Engineer Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) Thanks, good spot and good point on adjacent lines. It was a site with narrow gauge lines in the past though these particular rails seemed just too beefy and there were no other remnants nearby. I was tempted to do some exploring in the Westbere area but ran short on time. Area I was looking around was to the upper right of the sheet below, very much changed today. https://maps.nls.uk/view/103679186 Edited July 18, 2021 by Engineer added comment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted July 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 18, 2021 If you can pinpoint the spot using the NLS side by side service, it might show up better. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Last one I took of Kings Cross Goods yard (looking towards the York Way entrance) - somewhere around 2004 I think. This frontage is now the 'pretty face' of Central School, and doesn't look quite like this any more! 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 In response to the last but one post [1339hrs], here's a side-by-side view with the OS, but can't get a more modern 25-inch scale map. Exact cursor co-ordinates for the location of the rails 51.30142, 1.12970. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=19&lat=51.30158&lon=1.12961&layers=168&right=ESRIWorld Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Giles said: This frontage is now the 'pretty face' of Central School, and doesn't look quite like this any more! Same view not that long ago. I think I preferred the old. A Glass turntable? Nice to see the acknowledgement of the past. P Edited July 18, 2021 by Porcy Mane 10 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) Some more abandoned rails. Following a Prototype Questions post on Bailey Bridges I was tempted to track down a former location - no bridge remaining but OS and Google suggested it was worth a look. It's in the Sturry area near Canterbury where there were extensive gravel pits developed post war and operated until the 1970s. OS sheet 173 revised to 1965 shows an earlier track layout on the site. https://maps.nls.uk/view/197253421#zoom=8&lat=9937&lon=5135&layers=BT A later version of sheet 173, revisions to 1968, shows the rail line crossing the Great Stour to give access to later gravel workings south of the river. https://maps.nls.uk/view/197237111#zoom=7&lat=9748&lon=5117&layers=BT The bridge allowed diversion and extension of the narrow-gauge rail route that linked to the north-western corner of the site where the aggregates company retains a small presence. Most of the pit areas are flooded now and converted to a nature reserve. There was a clue to a railway heritage on the approach road to the aggregates site: Having found the former bridge site I followed the likely rail alignment, now a well-worn path heading roughly northward through woods and giving access to private fishing areas and also used by locals. To the side of the path there were short, intermittent runs of buried, decaying timber sleepers which was a good sign. Reaching the edge of the Westbere reservoir and following the pathway and former rail alignment roughly westwards, occasional pieces of rail appeared, one section with both rails in place. At another place with only one rail, almost fully-buried, there was a removed section of rail with corroded remains of steel sleepers. This laid in the grass alongside the path, rail head approx. 1 1/2" wide, rail depth just under 5". Further along, another two-rail section ran along the pathway and disappeared under a hedge. The earlier 'rails across the road' post came from the western extremity of the same pits area, and there's no hard evidence - so far - to reveal the relevance of the feature to the area. Edited July 19, 2021 by Engineer Adjusted map links and added information 13 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 A gate on rails? I can’t remember whether this site had them, but many did, some even gates on skip chassis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted July 19, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 19, 2021 11 hours ago, Engineer said: In response to the last but one post [1339hrs], here's a side-by-side view with the OS, but can't get a more modern 25-inch scale map. Exact cursor co-ordinates for the location of the rails 51.30142, 1.12970. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=19&lat=51.30158&lon=1.12961&layers=168&right=ESRIWorld This map shows something https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=51.30201&lon=1.13918&layers=11&right=ESRIWorld Now we need the IRS on board to tell us what it was. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 (edited) Many thanks for the continued interest in the 'rails' question and all the practical suggestions. "Now we need the IRS on board to tell us what it was." Even without the IRS, we have the superlative Nearholmer. Very useful confirmation of the site and NG presence, and I like his suggestion of gate rails in an earlier post above. Here is my rationale at the outset, and some new clues to change direction subtly. I visited the area because of the the chance of seeing bridge remains, having posted the original excellent narrow gauge scene from 1976, referenced above. Before making a site visit I, too, looked at sheet 173 for general information, both revisions to 1965 and 1968. The earlier version, as mentioned in the previous post, shows a slightly curving line following the southern edge of a pit or lake. The later