The first quadruple track main line in the UK?

[rocor]

I had been looking at a Ordinance Survey map from the mid 1890's that showed the railway between Bromley South and Bickley, two stations situated locally to myself, and I noticed that the track was even then quadrupled between these two stations. This set me to wondering when the first quadruple section of mainline opened in the UK. After spending much of an afternoon googling this question, I am no nearer to finding an answer. So I am now posing the question on this forum.

[micknich2003]

As early as 1875/76, part of the Hull to Selby line was quadruple, I'm sure not the first.

 

[LMS2968]

The Broad Green embankment on the former Liverpool & Manchester Railway was widened and quadrupled in 1847. Olive Mount Cutting was quadrupled in 1870. Lime Street tunnel was opened out and quadrupled in 1881.

[Compound2632]

The longest continuous section of quadruple-track main line in Britain was the 75 miles from St Pancras to Glendon South Junction; I haven't double-checked but I think the quadrupling was complete by c. 1886. North of Glendon South Junction, the various parallel routes via Trent or Nottingham provided at least four tracks as far north as Clay Cross.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Compound2632

[Guy Rixon]

There were four or more lines out of London Bridge from quite an early date. This is not just the station throat as there's a mile of widened track to the first junction. 

[Poor Old Bruce]

11 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

The longest continuous section of quadruple-track main line in Britain was the 75 miles from St Pancras to Glendon South Junction; I haven't double-checked but I think the quadrupling was complete by c. 1886. North of Glendon South Junction, the various parallel routes via Trent or Nottingham provided at least four tracks as far north as Clay Cross.

 

Still four tracks north of Clay Cross if you go via Sheffield or the 'Old Road' via Beighton to Rotherham and beyond, at least as far as Wath Road Junction IIRC.

[Rugd1022]

12 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

The longest continuous section of quadruple-track main line in Britain was the 75 miles from St Pancras to Glendon South Junction; I haven't double-checked but I think the quadrupling was complete by c. 1886. North of Glendon South Junction, the various parallel routes via Trent or Nottingham provided at least four tracks as far north as Clay Cross.

 

The reinstatement of the quadrupling as far as Glendon is pretty much complete now, although it hasn't all been commissioned yet. I've been doing some of the ballast jobs on this and it's coming on apace. It's quite strange bowling along at 60mph seeing it all unfold, with some of the signals being moved too, it takes a bit of getting used to!

[luckymucklebackit]

Related to this  - how many locations in the UK does a 4 track line cross another 4 track line?  Think there are plenty in London but few elsewhere and none in Scotland, there was one where the four tracks going to St Enoch (City Union Line) crossed the four going into Central near Eglinton St. but the City Union was reduced to two many years ago.

 

Jim

[Compound2632]

53 minutes ago, luckymucklebackit said:

Related to this  - how many locations in the UK does a 4 track line cross another 4 track line?  

 

On the level? I think this is as near as it got - and not quite meeting the requirements, since it's a junction rather than a true level crossing in the Retford or Newark style:

 

 

Wikimedia Commons.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Compound2632

[luckymucklebackit]

Just to clarify, four track crossing four track on a bridge, I would imagine that four track crossing four track on th elevel would be rare, and very congested! 

[Trog]

6 over 6 at Northwick Park on the WCML. GC and Met over WCML and DC.

[Edwin_m]

Not far from the OP's location is a four-over-four between Bickley and Chislehurst.  I make that 11 miles as the crow flies from Charing Cross - are there any further from London?  

[Dagworth]

There's a four over four at Northwick Park where the Met and Jubilee cross over the WCML

 

Andi

[Joseph_Pestell]

If the West Riding network of the Midland had been built there probably would have been a 4 over 4 to the south of Dewsbury. Midland mainline and Huddersfield Branch over the       L &Y.

[Edwin_m]

11 hours ago, Dagworth said:

There's a four over four at Northwick Park where the Met and Jubilee cross over the WCML

 

Andi

Actually a six over six as posted above, but I make that a couple of miles closer to London than the one near Bickleigh.  

[Bernard Lamb]

On 17/02/2020 at 20:18, micknich2003 said:

As early as 1875/76, part of the Hull to Selby line was quadruple, I'm sure not the first.

 

The line out of Euston was built in the late 1830s as two tracks but was quadruple by 1875 so very much the same era.

Not sure of an actual opening date.

Bernard

[Compound2632]

Three tracks rather than four but I believe the L&B up goods line was the first example of the laying of an additional running line over a considerable distance alongside a double-track main line. Unfortunately I don't have a date or other details to hand.

[Trog]

2 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

Actually a six over six as posted above, but I make that a couple of miles closer to London than the one near Bickleigh.  

 

The 10MP for the WCML is actually under the bridge, the DC line mileage however is 57 yards higher. ie 10M 57Y.

[Edwin_m]

2 hours ago, Trog said:

 

The 10MP for the WCML is actually under the bridge, the DC line mileage however is 57 yards higher. ie 10M 57Y.

I was going by crow-flies distances from a mapping site, mainly because my Quail map is at home and I'm not!  

[adb968008]

In 1830 Parkside is described as...

Quote

the apparatus at which the water is supplied is worth looking at ... we recommend the inspection to take place from the carriages. There are here five lines of rails, and the excitation arising from the approach of a carriage will generally so confuse a person not accustomed to walk on the railroad, as to make it almost impossible for him to discern which line it is coming on

 

[RANGERS]

On 18/02/2020 at 11:04, Rugd1022 said:

 

The reinstatement of the quadrupling as far as Glendon is pretty much complete now, although it hasn't all been commissioned yet. I've been doing some of the ballast jobs on this and it's coming on apace. It's quite strange bowling along at 60mph seeing it all unfold, with some of the signals being moved too, it takes a bit of getting used to!

I presume once this is reinstated it will once again be the longest continuous stretch of four track, although its about half a mile shorter than it was, only extending as far as Kettering North and not Glendon North as once it did.

 

I understand that it's due to be fully commissioned for traffic in April.

[Edwin_m]

9 minutes ago, RANGERS said:

I presume once this is reinstated it will once again be the longest continuous stretch of four track, although its about half a mile shorter than it was, only extending as far as Kettering North and not Glendon North as once it did.

 

I understand that it's due to be fully commissioned for traffic in April.

However the fast and slow pair do separate over Sharnbrook, to the extent that the slows go through a tunnel and the fasts don't, so its status as a continuous four-track is a bit dubious.  If we allowed this then would we allow the Northampton Loop, the GN&GE Joint, etc - where do you draw the line?  

[RANGERS]

7 minutes ago, Edwin_m said:

However the fast and slow pair do separate over Sharnbrook, to the extent that the slows go through a tunnel and the fasts don't, so its status as a continuous four-track is a bit dubious.  If we allowed this then would we allow the Northampton Loop, the GN&GE Joint, etc - where do you draw the line?  

The only reason for the Wymington deviation was to avoid the hill and allow heavier loading of trains, coal in particular. The separation serves no other purpose, there's no points on it even (I don't think there ever was) before the two run parallel again at Irchester so very much the same route.

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Edwin_m said:

However the fast and slow pair do separate over Sharnbrook, to the extent that the slows go through a tunnel and the fasts don't, so its status as a continuous four-track is a bit dubious.  If we allowed this then would we allow the Northampton Loop, the GN&GE Joint, etc - where do you draw the line?  

 

By that argument, the GW & GC Joint at Saunderton isn't a double track line but two single track lines (which is how the OS mark it).

[PenrithBeacon]

I think the traditional concept of separate up and down lines is getting muddied with bi-directional working.