johnarcher Posted April 20, 2019 Author Share Posted April 20, 2019 (edited) Thanks again to everybody - I am grateful that so many people have given so much thought to the matter and taken so much trouble to communicate the results. I am overwhelmed by possibilities - I must look at several of them - Snape and Wissington in particular look interesting at the moment. I'm looking at c1930-55 as period, rural (ie not really industrial or mineral), either in country side or among attractive buildings (Wells next the sea harbour?) I once saw a photo of a very attractive setting of a rail-served canal wharf, but I have no idea where it was. The old memory is on its way out I fear. Thanks again Edited April 20, 2019 by johnarcher 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastglosmog Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Whaley Bridge, terminal basin of the Peak Forest Canal and northern terminus of the Cromford and High Peak any good? http://www.negh.co.uk/whaleybridgephotos/photo.php?where=2&dorder=2&photo=1569 There are a good many interchange basins around the midlands and by 1950, even those in the middle of Birmingham were looking a bit rustic! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 9 hours ago, eastglosmog said: Whaley Bridge, terminal basin of the Peak Forest Canal and northern terminus of the Cromford and High Peak any good? http://www.negh.co.uk/whaleybridgephotos/photo.php?where=2&dorder=2&photo=1569 There are a good many interchange basins around the midlands and by 1950, even those in the middle of Birmingham were looking a bit rustic! AKA Bugsworth canal basin; a fair bit of it is still intact, but not the railway, sadly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 (edited) 18 hours ago, johnarcher said: Thanks again to everybody - I am grateful that so many people have given so much thought to the matter and taken so much trouble to communicate the results. I am overwhelmed by possibilities - I must look at several of them - Snape and Wissington in particular look interesting at the moment. I'm looking at c1930-55 as period, rural (ie not really industrial or mineral), either in country side or among attractive buildings (Wells next the sea harbour?) I once saw a photo of a very attractive setting of a rail-served canal wharf, but I have no idea where it was. The old memory is on its way out I fear. Thanks again A possibility might be the Waterloo Goods branch in Aberdeen. Railway history in Aberdeen was a touch fractured, so bear with me, but in simplified terms it was approached from the south by what eventually became the Caledonian, terminating on the present [Joint] Station site, close by the western end of the harbour. Totally unconnected with it was what became the Great North of Scotland Railway which commenced at Waterloo Quay, further to the east. In the course of time the two were connected by a new line running directly north between what thus became the Joint Station and Kittybrewster Station on the GNoSR. The line from the original GNoSR terminus on Waterloo Quay to Kittybrewster then became a freight only line. In terms of setting you pays your money and you takes your pick. Some of the surrounding were industrial, some residential and even bucolic. There were interchange sidings for the gas works and even such rail-served oddities as at least one granite-turning works [think columns for classical facades] - all buildings were granite of course whether cottages or factories, although to be honest wriggly tin wasn't unknown on the industrial side. And if you really want to be unusual part of the route was [and still is] laid along the bed of the former Aberdeenshire Canal, making for a unique style of cutting. Edited April 21, 2019 by Caledonian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted April 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 21, 2019 A good source of inspiration for these types of line is Railway Bylines (monthly). The Coaley branch in Reading featured a few years ago over two issues. Another option is the Derwent Valley Light Railway, an independent line that survived until 1981; for a time in the late 1970s it operated steam passenger services hauled by J72 "Joem". There's an excellent book on the line by Jonathan D. Stockwell and Ian Drummond—Rails Along The Derwent (Holne Publishing). Motive power in the 1960s was a hired class 03; later on they purchased two class 04s from BR. Near York; there is a section of the line preserved (well worth a visit when it's working). 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 59 minutes ago, 62613 said: AKA Bugsworth canal basin; a fair bit of it is still intact, but not the railway, sadly. There's another basin, with a roof over it, just north of Chillington Street, Wolverhampton. Until fairly recent times, it was served by a line connecting to the main Wolverhampton Steel Terminal, which passed under the main line, before splitting into a fan of sidings. Into the 1980s, it served as an overflow for the main depot, with steel being stacked on the side of the basin. A spur off the northernmost siding served the British Oxygen depot, and received bogie tanks of oxygen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, johnarcher said: Thanks again to everybody - I am grateful that so many people have given so much thought to the matter and taken so much trouble to communicate the results. I am overwhelmed by possibilities - I must look at several of them - Snape and Wissington in particular look interesting at the moment. I'm looking at c1930-55 as period, rural (ie not really industrial or mineral), either in country side or among attractive buildings (Wells next the sea harbour?) I once saw a photo of a very attractive setting of a rail-served canal wharf, but I have no idea where it was. The old memory is on its way out I fear. Thanks again Given your preference for a rural setting, I would say that Wissington and the Derwent Valley are definitely worth looking into further. Both are particular favourites of mine, Wissington being top of the list. I have got a plan for a small project based on that myself. At the height of the season, it carried incredible amounts of sugarbeet and it would make the basis of a