Operating on a closed line

[Ashley Hill]

Box wise,only Barnstaple Town remains. Everything else was pretty much scrapped unless souvenir hunters acquired anything. Considering it was double track as was Exeter-Copplestone and Umberleigh-Barnstaple I've never seen any surviving block equipment from the boxes (Preece or SR?) even though a high number of tokens survive off the single line sections. A bit off subject but several totems survived from those stations that had them.

[John Hinson]

I'n not sure the singling of any line is pertinent to a discussion about operating over a line that has formally been closed. Let's stick to the subject, please.

John

[Chris L]

There are some pictures here, unfortunately undated, of an 8F on the North Lancs. Loop pulling what is described as "a works train removing the track";-

http://www.steamingnorth.com/thumbnails ... =12&page=2

Would this be what you remember seeing. Andy? If so, the working was almost certainly undertaken within an engineers' possession, in which normal signalling regulations do not apply.

Chris.

[andyhunt873]

Chris,

Yes, these photos are very close to the bone!

I have spoken to John who owns the site, he tells me his father Geoffrey took the pictures.

There are two photos of Stanier 8F 48218 pulling a works train, the first is just past the Grandfather's house, the second one I can actually see my Grandfather's house along with the wall I sat on.

At the risk of being told off again by John about keeping the topic to "operating a closed line", I have a problem with the dating of these photos - according to the brdatabase website, 48218 was withdrawn 30/9/1967, and scrapped during Feb 1968 - the photo caption is "Probably the last engine to run on the line".

If it was the last engine to use the line, I would only have been 14 to 15 months old at the most - and I think that's pushing it date wise.

Also, if they were pulling up the remaining line, why would they use such small wagons? surely a single track length was longer than the wagons used, and I don't think they would have cut them up into little pieces.

Regard to operating a closed line:
I read today via a website regarding the Llangollen line and it's closure, it was required that a closed line should remain in place for 3 years - just in case it needed to be re-opened.

Sorry John if you consider this "off track" (no pun intended!) but I have no one else to ask regarding these questions.

And I am new to this.

Thanks,
Andy.

[John Hinson]

Andy, no problem at all . . . and if you or others need to talk about singling a double line or other signalling matters simply open a new thread for that.

John

[Richard Pike]

I have the last train register for Towcester box. All of the entries suggest the trains are all for track recoveries. There are comments such as 'materials' and 'empty flats'.. I can post a few pictures if there is interest. I assume the workings go to Blisworth but other evidence suggests recovered materials went to Woodford.

[Chris Rideout]

I seem to recollect that on the Southern Region the notice relating to the permanent closure of lines to traffic contained a standard clause to the effect that, after the passage of the clearance train, no further traffic movement could be made without the personal authority of the Chief Civil Engineer.

There was usually the "morning after" ritual of clipping the points and effectively isolating the closed line from the lines which were still in use. On the Isle of Wight, permission was granted by the CCE to run at least 2 trains between Newport and Sandown in the spring of 1956. The line had closed in February. These trains collected platelayers huts and buffer stops amongst other items. Later that year, some of the numerous level crossing gates were removed. The line was soon put totally out of use because the steel girders of Coppins Bridge viaduct at Newport attracted the attention of the CCE presumably for scrap value.

The line between Smallbrook Junction and Cowes was kept open as far as Medina Wharf after passenger services were withdrawn in 1966. The line was worked as a siding for nearly a year while conductor rails were taken from Medina Wharf to Ryde. The down main facing points to Medina Wharf were padlocked in the reverse position. Mill Hill and Cowes stations were to the north of Wharf points and therefore saw no more traffic at all.