1406

stlefield North Viaduct, at 11.00 on Sat 30 Jul 2022. (Ian Mortimer.)





























BELOW: The same, north side, of Castlefield Viaduct after closure (from

m 5 May 1969) before the track was lifted. (Dave Leeming in 1969.)

BELOW: At the other end of Castlefield Viaduct was the approach to Manche

ester Central station - seen here in 1974 after track lifting. (Dave Leeming.)





PREVIOUS: (Item 1921) The East Lancashire Railway bridge, with a foot and
BELOW: Somehow we get the vague idea that they, possibly, might not be terr

d cycle path, over the River Ribble at Preston. (All three by Mike Martin.)
ribly keen on the idea of people walking on the old tram bridge… (…and NEXT)





1921] Preston (2): Encouraged by BLNs 1332.1763, 1333.X.91 & 1381.1938, a member investigated
the old railway and tram bridges. He started from the former East Lancs platforms at Preston and
walked through the car park, where the railway had been, to a gap in the high fence. This accessed a
path on the trackbed and over the river bridge visible from trains approaching Preston from the south.
It is a well maintained, surfaced walking and cycle route to Lostock Hall. He travelled this way once by
train on 27 Jul 1968 during a final visit to Lostock Hall and Rose Grove sheds. One of the somewhat
unreliable Cravens Class 113 DMUs, managing the trip from Preston to Rose Grove without incident.

After walking across the bridge, he continued to Whitehouse Jn where there was a triangle of lines
connecting to the Preston to Southport line. Once clearly visible from trains on the main line from the
south, the view is now almost obliterated by trees. The paths round the triangle and the continuation
towards Preston are of the same quality as the main path. Our member just walked the triangle, then
retraced his steps almost back to the bridge where there is a path down to and alongside the river to
the Old Tram Road Bridge. This rather flimsy looking structure (compared to the railway bridge) is no
longer accessible to walk across as it is deemed unsafe and is securely fenced off. It is still worth a visit
and there is a very good information board just before the bridge explaining its history. Returning to
the railway bridge, and walking across it to the other side of the river then through Avenham Park,
accessed the far end of the former tram bridge. Likewise, it was securely fenced off to prevent access.
As well as the railway and bridge interest this is a most pleasant area to walk in - exploration is highly
recommended. There is a good café in Avenham Park just below the Preston end of the rail bridge.

1922] Dore: (BLN 1404.1656) (TRACKmaps 2 p27E 2020) From Mon 18 Jul, as part of the redoubling
project, the Down Main points at 154m 48ch at Dore Station Jn were commissioned and DE4030 a/b
points renewed. A train from Sheffield on the Up Main for the Hope Valley Line to the bidirectional Up
& Down Manchester (through Dore station) will travel along the Down Main (in the Up direction for
about an additional 100m). Your Editor thinks this means that trains cross Up Main to Down Main at
154m 62ch as before but then diverge to the Hope Valley Line at 154m 48ch rather than 154m 54ch.

On the Down Main at Dore Station Jn DE4036 points were installed at 154m 66ch and then, on 1 Aug,
DE4033 points at 154m 34ch. Both are secured in the 'normal' position for later commissioning.
Detection will be to the signaller at York ROC (DE4036) and Totley Tunnel East Signal Box (DE4033).

1923] Clitheroe - Hellifield: (BLN 1400.1131 & 1373) Sadly Northern appear to be discouraging use of
this SuO service and inflating the cost of operation, giving the impression of trying to kill it off.

Reliability is abysmal - more trains are cancelled than operated, Northern's website charges higher
fares than the BLN 1400 Dalesrail fares, the only publicity for which appears to be Community Rail
Lancashire's Dalesrail webpage and their leaflets. As a former regular user of Dalesrail a member was
aware of the fares anomalies so planning a trip from Whalley to Carlisle he wasn't surprised that,
instead of £27 for Duo tickets, Northern's website quoted £55.40. However Whalley is in the penalty
fares zone and has a ticket machine, so our member spent two or three minutes extracting 'Promise to
Pay' tickets from it and was surprised that it quoted £112.40 for a fare via Preston, travel via Hellifield
not being available. The train turned up and the guard was quite happy to sell 'Duo' tickets at £27 for
the first one, £0 for the second and accept cashless payment without asking for the permit to travel.

