Pictures of quaint small goods yards in the 70s-90s

[The Johnster]

Aberthaw Cement had 2 works on the Vale of Glamorgan line in South Wales, Aberthaw itself and Rhoose.  Rhoose sent out bagged cement in vanfits, and Aberthaw sent out bulk cement in Presflos as well, feeding Lawrence Hill.  Lawrence Hill would make an excellent big club exhibition layout project, the Midland bridge being one of the scenic breaks.  The issue would be fiddle yards big enough to even suggest the variety of traffic!

 

Another 70s traditional goods yard not yet mentioned is Pontypridd, which featured a very attractive shed which still exists as it is Brunel designed and dates from the Taff Vale's building in 1835, which is enough to get it listed status.  It had a daily parcels service from Cardiff, Hymek hauled until they were withdrawn and the 37s took over.

[H2O]

Some links to pictures, notes and plans of Laurence Hill and Avon Street at the Bristol Railway Archive:

 

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/Lawrence_Hill

 

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/Avon_Street

 

The above website is a boon to anyone looking for pictures of  railways in the Bristol area.

 

Another station with a goods link to a factory (and one tiny bay siding) is Keynsham:

 

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/Keynsham

 

It is interesting to note that the connection to the main line does not appear to have a catch (trap?) point.

 

I remember cycling up the hill into Keynsham and crossing the rails in the road - the crossing was still technically operational but sadly little used when I were a lad.

[Rugd1022]

17 hours ago, Tim V said:

I think this is the view the other way off the bridge. Line to left to St Johns, line to right Bletchley.

 

 

The industrial buildings on the left are long gone and there are houses there now, St.Johns Signalbox was hemmed in by palisade fencing for a while until it was knocked down a few years ago, but the area on the right of the photo is still pretty much just scrub land and the sidings are no longer there of course.

[D1059]

Another view of Diss - from 1984

 

 

Diss Is Diss Station by Stephen Dance, on Flickr

[37114]

6 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

 

 I think there may have been two cement terminals in the main yard, at least in the early 1970s, when I lived nearby; Aberthaw and Tunnel. The former received both bulk and bagged cement. London Brick Company used to receive block trains of Pipe wagons on a siding next to the track that now serves the bin-liner siding.

The 'brewery' was Distillers' yeast plant, which received molasses, and may have sent out CO2 in pressurised tanks.

My last layout (Peafore Yard) was inspired by Avon Street, there was quite a bit of reference material.at the start of the thread. The layout featured both the 03s which were retained for the line (03382 and 03121)

[37114]

On 18/08/2019 at 00:32, daveyb said:

I expect they were just trip workings and later the Speedlink network (if they lasted that long).  Some will have been supported by specific load sector traffic.

 

I was interested by that NG link at Gathurst (especially given the extensive fencing around the yard - which was a big clue) so I did a bit of digging.  The line worked to the nearby explosives factory at Shevington which was owned by various companies starting with the Roburite Company (who made Roburite which as far as I can tell was a powdered explosive used for quarrying, being nitro-cotton based).  

 https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.5598&lon=-2.6934&layers=168&b=1

 

They combined with the Amonal Company (who made Amonal and ammonium nitrate and aluminium based explosive set in tar/pitch and used in grenades variously until WW2 along with Lyddite) in the early 20's.  https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Roburite_Explosives_Co 

 

The site was still in use up until 1983 but I cannot find any info beyond then.  ICI sold out it's explosives division in the 1990s and that division is now owned by Orica Ltd, who still have an office in Shevington

 

There was a flourish of Ordnance factory building in the area (described here: http://www.lancashireatwar.co.uk/rof-sites/4579219353) and a number of them were rail linked and remained in a state of availability for a long time after closing, and never got modernised so a good examples of small, busy sites. 

 

 

 

Gathurst is crying out to be modelled...

[Tim V]

A couple from South Wales, Llandeilo and Llandovery

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Pembroke Dock.

 

Mike.

[Rivercider]

In my long running thread :-

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83609-western-region-1980s-freight-west-of-england-division-my-photos/&tab=comments#comment-1386868 I included photos of a number of yards still active into the late 1970s and 1980s on the West of England Division of the WR, as well as trains running to or from them. Most locations have already been mentioned on this thread.

 

Yards mentioned, or pictured in my thread included:-

Penzance Ponsandane - house coal

Chacewater - cement (Blue Circle)

Truro - explosives

St Austell -  house coal

Lapford - fertiliser 

Barnstaple - cement, beet pulp nuts, steel plate, resin, seed potatoes.

Torrington - milk, bagged fertiliser

Okehampton - bagged fertiliser, agricultural equipment?

