A very interesting disused stations site (UK)

[Ameecher]

The new library has been there about 5/6 years now, ever since the old burnt down!

[Kevo00]

You should try contacting the record office before you go there - they should be able to tell you roughly what they have!

I remember reading a great book about the Great Central a few years ago, where the photographer found archive pics of when the line was still running and then took his own pictures in the 1980s to see what development had happened since and what survived. He did this all along from Sheffield to Marlyebourne. One good was was Nottingham Victoria where the 1980s picture was inside a multi-storey car park.

Need to try and find a copy of that again.

[Gord]

Yeah, lots to be found about the Great Central line. Walking through the woods in Woodford Halse, theres loads of bits and pieces lying around in there that the Great Central left behind. I think the girder bridge in Rugby still exists as well. Had it still been around, whcih rail company would be running the Marylebone to Manchester Picadilly service? Maybe the line would have had its own company. Maybe Midland Mainline/East Midlands would have it to cut out any competiton!

Other lines i am trying to find out about include the Leamside line in Tyne and Wear where the viaduct over the river Wear still stands. Also the Waveney Valley line from Beccles to Tivetshall...and the lost branches of the East Suffolk line including the mainline north of Beccles through Toft Monks to Yarmouth Southtown, (i'm sure ONE could have made something of those lines today...Lowestoft/Great Yamouth to Norwich via Beccles and Bungay?!). I've found lots on the Aldeburgh/Sizewell branches...a tiny bit on the Framlingham branch...am i right in thinking there was another branch to Snape in Suffolk as well? It diverged from the East Suffolk mainline (feels strange calling it a mainline nowadays!) somewhere near Campsea Ash (Wickham Market).

Also the various lines through Telford are interesting too. Had they still existed, maybe there could have been a Telford Metro servive, or an extension of Centro? Its fun spectulating...might be fun to try these ideas on OTTD, create a 'what if?' scenario!

Something thats interesting to do is to go onto google earth or windows live and follow the paths of these disused railway lines...its not too difficult to do either. Even through flat fields you can make out where the track beds once laid. The tricky bit is where they have built houses or industrial estates over them. I've managed to follow a huge section of the Great Central on Windows Live.

[Ameecher]

Of course a lot of the Sizewell branch is still open and sees regular traffic.
Pictures of a tour on the line
flasks on the branch
ditto
As you can see, a lot of the stations are still in good nick!

As for reopening of lines in suffolk, I think they need to sort out the ones already there before they get carried away, a Passing place at Beccles would allow them to double the frequency of Lowestoft - Ipswich services.

[Kevo00]

There may still be track on some of the Leamside Line, although now in a very poor condition. But certainly all the bridges and other engineering features like embankments are still in place, and the route is still owned by Network Rail. I doubt we will ever see it return to action however.

In addition another viaduct over the River Wear on a now lifted section that used to link the Leamside to Durham station on the ECML (I think, to allow Durham - Sunderland services) survives, while in Durham itself the city's first station and later goods station remains in use as a Travelodge! Quite a lot of old trackbeds survive in the Durham area because the County Council had an early policy of converting some of them to Bridleways - Durham - Consett, Consett - Stanhope, Consett - Whickham, Durham - Bishop Auckland, Durham - Crook (via incline!) and Barnard Castle - Middleton in Teesdale all survive with some features intact and some removed in this format.

[stupidestfool]

I work at Leeds station - wherabouts do you mean?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_WITH!!!!! ... ay_station - as I say, had never even heard of this before!

You can just about make out the location from these google maps screenies, but it's basically to your left at the base of the triangle junction as you depart Leeds headed for Wakefield Westgate:

Google Maps

[Badger]

Ah, I know where you mean now. I did wonder what that was.

[Gord]

Dragging up this thread again because my research continues. I always like to investigate disused railways in the local areas i have lived...so i've exhausted most of Norfolk and Suffolk's lost railways, lived in Sunderland and theres some fascinating history to be had there. Just moved from near Stafford and found some stuff on the Stafford to Wellington line...and particularly the network around Telford...and some of it still evident when walking the dog there. Also Stafford Common station on the Uttoexeter line still has its platforms

So now i'm in Stourbridge...and it looks like there's plenty to interest me here as well. Found out a little about Brettel Lane and Brierley Hill stations, now they would have been so useful for me now if they had still been there! Also plan on taking the dog along the south staffordshire railway path, (my dog really loves this hobby of mine!)

