small lorry – collected goods from the mills in the Ripponden area during the day, they then filled the trucks which were collected by an engine at about 5 pm each day.
The main frame of the bridge was in reasonable condition, considering its age, but the surface of setts laid on wood which was rotting, was in poor condition. The drivers of the Cobs missed the obvious bad portions by zig-zagging over the bridge – Health & Safety was unheard of then!
One day, a Bridge Inspector, who was underneath the bridge, was covered with debris as the Cob made its way over, The bridge was closed for all traffic completely.
The goods were then taken directly to Sowerby Bridge by the Cobs.
Passenger travel had been closed on this line for many years. It was one of the few which used a motor train.
A special train was arranged for railway enthusiasts
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©
Malcolm Bull 2017 /
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Revised 14:02 on 8th May 2017 / mmr1426 / 5
