Local Lockdown Walks - with a railway connection, however tenuous

[ianmacc]

2 hours ago, caradoc said:

One of my regular walks takes me to the infilled overbridge on Double Hedges Road in Neilston; The end of the line !

 

 

Very useful modelling shot of the eve of a catenary system!

[Gilbert]

Today's dog-friendly jaunt - found in the riverside woods below the old Fry's sidings at Keynsham. only 60mm deep so I assume it is narrow gauge. Possibly riverside tram line for loading - the Avon was and remains navigable down to Bristol?

[Rivercider]

Since the only walk I am making at present is along Weston sea front how tenuous can I go?

 

Looking out into the Severn Estuary Steepholm and Flatholm are visible from Weston sea front.

Both islands became part of the chain of Palmerston fortifications, and both were refortified in WWII.

 

In about 1870 ten cannon were mounted in six gun batteries around the summit of Steepholm, at some point a narrow gauge track was constructed up the south side of the island to bring stores up, it was winch operated.

 

In WWII two 6" gun batteries were established on the top of Steepholm, much of the work was carried out by Indian Army sappers, and another narrow gauge railway was built, this time up from the landing beach at the east end of the island. Because of the steepness of the island the railway zig-zagged in three sections, each operated by winch.

The track is now long gone, but the zig-zag path is the still the main route to the summit.

 

Although in the past there have been boat trips to the island I have never visited, so here are photos taken from the main land.

 

Steepholm as seen from Weston beach looking west. The sun is shining on the south side, but the east side is in shadow, so the earthworks of the three sections of railway are not visible. Taken on my recent walk 8/2/21

 

On a previous pre-Covid trip to Brean Down which is closer I took photos of Steepholm.

I have made an amateurish attempt to show where the narrow gauge tracks ran.

Steepholm seen from the south east. The south side is again in sun, although the east side is in shadow the east landing beach is clearly visible. 29/6/2018

In WWII a pier was constructed from the east beach. The lower section of railway ran up behind the former inn which is now ruined.  

 

I also have one more idea for things visible from Weston sea front with an even more tenuous railway connection, if I can get a reasonable photo or two.

 

cheers

 

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Rivercider
spelling

[Gilbert]

I'm sure you can also see several rail-served industries in South Wales from there too!!

[Rivercider]

4 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

I'm sure you can also see several rail-served industries in South Wales from there too!!

That is the idea. I am hoping to take, or find, a photo or two where the subject is rather more than just a smudge in the distance,

 

cheers

[Gilbert]

Just now, Rivercider said:

That is the idea. I am hoping to take, or find, a photo or two where the subject is rather more than just a smudge in the distance,

 

cheers

Excellent...

[pete_mcfarlane]

The most interesting one I've got from my many lockdown wanderings is from last year, on Derby Road in Nottingham. A random trolley wire support from the (old) tramway system. I was still there last week, and will probably be there for a while. 

 

 

[4630]

Todays little jaunt, on a bright and crisp February morning, started at Deighton station.

 

The class 185 is heading east with 1P49, a service from Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough, but the feature of interest is the brick arch on the right .... 

 

 

...this was the route of the Kirkburton branch which left the main line at Kirkburton Junction sited at Deighton.

 

 

Originally constructed by the London & North Western Railway with the intention of being a double track through route to the Barnsley coal fields, in the event only reached 4 1/2 miles as a single track branch to the small village of Kirkburton.

 

The line opened to passengers on the 7th October 1867 and closed on 26th July 1930.  Freight lasted longer finishing on 5th April 1965, with the majority of the track lifted the following year.

 

A short stub of 1 mile was retained from Kirkburton Junction to serve the nearby I.C.I. chemical works, until this section of line was finally closed in February 1971.

 

After a short distance from Deighton station the line crossed what is now the A62 Leeds Road...

 

 

The line then continued on an embankment for a short distance before reaching Whitacre Mill viaduct which still exists and spans the Huddersfield Broad Canal and the River Colne.

 

 

 

For those interested this is a Google Map reference for the area;

Whitacre Street/A62

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by 4630
To add Google Map reference.