version shows the line diverted south across the bridge in question. With these clues in mind I extended my walk of exploration culminating in finding rails and sleepers in the post of yesterday evening, above. The 'rails across the road' was the furthest west of my walk, at map cursor 51.30142, 1.12970 [spot A}. The furthest west remains of narrow gauge track were at cursor 51.300878, 1.131869 [spot B]. I've taken a scrap screen view of the side-by-side view to indicate relative positions: The new clue is from 'Britain from Above'. It hadn't been an initial line of enquiry as I'd not expected any coverage to overlap the date range of interest for the Brett gravel railway. This was a mistake, in hindsight, and there is something quite useful, from 25 April, 1947: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW004813 The linked image, with excellent definition, shows very early development of the gravel workings. Machinery for loading and transhipment is in place and the online map now has a pin - imagine a line dropped from this pin and also imagine an extension of the roadway coming from the left. The remaining 'rails in road' are slightly left of the intersection of these imaginary lines, where the machinery is. Tentatively, I reckon the buried rails are part of the base for the loading machinery yet there could be other explanations. There is generic evidence that some quarry plant ran on rails with gauge of the order of 6 feet - see: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/dunton_green_brickworks/index.shtml Images: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/dunton_green_brickworks/brick6.jpg http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/dunton_green_brickworks/brick8.jpg http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/dunton_green_brickworks/brick7.jpg It looks like there are NG lines around the site, the possible wagon discharge terminal visible [with pin added] further right on the aerial image. There seems to be facilities to unload to a conveyor, crossing the water to the transhipment machinery. The path I followed, with its surviving NG rails, heads away further to the right and upward in this image. In the image there's also evidence of a small rail yard by Sturry station. I'd wondered about a later rail connection from the yard to the fairly close gravel site but no evidence at this time. Another BfA image of the same date shows the same site: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW004812 Some years after this image was taken, there would be another rail route leaving the path, heading to the right on the image, across the marshland, reaching the Great Stour and the future bridge site. Edited August 1, 2021 by Engineer Added information, corrections and links to sources and related posts 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim V Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Snailbeach District Railways, @Andy Y covered this nicely in another thread. Seen here in 1974, didn't look much different when Andy went there. 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted July 21, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 21, 2021 On 18/07/2021 at 22:24, Nearholmer said: A gate on rails? I can’t remember whether this site had them, but many did, some even gates on skip chassis. Until relatively recent times, Cambridge Marshalls Airport (Newmarrket Road) had emergency gates mounted on NG skip chassis, so that they could be rolled quickly to one side in the event of an incident. I'm pretty sure that they were recovered for refurbishment - possibly by the local FR / WHR support group. John Isherwood. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Might it be worth contacting Brett Aggregates for any details of their operation at Sturry? They've recently had a big anniversary, so might have slides etc. They've apparently lodged some documents (and larger items) with Dover Transport Museum recently. Here are contact details for the museum:- https://www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk/ Bretts still have a standard-gauge railway presence, with a long-established terminal at Cliffe, another recently opening at Newhaven. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axlebox Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 https://www.google.com/maps/@53.8452135,-2.1351779,3a,36.8y,181.57h,85.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0EYKTuSS0TYprmbEdLhJlg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 There is something about them setts, Trawden Lancs. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Moxy Posted July 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 28, 2021 17 minutes ago, Axlebox said: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.8452135,-2.1351779,3a,36.8y,181.57h,85.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0EYKTuSS0TYprmbEdLhJlg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 There is something about them setts, Trawden Lancs. Passing loop on the 4' gauge Colne & Trawden Light railway. Here's an earlier photo when it was less built up. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Colne_and_Trawden_Light_Railway_Company#/media/File:Private_right_of_way_tram_track_to_Trawden_-_geograph.org.uk_-_625245.jpg 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axlebox Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, Moxy said: Passing loop on the 4' gauge Colne & Trawden Light railway. Here's an earlier photo when it was less built up. