Abandoned stock

[Towers]

As far as I know it's still there, it's North side in the undergrowth near Tesco to

It was only visible in winter from the train. But I always forget to look when I am passing.

Although I do always remember to look for the 317 carriage at the Oracle offices slightly to the East of that.

Would it not have been removed during the electrification works?

 

[Elecman]

I think that those short wheelbase wagons and vans still exist in the remains of the sidings at Hartlebury Trading Estate, Worcestershire, although I haven't checked recently. The main line connection was removed in 2005, following some quarter century of disuse.

they are still there

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jul 2025 ==

There is a car transporter wagon at the end of a siding near Small Heath, been there for well over 10 years.

Been there at least 15 years that I’ve been passing the site

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I think the Ancaster brake van might be this one? (Video should start at 1:13)

That's it. I suppose if/when they get around to removing the track it's on they'll dispose of it then.

 

[Ayrshire Roy]

Here is the HAA in Falkland Yard.

 

[Ashley Hill]

There’s an ex RES parcel van in Tavistock Junction yard that will probably be seen again come the Autumn. There’s also a brake van there plus a Lowmac at the Plympton end that’s been on mother earth for decades having been pushed through the blocks.

 

[MrJeeves]

I think the coalfish at Haywards heath is still there. Don't know what the number is

It is. Filled with ballast last time I remember looking inside it.

 

[physics34]

There is an old flatwagon thing covered in foliage in a siding south of Crowborough station.

 

[Jamesrob637]

There’s an ex RES parcel van in Tavistock Junction yard that will probably be seen again come the Autumn. There’s also a brake van there plus a Lowmac at the Plympton end that’s been on mother earth for decades having been pushed through the blocks.

Think the Lowmac might have gone? Google Earth has another 2 axle wagon just near Topps Tiles.

 

[birchesgreen]

Is the wagon with the tree growing through it still in the sidings behind Worcester Shrub Hill?

 

[43096]

Is the wagon with the tree growing through it still in the sidings behind Worcester Shrub Hill?

At Worcester Shrub Hill it ought to be a shrubbery growing!

 

[birchesgreen]

At Worcester Shrub Hill it ought to be a shrubbery growing!

Actually i went back and looked at an old photo i took of the wagon some years ago, it is a bush not a tree.

 

[D6130]

Actually i went back and looked at an old photo i took of the wagon some years ago, it is a bush not a tree.

It will probably become a tree eventually!

 

[Boilinthebag]

Once knocked a Seacow off at Banbury for a dragging brake. By the time it was scrapped when the yard was ripped up for housing, it had a substantial tree growing out of the ballast. Southall yard has quite the hybrid tree/HTA collection.

 

[sad1e]

There are a few various abandoned engineers wagons in the yard by Watford Junction station, looks like the track they are on is disconnected from the rest of the yard , they haven't moved since 2017 at the latest as that was when I first saw them in the yard.

 

[rogercov]

It seems there were a few in Stoke-on-Trent until last Saturday

Stoke-on-Trent firefighters put out derelict rail carriage blaze

Nobody is injured, and an investigation into the cause is ongoing, the fire service says.

www.bbc.co.uk

"Firefighters have put out a fire inside derelict railway carriages in Stoke-on-Trent.
Crews were called to land off Shelton New Road at 23:15 BST on Saturday, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
The fire engulfed three carriages, and required three hose reel jets and two main jets to extinguish."

 

[trainswitheddy]

It seems there were a few in Stoke-on-Trent until last Saturday

Stoke-on-Trent firefighters put out derelict rail carriage blaze

Nobody is injured, and an investigation into the cause is ongoing, the fire service says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Were these the ones originally planned for that restaurant with 43300?

 

[43096]

Were these the ones originally planned for that restaurant with 43300?

No.

 

[sprinterguy]

It seems there were a few in Stoke-on-Trent until last Saturday

Stoke-on-Trent firefighters put out derelict rail carriage blaze

Nobody is injured, and an investigation into the cause is ongoing, the fire service says.

www.bbc.co.uk

I don't think the rolling stock at Reids' yard can really be considered abandoned - it's more of a halfway house for stock awaiting movement to other locations, even if that other location is sometimes the scrapyard as per the redundant ex-SWR Class 458 trailers that were there until recently.

For example, the Wagons-Lits sleeper that was burnt out had been purchased for restoration by a French group from volunteers at the Bluebell Railway, and the 125 Group's power car 43044 has also been on site for a few weeks now (and fortunately not affected by the fire), presumably awaiting its next transfer as part of its restoration to Valenta-fitted condition.

 

[amahy]

There are a few IWBs lying around in Carlisle Kingmoor yard, clearly visible from the WCML. Not sure exactly how long they've been there, but they seem to be in pretty poor condition.

 

[billh]

I spotted an open wagon in the undergrowth last week whilst speeding along the North Wales Coast line . I can't remember whereabouts but might have been Fflint or Greenfield. Anyone else seen it?

 

[htwestern]

In St. Phillip’s Marsh Depot in Bristol, GWR still have a Mk2 coach painted in FGW purple that hasn’t moved in over a decade now. I don’t know if it ever saw service in its current colour scheme

 

[Peter Mugridge]

In St. Phillip’s Marsh Depot in Bristol, GWR still have a Mk2 coach painted in FGW purple that hasn’t moved in over a decade now. I don’t know if it ever saw service in its current colour scheme

That's 5636.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Is there any kind of list of abandoned rolling stock that hasn't been withdrawn? From memory there used to be several wagons outside Bolton that had been there many years and were cut up on site rather than being withdrawn and taken for scrapping. Certainly there used to be sidings full of wagons and coaches that never turned a wheel for many years.

So what's out there on various bits of the network? Surely everything must be asset tracked and will need to be accounted for? What's the longest anything has been abandoned?

James

In answer to the question regarding a list, not really, but the UK preserved stock website has details of vehicles stored around that are allegedly preserved, plus grounded van bodies etc, link below;

Preserved Railway Stocklist - Search Page

In the early 90s I seem to remember having a book about stock stored on the BR network, but I can't find any reference to it online or any more up to date editions.

Probably the strangest location is this ex-LMS brake van abandoned on a section of disused line near Radstock in Somerset;

 

[pharrc20]

There are two wagons at Northwich, one the RIV 2-axle low-sided open that is very visible as you leave Northwich by train heading east towards Lostock Gralam. I believe this wagon was dumped here sometime in the mid-1990s due to a defect? The 2nd wagon is a Grampus hidden in the trees in the old sidings to the north of the running lines. It is hard to see it at this time of year due to the abundant trees, but once the leaves drop and winter comes it is visible. I've no idea when this wagon was dropped here and forgotten about.

Cheers Paul