What Happens To The Infrastructure When A Line Is Closed

[sheff'd victoria]

Take The Woodhead Line when it closed

Rails , Signals , Equipment.

Are they re-used on the network or just sold for scrap ?

 

[Old Timer]

Depends on lots of things to be honest, and the nature of signalling equipment.

Primarily a lot depends upon how much money there is in the Project pot.

Take a mechanical line. The signal arms will always be recovered, the lamp cases, and balance weights/arms as well to go as strategic spares.

The signal post and ladder would be cut down at ground level.

Signalboxes would have their operational equipment recovered, and depending upon the age and nature of the box it will either be recovered for re-use,or prerservation, or it will be demolished because of the risk of misuse.

On a colour light line the signal heads and ladders would come down, as would the post if it is bolted. It not bolted it may be left in situ or cut at ground level.

Location cases are gutted but not always recovered as the costs against that are too high.

Track is almost always recovered now and used for sidings or low class line or disassembled and the various items placed into the stategic stock or sold on for scrap.

Recovering old cable routes used to be too expensive against any scrap value so there was a sort of unwritten code that the pikies would wait a reasonable time and then do the recovery.

OHL equipment is always recovered for re-use, and the wire has to be recovered as it is classified as hazardous waste and has to be disposed of appropriately.

That perhaps gives you a more broader idea. Of course with the current economic climate, a more considered view will be taken on the value of all scrap materials against the cost of their recovery.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Just to add to Old Timer's comprehensive explanation: not every closed line gets treated with such efficiency.
The closed Stratford to North Woolwich line still has the following remnants between Silvertown and North Woolwich: track, lattice GER footbridge, wooden GER junction signal posts and ladder.

 

[ole man]

Depends on lots of things to be honest, and the nature of signalling equipment.

Primarily a lot depends upon how much money there is in the Project pot.

Take a mechanical line. The signal arms will always be recovered, the lamp cases, and balance weights/arms as well to go as strategic spares.

The signal post and ladder would be cut down at ground level.

Signalboxes would have their operational equipment recovered, and depending upon the age and nature of the box it will either be recovered for re-use,or prerservation, or it will be demolished because of the risk of misuse.

On a colour light line the signal heads and ladders would come down, as would the post if it is bolted. It not bolted it may be left in situ or cut at ground level.

Location cases are gutted but not always recovered as the costs against that are too high.

Track is almost always recovered now and used for sidings or low class line or disassembled and the various items placed into the stategic stock or sold on for scrap.

Recovering old cable routes used to be too expensive against any scrap value so there was a sort of unwritten code that the pikies would wait a reasonable time and then do the recovery.

OHL equipment is always recovered for re-use, and the wire has to be recovered as it is classified as hazardous waste and has to be disposed of appropriately.

That perhaps gives you a more broader idea. Of course with the current economic climate, a more considered view will be taken on the value of all scrap materials against the cost of their recovery.

Hope this helps.

I know that the track from the woodhead route was used at birmingham on the snow hill lines

 

[lyndhurst25]

I know that the track from the woodhead route was used at birmingham on the snow hill lines

and the Holmes Chord in Rotherham (so I was told).

 

[Hydro]

Recovered track for re-use nowadays usually ends up at a material recycling centre. Whitemoor, Eastleigh and Westbury are examples of these, though I think Eastleigh has (or will be) closed, and operations moved to Westbury.

Generally all suitable track material is stored for use in sidings or lower grade lines. If not, it is sold on for scrap. Worn rail is scrapped and goes to the great steel god in the sky to be reincarnated as something else. Broken/unsuitable concrete sleepers are crushed into aggregate and sold. Ballast can be cleaned and reused, or again, sold on for aggregate after crushing and cleaning. Components are sorted and either stored or scrapped. The components pile at Eastleigh Track Material Agency was always a frequent haunt for us finding serviceable baseplates or chairs. A 59 once fell off in the yard, and broke up a couple of chain of track. It was relaid using kit all scrounged from the store/scrap piles.

It certainly used to be the case that even sideworn (to a certain limit) rail in jointed track was reused, by transposing (if the line was under 80mph) which is merely installing the rail on the opposite side to which it was removed. The gauge face with the sidewear now faced outwards, and what was previously the unworn field face was now the gauge face. I'm not sure transposition is allowed any more though.

 

[The Crab]

OHL equipment is always recovered for re-use, and the wire has to be recovered as it is classified as hazardous waste and has to be disposed of appropriately.

Why is the wire classified as hazardous?

 

[9K43]

I have lifted track around the Barnsley area when the MSW was shut.
All this railway around the route from Wath Yard upto Penistone was lifted.
This is also for the Midland Railway from Goose Hill JCt ( Norminton) right the way through to Wath Road Junction at Mexboro.( All quadruple track)
The condition of the rails we lifted were A1, and were taken away to be reused on other projects in West Yorkshire.
Such locations as Penistone to Shepley / Huddersfield recieved CWR track direct from locations around Barnsley Junction at Penistone.
This stuff was then laid as required.
The long welded rails were taken into store and concrete sleepers were left in position, to be removed as required.
According to what I was told CWR cost in those days £1m per track mile.

Have a look at the track from Wath Yard and make your own mind up at what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX09oyf8jFY