London Freight Terminals or Sidings 1980's

[TJ52]

I think there was certainly mixed gauge track there but I don't think GW trains ever used them.

 

Terry

[Rich_F]

A shame your geographical scope doesn't extend beyond Norwood 🙂.

 

There's a perfect prototype at Selsdon you could shoehorn into your layout & hide among tower blocks/brick walls. Very small oil terminal that still operated into the very early 1990s long after the passenger trains had gone in 1983 (pictures not mine, but a collection from online). 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Weeny Works

[rob D2]

I’d run with a an aggregates siding - angerstein wharf is pretty central and still runs.

[jim.snowdon]

On 13/04/2023 at 13:42, The Stationmaster said:

Exactly so - the name goes back to the time when trains to Crystal Palace were run from Paddington although the service only lasted a couple of years or so.  it was presumably also used by the Paddington = Brighton train which ran from 1906 to 1907.

 

The broad gauge never got to Clapham Jcn - it only went to Latchmere Jcn/Longhedge Jcn (and a to Victoria at one tiem although that bit was never used if I remember rightly.   It had all been converted to narrow gauge (GWR definition) by the ned of 1875.

There are published photographs showing the West London Line platforms at Clapham Junction with mixed gauge track.

 

[SED Freightman]

On 13/04/2023 at 14:14, Rugd1022 said:

 

We (Freightliner) work aggregates trains into Stewarts Lane from the East Midlands, there's a run round loop, a short cripple siding and an unloading area down by the stop block - this is the view from looking towards Battersea Loop, effectively it was the entrance / exit from Stewarts Lane Loco depot...

 

 

 

 

 

There are actually two aggregate terminals at Stewarts Lane, Tarmac (originally Marcon), located south of the South London Line viaduct, and the much newer Days Aggregates terminal on the former loco depot site.

 

To answer the Fat Controllers question, Rom River were roughly where the warehouses can be seen in Rugd's photo, their siding was connected to Wandsworth Rd goods yard and received re-bar from Sheerness Steel. In the 1980's there were also the remains of Battersea Goods, laterly an S&T depot, now obliterated except for the Battersea Loop used by aggregate trains serving Stewarts Lane.

[bécasse]

12 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

There are published photographs showing the West London Line platforms at Clapham Junction with mixed gauge track.

 

Those are the Brighton-side WLL platforms at Clapham Junction, presumably the LSW-side WLL platforms were "narrow" gauge only.

[jim.snowdon]

9 hours ago, bécasse said:

Those are the Brighton-side WLL platforms at Clapham Junction, presumably the LSW-side WLL platforms were "narrow" gauge only.

I have never seen any pictures of the other side of Clapham Junction station in that era, but you are more likely to be right than wrong.

 

[keefer]

10 hours ago, bécasse said:

Those are the Brighton-side WLL platforms at Clapham Junction, presumably the LSW-side WLL platforms were "narrow" gauge only.

Bear with me please (not too well-versed in the 'lines' involved) but I take it the ones to the right of the pic are present-day pl.16 & 17 (WLL via Latchmere no.1 Jcn & Pigs Hill) and the LSWR ones are pl.1 & 2 (WLL via Latchmere no.2 Jcn)

[woodyfox]

I remember a scrap metal operation at Willesden (upside near Mitre Bridge. 

I'm sure there was an oil terminal at Upper Holloway too. 

[Nearholmer]

That scrap metal one I’d forgotten - it would indeed make a good prospect for a model, because it wasn’t very large, and the trains (or maybe they were “cuts”) were only a few wagons, and IIRC at least some were four-wheelers. It sent scrap to Sheerness in their wagons for re-melting.

