Disused railway depots and sidings?

[B1GDAD]

Can anyone advise of web sites or know of any unused sidings or depots that could be brought back in use?
I am looking for any mainline connected that may be old BR or Network Rail (or other infrastructure owners, coal board etc) that could be brought back into use.

I thought this would be the best place to ask because such a vast collective knowledge, someone might be able to suggest.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For what reason(s) would such unused sidings or depots be brought back into use? The fact that they are, currently, not in use / redundant, would seem to suggest that they are, to the most part, no longer required.

 

[Peter Sarf]

You might want to include yards that are largely lifted BUT were there is still a physical connection to the main line. The reason I suggest this is the physical connection to the main line seems to be the hardest bit to get done (signalling changes etc). Conversely a largely intact yard with no connection to the main line would be relatively useless.

Most redundant yards will be redundant because they no longer serve a purpose. If for freight they will need an adequate road connection and enough demand to justify a trainload of freight not just a few wagons.

If for passenger stock they need to be secure enough to avoid vandalism (tagging). They also need to be near where the stock is needed.

What sort of uses are you looking/hoping for ?.

 

[Railsigns]

Can anyone advise of web sites or know of any unused sidings or depots that could be brought back in use?
I am looking for any mainline connected that may be old BR or Network Rail (or other infrastructure owners, coal board etc) that could be brought back into use.

You could trawl through all the Sectional Appendix Table A diagrams looking for sidings etc. that are extant but have "OOU" marked against them.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Or the various TRACKmaps booklets (five covering the whole of Great Britain).

Not an online resource, but may still be of some help to the OP.

 

[Novern Uproar]

Come to the port town of Goole. Vast goods yard overgrown and unused for twenty odd years. Believe most of the lines have been removed now though. Currently no freight whatsoever into the adjacent docks either. And a pitiful amount into Hull. Meanwhile on the M62 . .

 

[zwk500]

The question in post #2 is key here - if you are looking for a base to run a heritage loco out of it's a very different question to if you're looking to load a once-a-week freight or start your own TOC.

 

[Supercoss]

Forders sidings on Bletchley to Bedford line (BBM) ideal location to regenerate , still Mainline connected , Stewartby station nearby .

 

[randyrippley]

Bowkers Transport, Preston

Welcome - Bowker Transport

W.H. Bowker Limited was established in 1919 and remain a family-owned logistics operator.

www.bowkertransport.co.uk

they have an unused private road / rail interchange siding using tram track running through the lorry park

this should find it on google maps

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Has the OP clarified what purpose these disused sidings or depots are to be put, after bringing them back into use?

 

[Annetts key]

Can anyone advise of web sites or know of any unused sidings or depots that could be brought back in use?
I am looking for any mainline connected that may be old BR or Network Rail (or other infrastructure owners, coal board etc) that could be brought back into use.

I thought this would be the best place to ask because such a vast collective knowledge, someone might be able to suggest.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

As others has said, for what purpose is this intended?
Is this a one off, or will it be regular usage?
Is a road connection needed?
And just as importantly, whereabouts in the country?
In some areas there is nothing or not much, while in other areas there may be quite a choice.

 

[B1GDAD]

Thanks for the responses so far.
I am just trying to get some ideas of where rolling stock could be stored.
I have now got the quail maps to look through as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==

You could trawl through all the Sectional Appendix Table A diagrams looking for sidings etc. that are extant but have "OOU" marked against them.

Good call, I just have a check of them as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==

Forders sidings on Bletchley to Bedford line (BBM) ideal location to regenerate , still Mainline connected , Stewartby station nearby .

Really good call.

 

[The Planner]

Thanks for the responses so far.
I am just trying to get some ideas of where rolling stock could be stored.
I have now got the quail maps to look through as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==


Good call, I just have a check of them as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==


Really good call.

Stored as in before scrapping, stored before cascading or do you mean for a depot?

 

[class 9]

Healey Mills

 

[Peter Sarf]

Thanks for the responses so far.
I am just trying to get some ideas of where rolling stock could be stored.
I have now got the quail maps to look through as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==


Good call, I just have a check of them as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2022 ==


Really good call.

Your going to need somewhere that can be fairly secure - graffiti.

You would ideally need power supplies to keep the stock in warm storage. Either that or more likely use locomotives to get them out and if EMUs to an electrified line for them to have a run. Vehicles (even cars) deteriorate quite quickly if left to get cold (damp gets into wiring etc).

 

[marty56110]

If I owned any carriages or wagons, the best place in my opinion would be an industrial site. Most are very secure and have lots of redundant sidings.
In the North East I can think of:
Sunderland Docks
Hartlepool Pipe Mills
Lackenby 4 Grid and Loco Sheds (Northern we’re looking at a few years ago)
Wilton Sembcorp (Which also has a small loco shed)
Middlesbrough Goods Yard

Am sure there will lots of industrial sites like that dotted around the country.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Healey Mills

You'd need to get the secateurs out!

 

[class 9]

You'd need to get the secateurs out!

Just a bit!

 

[Ploughman]

Healey Mills

Has the road access to site changed at all in the last 20 years?
Recall a low bridge near the signal box.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Llandudno Junction

 

[RichJF]

Chart Leacon depot in Ashford is the most obvious contender down my way.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Has the road access to site changed at all in the last 20 years?
Recall a low bridge near the signal box.

As far as I know, it's still the lane off Storrs Hill Road (which links Horbury Bridge with Ossett). It's fenced off now though I believe (it's a few weeks since I've been that way).

 

[snowball]

Llandudno Junction

One or more sidings there have recently been brought back into use.

 

[brad465]

Chart Leacon depot in Ashford is the most obvious contender down my way.

If the presence of track is a requirement for this thread discussion, this won't count because there is currently no track there IIRC. There were recently proposals to bring it back into use, but sounds like covid and the de facto abandoning of the Thameslink service to Ashford has shelved them.

Elsewhere on the Southeastern network there is a disused siding at Maidstone West which has a third rail link but is not in any way used, and also the siding between New Beckenham and Beckenham junction, although last year a 10 car Networker formation (2x465+466) spent some time parked in it, as once discussed here.

 

[GLC]

Smithy Lye sidings are still there, with OLE gantry remaining. Although I don’t know if the rails are still physically connected and it’s more of a forrest now