Newtown carriage sidings, Manchester

[Xenophon PCDGS]

These were based on the left-hand side of the Miles Platting incline, just before the Rochdale Road bridge, as you leave Manchester Victoria station.

Is there any elderly forum member who knows what was the incline gradient was in these sidings, which would have been used for stock storage for the east-facing bay platforms at Manchester Victoria station

 

[9K43]

I have worked into these sidings, and they were called Manchester Red Bank
sidings.
We had a job in the 1980's from Wakefield
Kirkgate to take the Red Bank paper empties back to Manchester.
We signed on at 13:30 hrs at Kirkgate and went via the L and Y.
The tram sheds are above these sidings.

The traction we used were Peaks.
Once uncoupled the engine went light to the holding sidings in front of Signal box at Vic.
You had to put scotches under all the paper vans as the gradient was very sharp.
As far as I know the sidings have been lifted as newspaper trains finished a long time ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingythewingy/4503400845/

 

[edwin_m]

I presume from Paul's description that this is the site:

http://binged.it/196R13K

As there doesn't appear to be any level difference between the railway and the land next to it where I presume the sidings were (note the subway going underneath it) I would say the gradient is the same. Which according to the Ian Allan book was either 1 in 59 or 1 in 47. Scary!

Weren't Red Bank sidings a similar distance from Manchester but on the other route that rejoined at Newton Heath? Since that line was in the valley I presume Newtown would be steeper than Red Bank.

 

[Welshman]

I presume from Paul's description that this is the site:

http://binged.it/196R13K


Weren't Red Bank sidings a similar distance from Manchester but on the other route that rejoined at Newton Heath? Since that line was in the valley I presume Newtown would be steeper than Red Bank.

Yes - Red Bank sidings were on the Cheetham Hill loop.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I presume from Paul's description that this is the site:

http://binged.it/196R13K

That indeed is the area that I was referring to.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I have worked into these sidings, and they were called Manchester Red Bank
sidings.
We had a job in the 1980's from Wakefield
Kirkgate to take the Red Bank paper empties back to Manchester.
We signed on at 13:30 hrs at Kirkgate and went via the L and Y.
The tram sheds are above these sidings.

I am always pleased to receive a posting reply from you, as you always give a good report of places to where you have driven. Unfortunately, it was the Newtown, not the Red Bank, carriage sidings to which I enquired.

However, I remember platform 11 on Manchester Victoria very late at night with newspaper van trains of great length ready to depart. Red Bank carriage sidings were quite extensive in their layout and the newspaper vans were stored there until required for use.