When I were a lad... there was quite a to-do made
about the electrification of the section of the Sheffield to Manchester railway
line between Penistone and Guide Bridge via the Woodhead Tunnel, as this was the
first electrified main line in the country. I don't know how long it lasted, but
nowadays the railway is but a distant memory. However, it has regained a new
lease of life as the Trans-Pennine
Trail. Recently, I chanced upon one of the old bridges carrying the line
over the A628 a short way to the west of Penistone which has recently been
restored. Unlike most Millennium bridges, this one proudly displays its
credentials in the form of plaques on the side of the bridge telling all and
sundry that it forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail and has been funded by the
Millennium Commission.
