Surviving UK industrial railway systems

[Western 52]

Which industrial railway systems remain in use? In South Wales there are systems in the Tata steel plants at Trostre, Port Talbot and Llanwern, plus Celsa in Cardiff, but I can't think of any other locations. Back in the 1980s there were many such systems in use, but most closed as they were collieries.

 

[Anonymous10]

Which industrial railway systems remain in use? In South Wales there are systems in the Tata steel plants at Trostre, Port Talbot and Llanwern, plus Celsa in Cardiff, but I can't think of any other locations. Back in the 1980s there were many such systems in use, but most closed as they were collieries.

You have the sidings with associated shunt loco and equipment at Robertson for the oil tanks.

 

[Western 52]

I didn't realise Robeston still had a shunter - what loco do they have? I'd assumed the 66s probably did the shunting.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Which industrial railway systems remain in use? In South Wales there are systems in the Tata steel plants at Trostre, Port Talbot and Llanwern, plus Celsa in Cardiff, but I can't think of any other locations. Back in the 1980s there were many such systems in use, but most closed as they were collieries.

Does Sellafield count?

There's quite a bit within the site isn't there?

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Earles Sidings in Derbyshire?

 

[thenorthern]

I think I read that the Sinfin branch line is now owned by Rolls Royce rather than Network Rail although that is a small branch line.

In Northern Ireland I think there may be some Peat railways still in operation.

 

[John Webb]

The steelworks at Scunthorpe?

 

[Rail Ranger]

Scunthorpe steelworks still has a significant internal system.

 

[Anonymous10]

I didn't realise Robeston still had a shunter - what loco do they have? I'd assumed the 66s probably did the shunting.

I believe it's a old us one? Or looks American. Definitely something shunter sized parked there usually with tanks. It isn't a 08 or 09 shunter though.

I have attached a screenshot to demonstrate what's used on site.

 

[Western 52]

I believe it's a old us one? Or looks American. Definitely something shunter sized parked there usually with tanks. It isn't a 08 or 09 shunter though.

I have attached a screenshot to demonstrate what's used on site.
View attachment 172073

That's very interesting- maybe an English Electric type similar to some that were once used at some NCB sites?

 

[Geeves]

Tunstead Quarry has its own network of sidings and loaders with multiple private locomotives in addition to the Network rail line that passes through. It's a gigantic operation.

 

[sharpley]

The Ketton cement works in Rutland has its own rail system, plus a short branch line and exchange sidings on to the Leicester - Peterborough line. There's a cab ride video of some of it on YT....

 

[Western 52]

The Ketton cement works in Rutland has its own rail system, plus a short branch line and exchange sidings on to the Leicester - Peterborough line. There's a cab ride video of some of it on YT....

That's a fascinating video, thanks for sharing it! Most of the track looks fairly good. Better than some of the industrial systems I remember.

 

[zwk500]

Which industrial railway systems remain in use?

This brings up an interesting question of what makes something a 'system' rather than just a siding or rail-connected yard/terminal. There are several dockside rail connections that have substantial infrastructure on the non-NR side of the boundary, but most wouldn't call them industrial railway systems.

If we're looking for railways serving a particular site dealing in bulk or heavy materials and operates trains internally between two distinct locations (as opposed to just shunting from one set of sidings to an adjacent one, or having to run onto NR metals to move between sidings), would military railways count for this thread?
And if so are any still in use as internal movements or are they basically just all terminals for connection to the national network?

I did have a look to see if the ORR has a list but the 'Minor Railways' page seems to only cover railways with some form of general public access.

 

[thejuggler]

Valley Road, Shipley had sidings for the scrap processor which operated at the site. it is now being redeveloped for the new Northern depot.

 

[D365]

Does Sellafield count?

There's quite a bit within the site isn't there?

Definitely counts.

 

[Magdalia]

This brings up an interesting question of what makes something a 'system' rather than just a siding or rail-connected yard/terminal.

Another example near here is the Barrington Light Railway, which may not count as a "system".

The spoil trains to Barrington leave the Network Rail "system" at Foxton exchange sidings and travel along the Barrington Light Railway to reach the unloading point, still hauled by a GBRF locomotive.