great layout. It is also a concept that could be transplanted to anywhere where beet was/is farmed - an agricultural tramway that could transport all sorts of different traffic flows; fruit and veg, grain, fertiliser, agricultural machinery, the list is endless. Both Wissington and the Derwent Valley survived for so long too, so whilst it would perfectly cover your chosen time period you could also move it into more recent times if you fancied a change. Edited April 21, 2019 by south_tyne Clarification 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf315 Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Can I throw in a couple of lines from the North Staffs area. The branch to Chesterton in Newcastle Under Lyme. The line ran from the main Stoke to Manchester (this line is still open) ran through Bradwell wood past brickworks and Parkhouse colliery which both were rail connected and onto the goods station at the top end of Chesterton. The Newfields Wharf branch ran from Newfields junction just North of Tunstall Station on the Potteries loop line to the 3 inglenook type sidings at Newfields wharf. There was no run round so trains were propelled up the branch. Main traffic was clay and other items associated with the pottery industry. Thanks Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 I'm mildly surprised that this thread has come so far without a single reference to the Wisbech and Upwell... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnarcher Posted April 22, 2019 Author Share Posted April 22, 2019 9 minutes ago, Caledonian said: I'm mildly surprised that this thread has come so far without a single reference to the Wisbech and Upwell... I agree, personally I had excluded it because of, as far as I know, the lack of 'normal' steam engines, and I don't find the landscape that fascinating, but it is a good example of the type of thing I was talking about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnarcher Posted April 22, 2019 Author Share Posted April 22, 2019 15 hours ago, south_tyne said: Given your preference for a rural setting, I would say that Wissington and the Derwent Valley are definitely worth looking into further. Both are particular favourites of mine, Wissington being top of the list. I have got a plan for a small project based on that myself. At the height of the season, it carried incredible amounts of sugarbeet and it would make the basis of a great layout. It is also a concept that could be transplanted to anywhere where beet was/is farmed - an agricultural tramway that could transport all sorts of different traffic flows; fruit and veg, grain, fertiliser, agricultural machinery, the list is endless. Both Wissington and the Derwent Valley survived for so long too, so whilst it would perfectly cover your chosen time period you could also move it into more recent times if you fancied a change. Yes, they seemed two of the most interesting to me (plus Snape maybe). Re the period, I didn't mean to try and cover the whole 1930-50's period, but to select within that time depending on the features of the particular prototype. There seem to be a few useful books on the Derwent Valley (one or two of which I shall probably invest in as soon as I can), I can't see much on Wissington though? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 16 minutes ago, Caledonian said: I'm mildly surprised that this thread has come so far without a single reference to the Wisbech and Upwell... The op asked for lines which were never passenger, not a line with its passenger facilities removed, which is why I ignored it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 16 minutes ago, johnarcher said: Yes, they seemed two of the most interesting to me (plus Snape maybe). Re the period, I didn't mean to try and cover the whole 1930-50's period, but to select within that time depending on the features of the particular prototype. There seem to be a few useful books on the Derwent Valley (one or two of which I shall probably invest in as soon as I can), I can't see much on Wissington though? There are some excellent books on the DVLR. With regard to Wissington, I think (but would happily be corrected) that there's only the one book available: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wissington-Railway-Fenland-Enterprise/dp/0901096490 There is a good Oakwood Press book on the Shape branch too: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Branch-Oakwood-Library-Railway-History/dp/0853616418 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted April 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 22, 2019 May I offer the Pool Dam branch which ran from Knutton Junction on the Stoke to Market Drayton line to a canal wharf at Brook Lane via Pool Dam on the south east side of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It can seen on this map from NLS: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=53.0127&lon=-2.2321&layers=168&right=BingHyb The book 'Newcastle-under-Lyme Its Railway and Canal History by Baker and Fell and published by Irwell Press has copious details. Pool Dam was basically a coal depot and there was a gas works just before the wharf on the western side of Brook Lane. In later years a structural steel contractor had workshops at the wharf who received steel sections from Corby. These houses on Brook Lane can be seen on the map on the corner of Stubbs Gate: The site of the gas works is now a Morrison's supermarket. Photo is looking north from the trackbed just west of where the railway crossed Brook Lane: The wharf opened out on the other side of Brook Lane but, sadly, nothing much to be seen today: By the way, in 1958 a SPD warehouse was opened by Lever Brothers on the site of Knutton Forge, just on the branch, and provided extra traffic but only lasted six years. The whole branch closed in October 1967. David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted April 22, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 22, 2019 Just remembered that the line to which the DVLR connected, the Foss Islands Branch, is also interesting. There is a Middleton Press book which covers this line and the DVLR. