Aggregates from Lydd

[fergusjbend]

A post in Feb 2015 reported the 'successful trial' of an aggregate flow from the Dungeness branch at Lydd to Cliffe Brett Marine. Since which....zilch. Why?

 

[E_Reeves]

I thought Dungeness branch has only ever served nuclear services with the 1 train per month...? Didn't even know the aggregates place could be rail fed?

 

[fergusjbend]

Brett Aggregates obtained a licence to extract shingle with the condition that it was to be exported by rail, and not by road. A loop was constructed at Lydd Town and a trial was carried out in early 2015 - there is a closed thread on this Forum.

It would seem that commercial considerations dictate that this proposed flow is not currently viable, but I would be interested to hear more from anyone in the know.

 

[Freightmaster]

Since which....zilch. Why?

The shingle was found to be too 'contaminated' to be of use - hardly surprising really when you consider the location!!


MARK

 

[trainmania100]

Would be great if they re opened Newhaven marine and used the shingle from there

 

[JB_B]

The shingle was found to be too 'contaminated' to be of use - hardly surprising really when you consider the location!!


MARK

I know that there was concern that further extraction of shingle could result in (saline) contamination of the aquifer. I'd have thought it unlikely that the shingle would be contaminated by activity on the MoD range (and very unlikely there'd be anything from the power station.)

 

[DelW]

Did NR really build a new loop just for a trial? It's not as if the movements along the branch are so intensive that loading on the running line would cause delays to other traffic. If so, was it just to avoid topping and tailing the trial train(s)? Elsewhere we are told that new loops are prohibitively expensive (e.g. Brading on Island Line).

 

[Chris M]

Did NR really build a new loop just for a trial? It's not as if the movements along the branch are so intensive that loading on the running line would cause delays to other traffic. If so, was it just to avoid topping and tailing the trial train(s)? Elsewhere we are told that new loops are prohibitively expensive (e.g. Brading on Island Line).

Whether a loop is too expensive or not will quite likely depend on who is paying.
If you walked up to NR HQ and said, "I would like you to build a loop at X. Here is a cheque to pay for it and here is a second cheque with a substantial contribution to maintenance." some sleeves would pretty quickly be rolled up.

 

[DarloRich]

There has been some good work on getting sea dredged sand trains running in the SE. it is unloaded at Angerstein, Cliffe and Grain and moved to locations in and around the capital.

 

[fergusjbend]

Yes, a new loop was built, presumably funded by Brett's, in order to run the loco around its train.

I am puzzled by the 'contamination' - contamination with what exactly? The site is around 2km distant from the sea and 5km or more from Dungeness PS.

The destination for the aggregate was to be Cliffe Brett Marine for onward distribution. This site already receives shipload quantities of sea-won aggregates. Barden Aggregates at Grain is the main depot for granite and other materials quarried at Glensanda in Argyle and shipped in the 249m long Yeoman Bridge and sister ships.

 

[E_Reeves]

Oh, I remember seeing the loop now after a recent visit there. Was quite surprised to see it as it wasn't on track maps.