What is the turntable at Darlington used for?

[alcazar]

Or is it out of use?

[Steve Taylor]

As I understand it its been out of use for years, even in the mid-eighties I never saw anything on it and last i saw it in th early-mid noughties there were saplings growing in the well. I was under the impression that it had been sold into preservation and was no longer there.

[Craig G]

I work at Darlington station and it is indeed out of use. Hasn't been used for many a moon.

[alcazar]

It was still there when I went up at the end of May.

[jamie92208]

Perhaps its going to go to Hellifield for West Coast?

 

Jamie

[Dan Hamblin]

I doubt it, isn't it 50ft diameter? I would have thought a turntable at Hellifield would have to be at least 60ft diameter and more likely 70ft.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[The Black Hat]

The turntable at Darlington has been out of use for ages. As someone above has said, its not had anything much onto it in years. It is a lot smaller than most turntables and I think at one point was there for the adjacent goods yard of the station for the cattle market on the other side of the road, that or the usual J72 station pilot at Darlington to use. The sidings here are now engineers sidings and until recently the ones furthest from the station were the control of Fastline. Given their status on the network the sidings close to the running line were known as Locomotive sidings for stabling engines away from the main running lines. It was here that the ACoRP had its open day at the station and some engines were present, as well as in Platform 3 of Darlington station in late september 2007.

 

After this the sidings nearest the mainline began to see locomotives kept here from Advenza when the company won the contract to move scrap from Stockton, this due to the rights to stable engines on these closest sidings is open to anyone as the track here is still departmental - though the exactly technicalities on how elude me. After the demise of the Gloucester based company there have been few engines stored and following Fastline I imagine that tampers are fewer in number there.

 

There were plans to extract the Turntable for use on the Weardale line, the Eastgate Eco-village idea or Beamish, but these seemed to have foundered.

 

If your needing pics of the area, the link to my site below should provide some glimpses of the station area....

 

Hope that helps

[Chameleon]

I was wondering about turntables after Reading the Hellifield thread. What ones are still in use? I know the one at Heaton appears to be. Scarborough n Ft William both got one replaced in recent years. Any others still at depots? Is the old oak common one still in use?

[alcazar]

There are tunrtables at the main HST depots, or there were: Bounds Green, Neville Hill, etc.

 

Bath Road had one at the rear of the shed.

[mr b]

Should think Darlo table needs a good skwert of WD 40 !!!

 

mr B .. moddeling Nethertown

[jamie92208]

There are tunrtables at the main HST depots, or there were: Bounds Green, Neville Hill, etc.

 

Bath Road had one at the rear of the shed.

 

 

Neville Hill still has one it can be seen from the Main Line towards the East end of the shed.

 

Jamie

[Dan Hamblin]

The one at Old Oak Common is due to be removed as part of the CrossRail scheme. There were whispers that the NRM would get it, but all has gone quiet in that respect.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[Chameleon]

Well hopefully the idiot contractors won't cut it up like they did at Perth

[floydeeeee]

The one at Old Oak Common is due to be removed as part of the CrossRail scheme. There were whispers that the NRM would get it, but all has gone quiet in that respect.

 

Regards,

 

Dan

 

Rumour is its going to Swanage as their not able to turn big locos on the small table there. Apparently they want to put it somehwere close to Herston Halt

[96701]

Well hopefully the idiot contractors won't cut it up like they did at Perth

Why were the contractors idiots? Did they cut it up in error? And what makes you think the contractors who are going to cut up the Darlington turntable are idiots?

[Chameleon]

The one at Perth was reserved for the SRPS, as far as I am aware, there were specific instructions NOT to cut up the turntable. It was only spotted (too late) by a passing driver who notified the SRPS. By then it was in little bits.

[Steve Taylor]

 

... knew I'd a snap somewhere. This is from 2006. Anyone know any of the history of this installation? Its interesting to see that at some time the top edge of the pit wall has been damaged and the cap stones replace in brick for a section. A runaway?