Freight-only branches

[JST]

Bit late with this but as I was brought up in Exeter I will put in a shout for the Alphington branch and the Exeter basins branch. Rural but slightly industrial. Lots of good pictures here:

 

http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/exeter-city-basin.html

[The Johnster]

Might I put in a vote for the Ely Harbour/Ferry Road branch in Cardiff.  Worked as a trip from Penarth North Curve Yard (next to Ninian Park station, nowhere near Penarth, out the back of Canton shed), it served the Esso petroleum tank farm at Ely Harbour, previously coal staithes, and the various small businesses and scrap yards on Ferry Road.  It branched from the Taff Vale at Grangetown, where there was a ground frame to work the point and trap point, crossover for the return trip, and the ground signals.  It ran on an embankment to the wharf sidings, with a sub-branch dropping down the embankment just after the first Ferry Road underbridge.  This was worked daily and was great fun; in the 70s, type B vacuum braked tanks to the tank farm and a mix of opens and vans, including sliding door types, to the sidings off the low level at Ferry Road.  It was quite a busy little operation, an 08 doing the honours, and would suit a long narrow site about 18 inches wide with the harbour road as the backdrop.  There was no run around on the low level and it was fun to work, with traffic having to be sorted so that none of the small businesses were blocked in, and hampered by parked cars as it never looked as if it was in use to non-railway eyes.  Rails were inset into the road surface.

 

The working of such lines varied according to how they were or weren't signalled.  Some branches were fully block signalled, others were permissive block, and some were worked 'one engine in steam', which might require a token or staff to be carried as authority by the driver.  Long sidings were less formal, and 'to be worked at a speed consistent with the driver's being able to stop the train in the distance he can see ahead'.  The presence of road crossing may have required special instructions for unlocking gates and directing road traffic.  If the branch was not formally signalled, instructions for working it would be found in the relevant Sectional Appendix.

 

A goods only branch can be defined as one on which passenger trains are not normally allowed and which are signalled under permissive block regulations or are 'long sidings'.  Speed on permisssive block lines was restricted to 15mph.  An absolute block signalled line cannot be regarded as a goods only branch even if it only ever carries goods trains, as it is equipped for passenger train working at any time up to line speed and with facing point locks in operation.  

 

Goods only routes can be used as diversionary routes for passenger trains; I was once on a 47 hauled restaurant car Manchester-Cardiff working on a Saturday evening which was diverted due to an occupation between Pontypool Road and Llantarnam Jc,, just south of Cwmbran.  This was run over the goods only branch between Pontypool Road and Llantarnam Jc, round the back of Panteg steelworks, all facing pointwork having to be clipped and spiked while the train was handsignalled over them and speed restricted to 15mph.  The boxes were all open on overtime and there were probably almost as many bodies working this section of line as there were on whatever PW job the occupation was for; a lot of handlamps and whistles were being used and the diversionary route had single line working along one section so there were pilotmen as well; proper railway work!  Special instructions have to be issued to all concerned when this happens.