 

These are the 4-wheelers IIRC https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/scrapwagonssa/h3918330b

Edited April 19, 2023 by Nearholmer

[roythebus1]

16 hours ago, keefer said:

Bear with me please (not too well-versed in the 'lines' involved) but I take it the ones to the right of the pic are present-day pl.16 & 17 (WLL via Latchmere no.1 Jcn & Pigs Hill) and the LSWR ones are pl.1 & 2 (WLL via Latchmere no.2 Jcn)

Yes that's right. I suspect the platforms 16 and 17 were widened as the 6 foot way seems to be at "normal" centres thees days, unlike the Hammersmith & City line where they are to broad gauge centres! Just beyond the bridge at CJ was the GW goods yard. Whether this was BG or not I don't know. I'm reasonably certain the SW side was always standard gauge.

[simon b]

A few that I can think of.

 

Park royal had trains of VGA vans into the Guinness brewery and a dogfood factory.

 

Mile end had sand trains from Marks-tey formed of HTV hoppers, interesting situation as they were using the former coal drops to unload.

 

Greenford had cement traffic till at least 1985.

 

Go back to 1980/81 and there were 16t coal wagons into Chelsea basin yard.

[SED Freightman]

The Willesden scrap yard was originally operated by Ferrous Fragmentation Ltd who despatched fragmentised scrap to Sheerness Steel in blocks of 16t minfits. When the VB wagonload network was wound down the traffic switched to short block trains of Sheerness Blues (102t bogie opens).  Ownership of the terminal swiched to Mayer Parry Recycling and more recently to European Metal Recycling.  I have no knowledge if any other rail served destinations were supplied from Willesden, but after rail traffic had ceased some consideration was given to supplying Celsa at Cardiff.

 

Another nearby small terminal at Willesden was operated by MG Gasses, previously Distillers MG and I think originally ICI.

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, SED Freightman said:

When the VB wagonload network was wound down the traffic switched to short block trains of Sheerness Blues (102t bogie opens).

Except that I often used to see 4W wagons of the type I indicated in there. I also saw plenty of the bogie ones, and what my brain refuses to recall is whether it was a case of “one or the other”, or whether sometimes there were some of each.

[SED Freightman]

8 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Except that I often used to see 4W wagons of the type I indicated in there. I also saw plenty of the bogie ones, and what my brain refuses to recall is whether it was a case of “one or the other”, or whether sometimes there were some of each.

I don't doubt that the 2-axle wagons were used from Willesden, perhaps during the short period ASW owned Sheerness they went there, but perhaps they went elsewhere such as Cardiff or Sheffield.

[Hal Nail]

I didn't mention the Willesden scrap yard as it's even further out than Acton in the OPs question but here's a screen grab of a photo I took in 2010. Not sure if there was a cross over at the far end? You can see the overhead of the North London line in the background.

 

The most remarkable thing for me looking back is that I obviously used to leave the house in grotty weather!

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Hal Nail

[rob D2]

it's surprising there isn't anywhere in london still forwarding scrap by rail - Even us here in good old swindon have enough scrap to do so 

[SED Freightman]

39 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

it's surprising there isn't anywhere in london still forwarding scrap by rail - Even us here in good old swindon have enough scrap to do so 

With railfreight having become something of a niche product and pretty much all but construction related traffic having been eliminated from London, the surprising thing is that Swindon are still forwarding scrap. Although there are still plenty of small scale scrap merchants around London I guess that even if they were on rail connected sites they could not generate trainload quantities and if they could they would then be restricted to selling to rail connected facilities rather than whoever is paying the best price at the time. A scrapyard I had some dealings with in North London would despatch lorries to various destinations depending on the grade / type of scrap and the price they would be paid, which changed almost daily. Not a problem when despatching several lorries per day whereas movement by rail would have restricted the number of potential buyers and tied them into relatively long term contracts.

[phil-b259]

19 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

Yes that's right. I suspect the platforms 16 and 17 were widened as the 6 foot way seems to be at "normal" centres thees days, unlike the Hammersmith & City line where they are to broad gauge centres! Just beyond the bridge at CJ was the GW goods yard. Whether this was BG or not I don't know. I'm reasonably certain the SW side was always standard gauge.

