Tony's trampings - crossings and lineside items of interest (to me at least!) around Essex and Anglia

[ruggedpeak]

Aside from model railways I enjoy walks in the outdoors, and with COVID I have focused more on walking on local paths, exploring the area closer to home rather than traveling to the hills and mountains in other parts of the UK. Essex is blessed with one of the longest coastlines in England, and despite its reputation has an amazing history. For those into architecture and churches, Essex has an incredible variety of churches, ancient and new, often located a long way off the beaten track. As I wander the highways and byways (including footpaths along side the A12!) of Essex I have come across a range of railway crossings and other lineside infrastructure and this thread is intended to be a repository of my photos.

 

I note that there is a trend, at least in the 'mega-layout' category such as Heaton Lodge and Making Tracks, for modelling running lines rather than depots or stations. These photos will hopefully whet a few appetites for the interesting features in our contemporary railway infrastructure. All the photos were taken at places on circular walks, and if I can work out Strava I can share the routes at a later date. I hope the photos are of interest and those of a railway persuasions feel free to add technical detail as I am not a railway person so will not know what I am looking at necessarily.

 

'Stream', Margaretting, Essex

 

Whilst the Church Lane Crossing is well documented on RMWeb (it was being manually operated on 01/01/21), see here

 a short distance along the line towards Chelmsford is an unnamed crossing where a footpath and stream go through the substantial embankment. It comprises two parallel brick built tunnels, one a foot tunnel and the other taking the stream. To get into it from the village side you have to climb up a set of steps over a brick structure before descending into the tunnel. At the far side there is a curved set of steps taking you up to the top of structure to continue the path. This was a short circular walk coming back via the Church Lane crossing and finding this was a pleasant surprise. Photos are not great as I was using my phone and light was very poor. Definitely will return on a sunny day. Grid Ref TL 671 010 Explorer 183 Chelmsford & The Rodings.

 

Village side

 

 

 

 

Eastern side

 

 

 

 

 

A return visit might lead to a study of the brickwork as it seems to be of varying vintages. Has there always been a twin bore tunnel or did this replace a foot crossing that had a long climb and over the embankment (have done some of those elsewhere in the county)?

 

UPDATE: Strava Map of the circular walk from Margaretting to the tunnel, following GEML to Church Lane Crossing and back. 1.93 miles.

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by ruggedpeak
added map

[ruggedpeak]

Planes, trains & automobiles May 2021

 

This was a longer circular walk starting at the Fullers End Footpath Crossing at Elsenham, Essex and follows paths through the triangle of lines forming the entry to the Stansted Airport branch to the edge of the airport and back, passing back and forth under the M11 as well. There is a network of tunnels and streams and some very steep sided hills. The route uses a foot crossing located just as the double track into the airport becomes single for the tunnel. Gritty urban in a rural setting! The Land Sheriffs were patrolling the tracks and tunnels when I passed through.

 

 

Fullers End Crossing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later on the route the footpath crosses a few hundred yards before the tunnel at Tye Green Crossing https://abcrailwayguide.uk/tye-green-public-level-crossing-essex. There is a SPAD indicator, some sort of storage area full of scrap track panels and other bits and pieces. All pics were taken from places of safety/publicly accessible with various lenses - basically from the stiles on either side of the crossing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tunnel entrance is obscured by trees and infrastructure so I did take one whilst walking across (with a 300m telephoto!) to get a clear view. I was hoping to get above the tunnel entrance or alongside to get some shots of trains going in and out as there are paths around it it but the entire approach and tunnel mouth are surrounded by thick belts of trees so impossible to photograph except from the crossing

 

 

 

If you follow various paths you come up the hill that the tunnel goes through and the Stansted control tower comes into view, along with the aircraft. Then loop back to Fullers End. I will dig out the details of the trains at some point!

