The 1963 Beeching report suggested cutting back almost all the branch lines, about 5,000 miles of railway line and 2,363 stations, to keeping it short, he said all goods would eventually be transported by road, the short sightedness was that resulted in cluttered roads. Imagine how busy those branch lines would now be for commuters, although Sustrans are turning old lines into public ways, walking, cycling, horse riding, but they need to be maintained.
This sleeper probably has some real history behind it, its near the river Wharfe, possibly taken from the Ilkley to Skipton line after closure, the good news is that the now Embsay steam railway is hoping to extend from Bolton Abbey station to Addingham, but it would need to terminate before Addingham first school as that is now on the old route.