The crew operations now defy belief, first a Carlisle guard travels by taxi to Preston (when the train is
cancelled at short notice they return to Carlisle without setting foot on board any Northern train).
A Blackpool driver and guard take the train from Blackpool to Hellifield, the Carlisle guard travelling
passenger from Preston to Hellifield where they finally take over. A Skipton driver travels by taxi to
Hellifield to take over. The Blackpool crew return by taxi. This is repeated in reverse for the return
service except that the Carlisle guard returns by train from Preston to Carlisle. The most common
reason for cancellation is no driver available from Blackpool - clearly the diagram is not robust.

Until 2019 one Northern guard worked right through and until the end of 2006 or 2007, a Virgin driver
drove, also allowing Virgin to retain traction and route knowledge; however Serco Ned decided to use
two of its own drivers instead (but with service trains instead of taxis between Skipton and Hellifield).

1924] Blackpool Trams: (BLN 1404.1738) A member and his wife went on Blackpool Heritage Trams
16 Jul Full System Tour arriving at Hopton Road Depot gates at 11.00 for the 11.30 departure.

Balloon 700 was their tram for the day and at about 11.15 the gates were opened to pull out. Strategic
positioning allowed them to bag an upstairs front seat and, two thirds full, at 11.30 they departed, not
to the promenade, but back as far as possible along Blundell Road! The tour then moved forwards out
to the promenade and, via a series of reversals and loops, traversed almost the entire system.
An excellent itinerary was supplied and followed completely. A map was issued which our member
immediately recognised and was pleased to note that it was credited as copyright Branch Line Society!

Apart from OOU track, the only lines NOT covered were: The two crossovers between Harrow Place
and Starr Gate. Starr Gate departure line from where it joins the Wash Plant Loop to the Depot
Departure Line (available on service trams apart from the section from the points to the platform).
Starr Gate shed lines other than Road 6. Rigby Road Depot. Pleasure Beach inner turning loop
(available on standard heritage tram tours). The new branch to North Station!! Thornton Gate
northbound main line (available on service trams). So it was almost the whole system as advertised.
With photo stops and a 15 min PNB at Fleetwood, Hopton Road was reached at 15.00. The tour was a
great success. (Our Society tours have covered most of the lines above and also include rare traction.)

1406 SOUTH EAST - NORTH & EAST ANGLIA (Julian James) [email protected]
1925] St Albans City: (BLN 1368.90) On 14 May your BLN Editor joined a tour here and noticed some
seemingly random odd white painted wooden boxed off areas dotted around the platforms. The staff
kindly advised that they were to safely cover over the foundations for the second footbridge (without
lifts) when work stopped in Sep 2021. It restarted on 4 Jul for completion in the first quarter of 2023.
New toilets, ticket gates and staff facilities have already been provided in the £6.8M station upgrade.

1926] Ipswich: (BLN 1363.3339 - new track plan) On 4 Jul Freightliner fully opened their new Vehicle
Maintenance Facility (VMF) on the site of disused sidings in Ipswich Upper/Top Yard (Up side Norwich
end of the station). Loco inspection and maintenance transferred from the facilities by the station on
the Down side. This followed commissioning of the signalling to access the new depot on 15 May.

The new depot (see plan) has buildings for loco inspection, wagon maintenance and a wheel lathe,
along with a refuelling point with a canopy. Eight new sidings provide storage for wagons; two new
locomotive holding sidings (not yet in use) have been built at the eastern end of the yard. The single
track line towards the former Ipswich Lower Yard to the site of Ranelagh Level Crossing (once part of
the Cliff Quay branch) has been converted into a road for the deliveries of materials and diesel fuel.

The new wagon maintenance facilities began operations on 1 Jun with the 14.00-22.00 afternoon shift.
The depot has two Class 08 shunters allocated, both in the distinctive Genesee & Wyoming orange and
black livery. (It is FHH's parent company, of course). 08785 is used to shunt wagons into the Wagon
Repair Shed while 08891 delivers wagons to the VMF from the Reception Sidings. Freightliner 66593
was probably the last loco to be inspected at the old stabling and servicing facilities, on 2 Jul. With
three loaded TDA bogie oil tank wagons remaining, the fuelling point continued in use as, sadly, the
new fuel point in the VMF can only receive supplies by road, not rail. With no space at the VMF for
new offices, Freightliner driver's depot and signing on point next to Ipswich station remain in use.

