Street running in the UK

[The Evil Bus Driver]

On 19/04/2020 at 14:58, mike morley said:

There used to be a line that picked its way around the back of Feltham town centre, across one end of the high street and into the ordnance factory beyond.  When we moved there in 1969 most of the stretch between the main line junction (a quarter of a mile or so west of the recently-defunct station level crossing) and the High Street crossing had been taken up in order to build the then new-ish Highfields estate.  Highfields Road has since been remodelled again (and possibly renamed?) but judging by its original route I'd say the railway probably ran along it.

The extremely wide and never gated crossing of the High Street - right across the heart of the crossroads at what until recently was the Red Lion on one corner and Barclays Bank on another - lingered for many years afterwards and was horrible, the track being on a concrete raft that was a few inches lower than the road, causing all kinds of odd slopes.  The concrete also had an extremely high flint-content, making it as slippery as glass after rain (which, because of the height differences, used to collect on it) and causing numerous accidents.

Once past the Red Lion the line entered what used to be the ordnance factory but in my day was called Browells Lane Trading Estate, a rabbit warren of narrow lanes, access roads, yards and other nooks and crannies, many of which still had track to be seen.  There has been a constant piecemeal development of the area ever since but it wouldnt surprise me in the least if there isnt still the odd forgotten corner with rails to be seen.

I found this, which shows "Private Road @2" now Browells Lane. I had a look on Google Street View but all rails have long gone from there. Not that the road surface is much good anyway.

Edited April 20, 2020 by The Evil Bus Driver

[Pandora]

Not 100% street running, but very close,  Doncaster had the Wheatley Hall Long Siding which ran from Marshgate  to a couple of Factories,  ( ICI Chemicals and International Harvester Tractor Works,  I - think)  the single line was operated as a siding and ran  in the verge of the busy Wheatley Hall Road, I do not recall much in the way of seperation from the pedestrian path and the track. The siding ran for about 2 to possibly 3 miles in length,  and included bridges over a river and a traincrew  worked level crossing. The siding was not shown on maps until after the 1930s and was lost to a road widening scheme

Any other examples of such long sidings?

Edited April 23, 2020 by Pandora

[Andy Kirkham]

The Altrincham gas works line has already been mentioned, but on  the Altrincham Heritage website I've just come across a scanned copy of the April 2000 Railway Bylines which has a feature on the line with some excellent photographs.

 

http://www.altrinchamheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Altrincham-Gas-Works-Railway-Bylines-Vol5-Iss-5-April-2000.pdf

[Metr0Land]

Have we had the street running in Llanelli on here before?  Apols if duplicated.

 

 

 

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Metr0Land said:

Have we had the street running in Llanelli on here before?  Apols if duplicated.

 

 

 

It has been on here before, but always good to see ; the van would have been going to 'The Stamping', later Salter's Spring Balances. My great-aunt used to keep a pub whose front-door opened on to the line at Bryn Terrace.

 

[Porcy Mane]

Fascinating area, and worth a another look. The run down the back street that served Marine and Burry streets looks a bit tight.

 

 

From Britain From Above  WAW036407  (1951)

 

How tight? This tight!

 

https://goo.gl/maps/t4m6HnJavt57w28K7

 

P

 

 

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, Porcy Mane said:

Fascinating area, and worth a another look. The run down the back street that served Marine and Burry streets looks a bit tight.

 

 

From Britain From Above  WAW036407  (1951)

 

How tight? This tight!

 

https://goo.gl/maps/t4m6HnJavt57w28K7

 

P

 

 

I recollect it being a bit wider; the walls  have been built fairly recently. I used to spend a lot of time around the area, as a friend lived in Bryn Terrace when we were both at school. About five years ago, I went back (close to forty years later), and really had  trouble working out where things were.

[Porcy Mane]

33 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I recollect it being a bit wider; the walls  have been built fairly recently.

 

Could be.... but checking on Owd Maps.co.uk them back streets either side of Marine Street look to be about the standard 12 foot. Looks like you could have a 20-a-side football match in Bryn Terrace. I've seen phots of the loco traversing them roads but I'm bu**ered if I can remember where.

