Largest railway yard still in use in Britain

[Guest Bri.s]

Stumbling around on google earth just now ,I came across bescot yard

Which is still quite large and well used by looks of the Ariel view

This got me thinking ,we’ve had some huge yards come and go but what is the largest yard still in use today

Also what are say in the top 10 of yards still in use today

 

Brian

Edited October 28, 2018 by Bri.s

[Talltim]

Toton has got to up there as it’s DBC’s main maintenance yard. How much freight traffic it sees I don’t know

[russ p]

Basford hall is pretty big and a lot of it in use.

Whitemoor is also large but its present layout owes nothing to the Whitemoor yard of old

[Fat Controller]

Mossend seems to be pretty large, and busy with it:-

 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Mossend,+Bellshill+ML4+1DG/@55.8267417,-4.0005544,509m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48886b7368814ec5:0xe650242ec1f92956!8m2!3d55.819896!4d-4.00699?hl=en

[Rugd1022]

I work regularly in and out of Bescot, Toton and Basford Hall and they really are large affairs, very much more so when you have to walk from one end to the other! Some of the shunting and light engine moves can take a lot longer than you'd expect to carry out, you could easily waste half and hour or more trying to run round a set of wagons or do a loco swap. In Bescot's case, getting from the up to the down side or vice versa can take an age if there's any other traffic in the area due to pass through, you can actually cross from one side to the other at the north end, the middle (via 'snake's pass' crossover) or the south end near Thame Bridge Parkway. Spare a thought for the shunter who has to proceed any propelling move across the mainlines on foot.

 

Compared to its heyday Bescot is a bit of a ghost town, but there's enough infrastructure work to keep the lads busy and the yard itself open. The north and south end cabins are now both long closed, with all staff being based in the new portacabins in the middle by the staff footbridge. Toton feels even more bereft when I go there, very little seems to be happening but there's enough work there for now. Like Bescot and Basford Hall it's also a booked relieving point for through freights, some of which can sit for several hours awaiting a fresh driver.

 

Basford Hall can be incredibly busy during the lead up to and including weekends with ballast jobs departing in all directions, then returning on Sunday night or Monday morning. A large part of it is now covered by CCTV, allowing the management to keep an eye on proceedings so any shunting progress can be exceedingly slow at times, especially so if there is more than one movement taking place at the same time. Trains requiring crew relief are often routed through the yard or via the independent lines on either side, this can cause problems if the driver is still stuck in a taxi on the M6 somewhwere, with trains 'hanging out' at both ends of the yard, blocking the job.

Edited October 28, 2018 by Rugd1022

[Guest Bri.s]

I work regularly in and out of Bescot, Toton and Basford Hall and they really are large affairs, very much more so when you have to walk from one end to the other! Some of the shunting and light engine moves can take a lot longer than you'd expect to carry out, you could easily waste half and hour or more trying to run round a set of wagons or do a loco swap. In Bescot's case, getting from the up to the down side or vice versa can take an age if there's any other traffic in the area due to pass through, you can actually cross from one side to the other at the north end, the middle (via 'snake's pass' crossover) or the south end near Thame Bridge Parkway. Spare a thought for the shunter who has to proceed any propelling move across the mainlines on foot.

 

Compared to its heyday Bescot is a bit of a ghost town, but there's enough infrastructure work to keep the lads busy and the yard itself open. The north and south end cabins are now both long closed, with all staff being based in the new portacabins in the middle by the staff footbridge. Toton feels even more bereft when I go there, very little seems to be happening but there's enough work there for now. Like Bescot and Basford Hall it's also a booked relieving point for through freights, some of which can sit for several hours awaiting a fresh driver.

 

Basford Hall can be incredibly busy during the lead up to and including weekends with ballast jobs departing in all directions, then returning on Sunday night or Monday morning. A large part of it is now covered by CCTV, allowing the management to keep an eye on proceedings so any shunting progress can be exceedingly slow at times, especially so if there is more than one movement taking place at the same time. Trains requiring crew relief are often routed through the yard or via the independent lines on either side, this can cause problems if the driver is still stuck in a taxi on the M6 somewhwere, with trains 'hanging out' at both ends of the yard, blocking the job.

Thankyou for that interesting insight into how they work nowadays

 

Been looking on google earth and Basford Hall does look big .mossand is a decent size but I’d say smaller than bescot and Basford Hall (just my opinion mind lol)

Didn’t realise March was only single ended now

 

Brian

[black and decker boy]

Most of the big yards are still in use though many with sections removed or closed.