Edited January 2, 2022 by ruggedpeak

[ruggedpeak]

Planes, trains & automobiles continued

 

This is the route map courtesy of Strava, all on public rights of way. 6.25 miles. Explorer 195 Braintree & Saffron Walden.

 

Starting point Fullers End Crossing details https://abcrailwayguide.uk/fullers-end-public-level-crossing-essex

 

 

Note - if you do the hook bit to the tunnel mouth you will not see any trains due to the trees, but will get high up (by Essex standards!) and be very close to the airport boundary (but view also blocked by trees!).

Edited January 2, 2022 by ruggedpeak

[russ p]

Comes  to something when my interest in a small hole under a railway far outweighs my interest in the modern trains going over it!

[ruggedpeak]

Modelling potential

 

A few thoughts on modelling aspects of these:

 

Margaretting - a great scratchbuilding challenge that can be incorporated into an embankment. The footpath provides a good cameo setting. The embankment could be lower than what is there. The history of this structure could be informative as it seems relatively extravagant but may relate to much of the land in the area being held in the same family for generations and probably pre-railway.

 

M11/Fullers End - complex earthworks and waterways, lots of culverts installed by the railway, assume large amount of reshaping the landscape when the Stansted triangle was put in around 1990, built around the existing 2 lane M11. As per pics some have the usual railway bridge signage on. Is an area of relatively steep valleys, appears made steeper following the works. Some good quality graffitti in places (have more pics available)!

 

Tye Green - observations

• Tunnel approach with double to single surrounded by steep sides and trees makes excellent scenic break
• SPAD indicator adds interest on the approach
• Concrete storage area has armco boundary to rail side with thin bar barrier gate onto track access.
• Lots of very short lengths of rail piled up in various places plus other detritus
• Foot crossing signage and stiles etc much simpler than most foot crossing - usually far more signage even in countryside (as later posts will show), reflecting isolated location and limited usage.
• Down line is at a lower level than the up
• Antenna/aerial on a pole by the north side of the foot crossing
• Drain covers appear to be circular rather than rectangular
• Trains limited to various GA EMU's (Norwich and Liverpool St) and Cross Country DMU's (BIrmingham New Street), will also have test trains and specials occasionally.
• Set of cabins behind palisade fencing immediately before tunnel mouth
• Signal located tunnel side of the points facing into the tunnel - no feathers as single direction working on both lines.
• Rectangular, triangular and round signs on one post next to that signal, presumably speed signage?

 

[62613]

Who or what are Land Sherriffs? I don't think I've heard of them before

 

[ruggedpeak]

Network Rail's security contractors. They patrol NR's assets, their sign is below at the Tye Green Crossing. When I was passing through the triangle/M11 section it was 3 large blokes driving around in a 4x4. Very polite, they thanked me as I waited as they drove through one of the narrow underpasses.

 

https://www.landsheriffs.co.uk/our-clients/network-rail/

 

 

[brushman47544]

On 03/01/2022 at 11:35, 62613 said:

Who or what are Land Sherriffs? I don't think I've heard of them before

 

 

Do they have a Nottingham office?

[EddieB]

If you were in Clapton, would you take any photos of them?

 

(...but I did not shoot the deputy).

 

 

[62613]

18 minutes ago, EddieB said:

If you were in Clapton, would you take any photos of them?

 

(...but I did not shoot the deputy).

 

 

You'd be Wailing if you did

 

[Bernard Lamb]

Many thanks Tony for a nostalgic photo outing.

I was christened in Stock church and my grandparents lived in Stock Road so the Ingatestone area is well known to me.

The twin arch tunnel is featured in the book by Peter Kay on Essex railway structures. ISBN 978 1 899890 415.

He describes bridge No 141 as dating from 1842 and calls it Clark's Bridge. Two adjacent tunnels of 132ft with   a horseshoe arch of 7ft span.

Bernard

[ruggedpeak]

13 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Many thanks Tony for a nostalgic photo outing.