The final rail delivery of loco fuel to the old facilities was on 29 Jun; 66951 arriving with two TDA tank
wagons as 6Z49 Lindsey Oil Refinery to Ipswich. The last working to date of discharged tanks, 6E50
09.14 Ipswich SS to Lindsey Oil Refinery, was the following Tue 5 Jul; 66515 and one TDA tank wagon.

1927] Peterborough slip up: (TRACKmaps 2 p16A 2020) The electrified facing crossover from the
South Down Arrival to the North Up Arrival (both unidirectional lines) on the Peterborough side of
Eastfield signal box was the subject of an Oct 2013 Network Change. The part of this crossover on the
South Up Departure was also a single slip to access the West Yard Reception. The route to West Yard
Reception was removed but the slip remains (but not on TRACKmaps) secured. It is now proposed to
complete removal of the crossover from the South Down Arrival in 2023 during other track works.
Of notes the through goods lines in this area controlled by Eastfield signal box are worked 'no block'.

BELOW: (Item 1926) The new FHH Ipswich Vehicle Maintenance Facilit

ty with 08891 (L) and 08875 behind (R). (Iain Scotchman, 5 Jul 2022.)

BELOW: 66515 with a single TDA tank wagon, the last from Lindsey Refinery in

n the former FHH loco servicing/stabling point. (Iain Scotchman, 5 Jul 2022.)

ABOVE: (Item 1926) An evocative picture, a misty Dec morning at Ipswich Upper Yard for one of the
Society's brake van special tour to Cliff Quay (line branches of far left) and Griffin Wharf; there was a
second trip in the afternoon. Looking southeast towards Ipswich station. (Ian Mortimer, 2 Dec 1989.)

BELOW: Shunting at Ipswich Lower Yard. The river Orwell is right. The Cliff Quay branch continued
further to a container terminal and once to Cliff Quay Power Station. (Ian Mortimer, Wed 4 Sep 1974.)

THIS PAGE: The afternoon Cliff Quay trip - 77 members travelled on these two 'Orwell Docker III' trips
that day (there were four 'Orwell Dockers'). Rail traffic ceased in Jan 1992. (Ian Mortimer, 2 Dec 1989.)

NEXT PAGE TOP: The container terminal (Ian Mortimer). LOWER: Running round (Angus McDougall).



1928] One Foot in the Grave Four Foot: On Mon 1 Aug at 11.32 the driver of the 10.56 Norwich to
Liverpool EMR service reported striking what turned out to be a 2½ foot long 35kg Giant African
Tortoise at Harling Road Level Crossing. There was 'turtle chaos' - trains were delayed up to 83 min;
but normal running/plodding resumed at 13.25 after the runaway reptilian reprobate was repatriated.
NR presumably had to shell out for Delay Repay. Perhaps, having heard that the Brown Hare is Greater
Anglia's symbol, the tortoise, who had escaped from a nearby aquatic centre, planned to have an
'online' race with one? Despite being hit by a train there was only minor damage to his shell - a hole
was repaired by plastic surgery. A passenger on a Down train reported the trespassing tortoise to
office staff on arrival at Norwich. Did they respond: 'I Don't Believe It‽'. PS: The hare ran off to March.

1929] Norwich: (BLN 1401.1274) DBC 66095 reached Riverside Freight Depot (Norwich Goods Yard)
at 08.41 on Thur 21 Jul with the first train carrying 1,400 tonnes of aggregate from Peak Forest. It was
unloaded onto the open area of the pad rather than the newly constructed bins as they are probably
too far from the sidings for convenient/rapid offloading. The wagons then left at 15.48 on their return
to Toton North Yard, reached at 22.35. There is a regular ThO path throughout the current timetable.

