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For many years Mirfield had a reputation of being a railway "town". Many Mirfield families will have older relatives who at one
time or another were employed in some capacity by the railway.
The railway arrived in Mirfield in 1840 with the Manchester & Leeds Railway, later to become Lancashire & Yorkshire
Railway.
In 1899 the London & North Western Railway also came to Mirfield and then in 1910 were joined by the Midland Railway, all three later merging to become the London, Midland &
Scottish Railway.
Mirfield continued as a fairly major rail junction through nationalization and the birth of British Rail right up to the Beeching cuts of the late 60's.
This view from the top
of Woodend Road shows the old Mirfield engine sheds. The shed could house up to 32 engines and employed over 200 men.
The sheds remain to this day although in a some what derelict fashion. The
site is now owned by Pattersons Tankers. The lines themselves been reduced from the original four line working down to the present three.
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