RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted March 15, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 15, 2012 For almost two years I have been commuting between Bristol and Swindon, so nearly every day I pass the sidings at Thingley Junction (west of Chippenham) and although they do not appear to be abandoned, I have never seen any evidence of them being used (Indeed, although my observations have been intermittent, I don't think I have noticed any activity there on any occasion in the past forty years). Does anyone know of any occasion in living memory when trains have loaded or unloaded here? I understand that they are retained for possible miltary use, but given that this country has been at war for a good many years without this facility being (as far as I know) needed, I wonder what sort of future contingencies the military planners have in mind in requiring these facilities to be retained (assuming that is indeed the reason for their survival). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 15, 2012 'Living memory' is rather a long time and the sidings have very definitely been used in that timespan but not - I think - for their original purpose for quite a long time (over 25 years I reckon) although there was some 'preserved' (i.e. saved from immediate scrapping) stuff in there for several years back in the 1980s or thereabouts. They would, of course, make quite a good electrification base and that might possibly be in mind although there is a long retained site further east earmarked for that purpose (well it used to be). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted March 15, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 15, 2012 'Living memory' is rather a long time and the sidings have very definitely been used in that timespan but not - Fair point! I should pay more attention to what I'm typing when making hasty posts first thing in the morning Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted March 15, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 15, 2012 there was some 'preserved' (i.e. saved from immediate scrapping) stuff in there for several years back in the 1980s or thereabouts. It was still there in the early to mid 90's Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Subsequent to the abortive Class 50 rebuilding programme (was this 'Operation Collingwood'?); the site was used to strip recovered track panels into their component parts. This would have been during the 1990-2000 period. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 This is a site I know well, living in Chippenham! Although not a scientific answer, the last train I saw in there was 9 Nov 2010. 66552 was running around a long welded rail set. The site was run down once the rail recycling centre at Westbury opened. Over the period of a few months it went from there virtually always being at least one set of wagons to being a rarity to see any sign of life at all. There was always a constant stream of trucks to take away the scrap rail. Here's 66952 waiting for the wagons to be unloaded on 2/11/10 jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I don't think they are as Jo said. I'll ask my brother in law when I see him, he's a NR MOM and this is part of his patch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adanapress Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 It would be very interesting to see a list of odd bits of the infrastructure that the MOD was once interested in. There might even be something at the National Archives at Kew. But then maybe its still under wraps, who knows what the future might bring.... Did you ever see a map of the national oil pipeline network? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold daveyb Posted March 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 Some interesting pics and info here about the area http://www.monkton-farleigh.co.uk/sc_tunnelquarry48.htm. The shed is a typical ammunition depot Road/Rail Transfer of the era. Corsham is still an active MoD site but the ammo depots have been out of use for more than 20 years. There was a lot under to hills! Is the 'eastern sidings' referred to by Mike for electrification the area at Moreton near Didcot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 22, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2012 Is the 'eastern sidings' referred to by Mike for electrification the area at Moreton near Didcot? Yes - it has long been rumoured that the Moreton Cutting site was being retained for the electrification depot (although the road access is very poor for artic lorries). And when I say 'long' I mean getting on for 30 years Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Aren't the sidings being kept in case they are needed for commissioning locomotives from the strategic steam reserve which is stored nearby under Box Hill? Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 They only keep the boxes under Box Hill. The locos are somewhere else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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