1930] Bedford - Flitwick: (BLN 1373.853) Plans have been unveiled for the housing development off
the A6, south of Bedford, to have a station almost 20 years after the estate was originally conceived.
Bedford Borough Council is to put £26M towards the £39M cost of a Wixams station. The authority
said its plans were 'at a formative stage' and no formal process had begun. A planning application will
be submitted after public engagement and another formal consultation will take place if the plans
proceed. Current proposals are for a station between Bedford and Flitwick, served by up to four
Thameslink trains an hour each way. Outline planning approval was granted in 2003 and amended in
2012 to include provision for a Station Quarter. A separate planning application was approved for a
station in 2012 but not implemented. The remaining £13M from developer Gallagher was insufficient
to build it and NR was unable to provide the shortfall, so planning permission lapsed. The Council is
now project sponsor (a brave move) and investing to help ensure the station, with a car park for up to
350 vehicles, can be delivered. Plans for the main building include toilets, a waiting room and coffee
shop. They should perhaps contact Worcestershire County Council who sponsored Worcestershire
Parkway and/or Warwickshire County Council who sponsored the Kenilworth station reopening.

1931] Saxmundham - Leiston: (BLN 1397.771) (TRACKmaps 2 p9A) Approval on 22 Jul of Sizewell 'C'
construction has permitted release of details of the upgrade works needed to support four freight
trains a day to Leiston for between nine and 12 years. NR considers the following to be necessary:

Saxmundham Jn will be relaid to a slightly revised alignment retaining existing functionality and layout
but with full signalling. It includes three routes from the junction protecting signal on the Down East
Suffolk and two on the bidirectional Up East Suffolk (Down moves). It doesn't follow that 'passenger'
moves will be permitted to the branch without special arrangements. There will be trap points on the
branch for trains leaving it. The branch signal for leaving the branch will also have two routes, to the
Up East Suffolk and to the Down East Suffolk. Below * denotes mileage unstated; LC = level crossing.

Between Saxmundham Road No8 LC (94m 02ch) and Buckle's Wood Footpath crossing (94m 33ch) a
new Leiston West Jn* will be installed; the protecting Down signal displaying red or green with two
routes probably on a theatre style indicator. The normal lie of the points will be towards Leiston
station with a mileage change to zero on a new branch. This branch will have a new Buckleswood Road
LC at 0m 8ch and then immediately east of a new B1122 Abbey Road LC (0m 70ch) have a gated
fenced 'train security area' about 525m long. Beyond this and three points* the tracks will diverge to
four, named Siding 1 to Siding 4 from the north. Siding 1 will have a Cripple Siding back to the west.

These sidings are a 'temporary construction area'; MP 2 is in this area. Beyond it the sidings converge
at four points* to two tracks, Siding 1 having a further Cripple Siding to the east. Further east again,
just beyond MP 2¼ will be a trailing crossover and then two stop boards for moves from further east.
Beyond this the tracks will be named Sidings 5 and 6, 5 being the more northerly. At a further set of
points these converge to a headshunt and buffer stops*. (The Premonstratensian Abbey - nothing to
do with PMT - is adjacent the B1122 just over 1km north of Leiston village.) - - - continues after EWR…

X.157] East West Rail (EWR): Progress as at Wed 20 Jul 2022, all photo
network and the start of 'EWR Worksite A' at 18m 40ch; a mile east of Bi

os by Iain Scotchman. The temporary fence is the end of the national
icester Village station. Looking west towards that station and Oxford.

BELOW: Bicester Road (a 'C' road) overbridge at Launton on the
Work on the old bridge has included raising the parapets and a

eastern outskirts of Bicester, looking east towards Bletchley.
adding pointed capping stones as seen on electrified lines(!).

BELOW: The former Launton station (17m 14ch) (which
The repurposed gate house is seen from the new replacement

h CP with the line from 1 Jan 1968) level crossing site,
road overbridge looking west towards Bicester and Oxford.

BELOW: The only new intermediate station at Winslow, looking west towar

rds Oxford. At least no one is in danger of falling off the platform edges.

BELOW: Looking east towards Bletchley - the concrete structures are for li

ifts and the platforms are obviously longer than they appear to be here.

BELOW: Abutments for the new EWR bridge over HS2 (which runs right to left)

) north of Calvert (to the right, as is London) looking east towards Bletchley.

BELOW: The new high level platforms at Bletchley; P8 (this side) and P

P7 (other side) - it is not a new station but part of the existing one.