Pinhoe - grain, bricks,

Whimple - cider

Bridgwater - coiled wire, nuclear flasks, fertiliser, cider, imported fruit, bagged adipic acid.

Bristol Lawrence Hill - cement Aberthaw (bagged and bulk), Ketton, LPG tank(s).

Bristol Stapleton Road - load scrap

Bristol Avonside Wharf - cement (Blue Circle), molasses (Distillers)

Avonmouth Town Goods - bagged fertiliser, timber

Frome - bitumen, explosives, furniture (Benchairs)

Cranmore - bitumen. 

Chippenham - CS&TE, cement (Blue Circle)

 

This is not a comprehensive list, I will have missed some. Some places traffic was very sporadic, and most closed sooner or later.

 

cheers

 

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, Tim V said:

A couple from South Wales, Llandeilo and Llandovery

 

That lorry's had a bit of a knock... when were the Llandeilo and Llandovery photos taken? Just curious if it was when the Class 37s worked it, or was it when the 03s worked the Central Wales?

[Tim V]

Date is in the file name!

 

03/07/1980

[Fat Controller]

2 minutes ago, Tim V said:

Date is in the file name!

 

03/07/1980

Thanks; in that case it was 03s, I believe.

[hmrspaul]

I can think of plenty. I didn't take many general shots but some I haven't noticed being mentioned

 

Luton - quite large but operated into the 1990s - I moved away so not sure what happened. Its main traffic was new cars and vans - not just from Bedford/Vauxhall but some were driven from the docks for loading and movement (to Scotland I believe). I wish I had gone in more often but some of my photos https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=luton

I do have a lot more and the traffic was very varied even bulk wine grapes from Italy.

 

Yeovil Pen Mill - another I should have visited more! And Yeovil junction

 

Bridgwater - nice explosive mix of continental chemical tanks, vans for munitions and fertilisers and nuclear flasks.

 

Paul - regretting not knowing about Gathurst - looks very interesting and we used to go to Wigan.

 

[Gibbo675]

1 hour ago, 37114 said:

Gathurst is crying out to be modelled...

Hi Rob,

 

Gathurst had a good selection of motive power working through to Southport especially when Wakes Weeks specials were being worked. Originally there would have been the L&Y locomotives including rail-motors, later on all the usual LMS stuff mixed in with the L&Y locomotives, In BR days Southport's own selection of Caprotti and Stephenson fitted Black fives were common, finishing off with Britannias and Scots in the 1960's. The line was used to trial early DMU's and Derby Lightweights were used along with Craven 112's.

 

For the 1950's period modeler the above mentioned Wakes Weeks specials would have LNER locomotives such as B1, V2, B16, K3, and even a B12, with all of the eastern coaches to match.

 

During the BR Blue period the selection was thinned out somewhat with 20, 25, 31, 37, 40, 47 and the occasional 45 on a special or a 60 on the GMW Bin-liner, but mostly DMU's of 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 108, 110, and 126. Livery oddities for DMU's were Blackpool white stripes and Buxton white cab roof 104's.

 

The platforms are staggered and the signal box was very tall to enable sighting over the road bridge.

 

Gibbo.

 

 

[montyburns56]

11 hours ago, H2O said:

Bristol appears further up the thread but no locations given. A great location was Laurence Hill. Originally a 4 platform local station, became 2 platform slow lines with 2 fast lines behind. Later c1985 the fast lines taken up (and now the are putting them back!). The station even has a bridge at each end for scenic breaks. All the while, up to about the early 90's, there was a cement terminal behind the station. In addition there was a branch heading away from the throat of the yard to another fan of sidings a mile away near the river Avon, this served another cement terminal (Blue Circle?) and a brewing company receiving molasses. Laurence Hill yard is now a supermarket but there is still(?) 1 siding, on the start of the branch, that served as a local binliner terminal.

There are some great pictures at the Bristol railway archive showing shunting on the branch (holding up the local traffic) and action in the yard nearer the station.

The branch was lightly laid so had to use an 03 with matching truck but must of been strengthened as 08s propelling trains down the branch are pictured later.

 

There's actually a thread for it showing the delightfully ramshackle yard.

 

[montyburns56]

10 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

Oxford Road at Tynemouth always looked good for a model self contained and with scenic brake closed 1979 with the coming of the Metro!

 

Mark Saunders 

 

It's funny that you should mention the Metro as I've been trying to find out info about the Swalwell Branch?? that used to be connected to what I think is now part of the Metro line as I was looking at a picture of scrap metal train being propelled down it in 1986.

