De-electrified lines

[Bittern]

With electrification being more-or-less deemed as the be-all end-all of the modern railway, does anyone know of lines over the past century that have been stripped of their electricity and reverted to Steam or Diesel control?

 

[WatcherZero]

A few here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_electrification_in_Great_Britain

Mostly they were converted from one obsolete electrification to another form rather than being stripped.

 

[Invincibles]

Small sections around Greater Manchester I believe, you certainly see bits of track that would have had the Woodhead style of electrification with nothing hanging from the droppers.

Of course the main Woodhead route also contains a completely closed electric section and the section from Stocksbridge through Sheffield Victoria lingers on as a diesel based freight line I believe.

Penistone station is another small section where the old wires have gone.

The old Lancaster to Morecambe section is another that comes to my mind, the old bits of support still being visible on platform 6.

I guess those are on the wikipedia link, but I am lazy

 

[Oracle]

Newcastle third-rail to DMMU operation then to Tyne & Wear Metro?

Folkestone Harbour branch.

Epping-Ongar was 4th rail and then the conductor rails were pulled-up when it was sold off.

Horsted Keynes branch 3rd rail was closed and the conductor rails in the station removed.

 

[atomicdanny]

Newcastle third-rail to DMMU operation then to Tyne & Wear Metro?

Folkestone Harbour branch.

Lymington Harbour is DMMU only SSuX

Technically speaking for Folkestone Harbour the third rail was still there when it closed completely though, and Lymington is still electrified so I don't think that one counts!

 

[swt_passenger]

Lymington Harbour is DMMU only SSuX

That wasn't the question though. That line hasn't been 'stripped of its electricity'...

 

[Chris125]

Shildon-Newport, removed back in 1935.

 

[Oracle]

The line through Kensington Addison Road (later Olympia) from Clapham Junction was de-electrified, which I seem to think, under correction, was around 1940. It was then of course electrified again ostensibly, again under correction, for the Eurostars to get to North Pole.

I am sure that I read on this Forum that part of the line down to Southampton Terminus down from Northam Junction was electrified and subsequently had the conductor rail removed. A poster maintained that he had seen this but it was before my time and cannot prove either way!

 

[142094]

Newcastle third-rail to DMMU operation then to Tyne & Wear Metro?

Quite correct, must be one of a handful that were once electrified, moved over to diesel and re-electrified.

Could include Trafalgar St yard in Newcastle - 3rd rail and overheard, de-electrified, then re-electrified in both the ECML and Metro.

 

[mumrar]

Technically speaking for Folkestone Harbour the third rail was still there when it closed completely though

The route only closed completely either last year or 2009. But as anyone who owns the original 'Power Hour' series will tell you, the current was switched off many years before when they sent a VSOE top n tailed by Class 73s, only to discover it would be a diesel only climb from the harbour!!

 

[Hydro]

The route only closed completely either last year or 2009. But as anyone who owns the original 'Power Hour' series will tell you, the current was switched off many years before when they sent a VSOE top n tailed by Class 73s, only to discover it would be a diesel only climb from the harbour!!

*kaboom*

 

[Oracle]

Was the Tilbury Riverside triangle de-electrified before complete closurem even to railtouts?

 

[Ploughman]

Southport - Meols Cop
Now forms part of the Wigan line

 

[martinsh]

The Woodhead OH wires extended east of Sheffiled, so would include part of the still existing Sheffield - Lincoln line. As far as somewhere around woodhouse, I believe

 

[Tufty]

Bury to Holcombe Brook was electrified at some point before its closure.

 

[mumrar]

Bury to Holcombe Brook was electrified at some point before its closure.

But the crux of the OP is did the route have its electrification removed prior to closure. It's not clear from your answer.

 

[jp4712]

Yes, it did - in its last couple of years the usual power was an ex-L&Y 2-4-2T and a push-and-pull set. And what's notable is that Bury - Holcombe Brook actually had two electrification systems in its time: firstly overhead on a 3.5kV DC overhead system from 1913 to 1918, then third rail 1200V DC from 1918 to 1950.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Horsted Keynes branch 3rd rail was closed and the conductor rails in the station removed.

Effectively, what remains is the now singled section (via Copyhold junction) from Ardingly stone terminal to just north of Haywards Heath, which was once electrified but is now de-electrified.

Also, there is a section of bi-directional single line from Altrincham to Stockport, just north of Altrincham station, passing through Navigation Road station, up to Deansgate junction, which was once electrified, but is now de-electrified. This section of line runs in parallel with the Manchester Metrolink.

