brian daniels Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Don't know why I have not noticed this before as I have been driving over it for the last 40 years but there is a length of bullhead rail in Didcot yard that says it was made at Dowlais in 1914! Is this one of the oldest bits of rail in regular use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Pretty much............... There are sections within the platforms at Hampton Court that date from 1931, and there is plenty of rail on the Yeovil - Weymouth line dated 1929. There are sections on the South West main line at Farnborough from 1966 that are carrying 10-15 million tonnes per year. Amazingly, some of the conductor rail between Waterloo & Clapham Jn is due to celebrate it's centenary next year too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Don't know why I have not noticed this before as I have been driving over it for the last 40 years but there is a length of bullhead rail in Didcot yard that says it was made at Dowlais in 1914! Is this one of the oldest bits of rail in regular use? That head looks well mushroomed over . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I do not know the year of manufacture, but this is the most worn railhead I ever came across: It was in one of the reception roads at Dagenham Dock in the 1990's. The railhead is almost worn though..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0rris Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I thought I saw a chair proudly proclaiming GWR 1907 on the track in Didcot yard when I was sitting on a train in platform 5 last year, but I wasn't sure if I had gone mad and made it up in my head.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Could well have seen that old chair as there are a couple from the GW&GC Joint from 1904. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I think there is some rail in the spur off Glaisdale thats dated for the late 1890s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 On the Skegness line the rails were laid in S2 chairs. I believe these could take 85 or 95lb rails. There was a bit of a panic a few years back when it was realised most of the rails were GNR 85lb. I spent weeks out there covering relaying jobs to eliminate it all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_A Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 OK, not in use, but this sleeper and 1906-dated chair was still neatly in the ballast close to where the buffer stops would have been on one of the out of use platforms of a certain mid wales coastal terminus in 2007. I *think* that that was the date at which the GWR rebuilt the station ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 The oldest rail in the UK, in use still in its original location (admitedly with a 40 year period out of use and buried under tarmac so not continuous use), is believed to be the double track section of the Heaton Park tramway. There is no record of the original rails laid by Manchester Corporation in 1903 ever being replaced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2015 Could well have seen that old chair as there are a couple from the GW&GC Joint from 1904. They used to be quite common in yards on the western - particularly the London Division. I presume they were recovered when train was sent to PADs for stripping and were good enough to reuse. But really old rail, or rather 100year old rail, is much more of a rarity I reckon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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