Will Crompton

Many thanks for this link. That's the sort of track layout I could imagine getting a tut-tut from some if it appeared on an exhibition layout!

This subject cropped up within a thread in the layout design section in the last few days and I think it is worth a thread of its own. Yards at termini (goods, parcels etc) accessed via a kick back are often seen on models and model plans. For example a number of CJ Freezer's modifications of his original Minories plan have a small parcels or good depot accessed via kick back. A built example I rather like is Walford Town (BRM June 2016). In the thread mentioned Pacific 231G gave Hollywell Town as an actual example. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/155979-l-shaped-problem-track-plan-help/page/4/#comments I found an example in Bacup on the disused stations website. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/bacup/index.shtml The only other one I can think of is King's Cross stabling point of fond remembrance. So here's my question. Are there any other British examples?

This is a question that I have often wondered about given the later versions of Minories and the frequency it is seen in model railway termini. I recently looked through the Disused Stations website looking for examples in a fairly unsystematic sampling of closed stations in the north and came across an example in Bacup. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/bacup/index.shtml More generally there are a number of medium sized urban, semi-urban termini, particularly in Lancashire which are a feast of inspiration for modelling I thought (although as noted the only one I found with a kick back goods yard was Bacup). I think the following are all worth a gander: Royton, Bolton Great Moor Street and Middleton (the last needs a Google, as I can't find it on the Disused Stations website).

If the mods agree I would be happy to see the thread renamed as Nearholmer suggests. My original question has been answered and the discussion has clearly widened out somewhat.

Thanks everyone again for the flood of information. When I asked the question I hadn't expected to open (in a good way) such a fascinating can of worms. This building has been an itch it has taken 40 plus years to scratch!

Thanks for the replies and information everyone. It is much appreciated. I'm glad the aerial photo posted by Nearholmer shows the siding - I haven't totally lost me marbles!

There is a ruined building to the north side of the GWR main lane visible just after one passes Old Oak Common. I remember seeing it on 'gricing' expeditions out west back in the 1970s. Over the years on the infrequent occasions I have used this route I have noted it still being there, gradually falling into greater disrepair. Now this may be my memory playing tricks but in the early 70s I recall a siding coming off the main line, curving sharply and running towards/into the building. The track seemed to be disused at the time. Does anyone now what this building was? And for the sake of my sanity was there a siding? I've checked my copy of Joe Browns Atlas of London Railways but it is not depicted. I attach a screengrab from Google maps.

As noted above some of CJ Freezers versions of Minories have a kick back siding or sidings. In my copy (2005 impression) of '60 plans for small locations' plan SP35 has a single siding coming off platform 3. Plan SP36 has two kickback sidings coming off a headshunt parallel to platform 3. He suggested the two sidings could be used for van traffic (steam era) or parcels (diesel era). How prototypical is such a kick back siding arrangement in an urban terminus? I can see such an arrangement would add some shunting interest and I've seen it used in some urban termini layouts such as Walford Town (BRM June 2016). I sometimes daydream about doing a Minories set in the 1970s as I share that common fascination for the parcels trains of that period and can see how one could mix parcels and passenger trains in such set up. However from my hazy memories of the period and reading parcels related threads here I can't recall any kickback to parcels depot prototypes. One possibility I wondered about was rather than having a kick back to a parcels depot, having two kick back sidings off platform 3 used as carriage sidings for parcels or passenger stock. They would be about half the length of the platform 3 track. I imagined this sort of scenario. Early morning, first parcels train of the day pulls into platform 3 and is unloaded. Then the train engine pushes half the stock into one siding, this half of the stock is uncoupled and the train engine then moves the remaing half into the second siding. Later in the day the station pilot (08) shuffles the stock a la tuning fork layouts, pulls the assembled train back into platform 3. A train engine enters from stage right and departs with the parcels train. Is this idea completely unprototypical/contrived/barking mad? Three kickback sidings would give one a kind of parcels/carriage sidings Inglenook but I think this would overload the scene - just my preference but I think with Minories, less is more.