Anyway, you may of heard of this but my research has led me to another brilliant website if you are interested in the rail history of the West Midlands. here is the link:

http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/misc_page_2.php

and i recommend you have a look at the regional map...you can click on the stations (used and disused are on there) and you'll find a whole load of photographs.

I'm going to have to go back to uni to study a masters in history on this stuff sometime!

Also, going back to my studies of East Anglia, found this superb website:

http://alanmoore353.blokes.org.uk/

Some real gems on there such as Lowestoft North and Yarmouth Southtown, (never seen any evidence if Lowestoft North before i found this website). It also has a nice feature of the East Suffolk line when it was double tracked the whole way and was busier.

[JamieLei]

What really strikes me of many of the old photos is the prevalence of quadruple-track in areas that are now double or even single track, eg: at Acocks Green. Whilst I'm not complaining about 5tph between Birmingham and Solihull, the local line definitely has room for growth, and once the 172s are in*, I'd imagine the stations could support 6tph which would require the relaying of the other 2 lines. Of course that's expensive and there'd just be longer trains instead.

*I might be overestimating but the type of rolling stock really does have a difference. There were outrages when 150/153s were replaced by 142s in Cornwall/Devon, and 442s replaced by 450s in Portsmouth, both prompting national media reports. Although not bad, 172s will be much nicer to travel in than 150s and will inevitably attract more passengers.

[Ameecher]

I have a number of pictures of Norfolk closed lines, mainly those around Mundesley on the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint railway between Cromer & North Walsham and Mundesley. Worth mentioning is that Overstrand and Paston & Knapton stations are both in good order and are now private dwellings. The line from North Walsham to Bacton is now used for a Gas Pipeline which is laid beneath the old track bed and has a footpath on top, a number of the old bridges survive but some have been replaced with new ones carrying the pipeline.

The Cromer to Mundesley line is largely complete from Roughton Road (where the line leaves the remaining Cromer to Norwich line) to Mundesley. Firstly, the only railway tunnel in Norfolk* remains in one piece however the track bed between Roughton Road and the tunnel is covered by gardens but not buildings obstruct the route (that was a stipulation of planning permission being granted). From there the line continues through various cutting and embankments to Overstrand where the island platform accessed by a subway remains and the station buildings are now a private dwelling. From the there the line roughly follows the coast road to Trimingham (where the over bridge and steps to the platform remain but noting else does and the track bed has had turkey sheds built on it. In Mundesley the track bed is largely lost.

*arguably the only tunnel in Norfolk full stop although the Bure Valley Railway had to add a tunnel in recent years due to the construction of the Aylsham By-Pass.

Edit: North Walsham remains remarkably in tact, at least the Great Eastern part of the station. The Midland and Great Northern (M&GN) and the Great Eastern (GER) had their two stations right next to each other, the M&GN to the east and the GER to the West. The GER route which survives runs pretty much due north/south but the M&GN route which comes in from Yarmouth and then passed under the GER to Aylsham is now closed. The southern section is now the main A149 road to Yarmouth and the line to Aylsham is now a park and then a footpath. The station site however remains in railway use, largely. The M&GN station is now the site of the British Pipeline Agency and is where the pipeline from Bacton ends, Gas Condensate is then loaded onto a regular tank train on to Harwich for further processing/export. Between the two sites is the old GER goods yard, of which the massive goods shed still remains as do a number of sidings which are used for the weekly aggregate train. Sadly the old goods shed that was increasingly delapidated was removed in the last couple of years but is now at a preserved railway (don't know which one though! )

Any questions and I might be able to dig out some pictures/diagrams to help with explanations!

[Gord]

I'm going to dig up this old thread again with another fascinating find.

I was browsing on Flickr, and found these shots of Birmingham Snow Hill in the 60's and 70's.

So atmospheric and sad at the same time. This shot in particulilar really grabbed me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loose_grip_99/106209277/

I knew Snow Hill had a history but didn't realise it was as grand as this. How I would love to go back in time and travel around on the railways.

Since I moved to Stourbridge, I'm finding out about the rich railway history around here. I regularly walk the dog up the old track from Wombourne station. Buying abike soon, intend of exploring all the way up to Wolverhampton.

[andysine]

I'm going to dig up this old thread again with another fascinating find.

I was browsing on Flickr, and found these shots of Birmingham Snow Hill in the 60's and 70's.

So atmospheric and sad at the same time. This shot in particulilar really grabbed me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loose_grip_99/106209277/

That was a really nice set of photos - a brilliant find!

[R682818]

Abandoned or not used stations here: http://www.nycsubway.org/abandsta.html and here http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/