[F2Andy]

I took this today, and coincidentally only just stumbled across this thread.

 

It is a bridge abutment from a tramway in Preston - you can just see Preston station in the distance at the left. It was built some time around 1800 to link sections of the Lancaster Canal, as there was not enough money to bridge the Ribble valley.

 

I took photos of the sections to the South over the summer, and wrote an article for Preston MRS website; you can see it here if interested:

http://www.prestonanddistrictmrs.org.uk/articles/the-old-tramway/

[eastwestdivide]

Google maps link to the above:

https://goo.gl/maps/JAbL7igbwwfQ7nwH8

 

and the tramway (also marked on the map as ...Tram Road) visible by Garden Street on this old map at NLS:

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102343946

Edited February 11, 2021 by eastwestdivide

[ianmacc]

On 11/02/2021 at 19:23, F2Andy said:

I took this today, and coincidentally only just stumbled across this thread.

 

It is a bridge abutment from a tramway in Preston - you can just see Preston station in the distance at the left. It was built some time around 1800 to link sections of the Lancaster Canal, as there was not enough money to bridge the Ribble valley.

 

I took photos of the sections to the South over the summer, and wrote an article for Preston MRS website; you can see it here if interested:

http://www.prestonanddistrictmrs.org.uk/articles/the-old-tramway/

Is that an ELR structure reference to the bottom left of the abutment? 

[F2Andy]

12 hours ago, ianmacc said:

Is that an ELR structure reference to the bottom left of the abutment? 

Er, I don't know. Is it?

 

The ELR did go right next to it, parallel to the tramway, on that side of the bridge, so it certainly could be.

 

Here is a close up, from a different angle. The first line is DfT, but it looks a bit early for Department for Transport... That said, it is pretty clean. Is it possible it was inherited by British railways, and is now the responsibility of DfT?

Edited February 13, 2021 by F2Andy

[eastwestdivide]

ELR as in Engineers Line Reference?

The list at http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/_mileages/l/lhj.shtm

has LHJ = Lostock Hall Junction to Preston Fishergate via Skew Bridge Line, but I don't understand the mileages

[Peter Kazmierczak]

It's too cold and bitter to venture far for my lockdown walk today. Plus I had my first Covid jab yesterday, so my arm aches a bit. 
So where have we ended-up?

Down in the garden by the summerhouse. A few railway artifacts that don't mind being outside.

The chair is a standard LMS 3-bolt one, which I found at Alsop-en-le-Dale on the former LNW line between Ashbourne and Buxton. The piece of rail is from Worthington on the Derby to Ashby line, retrieved when they were lifting the track back in the 1980s.

Stay Safe!

[eastwestdivide]

A quick march around in the bitter wind today, to find relaying work on the Tinsley-bound track at Rotherham.

 

By the stadium:

 

Feet up waiting for instructions:

 

Track missing, quarter-mile milepost:

 

Side-tipping wagons next to dug-out trackbed:

 

Compactors (Wacker plates) at the far end of the section, but what's the stuff with lots of circles? Some kind of geotextile?

 

Work might (or might not) be in preparation for the Underground Northern Line extension "Renewing the Tube":

 

And a bonus shot of a blue-roll on the frozen canal:

 

 

 

 

[ianmacc]

On 13/02/2021 at 09:37, eastwestdivide said:

ELR as in Engineers Line Reference?

The list at http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/_mileages/l/lhj.shtm

has LHJ = Lostock Hall Junction to Preston Fishergate via Skew Bridge Line, but I don't understand the mileages

Nil miles nil chains is the start point of the line. I suspect it’s been inherited by the DFT (ultimately)  from the former BRB Residuary organisation. It’s been applied some time after the decommissioning as they are obviously identifying a liability they are responsible for. 

[ianmacc]

On 13/02/2021 at 08:24, F2Andy said:

Er, I don't know. Is it?

 

The ELR did go right next to it, parallel to the tramway, on that side of the bridge, so it certainly could be.