Here's another one for the John Turner Flickr site from 1974. It shows the side walls of the depot more clearly but from further away. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/8450431388/in/album-72157621953613656/

There is a nice picture here from 1969. A couple of Peaks by the side of the depot. Comparing this with the recent pictures it is easier to see which bits are the 'add ons' https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/3837172622/in/album-72157624287775811/ Beware if like me you like Railblue - this flickr site (John Turner's Albums) has a lot of rabbit holes. Oh dear, I may be some time!

This thread brings back happy memories of spotting as a teenager with some mates in the early/mid 70s. Most Saturdays were taken up with excursions. Some were ambitious far flung ones and/or railtours but we often followed an all day Saturday routine which went something like this. Wimbledon or Earlsfield to Paddington either via the district line or via Waterloo and the Bakerloo. An hour or two at Paddington. I seem to recall quite a lot of toing and froing of engines from Ranelagh Bridge. Then Bakerloo and LMR electric to Willesden Junction. Down the lane to Willesden Shed. Ask at the front office nicely if we could have a look around. Usually got let in if we didn't make a nuisance of ourselves. I seem to recall seeing an LMS Gronk here in 72. Then over the hill to Old Oak Common depot. Walk in through the front gate and stroll down the hill to the turntable. Then a survey of the running shed, factory and more far flung sidings. No one batted an eyelid. In retrospect I am amazed how casual they were here at the time. On a warm Saturday summer afternoon there could be anything up to 20 or 30 spotty herbert interlopers distributed across the depot and sidings. A friend of mine was once walking along the middle of a track leading away from the depot to the mainline when a Brush 4 (or 47 as I believe young people call them) mooched gently up behind him and the driver sounded his horn to get him to vacate the track! Health 'n safety I don't think. Then we would walk along the back of the sidings towards the mainline and have our sarnies sitting on buffer stops watching expresses and freights whizz past. Then LMR electric back to Euston - quickly copping the electric locos. There were as people have mentioned usually a couple of 25s and maybe a gronk in the parcels platforms (and how we took 25s for granted! -blub!). A bit dull for our tastes so then it was quickly along to Saint Pancras to cop Peaks and then the rest of the day at Kings Cross - 40s, Peaks, Deltics, Brush 4s, A1As etc. Brilliant. Then home. No mention of shed bunking being made to assorted parents etc. Favourite London stabling point - Kings Cross Hands down. It had the combination of visibility, brilliant side views of engines doing the 'Kings Cross Shuffle' and classic traction. I remember the first time we went to Kings Cross we had no idea about the lines from the underground system - imagine our bafflement when two LU battery locos pulled an engineering train out from the mysterious hole in the ground. What in the name of Sam Hill was that we thought. Happy days!

We visited Cirencester to see friends last October and were picked up from Kemble having travelled from Paddington. I thought the station was rather interesting and took some pictures on our return including a couple of the now famous (or should that be infamous!) siding. The first view is looking towards Swindon showing the connection with the mainline and the second is looking along the siding towards the car park. I couldn't get a clear view of this given the conveniently situated tree. I can confirm from discussions with our friends that traffic congestion is a big issue in these parts and in particular with connection to projected traffic increases associated with Lord 'Batty' Bathurst's proposed housing dvelopment on the edge of the town.

Trainshunting and Marshalling for the Modeller by Bob Essery (Ian Allan Publishing 2011) has a number of interesting pictures of wagon turntables including some being used at Heaton Mersey goods in June 1964. Fascinated to see that the one at Kyle of Localsh was still being used in the 80s BTW.

I hope this is of interest. https://interestingengineering.com/energy-storage-trains-work-power-gravity It is a news item about a concept called 'rail energy storage'. Basically you use surplus renewable energy to push a train up a hill. When the sun goes in, wind stops blowing etc you let the train roll back downhill and harvest the energy.