 

Carlisle

Tyne Yard

Tees Yard

Peterborough

Doncaster

Warrington

Wembley / Willesden

Acton

Westbury

Margam

 

I’d think Basford Hall and Wembley /Willesden win

[AberdeenBill]

What's happening at Eastleigh these days?

 

Bill

[russ p]

I work regularly in and out of Bescot, Toton and Basford Hall and they really are large affairs, very much more so when you have to walk from one end to the other! Some of the shunting and light engine moves can take a lot longer than you'd expect to carry out, you could easily waste half and hour or more trying to run round a set of wagons or do a loco swap. In Bescot's case, getting from the up to the down side or vice versa can take an age if there's any other traffic in the area due to pass through, you can actually cross from one side to the other at the north end, the middle (via 'snake's pass' crossover) or the south end near Thame Bridge Parkway. Spare a thought for the shunter who has to proceed any propelling move across the mainlines on foot.

 

Compared to its heyday Bescot is a bit of a ghost town, but there's enough infrastructure work to keep the lads busy and the yard itself open. The north and south end cabins are now both long closed, with all staff being based in the new portacabins in the middle by the staff footbridge. Toton feels even more bereft when I go there, very little seems to be happening but there's enough work there for now. Like Bescot and Basford Hall it's also a booked relieving point for through freights, some of which can sit for several hours awaiting a fresh driver.

 

Basford Hall can be incredibly busy during the lead up to and including weekends with ballast jobs departing in all directions, then returning on Sunday night or Monday morning. A large part of it is now covered by CCTV, allowing the management to keep an eye on proceedings so any shunting progress can be exceedingly slow at times, especially so if there is more than one movement taking place at the same time. Trains requiring crew relief are often routed through the yard or via the independent lines on either side, this can cause problems if the driver is still stuck in a taxi on the M6 somewhwere, with trains 'hanging out' at both ends of the yard, blocking the job.

 

 

So they watch you via CCTV to make sure you are doing 5mph

If when the big yards were still working properly we'd stuck to 5mph they would still be open because we wouldn't have finished our work yet!

At least Whitemoor is 10 mph

[Ncarter2]

What's happening at Eastleigh these days?

 

Bill

Gets very busy come weekends and can be busy in the evening, mainly engineering trains heading to renewals etc.

It has a virtual ballast quarry, so Auto Ballasters, Side Loaders as well as Falcons, MCA, MTA, MHA and the IQA wagons used to bring stone to and from site.

It’s also home to the long welded rail depot, so there are numerous rail delivery trains.

Yeomans have the Stone train that use it.

Container trains stable in the Arrival/Departure roads, Axiom also has one of the Military roads in use for wagon repairs.

DB operates the yard, Colas, GBRf and Freighiner have locos and trains in it often.

The Allbrook Access is NWR owned, and we look after it, the numerous sidings that span from London side of Eastleigh are DB responsibly bar the lines into the Long welded rail depot which are SCO, effectively Network rail, and are inspected by the Maintenance team, as is the Military sidings.

The Down Carraige Sidings are Network Rail, these are those you see from Platform 3 at Eastleigh, used for loading then Auto Hoppers etc and stabling trains ready for departure or further formation forming.

It’s a vast yard with many boundaries, most definitely a shadow of it former self mind.

[SED Freightman]

Of the former Southern Region Yards, I would guess order of useage is now :-

 

Eastleigh

Hoo Junction

Tonbridge West Yard

Hither Green

Dollands Moor

Woking

[woodenhead]

If you removed infrastructure trains then what yards are in use?

 

Basford Hall

Wembley

Margam

Dollands moor

 

??

Edited October 28, 2018 by woodenhead

[big jim]

There is a sign outside Basford hall saying ‘Britain’s biggest LDC’ (load delivery centre), ground coverage though I’d say carlisle is a lot bigger end to end but with far less roads (and less complicated)

 

Work wise Basford hall is also the busiest yard to work in, followed by bescot then Toton (north yard and bank sidings) then Hinksey and a long way down the list carlisle, Carlisle is the only one where you do your own uncoupling and running round too

 

Doncaster decoy and Belmont are pretty busy too but I do very little in and out of those

 

Never ever done any of the warrington yards despite signing past them for all my career!

[black and decker boy]

If you removed infrastructure trains then what yards are in use?

 

Basford Hall

Wembley

Margam

Dollands moor

 

??

In what sense?

 

Splitting & reforming trains? Not many

 

Receiving / Loading goods, stabling and run rounds? Quite a few.

