Redundant routes?

[melon68]

The only part of the Leamside alignment that has track still on is a a few dozen yards of double track at Pelaw which can be seen below the Tyne & Wear Metro bridge east of the station. The track is disconnected from the Network Rail Heworth to Sunderland line in one direction and I believe peters out round the bend from the erstwhile junction. At all the other locations where roads cross the old alignment, I have not seen any track - indeed in several places (including at Washington near the Nissan Works) the road has been resurfaced and no trace of a crossing is left.

The other end of the Leamside alignment is at Ferryhill - there is no trace of the junction to the mainline between Durham and Darlington.

Of course the Victoria Bridge (viaduct) remains in all its splendour awaiting a dimutive Metro train from South Hylton to the outskirts of Washington to rumble over...

Edit. Both Google and Bing Maps show that track remains on the Leamside line for a significant distance from Pelaw Junction to an industrial estate in NE Washington - but looks as if it has not been used for many years judging by the undergrowth.

I think there was a single track down to a freight terminal about a mile from the junction which survived a bit longer than the rest of the route, it was called Follingsby, there might be a post on this forum about it.

 

[vidal]

The East end of the former Healey Mills yard was like that for years....despite most of the track having been lifted and what remained having twenty feet high birch trees growing between the sleepers.

Why is it always Birch trees?

James

 

[D6130]

Why is it always Birch trees?

James

Probably because they grow incredibly quickly in very poor soil - including railway ballast - and are very strong and sturdy.

 

[brad465]

The Fawkham junction to HS1 connection must be up among the most prominent that's now redundant. It hasn't been used properly since 2007, then it had periodic ECS Class 395 movements between Swanley and Ashford for a few years, then the most recent use was actually to store a Class 373 awaiting scrap back in 2016.

 

[vic-rijrode]

I think there was a single track down to a freight terminal about a mile from the junction which survived a bit longer than the rest of the route, it was called Follingsby, there might be a post on this forum about it.

Yes, I think that's the bit I was referring to - it still shows on Google and Bing going down to Follingsby Lane.

Whatever is left of the Leamside "line" would hardly constitute a straightforward restoration - total rebuild of formation, track, bridges and junctions would be required; and if the Metro was ever to be extended from South Hylton to Washington, then another level crossing and new east to north spur on to the Leamside alignment would be necessary.

Not cheap.

 

[rower40]

At some locations around the country (Masborough Junction is a prime example), there is a fully signalled loop. However, this has been disconnected at both ends, and is heavily overgrown. Is there any reason for such loops/tracks to remain in situ? Or is it a case of not being worth the time and effort to remove the track and alter the signalling?

In many instances (Romford Down Main springs to mind) the loop is removed, the points are replaced by plain track, the signal is bagged, and all the Network Change procedures are carried out - but then the signal, points and tracks are still left in the interlocking, with the point detection false-fed. This saves the cost of updating the SSI/Smartlock/Westlock logic for no great benefit.

There was a project a few years ago whose aim to remove redundant ground frames and the like across the inner bits of the Great Eastern and West Anglia lines, but it never got implemented.

But leaving "old stuff" in can be taken too far. Motts Lane Level Crossing at Witham has been closed, and a bridge opened there, for at least 10 years now. There are still 23 separate treadles, all requiring maintenance, wired in to the signalling logic. If they don't operate correctly beneath each train, signals remain at red and trains get delayed. Never mind the fact that the crossing that they operate has been closed for a decade.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think there was a single track down to a freight terminal about a mile from the junction which survived a bit longer than the rest of the route, it was called Follingsby, there might be a post on this forum about it.

Yes, and Google’s satellite view is only one year old, and still suggests at that time there was just over a mile of double track from the partly disconnected junction towards Follingsby, then a bit more track remaining within the footprint of the former container terminal.

The track diagram in the LNE sectional appendix LN672 still shows that initial mile or so of double track, they define the south end as ‘Wardley’ and it’s all noted as “out of use”.

 

[Meerkat]

It’s

In many instances (Romford Down Main springs to mind) the loop is removed, the points are replaced by plain track, the signal is bagged, and all the Network Change procedures are carried out - but then the signal, points and tracks are still left in the interlocking, with the point detection false-fed.

if a point detection can be false-fed why can’t a signal be replaced by a plug in ‘fake‘ in the cabinet that shows it as lit and red?

 

[GardenRail]

At some locations around the country (Masborough Junction is a prime example), there is a fully signalled loop. However, this has been disconnected at both ends, and is heavily overgrown. Is there any reason for such loops/tracks to remain in situ? Or is it a case of not being worth the time and effort to remove the track and alter the signalling?

Masborough Loop is left in place, specifically the Signals, as it still forms part of the interlocking. Removing it would be a lot more complicated than just removing equipment on the ground.

I was actually the Signaller that granted the T3 possession for it back in 2006, when it was signalled by Sheffield PSB, though it was not been used at that time either. The T3 never got given back to us. Now it's just fallen into disrepair. Shame, it would be a handy little bolt hole for late freight that comes through Sheffield. Sheffield really does need every bit of track it can.