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted April 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 22, 2019 Very short but fits your criteria, the Parkend goods branch to Marsh farm sidings just north west of Parkend on the Severn & Wye. Unlike most FoD branches it did not serve a colliery but a general goods depot, though in later years coal was brought in by lorry and tipped into wagons there. Jonathan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 7 hours ago, DavidLong said: May I offer the Pool Dam branch which ran from Knutton Junction on the Stoke to Market Drayton line to a canal wharf at Brook Lane via Pool Dam on the south east side of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It can seen on this map from NLS: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=53.0127&lon=-2.2321&layers=168&right=BingHyb The book 'Newcastle-under-Lyme Its Railway and Canal History by Baker and Fell and published by Irwell Press has copious details. Pool Dam was basically a coal depot and there was a gas works just before the wharf on the western side of Brook Lane. In later years a structural steel contractor had workshops at the wharf who received steel sections from Corby. These houses on Brook Lane can be seen on the map on the corner of Stubbs Gate: The site of the gas works is now a Morrison's supermarket. Photo is looking north from the trackbed just west of where the railway crossed Brook Lane: The wharf opened out on the other side of Brook Lane but, sadly, nothing much to be seen today: By the way, in 1958 a SPD warehouse was opened by Lever Brothers on the site of Knutton Forge, just on the branch, and provided extra traffic but only lasted six years. The whole branch closed in October 1967. David There's a great picture of the Brook Lane section on this site which just screams out to be modelled. https://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=4474&PageIndex=25&SearchType=2&ThemeID=272 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stivesnick Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 9 hours ago, johnarcher said: There seem to be a few useful books on the Derwent Valley (one or two of which I shall probably invest in as soon as I can), I can't see much on Wissington though? The Wissington Branch is included in the Middleton Press Book - Ely to Kings Lynn. The book has a number of photos and track plans. Nick 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 (edited) Not hard to find secondhand, and very comprehensive. wartime would probably make a good setting for Wissington, because the area was used to grow food crops much more than usually at that period, and there was more outgoing produce. If you ferret around, there are some ‘morale booster’ photos of special trains. Here's one! https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/workmen-attach-a-sign-reading-bread-and-butter-express-to-news-photo/81002531 The line was only "new" in 1941 in the sense that it was newly under the supervision of The Min of Ag. Edited April 22, 2019 by Nearholmer 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martync Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 On 17/04/2019 at 12:41, Edwardian said: The Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway had three goods branches running southward from its mainline. From east to west: - The Merrybent & Darlington Railway, running from Merrybent to Barton Goods - The Forcett Railway, running from Gainford to Forcett Goods - Barnard Castle old station, forming a goods dépôt at the end of a short spur from the later station The first two are covered in a recent North eastern railway Association publication, Lesser Railways Around Darlington I have been very fond of Forncett ever since I spotted a solitary photo of it in "LNER Branch Lines 1945-1965 - an OPC book. I can't find any other pictures, although I did also find the old map you posted. Is the NERA book worth buying?? I rather like these odd little mineral lines - Croft Goods is another model I like - and with the approaching Bachman J72, we have the ideal motive power!! I've always fancied the little Class Y7 as well - now reissued by NuCast Partners I believe. Rgds Martyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 1 minute ago, Martync said: I have been very fond of Forncett ever since I spotted a solitary photo of it in "LNER Branch Lines 1945-1965 - an OPC book. I can't find any other pictures, although I did also find the old map you posted. Is the NERA book worth buying?? I rather like these odd little mineral lines - Croft Goods is another model I like - and with the approaching Bachman J72, we have the ideal motive power!! I've always fancied the little Class Y7 as well - now reissued by NuCast Partners I believe. Rgds Martyn I'd say it's worth it, and the best you'll get Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martync Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 17 hours ago, montyburns56 said: There's a great picture of the Brook Lane section on this site which just screams out to be modelled. https://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/Details.aspx?&ResourceID=4474&PageIndex=25&SearchType=2&ThemeID=272 What an absolutely brilliant location!! They must have had to use very small tank engines, given the size of the run round loop!! Martyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Nah! That’s not real; it’s a P4 layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Can I put a few names in to the pot. On the Furness Kirkby-in-Furness slate wharf branch. Which ran from the station to the foot of a gravity incline for the slate quarry. Stanton branch which ran from Dalton-in-Furness to iron mines and a limestone quarry two miles south. Also most of the west Cumberland lines had the passenger services removed between the world wars and some lasted into the 1990's Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 6 hours ago, Martync said: What an absolutely brilliant location!! They must have had to use very small tank engines, given the size of the run round loop!! Martyn I was looking at some old maps and it seems that originally the line went across the road, but was truncated at some point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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