[montyburns56]

2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

I can think of plenty. I didn't take many general shots but some I haven't noticed being mentioned

 

Luton - quite large but operated into the 1990s - I moved away so not sure what happened. Its main traffic was new cars and vans - not just from Bedford/Vauxhall but some were driven from the docks for loading and movement (to Scotland I believe). I wish I had gone in more often but some of my photos https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=luton

I do have a lot more and the traffic was very varied even bulk wine grapes from Italy.

 

Yeovil Pen Mill - another I should have visited more! And Yeovil junction

 

Bridgwater - nice explosive mix of continental chemical tanks, vans for munitions and fertilisers and nuclear flasks.

 

Paul - regretting not knowing about Gathurst - looks very interesting and we used to go to Wigan.

 

 

Bridgwater certainly has an interesting, if empty looking yard.

 

 

[Mark Saunders]

15 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

 

It's funny that you should mention the Metro as I've been trying to find out info about the Swalwell Branch?? that used to be connected to what I think is now part of the Metro line as I was looking at a picture of scrap metal train being propelled down it in 1986.

 

I think you are confusing Tyne & Wear Metro with the Metro Centre as the two do not come close to each other!

 

Swalwell was the Opencast Disposal point that had two class 11's working there and the crossovers on the Carlisle line are still used by Metro Centre turnbacks .  On the other side of the river was Derwenthaugh exchange sidings for the Coke Works that closed in the 1990's. Blaydon Yard further west had a house coal depot and scrap yard (Robson & Hannon); it was not unknown for wagons to go in with coal and come out with scrap. It was also used for cleaning wagons out.

 

The remains of the truncated Redheugh branch was the home to Thompson's scrap yard!

 

The Tyne Yard trip for these locations was at one time used an 03 & runner wagon and at times could see the locomotive sandwiched between scrap wagons, normally vacuum fitted minerals MCV, MDV & MTV.

 

Plenty scope for modelling!

 

The only yard to survive next to the Metro was Jarrow for the BSC tube works.

 

Mark Saunders

[Rugd1022]

Photo by Bill Potter, D6319 potters about at Marsh Sidings, Park End on 10th June 1968... it already looks like a model of the real thing...

 

 

 

[Fat Controller]

15 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

Photo by Bill Potter, D6319 potters about at Marsh Sidings, Park End on 10th June 1968... it already looks like a model of the real thing...

 

 

 

You mean that isn't a model? It serves as an instant illustration of 'bucolic'.

Out of interest, where did the steeply-graded line on the right go to?

[Rugd1022]

Not sure where the gradient went to Brian, which reminds me there are some books on the Forest of Dean lines which I still don't have, I must make amends!

[dvdlcs]

No pictures, only memories...

 

(which may be suspect)

 

I remember wagons stabled in and around the old Dunfermline Upper station, this would have been early 1980s. Would that have been used as a goods station or were the wagons simply stabled there?

 

Some Speedlink wagons in the remnant of the yard at the top of the cutting that Dundee station is in. There were a couple of warehouses at the back (furthest away from the station and the coast) that had rail access into the buildings. This would have been 1990-1992.

 

March - not Whitemoor but the sidings to the east of the station, the other side of the road crossing. Again, used as a goods yard or simply for stabling? This would have been late 1990s.

 

Wisbech - vague memory that the yard there wasn't just for the pet foods at one time.

[Ian Morgan]

On 18/08/2019 at 22:03, Gibbo675 said:

The narrow gauge at Gathurst was a two foot gauge railway that ran across a viaduct to Nobel's explosive factory on the north side of the Douglas Valley. The line turned sharply to the left and the under a road embankment running straight across the viaduct and into the factory site over the River Douglas and the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53.5620&lon=-2.6914&layers=168&right=BingHyb

 

 

Check the OS 10,560 map for 1949-68 on the NLS website. That wood is teaming with narrow gauge lines. (The 1937-61 map just shows the viaduct and trees, of course. These places disappeared for the duration of WW2.

[Ian Morgan]

Some more memories.

 

Early 1970's I was waiting for a train at Aldershot station, watching a Class 73 shunting the yard there. No camera, and no memory of what was being shunted, I'm afraid.

 

1978, Ammanford. I was sitting in my car in a supermarket car park, watching 16 ton mineral wagons being unloaded with a grab the other side of the fence. A man with a shovel was, presumably, getting coal from the corners for the grab to get. He then climbed up onto the top of the wagon side, and the grab knocked him off to the ground. I was quite worried, but a few seconds later he climbed up into the wagon again and resumed his work.

 

Down the road from where I grew up, Kemp Town goods yard, Brighton, just survived into the 1970's.  Ideal for modelling, a busy yard disappearing directly into a tunnel.

 

http://kemp-town-railway.yolasite.com/kemptown-station-and-goods-yard.php

 

[The Johnster]

They're tough characters in Ammanford...