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Colne_and_Trawden_Light_Railway_Company#/media/File:Private_right_of_way_tram_track_to_Trawden_-_geograph.org.uk_-_625245.jpg It was the terminus Moxy, I saw the above picture on ebay and that sparked my interest. https://maps.nls.uk/view/126517151 Rails still in the road here... https://www.google.com/maps/@53.8417279,-2.1342135,3a,75y,18.69h,74.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAtAoBD8oRNjDK3QsLrOCRg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 A/box Edited July 29, 2021 by Axlebox 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted July 30, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2021 Some rails around the docks in Liverpool, obviously been restored in places around the Albert dock but the ones further out are a bit less ‘pristine’ but look to be original rails into a former warehouse of something Albert dock, outside the maritime museum 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 9 minutes ago, big jim said: look to be original rails into a former warehouse of something Rails into Liverpool Riverside. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/liverpool_riverside/index22.shtml https://flic.kr/p/BR5r99 MD&HB No16. by Philip Parker, on Flickr 48293 on Dock estate by Chris, on Flickr 48293 crossing Dock Road by Chris, on Flickr 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradfordbuffer Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 2 hours ago, big jim said: Some rails around the docks in Liverpool, obviously been restored in places around the Albert dock but the ones further out are a bit less ‘pristine’ but look to be original rails into a former warehouse of something Albert dock, outside the maritime museum Before you shunt some 12t vans in to the warehouse.....going to have to move that fishing hook! 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted July 31, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31, 2021 (edited) These rails in the road are in the old goods yard at Okehampton station, although tracks either side have been removed: Edited December 17, 2022 by Ramblin Rich 7 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Middleton Railway to Moor Road coal depot and Leeds Corp. tramway to Middleton. Leeds: Middleton Light Rly / Middleton Colliery Rly crossing by Keith Halton, on Flickr 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 11 hours ago, Porcy Mane said: Middleton Railway to Moor Road coal depot and Leeds Corp. tramway to Middleton. Leeds: Middleton Light Rly / Middleton Colliery Rly crossing by Keith Halton, on Flickr Austin Somerset, by the look of it. We had one in the mid 1980s for a few years; drove it as far as Lyon on one occasion. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 (edited) Earlier post "Middleton Railway to Moor Road coal depot and Leeds Corp. tramway to Middleton." showed the tramway still in use. Here, a 1960 image shows the double-track electric tramway abandoned, rails not yet removed. Leeds car 601, part of a preservation project, stands on the Middleton line crossing https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=145564 I believe the crossing is at the centre of this map extract: https://maps.nls.uk/view/125642515#zoom=6&lat=4250&lon=5337&layers=BT Edited August 1, 2021 by Engineer Added information 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted August 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 1, 2021 34 minutes ago, Engineer said: Earlier post "Middleton Railway to Moor Road coal depot and Leeds Corp. tramway to Middleton." showed the tramway still in use. Here, a 1960 image shows the double-track electric tramway abandoned, rails not yet removed. Leeds car 601, part of a preservation project, stands on the Middleton line crossing https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=145564 I believe the crossing is at the centre of this map extract: https://maps.nls.uk/view/125642515#zoom=6&lat=4250&lon=5337&layers=BT A bit up and left of the crossing on the map is the Dartmouth Works (Engineering) with what looks like a company trainset rather than an internal railway. Can anyone shed any light? Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engineer Posted August 1, 2021 Share Posted August 1, 2021 (edited) "... Dartmouth Works (Engineering) ..." The original post's image includes mention that the crossing served Clayton, and 'Dartmouth' seems to be one of their sites: http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histclayton.asp The reference gives no clues on site detail, however, though these images include some views inside the Dartmouth site: https://andrewstransport.smugmug.com/BritishheritagerailwaysI/Middleton-Railways-Leeds-1960s/i-hsfMgzM Edited August 1, 2021 by Engineer Added information in response to query 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John Isherwood Posted August 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 1, 2021 2 hours ago, Ian Smeeton said: A bit up and left of the crossing on the map is the Dartmouth Works (Engineering) with what looks like a company trainset rather than an internal railway. Can anyone shed any light? Regards Ian Go a bit further east and you'll find a whole raft of 'GASHOLDER STREET, GASHOLDER ROAD', etc., and the adjacent Gasholder Works. I suspect that the 'trainset' circles of factory tracks in this area are associated with the manufacture of gasholders - which were / are usually circular! CJI. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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