Private industry to mainline operation

[MiltonF]

Here I've shown an industrial junction from Cotehill station along the settle-carlisle route. Obviously the gypsum would have been brought out of this private line down to the mainline, but I have no idea how exactly it would be operated. Does a private loco bring the wagons down to a reserved siding at the station? Is it dropped off in the goods yard? Would mainline locos be allowed on the private line to bring them out and do the shunting themselves? I admit I don't have a lot of knowledge of prototype operations besides the basic mainline services, so I don't know how this would fit in. I want to have a similar arrangement on a somewhat generic BLT that I'm planning and I just don't know enough about this aspect of railway operation. I apologise if this subject has been discussed elsewhere or if it's very simple and entry level knowledge.

 

[Compound2632]

A private siding of this length would usually be worked by a loco belonging to the factory / quarry / whatever, collecting wagons left in the sidings by the main line goods train and depositing wagons for collection. This loco would be permitted into the sidings but not onto the main line. Main line locos would not usually go down the private siding.

 

At this location, typical of many, all main line shunting moves would be by setting back - no facing points. 

 

Relevant article here, with some info on locos.

[w124bob]

My own (hands on) experience was in locations where there were either a set of exchange sidings (Bagworth pre rapid loader days) or a spot on the industrial lead in which the loads out would be left for pickup. The NCB sidings I recall would often have a raft of loads worked in push/pull style, at a designated point the lead loco would draw forward onto a raft of empties. Once out of the way the trailing loco pushed the loads into an empty road and waited. The lead loco having coupled to a set of empties would then set off back to the pit head with the trailing loco tagging along behind(not couple to the train). The only quarry I have experience of with their own loco was Bardon Hill, loads were propelled down from the quarry loading to several exchange sidings.

I came across a good shot of a station(Thorverton 1963) recently which had an industry served by a gated siding about half a mile in length, a few grain hoppers were waiting collection just inside the gate. Another location in Scotland had a rail served distillery with it's own engine which was authorised to run within the BR station limits (Craigellachie?) . The opposite would be Stanton Gate north of Toton, a large private siding complex with an historic Midland Railway contract for the supply of shunting engines, BR was still bounded to honour this right to the end of steam and it kept several elderly ex MR 1f's in business for many years. BR shunting within a private siding complex was not unknown, Metal Box at Westhoughton shunted by a trip working from Ashbury's usually in my time with a Canton class 37(9 occassionally), Pedigree in Trafford Park, shunted with a cl 47. 

Edited May 9, 2021 by w124bob

[NS Peak]

Depending on volume of traffic and era the shunning engine would more likely be equine than steam.