1931] Continued: The existing Sizewell branch continues from the new Leiston West Jn through the
old Leiston station. A red green running signal just east of Milepost 94½ protects the junction for
moves from Sizewell. A new alignment diverges north with the existing Sizewell branch then shown as
disconnected but continuing 'out of use'. Further east, the new alignment diverges at an interlaced set
of points to three tracks named Loop A, Loop B and Loop C, the former being the northernmost.
The sidings are termed an 'auxiliary construction area'. Loop A will have a Cripple Siding to the east.
The loops converge at a further interlaced set of points to a headshunt and buffer stops*.

Between Westerfield and Saxmundham extra flighting signals are to be installed reducing headways
and permit the freight trains to run but no track alterations are required. No redoubling of the single
Woodbridge (79m 28ch) to Saxmundham (90m 74ch) line or new loop is planned. Station to station
public passenger journey time for the 12m 11ch is 21-22 mins with two stops, hourly in each direction.

1932] Peterborough - Whittlesea: (BLN 1358.2319) The new railway overbridge replacing Kings Dyke
Level Crossing (96m 73ch) was officially opened at 09.30 on 11 Jul. It is named the 'Ralph Butcher
Causeway' after the councillor who campaigned for 50 years to ease traffic [a good cause … way].
Mr Butcher was on the Urban District Council and protested this issue from the 1970s until retirement
in 2017. The new bypass cost £29.98M and seems to have beaten a Dec 2022 planned opening date.
At a 13 Jul meeting, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Transport & Infrastructure
Committee unanimously agreed to release funds of £2.1M for the permanent closure of the level
crossing, with the caveat that the cost is investigated for reporting back to them at their next meeting
in Sep. As is fairly well known, the station name is Whittlesea and the town (usually) is Whittlesey.

1406 SOUTH EAST - SOUTH (Julian James) [email protected]
1933] Lymington at 20: Due to the heat on Sat 16 Jul, during the middle of the day, there was a
blanket [despite the very hot weather] 20mph restriction on this 5m 29ch branch (and no doubt on
other days too). Normal running time is 11 min, so a half-hourly branch shuttle can just be maintained
with a tight turnaround each end. During 20mph running alternate departures were cancelled each
end, the remaining services left at what were normal booked times but took an hour for a round trip.

The conductor explained this very clearly to passengers, including what time trains were booked to
leave each end, and also that the 20mph running was due to the rails not being stressed. The mainline
was operating normally at this time. It is wondered if any of the passengers were stressed by the heat.
A 4-car Class 450 EMU with effective air conditioning was provided on the branch (Lymington Pier can
take 8-car trains and Town 4-cars) and there were plenty of passengers. The private Ampress Works
Halt (OP 1 Oct 1956; CP 6 Oct 1989 the day the factory closed) with its wooden platform is still easy to
see on the Down side at 96m 61ch (especially at 20mph - a good way to study this delightful branch).
Lymington Town recorded 252,000 passengers in 2019-20 and the Pier station 115,000.

1934] Brockenhurst: P1 on the Up Passenger Loop is served SuX by an hourly Winchester to (mostly)
Bournemouth Down local service which thus does Brockenhurst London end facing crossover and its
country end trailing one. It is not the fastest of services waiting 18 min at Southampton Central P3
(to connect to/from a Waterloo to Weymouth fast train), then spends 25 minutes in Brockenhurst P1
connecting with the next one which overtakes it; a good chance for gricers to catch up on reading BLN.
At Brockenhurst 'normals' are advised by the conductor to cross to P3 for a faster journey to most
stations. It has the added advantage of turning back in Bournemouth Up Bay P1 which only takes
4-cars and has been without service periodically. The Up service does not unduly wait anywhere!

1935] Oxted: (BLN 1368.104) Two years of round the clock repairs and strengthening work on Oxted
Viaduct (20m 40ch to 46ch - just south of the station) have recently been completed. Built in 1881 it
carries the East Grinstead/Uckfield lines over the A25 and River Eden. The £10.5M project included
replacing 12 roller bearings, which support the viaduct's weight and allow it to expand and contract
with temperature changes. This involved lifting the supporting columns (175 tonnes each) then sliding
the bearings into place. Repairs have been made to the brickwork on the supporting columns and
arches. Steelwork has been cleaned back to bare metal, treated and then repainted using 12,000 litres
of protective paint. The timber bridge deck was also replaced with new easier to maintain materials.