 

[paulb1973]

My first post here. I have compiled at home a list of 'closed' but formerly electrified lines/sections loosely covering the south-of-the-border WCML electrified area. I may have gone a little over the top and in some other cases missed areas out. Not in any way official - is this close to being correct? Electrification line mast section codes added in brackets where known:

London area:
Euston Station area: Up Carriage Sidings (Simplified) [EU]. Up Empty Carriage Line (Mostly lifted) [EC] and Down-Side Carriage Shed (Not in regular use) [ED]

Primrose Hill - Broad Street, London (Part now de-wired and removed, part now has prefix V) [CB]

Camden Road East Junction - Freight Terminal Junction (Line rebuilt, now has prefix YN) [CI]

York Way Freightliner Depot, Camden, London (Closed 7 August 1971 - re-electrified 1987)

Willesden Brent Sidings (OHLE removed - circa early 1990‘s) [WB]

Northampton Down Side Sidings (Rebuilt as Siemens Traincare Depot using same mast codes) [NX]

West Midlands area:
Aston Wharf (Windsor Street) Siding, Aston, Birmingham (Closed officially 5 April 1980) [AX]

Duddeston Carriage Sidings/Wagon Repair Shop/Goods Lines, Birmingham (Removed/Out of Use c.1990‘s) [BS]

Curzon Street Branch & Sidings, including Royal Mail siding, Birmingham (Last OHLE removed by 1990) [BS]

Wolverhampton Steel Terminal Siding (OHLE removed 1980’s/90’s) [BBX]

Rugby area:
Rugby to Clifton Mill Station & return loop section to Clifton Road Junction [RX] and Rugby District Electric Depot/Access Line [TS] (OHLE mostly removed after line closure from June 1966 - Clifton Mill section gone by early 1970's)

Nuneaton area:
Hinckley Line/Cemetery Sidings [NW] and North Yard Sidings [GX] (Closure dates unknown). Nuneaton Up Sidings closed c.2003 (Removed and replaced by diverted Hinckley line - since part-electrified on platforms 6/7) [N]

Stoke-on-Trent Area:
Stoke Loco Holding Siding (Removed 1990’s), Stoke North Yard (Sidings closed and de-electrified late 1984/early 1985) & Cockshute EMU/Carriage Sidings (Simplified when electric roads closed 1987-1990) [HC]

Crewe Area:
Stoke Goods Line/North Staffordshire Curve (Singled/de-electrified before closure on 1 October 1984) [G/KC?] Crewe Station Remodelling (Station & surrounding-area track & wirescape simplified in June 1985) [G]

Liverpool/Runcorn area:
Runcorn Dock/Folly Lane Branch (De-energised & OHLE removed early 1990's) [LX]

Wavertree Junction - Wapping Branch, Liverpool (Now closed and de-wired) [WW]

Ditton Yard/Edge Hill Area, Liverpool (Some running lines in Edge Hill area simplified c.1985) [DS]

Stafford [G] and Willesden PRDC [TS/WBX] Royal Mail Terminals (Reduction in usage since 2003/4)

Warrington Dallam Royal Mail Terminal (Reduction in usage since 2003/4) [RM]

North Union Yard, Preston (OHLE part-removed 2000/1) [G/PB?]

Hardendale Quarry Line, off Quarry Access Line (OHLE removed on quarry loading line) [CVQ]

Carlisle area:
Carlisle Upperby Depot (Closed). Carlisle Through Goods Line, between near Upperby Holding Sidings & Caldew Junction (Closed after Jan 1986 due to damage by 1984 derailment of a Freightliner Train) [TG]

Kingmoor Depot, Carlisle (Original depot closed 1984 - since reopened, but without OHLE within depot confines/immediately outside depot) [KYD]

Paul

 

[tbtc]

My first post here

...and, if you don't mind me saying, a cracking one. Its going to take me a while to digest all this information, but that's very interesting

 

[paulb1973]

...and, if you don't mind me saying, a cracking one. Its going to take me a while to digest all this information, but that's very interesting

Its difficult to know as what to include/not to include; freight-only lines, the odd electrified loop line, short sidings even the odd mast on a normally non-electrified line.

 

[paulb1973]

This website is extremely useful in working out some of the closed, but formerly electrified lines:
http://deaves47.users.btopenworld.com/electrification/mast_prefix.htm

My knowledge of the North London and Merseyside areas is a bit hazy, I didn't cover Scotland or the Southern and Eastern areas - although I have some notes on those areas too. Those Royal Mail/Postal depots; again my knowledge on those is somewhat limited. Certainly electric trains use/used Willesden, Stafford, Warrington and a location in Scotland. At Preston I have never heard of "North Union Yard" - did it even exist?!

Nuneaton & Rugby are closest to me - interesting to see the changes there - who would have known that electric trains could run as far as Clifton Mill, to the north of the station. At Nuneaton existed, previously extensively electrified sidings; around the Cemetery Sidings area and where the Asda store now stands. I have seen a from-the-air pic of Nuneaton taken in 1963 showing wide-span OHLE masts where the Asda car park is sited today.