 

Eg: Tinsley, Mossend, Inverness, Acton, Scunthorpe, Tees Yard

[Guest Bri.s]

There is a sign outside Basford hall saying ‘Britain’s biggest LDC’ (load delivery centre), ground coverage though I’d say carlisle is a lot bigger end to end but with far less roads (and less complicated)

 

Work wise Basford hall is also the busiest yard to work in, followed by bescot then Toton (north yard and bank sidings) then Hinksey and a long way down the list carlisle, Carlisle is the only one where you do your own uncoupling and running round too

 

Doncaster decoy and Belmont are pretty busy too but I do very little in and out of those

 

Never ever done any of the warrington yards despite signing past them for all my career!

Not seen Carlisle so Just had a look and there’s still aload of infrastructure there

I saw a picture of it a while ago after it had just been opened and the roads on sorting sidings were huge they looked two train lengths long

 

Brian

[E3109]

So they watch you via CCTV to make sure you are doing 5mph

If when the big yards were still working properly we'd stuck to 5mph they would still be open because we wouldn't have finished our work yet!

At least Whitemoor is 10 mph

Don't forget pulling trailing points that are designed to be run through in the trailing direction, and the ever-present danger of seagulls dumping on you from the tower lights, thus necessitating the mandatory use of eye protection... (Tongue firmly in cheek).

[Rugd1022]

There is a sign outside Basford hall saying ‘Britain’s biggest LDC’ (load delivery centre), ground coverage though I’d say carlisle is a lot bigger end to end but with far less roads (and less complicated)

 

Work wise Basford hall is also the busiest yard to work in, followed by bescot then Toton (north yard and bank sidings) then Hinksey and a long way down the list carlisle, Carlisle is the only one where you do your own uncoupling and running round too

 

Doncaster decoy and Belmont are pretty busy too but I do very little in and out of those

 

Never ever done any of the warrington yards despite signing past them for all my career!

 

Glad you mentioned Hinksey Jim - for its size it punches well above its weight, the lads down there really do have keep on top of their game so as not to stuff up the job. The layout means there's often a lot of propelling moves going on, with virtually every move passing through the ground frame point on No.2 Reception. 

 

Back to Basford Hall for a mo - the CCVT malarkey isn't to be taken lightly, I know of at least two guys who've been sacked for minor infractions in relation to wearing full PPE gear in the yard. Everything is caught on tape and reviewed on Monday mornings by management. 

 

Wembley Yard - not the largest but very busy at times with many trains getting relief by the North Circular bridge, if the relief isn't there on time the Wembley Mainline panel Bobby often gets a cob on! Brent Yard immediately to the south of Wembley is out of use now but the through goods lines are still kept busy with 'liners awaiting relief or even the odd run round during engineering work.

[pinzaboy]

I've sometimes seen Tyne Yard referred to as Tyne S.S. Does anyone know what the S.S stands for?

Thanks

[big jim]

Don't forget pulling trailing points that are designed to be run through in the trailing direction, and the ever-present danger of seagulls dumping on you from the tower lights, thus necessitating the mandatory use of eye protection... (Tongue firmly in cheek).

The track in Basford hall I s shocking though, it must be bad if they have a dedicated retailing team based there!

 

I thought the eye protection rule had been dropped after complaints it was actually causing more risk than good?

['CHARD]

I've sometimes seen Tyne Yard referred to as Tyne S.S. Does anyone know what the S.S stands for?

Thanks

 

Sorting Sidings

[Mike Storey]

Acton still seems to be incredibly busy?

[PM47079]

I thought the eye protection rule had been dropped after complaints it was actually causing more risk than good?

No....

[big jim]

No....

Interesting, I was told it was no longer mandatory for drivers going to and from locos etc but the Shunters still wore them on the ground (along with hard hat/bumpcap and a particular type of glove

[Rugd1022]

The track in Basford hall I s shocking though, it must be bad if they have a dedicated retailing team based there!

 

I thought the eye protection rule had been dropped after complaints it was actually causing more risk than good?

 

The P/Way in most of the yard is awful, particularly so at the south end when you come in off the Down Arrival under the A500 overbridge and onto the hump by the old Sorting Sidings Middle 'box. I do like the layout of the place itself though, given enough room it would make a fantastic model in any scale / gauge. Mind you, the same goes for Bescot or Kingmoor… 

[The Johnster]

I've sometimes seen Tyne Yard referred to as Tyne S.S. Does anyone know what the S.S stands for?

Thanks

 

Sorting sidings?

Edit as I've just realised that this has already been suggested.

Edited October 29, 2018 by The Johnster