Freight through Wokingham

[165009]

I'm sure I recall in the late 80s/early 90s you'd often see freight on the line between Reading and Wokingham but I was quite young and don't remember any details.

What routes/types of freight would I likely have seen, and why is there nothing using this route in the present day?

 

[JonathanH]

What routes/types of freight would I likely have seen, and why is there nothing using this route in the present day?

There used to be an oil terminal at North Camp, which may have been a source for some of the freight traffic.

That, and another facility at Holybourne, near Alton have shut.

In short, there are no flows of freight that need to go via Wokingham (other than occasional engineering supply trains) such as this.

or this

 

[3973EXL]

1986 Earley to Ripple Lane

47105 ACT oil empties 16-8-86

The only booked freight west of Virginia Water for many years was the infrequent service of heating oil to Earley. On 16 August 1986, 47105 passes Ascot on the returning empties to Ripple Lane. These trains were very infrequent, so I was lucky to get this shot, and have long since ceased. The...

www.flickr.com

1991 Theale - Northfleet

Cromptons 33050 and 33051 at Wokingham. September 1991.

Railfreight Construction liveried 33050 'Isle of Grain' and 33051 'Shakespeare Cliffe' power away from Wokingham with the 6O60 1752 Theale-Northfleet cement empties in early September 1991. The locos were named in May 1988 to commemorate the classes use on Channel Tunnel consruction traffic...

www.flickr.com

There were also various parcels workings between Reading and Redhill including the Dover - Manchester TPO.

 

[Gloster]

I think there were also a few stone trains, although I am not sure when they ceased to run this way. I think, digging deep into the recesses of my ageing memory, that they were mostly empties going back to the Mendips.

 

[Class 317]

I remember northbound stone empties through Wokingham in the last 5-10 years. I've only been around Wokingham over that period but can't remember the last time I saw one.

 

[165009]

Thanks all, really interesting replies and memories