I was christened in Stock church and my grandparents lived in Stock Road so the Ingatestone area is well known to me.

The twin arch tunnel is featured in the book by Peter Kay on Essex railway structures. ISBN 978 1 899890 415.

He describes bridge No 141 as dating from 1842 and calls it Clark's Bridge. Two adjacent tunnels of 132ft with   a horseshoe arch of 7ft span.

Bernard

Thanks Bernard, glad it brought back some memories. I spend a lot of time walking about but rarely have time to follow up with the historical research bit, I will track down that book as it will be fascinating.

[Bernard Lamb]

3 minutes ago, ruggedpeak said:

Thanks Bernard, glad it brought back some memories. I spend a lot of time walking about but rarely have time to follow up with the historical research bit, I will track down that book as it will be fascinating.

That book is the supplement. The original, with more history of the builders is, ISBN 978 1 899890 40 8.

I had a few walks that included railway interest during lockdown.

The excursion round the sea wall to reach Tollesbury Pier is a good walk on a fine day.

Bernard

[ruggedpeak]

My original focus was actually crossings and obscure details of the real railway to help modelling realism, but the stunning tunnels at Margaretting distracted me a bit. Back to crossings, the superbly named "Snivellers Footpath" crossing between Kelvedon and Witham in Essex is where a bridleway meets the GEML ( https://abcrailwayguide.uk/snivellers-public-level-crossing-essex  ).

 

Clearly sitting high up on a horse riding under the OHL is not ideal, so it has the horse dismounting boxes. When I first saw them it took a few minutes to work out what they were as without a horse present it is not necessarily obvious. They are a common feature of crossings on the GEML, I assume more broadly but have yet to explore other areas with major lines with OHL. Interesting feature and nice model cameo with the abandoned PW hut in open countryside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ruggedpeak]

3 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

That book is the supplement. The original, with more history of the builders is, ISBN 978 1 899890 40 8.

I had a few walks that included railway interest during lockdown.

The excursion round the sea wall to reach Tollesbury Pier is a good walk on a fine day.

Bernard

We were on the sea wall at Tollesbury last week quite a few old lines and tramways on the Essex coast to explore.

[ruggedpeak]

Cambridgeshire now to where those heritage loving Victorians (!!) put the Cambridge to Newmarket line straight through the ancient earthwork called Devils Dyke. An interesting timber stepped crossing a short walk from the road in gorgeous countryside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do find the Iron Man styling on GA's new units a bit jarring in the open countryside of East Anglia. The old 153's, 156's & 170's seem to fit more naturally into the landscape (as did top and tailed 37's on the Wherry Lines out of Norwich!). Here's one approaching the crossing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by ruggedpeak

[ruggedpeak]

Modelling observations on Snivellers

• horse specific signage
• modular crossing parts including some old bits dumped by the horse dismounting block along with a hard hat
• the blue fibreglass drain covers are heavily faded, not the strong blue often seen
• the attractive (mouldy?) green anti-climb paint on the OHL posts

Forgot a train photo so here's one of a northbound Freightliner running through the crossing, crossing being immediately off to the right of the photo (near the phone mast):

 

[Bernard Lamb]

9 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

We were on the sea wall at Tollesbury last week quite a few old lines and tramways on the Essex coast to explore.

About 10 years ago I managed to visit Foulness on a rare open day.

We took a wrong turning and reached the sea wall at Wakering Stairs.

There are various old railway tracks in the area between there and Shoeburyness that would be worth exploring.

You will be under surveillance so you need to be on your best behaviour.

They are not too keen on people taking photographs either in some locations.

Bernard

[uax6]

I don't think its anti-climb paint on the OHL mast. It appears that they are in their original silver paint and that the moss has just grown on it. Each and every one of the tubular OHL mast that I have seen are like this to varying degrees, the galv H section ones don't seem to suffer in the same way.

I do wonder how effective the collar at the bottom is to act as a bond to the rails though!

 

Andy g