AberdeenBill Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Hi all, How many quarries are still dispatching ballast by rail? Have there been any notable closures in recent years? Many thanks, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Penmaenmawr is still operational and supplies as required, although not too often these days. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I believe that the quarry at Shap (the granite one, not the limestone one) still sends ballast by rail. Not sure if Machen (near Newport) currently supplies ballast, but it has been active in the relatively recent past; it was the last quarry supplying non-granite ballast (not sure what it was supplying, as there is both Carboniferous Limestone and Millstone Grit nearby. There was a period when Foster Yeoman were sending ballast to Grain and Southampton by ship from Glensanda, but that seems to have stopped. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir douglas Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 is Ribblehead ballast still used Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Does the pink ScR ballast still get transhipped from Cloburn quarry to rail transport at Carstairs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 is Ribblehead ballast still used Haven't seen or heard anything about stone from Ribblehead since the old-style BR ballast wagons disappeared, which would be more than a decade ago. I believe the sidings are now used for timber loading. For at least the last ten years, and possibly longer, the policy seems to have been to use only granite ballast, with the possible exception of Machen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Horton in Ribblesdale quarry archive at approx 8.30 into this awesome sixties footage. I had no idea it had FOUR MILES of sidings! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Not sure if Machen (near Newport) currently supplies ballast, but it has been active in the relatively recent past; it was the last quarry supplying non-granite ballast (not sure what it was supplying, as there is both Carboniferous Limestone and Millstone Grit nearby. I'd have thought millstone grit, or any sort of sandstone, would have been the worst possible choice for ballast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Richard, In latter years, stone from Horton in Ribblesdale was taken by road to the pair of sidings next to Ribbleshead station, to what is marked in Quail as a 'Virtual Quarry'. I believe this is where the timber traffic is now loaded. Edwin, I was (indeed, still am) perplexed by the question of which stone at Machen was used for ballast. Limestone seems to have dropped from favour. As you say, Millstone Grit is a sandstone; however, it is considerably less friable, and much harder, than most sandstones. I know Machen supplies it in finely crushed form to various terminals in the SE, where it is used to provide high-adhesion surfaces on the approaches to roundabouts and road junctions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwffc Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Does the pink ScR ballast still get transhipped from Cloburn quarry to rail transport at Carstairs? No it is transported by road to Millerhill/Carlisle for loading onto train there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted December 26, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 26, 2014 I believe that the quarry at Shap (the granite one, not the limestone one) still sends ballast by rail. It does - often powered by a Class 68. Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Penmaenmawr hasn't supplied anything since 11th May 2012 and that was for Manchester Metrolink Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Hi all, Thanks for all the responses. I assume that Meldon is still active?? Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Hi all, Thanks for all the responses. I assume that Meldon is still active?? Bill I don't believe so, at least not for railway ballast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 26, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2014 Hi all, Thanks for all the responses. I assume that Meldon is still active?? Bill Meldon still has a licence for extraction but isn't active. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthnut Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 ... Meldon is allegedly in a "mothballed" status but the little equipment still left is not likely to ever be able to run again having seen some images and photos! I think it's still owned by Aggregate Industries (Bardon), but also as far as I know it's also a SSSI, so maybe that adds to the unlikelihood of further production... TTFN Ben Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 On similar lines, In the early 90s the SR. got ballast from Meldon, where did the WR stuff come from ? I've never seen photos of any of the dept 47s on their way to fill up, just a few 37s going to machen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy stroud Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 On similar lines, In the early 90s the SR. got ballast from Meldon, where did the WR stuff come from ? I've never seen photos of any of the dept 47s on their way to fill up, just a few 37s going to machen There was a daily train from Meldon to Bristol. Not dept47s but usually 50s! This is 50 008 heading towards Bristol at Brent Knoll 31 July 1990. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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