But I'm not aware of there being a shunting loco.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth still sees the very occasional nuclear flask train (spent fuel from submarines) and indeed the junction with the main-line at Keyham has recently been renewed. Formerly it had a large internal system with its own locomotives and even ran a passenger service between various parts of the yard for employees and naval personnel.

Imerys (China Clay) at Goonbarrow Jcn. on the Newquay Branch had their own shunters until very recently.

 

[THC]

In Northern Ireland I think there may be some Peat railways still in operation.

I don't know of any such lines that ran in the North, but the last Bord na Móna railway in the Republic ceased operations in the last year or so. As an aside, two of my cousins used to drive the BnM trains that served Shannonbridge power station in Co. Offaly, itself closed down in the last few years.

THC

 

[chrisjo]

I didn't realise Robeston still had a shunter - what loco do they have? I'd assumed the 66s probably did the shunting.

http://www.uklocos.com/ lists three shunters at 'Puma Energy, Pembroke', all of them last recorded present in September 2023. I'm not sure that any of them match the picture above though.

Also visible at Robeston Puma on Google Streetview, image taken Nov-24:

 

[Western 52]

http://www.uklocos.com/ lists three shunters at Puma Energy, Pembroke, all of them last recorded present in September 2023. I'm not sure that any of them match the picture above though.

I think the first one listed on the site may be the one in the Google photo? It's an EE 0-6-0 although in yellow rather than blue.

 

[chrisjo]

I think the first one listed on the site may be the one in the Google photo? It's an EE 0-6-0 although in yellow rather than blue.

Well it says its now blue in the text, so maybe.

 

[Railsigns]

I don't know of any such lines that ran in the North

Baker's Rail Atlas shows two 75 cm-gauge peat railways near Ballymena.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Fords , Dagenham ?

 

[chrisjo]

Tata Steel also at Hardendale Quarry, Shap.

 

[ThirteenArches]

Breedon Hope cement works.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Not sure if anything still comes in or goes out by rail, but doesn’t the Liberty Steel Aldwarke/Roundwood/Thrybergh works complex in Rotherham have quite an extensive internal rail system?

 

[Western 52]

Are there any water treatment works which still have internal railway systems? There used to be one at Rotherham, and also near Nottingham at Stoke Bardolph.

 

[duffield]

Are there any water treatment works which still have internal railway systems? There used to be one at Rotherham, and also near Nottingham at Stoke Bardolph.

I couldn't find out much about Stoke Bardolph internal railway, but the track does appear (bottom left) on this 1958 OS map (link is to sheet SK6342 1:2,500 OS map):

View map: Ordnance Survey, SK6342 - A - Ordnance Survey 1:2500 scale map - Ordnance Survey National Grid Maps, 1940s-1970s

Can't see any trace of it now on Google's satellite view; it looks like it would have been partly obliterated when the Colwick loop road was built, and the bits that weren't appear to have had the track removed.

Apart from that, all I could find was a photo of a loco that once worked this railway, linked below.

Link details:

Picture of U84. 2ft gauge 4wDM. Ruston & Hornsby works no. 7002/0567/6, 1967. Ex. Stoke Bardolph water works, Nottingham. Photo: Golden Valley Light Railway, Swanwick Junction, Ripley, 28.06.2008

https://www.reddit.com/r/uktrains/comments/umadaf/u84_2ft_gauge_4wdm_ruston_hornsby_works_no/

Which shows that the railway was 2ft gauge.

 

[Western 52]

I couldn't find out much about Stoke Bardolph internal railway, but the track does appear (bottom left) on this 1958 OS map (link is to sheet SK6342 1:2,500 OS map):

View map: Ordnance Survey, SK6342 - A - Ordnance Survey 1:2500 scale map - Ordnance Survey National Grid Maps, 1940s-1970s

Can't see any trace of it now on Google's satellite view; it looks like it would have been partly obliterated when the Colwick loop road was built, and the bits that weren't appear to have had the track removed.

Apart from that, all I could find was a photo of a loco that once worked this railway, linked below.

Link details:

https://www.reddit.com/r/uktrains/comments/umadaf/u84_2ft_gauge_4wdm_ruston_hornsby_works_no/

Which shows that the railway was 2ft gauge.

I asked about Stoke Bardolph as I once visited it, back about 40 years ago. The picture shows a train on the system with the driver walking alongside. Apparently it was not a good idea to ride the loco in case of derailment. The loco could fall into something rather unpleasant!