 

Here is a close up, from a different angle. The first line is DfT, but it looks a bit early for Department for Transport... That said, it is pretty clean. Is it possible it was inherited by British railways, and is now the responsibility of DfT?

Sorry yes engineers line reference not east Lancashire railway! 

[eastwestdivide]

5 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

Nil miles nil chains is the start point of the line. I suspect it’s been inherited by the DFT (ultimately)  from the former BRB Residuary organisation. It’s been applied some time after the decommissioning as they are obviously identifying a liability they are responsible for. 

Sorry, I meant I don't understand the mileages in that linked page, where the LHJ section has mileages from

26.18    Lostock Hall Junction

to

28.61    Preston

 

i.e. Preston is marked as 0m0ch on the wall, but 28m61ch in the link.

Edited February 14, 2021 by eastwestdivide

[eastglosmog]

Today's effort is a picture of the remains of the Fawler Iron Mine, served by a siding off of the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton (the siding was in the trees in the distance, the OWW main line is out of sight to the right).  The ironstone seam was discovered during the construction of the OWW and Fawler was the first known working (1858) in the Oxfordshire Ironstone field.  Unfortunately, it was not a great success, closing after 8 years.  Although later revived in 1882, it failed again after only 3 years.  The plans for ironworks in the Evenlode Valley came to nought!

 

A plan of the area is shown below (taken from a talk I did on it back in the day when such things were possible):

[john new]

On 24/01/2021 at 10:39, john new said:

Walking the old Merchants Railway yesterday discovered the brambles had been cut back around one of the mile marker stones. Lots of old railway available to walk locally.

 

Photo snipped for the quote

 

In my earlier post I forgot to mention that every trip out of the house crosses an embedded piece of what looks like ex-railway line. (See below)  I have no idea of its' provenance, looks narrow gauge, and there was some on the island. Reason it is where it is comes from the builders/coal yard that was here before and demolished before our house was built (1973-4). I think it was the base of their big sideways moving wheeled entry door but I have never seen a photo. It is a form of rail laid tipped over sideways not a U shaped channel.

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by john new
Photo(s) found and/or replaced post crash.

[dagrizz]

There is a stub of the old Rugby to Leamington line still in place as far as the Cement works at New Bilton; until recently it was very overgrown by trees and other greenery but someone has cleared it - took these pics today on our lockdown walk. I don't know if there was a reason for clearing it or if it was just housekeeping.

 

 

 

In the second photo you can see where the spur to the cement works left the main line on the RHS.

 

Graham

[Gilbert]

Todays jaunt - these remnants of what looks like Broad Gauge Rail appear to have been used as part of some sort of hoist across the River Chew near the GWML in Keynsham.

This is on the other side - I'll try for a better look when weather is kinder and river is lower!

This is the GWML bridge over the river. Unusually it appears to be a round arch  not a gothic version like everything else I've seen on this stretch.

 

[Gilbert]

...and there was a train to see as well.....60019 Port of Grimsby & Immingham on a wagonless Murco service from Theale to Robeston

 

[Rivercider]

31 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

Todays jaunt - these remnants of what looks like Broad Gauge Rail appear to have been used as part of some sort of hoist across the River Chew near the GWML in Keynsham.

This is on the other side - I'll try for a better look when weather is kinder and river is lower!

 

This is the GWML bridge over the river. Unusually it appears to be a round arch  not a gothic version like everything else I've seen on this stretch.

 

 

Broad gauge rail was often used to make fence posts, there are lots of them still around.

Is that a pair of them side by side?

Here is a single one on the Wray Valley trail which follows the route of the Moretonhampstead Branch south out of the town.

 19/11/2019

 

cheers

[Gilbert]

3 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

Broad gauge rail was often used to make fence posts, there are lots of them still around.

Is that a pair of them side by side?

Here is a single one on the Wray Valley trail which follows the route of the Moretonhampstead Branch south out of the town.

 19/11/2019

 

cheers

I agree about the fence post idea but they seemed to be part of a larger structure. I've found a photo from Lockdown #1