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Abandoned lines crossing


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I was looking something up on Google maps after reading a thread here (can't remember which one), anyway I noticed a stretch of what was evidently abandoned railway and followed it for a while, fascinated by how its course was still a very visible landscape feature (even where it's been subsumed into a field, its traces are very visible). At some point south of Brackley in Northamptonshire it crosses another abandoned line on an intact-looking bridge, which I find kind of fascinating for some reason:

 

http://goo.gl/maps/xIHym

 

I presume the line going more vertically on the map, the one crossing the bridge, is the former Great Central.

The vertical line is the old GC, the bridge is absolutely rotten on top and you have to watch your footing if walking it although it is quite an Impressive structure (I have walked the GC from North of Calvert to Rugby ).

The line crossing under the bridge is from Brackley to the left to Buckingham on the right.

Edited by Nobby (John)
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  • 3 years later...

Here's a couple of abandoned lines crossing - on the Kent coast.

 

When the Southern re-aligned its line from Lydd Town to New Romney in 1937 it had to cross the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch's branch line to the Sound Mirrors, on Denge Marsh, at Lade. So a small bridge was built into the embankment.

 

This rather un-assuming concrete structure (complete with modern railings) is that bridge.

 

post-10377-0-65583800-1531212126_thumb.jpg

 

post-10377-0-29391300-1531212175_thumb.jpg

 

Built in 1929 to assist with building of the War Department Sound Mirrors the RHDR line ran from a junction close to the current Romney Sands station. The site, being entirely loose shingle, could not be accessed by lorries - or even mules - so a railway was built. The line continued in use throughout the war, taking men and supplies to the site. Trains were hauled by a single WD petrol locomotive.

 

The RHDR branch line continued in use until 1951 - mainly to carry large amounts of un-crushed shingle to Hythe.

 

Looking through the bridge we can see one of the Sound Mirrors the branch was built to serve. There has since been extensive aggregate extraction in the area - there would have no lake there - just another half mile or so of shingle!

 

post-10377-0-23092300-1531212370_thumb.jpg

 

It wasn't until I looked at the photos I realised I didn't take a picture over the top of the bridge, so I will return to the site  - also to take some photos of the SR track bed between here and Lydd-on-Sea which is remarkably intact, including it's fences.

 

Les

Edited by Unicorn1
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I notice the old concrete "listening" structure remains in the distance also. A great idea, but overtaken by the invention of radar. Is it listed?

They are indeed listed - all three of them. they are on an island within the RSPB reserve. They can only be accessed on 'open days' organised by the RSPB.

 

Here they are - (this photo was processed for posting on another site!)

 

post-10377-0-82600900-1531217410.jpg

 

From left to right - 200' curved mirror, 20' disc and 30' disc.

 

Les

 

Edited to say you don't need to be an RSPB member - the general public can pay at the 'gate'.

Edited by Unicorn1
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I don't know if it was these ones particularly, but they were featured in an episode of 'Coast' - very interesting and the sort of ingenuity used to gain any small advantage in dire times.

Edited by keefer
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Probably not what was meant in the first post, but the crossing at Murrow is just about visible despite the M&GN having been closed almost 60 years ago, although it was over 20 years later before the GN&GE succumbed. 

Edited by jonny777
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They are indeed listed - all three of them. they are on an island within the RSPB reserve. They can only be accessed on 'open days' organised by the RSPB.

 

Here they are - (this photo was processed for posting on another site!)

 

attachicon.gifmirrors rmweb.jpg

 

From left to right - 200' curved mirror, 20' disc and 30' disc.

 

Les

 

Edited to say you don't need to be an RSPB member - the general public can pay at the 'gate'.

Coincidentally, we'd just received a Facebook notification from our neighbours to say they'd just been to one of the two Open Days at the 'mirrors' this year. There are several others still extant around Romney Marsh, including one within the grounds of Port Lympne; beware of the roaming beasts!

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There was a small bridge giving rail access to Romford gasworks from the sidings next to Oldchurch hospital. It was still extant into the 1980's with the embankments removed. It might possibly still be there despite the redevelopement of both the gasworks and hospital sites.

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The abutments of the old GN&LNW bridge over the A607 just before Melton Mowbray were in situ for many decades into the 1990s at least. I used to feel very sad when passing them, as I have a soft spot for rural joint railways which had no hope of turning a profit, but provided a vital service in their area. 

 

The brickwork has gone now, and a new housing estate has sprung up on the course of the old trackbed towards the site of North station. 

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At Old Castle Crossing, Llanelli, into the 1960s, there was a flat crossing of the main Paddington- West Wales line by the Nevill's Dock and Railway Company's line (sometimes known as the Stradey Estate Railway). This, in itself, was not unusual; however, the Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr line to North Dock crossed both railways on a pair of bridges, whilst the whole lot was also, partially, on a bridge over the river Lliedi.

There was what has always seemed to me to be a very large number of flat crossings ot the Great Western main line by other railways in the Llanelli area. From the east these were:-

Llanelli Dock and Railway Company at Llandeilo Jct

Dafen branch, between Llandeilo Jct and Llanelli Station

ND&R at the western end of Llanelli Station

Old Castle Crossing

Sandy branch of the Burry Port and Gwendreath Railway at the eastern approach to Pembrey and Burry Port station

and finally..the Cwm Capel branch of the BP&GVR at the eastern end of Pembrey station. 

The last-mentioned closed in the early days of WW2, but all the others lasted into the late 1950s/early 1960s.

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There was a small bridge giving rail access to Romford gasworks from the sidings next to Oldchurch hospital. It was still extant into the 1980's with the embankments removed. It might possibly still be there despite the redevelopement of both the gasworks and hospital sites.

I have checked it out on Google Streetview and it appears that the bridge has gone but at least part of the buttresses remain.

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Talking of Great Western, the crossing of the main line at Laira by the 4ft gauge horse tramway must surely get an honorable mention on this thread.

 

You are referring to the Lee Moor Tramway crossing the GWR, the former was 4'6" gauge.

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