 

[Fat Controller]

33 minutes ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

Could be.... but checking on Owd Maps.co.uk them back streets either side of Marine Street look to be about the standard 12 foot. Looks like you could have a 20-a-side football match in Bryn Terrace. I've seen phots of the loco traversing them roads but I'm bu**ered if I can remember where.

 

Try 'The Nevill's Dock and Railway Company' 

[PhilJ W]

I've been looking at this 1927 map of the Garrett works at Leiston. There appears to be a spur curving away from the down side east of the station. There is no apparent connection shown. Does anyone know if the spur was connected and where it went to?

[PhilJ W]

Heres the map as a link so that it can be enlarged.

http://lwr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Long-Shop-Leiston_0001-1.jpg

[Porcy Mane]

16 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Does anyone know if the spur was connected and where it went to?

 

A brick works on the 1903 OS.

[Axlebox]

19 hours ago, Porcy Mane said:

Fascinating area, and worth a another look. The run down the back street that served Marine and Burry streets looks a bit tight.

 

 

From Britain From Above  WAW036407  (1951)

 

How tight? This tight!

 

https://goo.gl/maps/t4m6HnJavt57w28K7

 

P

 

 

...so are you going to build a St Johns church cameo Uncle P?

[65179]

22 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

The Altrincham gas works line has already been mentioned, but on  the Altrincham Heritage website I've just come across a scanned copy of the April 2000 Railway Bylines which has a feature on the line with some excellent photographs.

 

http://www.altrinchamheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Altrincham-Gas-Works-Railway-Bylines-Vol5-Iss-5-April-2000.pdf

 

Thanks for sharing that link Andy. I've seen the odd photo of locos trundling down the road in Alty in books, but that's a lovely collection of views.

 

Simon

[PhilJ W]

18 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Heres the map as a link so that it can be enlarged.

http://lwr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Long-Shop-Leiston_0001-1.jpg

 

18 hours ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

A brick works on the 1903 OS.

I thought that might be something like that as there are earthworks shown at the top of the map. I took a look on Google Earth and the course of the line into the Garrett works is still there and not built on.

[montyburns56]

Lowestoft Docks

 

 

 

[russ p]

This was fairly late, as there is an A reg 83 mk3 escort in the background 

[Andy Kirkham]

On 15/05/2020 at 18:55, montyburns56 said:

Lowestoft Docks

 

 

 

  

 

 

I think these two decidedly atmospheric shots of Ipswich also deserve to be included.

 

 

[montyburns56]

14 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

I think these two decidedly atmospheric shots of Ipswich also deserve to be included.

 

 

 

I'd actually bookmarked those pictures and was going to post them myself! 

[Johann Marsbar]

14 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

I think these two decidedly atmospheric shots of Ipswich also deserve to be included.

 

 

Depends how you define a "street" though. The 08's are on a named roadway (New Cut West), but the same could be said of other parts of the dock tramway such as Albion Wharf - which was open to normal road traffic as well....

 

[montyburns56]

Nice picture johann, I've managed to find a few more on Flickr which look like they could even be the same train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Johann Marsbar]

43 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

Nice picture johann, I've managed to find a few more on Flickr which look like they could even be the same train.

 

 

 

 

Yes, that is one of mine.  That day in 1981 was the only time I managed to get a photo of a train working in that part of the wet dock - 03 196 to be exact. Never bothered trying to go down there in the 1970's to get any pictures, which was a mistake, though I remember lots of grain wagons being parked up along the quayside there when riding through the area on my bike!

 

I took a comparable view in 2005 looking towards the Customs House , long after the tracks had been removed....

 

 

...and even that has now changed out of all recognition with the waterfront development down there.

 

.

[31A]

On 15/05/2020 at 19:07, russ p said:

This was fairly late, as there is an A reg 83 mk3 escort in the background 

 

I was thinking that; I've never seen a picture of an 08 there and thought it finished before the 03s went way from East Anglia.

 

[dibber25]

Freight out of Western Docks Southampton.

[montyburns56]

Liverpool Riverside