train_lover
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I've not seen any posts about it so thought I'd mention it for those interested. But the last train out of Bescot Down Yard will leave in the morning 17/06 6B07
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Bescot Down yard
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From your post I guess it's closing permanently? I did a quick Google search and didn't see anything conclusive - what happened to the plan to build a train maintenance facility there?
The Planner
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Still lingering in the background.
train_lover
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Sorry I should have been clearer in my original post. The last freight train will leave Bescot Down Yard. The yard is to shut whilst the new WMR LMD is constructed. A couple of Sidings will be put back in for freight but it certainly won't be the yard it is today. The end of an era!
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Wow. End of an era definitely. In another thread it said “safety” was the reason. What exactly is unsafe?
I’ve read several times that the WMR depot is no longer happening, and that houses will be built instead.
Perhaps this: https://www.expressandstar.com/news...bing-over-grid-at-walsalls-bescot-rail-depot/
A 2015 incident where a teenager was killed having come into contact with OLE after trespassing and climbing on freight wagons. DB were reminded to review security afterwards but not sure if they received a formal penalty.
And this: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/defaul...n-summary-bescot-yard-db-cargo-2020-01-09.pdf
A 2017 incident where 3 teenagers trespassed through an existing hole in the fence, and two received serious burns from electrocution after climbing up on wagons. DB were fined £1.2m in 2020.
I have a feeling there was also a third incident when a boy was trying to reach a football next to the Down Loop and received an electric shock but can't find any news stories or other reports. I think the Down Loop was deenergised after this incident but might be wrong on that fact.
DB being liable for these sorts of incidents will have focused minds. They're a big company but I'm sure they don't have £1.2m going completely spare.
Rail Quest
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I was thinking it may have something to do with DB's current general financial woes given they've been making redundancies and retiring fleets lately. Perhaps its a case of "we could fix it, or we could sell the land and put the site out of its misery"
The Chimaera
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Wasn’t Bescot yard sold to Network Rail a few years ago along with a lot of DB’s rail property? GBRF now operate the site under contract to NR. After the electrocution incident DB had all of the down yards overhead wires removed to prevent a recurrence. The up & down goods is still wired though.
D.K.TAYLOR
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Track spreading never used sidings condition of Sleepers general buildings condition.
The down yard ir rarely used except the steel train parks there on the return working from Wolves Steel Terminal
train_lover
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It's definitely still happening. WMR we're down on site just the other week when I was at Bescot. The plans that have been approved are substantial, with a number of freight roads going back in. No houses are to be built on the site.
What is the depot for? Is it to replace current WMR depots?
The Planner
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They dont have enough room at Soho, they have to outstable as it is.
Ah! Least it’s keeping railway land for railway use, and maybe creating jobs? Win win
Adrian Barr
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This 2021 drone shot gives a good (zoomable) view of the down yard (I assume everything seen to the right of the main line is affected): https://www.flickr.com/photos/robmcrorie/51364385856/
My memories of the place are mainly from the late 1990s; the view from the station towards the sorting sidings and depot, and the lines of stored 31s beyond. The scale of the yard becomes more apparent from a drone shot.
Looking at the wagons in that photo, the stored WIAs (and even a line of Rover KSA wagons) are prominent.
The china clay to and from Cliffe Vale (visible in the picture) was retimed to avoid the need to recess at Bescot. The 4E94 Southampton - Rotherham (also seen in that picture) sometimes called in the yard to attach or detach wagons for maintenance at the small DB Cargo wagon repair facility near the site of the old depot, which also occasionally had trips from Birch Coppice with wagons going to or from maintenance. As mentioned, the steel train seen in the down storage sidings used to stable at Bescot over the weekend and at other times, but it looks like that will now run either to Toton (for Boston services) or direct through to Immingham.
It's true that the amount of DB traffic calling in was minimal, and had been reducing ever since GBRF took over control of the Network Rail local Distribution Centre in the Up Yard. The wagon trips to and from Warrington were poorly utilised and seem to have been replaced by Arpley - Toton trips when required (for instance WIA wagons from Cowley requiring maintenance at Stoke used to run from Didcot to Bescot and then onward to Warrington, but will now be routed via Toton instead). The Lickey banker which was outbased at Bescot now comes from Toton.
That's good news. It's worthwhile having at least a few reception roads available here - during network disruption it's a useful place to stable trains. When there were problems with flooding last year, I seem to remember four DB trains unexpectedly ended up being diverted into Bescot to recess over a weekend.
Looking at that Flickr (drone view) picture - some areas have been de-wired seemingly (although the masts that carried the wires remain). Is there a plan to 're-electrify' some previously wired sections, or is it nothing like that. Will be interesting to see what happens in the future.
I believe that was in reaction to a couple of events where trespassers came into contact with the wires. It was deemed most expedient to remove the ones that were surplus to requirements.
londonmidland
Established Member
Speaking of which, those twin track cantilevers towards the bottom of the picture look relatively new. They couldn't have been 'in service' for all that long?
Yes, some of the masts look 'newly' installed - presumably as replacements for older ones. Some of the heavy 1960s masts in the yard are almost black with dirt, I assume due to not seeing a paint brush and possibly due to air pollution in the area (the M6 motorway is close by). With the masts remaining currently, in theory the wires and catenary could be re-installed I suppose.
IF WMT do take on the yard, it will be as a 730 base so wires will definitely need to be put back up. Will need to double check site security too
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