 

[Crossover]

The only dewirement that I know of is the old passing loop at Stoke on-Trent which has now been lifted as of a couple of years ago (I would guess to reduce maintenance costs)

Thought it was worth a mention

 

[paulb1973]

The obvious one is the 'Woodhead route' From a book at home, in a bit more detail (I think is) OHLE section codes where known in brackets:

Tinsley Marshalling Yard Sheffield [T] and Rotherwood Sidings, Darnall Depot [DL], Sheffield Victoria/Electric Lay-by Sidings [BR] and Wath [W] including Wombwell Exchange Yard, Wath Exchange Sidings [WE], Wath West Departure Sidings [WW], Barnsley Junction Sidings [BJ] Woodhead Sidings, Mottram Yard [M/MO/MR] & Sorting Sidings [MS], Glossop Branch and Dinting Area, Dewsnap Sidings [DY], Guide Bridge Sidings & Guide Bridge Station Junction to Crowthorne Junction [A], Guide Bridge West Junction to Dukinfield Branch [SO], Ashton Moss Yard [AN] & Junction Branches (to Denton Junction [AI]), Ashbury’s Yard [AE] & Ashbury’s Top End Yard [AR], Ashbury’s East Junction to Romiley - Start of line , Reddish Branches (to Fairfield [CI]) & Depot [CR], Gorton EMU Depot & Hyde Road Junction Curve [C], spur through Hyde North [HO] Godley Branch (Godley Junction to Apethorne Junction [LO]), Ardwick Yard [AW] (T = also used in Tunnels)

(OHLE dismantled at Tinsley after c.1968 & other lines 1981-1987. Marshalling Yards already simplified during 1960’s/70’s and Ashton Moss South Junction - Guide Bridge Junction/Stockport Junction - Ashton Moss North Junction fell out of use after October 1968).

And some from Scotland:
Hyndland Branch & EMU Depot, Glasgow (Closed 1987) [BH]

Glasgow High Street - Bridgeton Central, Glasgow (Electrified 7/11/60 - last passenger use 1979, Carriage depot closed 1987) [FB]

Balloch Central - Balloch Pier (Closed 29 September 1986) [BB]

Gushetfaulds Junction - Gushetfaulds Freightliner Terminal (Now de-wired - date unknown) [GF]

Singer Works Branch, Clydebank, Glasgow 6.25 kV A.C. (Closed 1 May 1967) [BS]

Smithy Lye Sidings, Glasgow (OHLE removed 2007/8) [L]

Paul

 

[Southern Steve]

The ex-LCDR branch from Nunhead to Crystal Palace High-Level was electrified using the 3rd-rail system by the Southern Railway along with the rest of its London and suburban network in the 1920s. The line was closed in 1955, the only part of the old Southern Electric to be abandoned.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Wasn't there once a primitive form of OHL in the Clapham Junction area which was later replaced by the 3rd rail system? Would that count?

 

[Southern Steve]

Wasn't there once a primitive form of OHL in the Clapham Junction area which was later replaced by the 3rd rail system? Would that count?

Yes, the LB&SCR South London Line from London Bridge to Victoria via Peckham Rye was electrified with an overhead system in 1909, and this was subsequently extended southwards as far as Sutton and Coulsdon north. Following Grouping in 1923, the new Southern Railway adopted the third-rail system, and the all the ex-overhead system south of the Thames had been converted to third rail by 1929.

Thinking of other examples in the London area, the Northern Line extension over the ex-GNR suburban system originally included the line between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace via Highgate, and the line between Mill Hill East (as it became) and Edgware. Work had started on these sections, but was interrupted by the War, and subsequently abandoned - I'm not sure how far the electrification work had proceeded.

 

[Oracle]

The work was never completed on the Northern Heights save for the line to Mill Hill East as it served a military depot. Up to Park Junction there was cabling but a photo from 1962 I have seen of MHE clearly shows that there were no conductor rails beyond. The same apploed to Denham extension on the Central.

There were conductor rails up from Drayton Park and through the 'tunne; under the main line but I believe that it was not electrified. Stock transfers used battery locos up the slope from the former Southbound platform. I think that there was no track on the other line (NB) from Drayton Park.

 

[paulb1973]

See Greeny's post re. removed electrified lines in the Liverpool area. Tis relevant to this thread:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=41447

 

[LE Greys]

The route only closed completely either last year or 2009. But as anyone who owns the original 'Power Hour' series will tell you, the current was switched off many years before when they sent a VSOE top n tailed by Class 73s, only to discover it would be a diesel only climb from the harbour!!

I remember going there once to see the CTRL construction on the way (by 4-VEP on the way out and 4-CEP on the way back IIRC) then being rather surprised to see both a Soviet submarine and an apparently disused railway. When I went to have a closer look, I was wandering around at track level, only to notice that various signs indicated that the line was still active, not to mention a decidedly red glow from a visible signal. One foot was on a third rail at the time! hock: Fortunately, none of it was live.

First post after I lost my internet connection for a very long time.