 

Its worth remembering that both the LBSCR and LSWR were originally double track at this location.

 

The photo in question seems to be taken before both lines were quadrupled - which will have involved considerable re-building - there is no evidence of the large retaining walls which flank the track into platform 17 these days for example.

 

As such its quite possible that in its original incarnation platforms 16 and 17 were built suitable for brad gauge track but as this had fallen out of use by the time the rebuild commenced the rebuilt (and current) trackbed servicing 16 & 17 is only wide enough for standard gauge.

[simon b]

Another in the Neasden area is Taylors lane power station which was served by an oil train, the sidings are still there but disconnected.

 

There was also a large distribution warehouse the other side of south junction which took ferry-vans full of bottled water till the late 90's, up to 3 trains a day at it's busiest. This site is still rail connected although not used in many years. It's last use was to receive chilterns ruston shunter by road, which is a whole story in itself.

Edited April 21, 2023 by simon b
more info

[8K77]

Scrap Metal is dispatched from London these days its loaded at Ripple Lane or "Barking Euro Terminal" and runs to Immingham for export. It has a WTT path 6E64 and the train is normally formed of 20 MBA "Monster Box" Wagons. 

 

Re the Water Traffic for Dannone this traffic still runs and passes through London no longer making its way to the Tibbett and Britton Wearhouse at Neasden but instead it now travels as a block train from Dollands Moor through to Daventry International Railfreight Terminal and direct into the Tesco's unloading facility at Daventry. 

 

Thanks, 

 

K77

[Northmoor]

On 20/04/2023 at 10:17, SED Freightman said:

With railfreight having become something of a niche product and pretty much all but construction related traffic having been eliminated from London, the surprising thing is that Swindon are still forwarding scrap. 

Swindon was probably forwarding scrap because of the volume of sheet steel offcuts coming from the Honda car factory.  There are similar large scrap traffics from the West Midlands for the same reason.

[Fat Controller]

28 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Swindon was probably forwarding scrap because of the volume of sheet steel offcuts coming from the Honda car factory.  There are similar large scrap traffics from the West Midlands for the same reason.

Honda's been closed for a few years; the scrap probably comes from the BMW- Mini plant

[hmrspaul]

On 18/04/2023 at 08:50, SED Freightman said:

There are actually two aggregate terminals at Stewarts Lane, Tarmac (originally Marcon), located south of the South London Line viaduct, and the much newer Days Aggregates terminal on the former loco depot site.

 

To answer the Fat Controllers question, Rom River were roughly where the warehouses can be seen in Rugd's photo, their siding was connected to Wandsworth Rd goods yard and received re-bar from Sheerness Steel. In the 1980's there were also the remains of Battersea Goods, laterly an S&T depot, now obliterated except for the Battersea Loop used by aggregate trains serving Stewarts Lane.

Courtesy of a well known railway wagonner - signaller I went to Lambeth, Battersea Goods & Stew Lane several times 1979 -81. Not many of my photos are easily found via the search but certainly very varied place. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=lambeth  https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=BAttersea   https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=stewarts  You could have endless fun converting coaches and NPCCS to engineers use as stored here. And the load stacking training vehicle would really get the "that didn't exist" knowalls going https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/paulbartlettsrailwaywagonphotographs/e2c7ff55b

 

The Wandsworth Road goods yard - through the fence, was the first place I saw Coil S  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brrodcoilksv/e37be561b   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brrodcoilksv/e2bc475eb 

and Coil R https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brcoilplate/e1cda69ee  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brcoilplate/e3b9ee437  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brcoilplate/e1e4461e1

 

Paul

Edited December 30, 2023 by hmrspaul

[class37418stag]

When closed freight lines to Silvertown in London ? And creased freight scrap trains ? And closed private siding in scrap metal site of owner Shunter
 

silvertwon station railway has no loop ? In 1980s
 

I has spent of research about Silvertown railway in London and can’t find more information about freight trains from temple mill yard

 

thank you