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Trivia - abandoned railways with intact track

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paul1609

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is Fawkham Junction considered abandoned at this point?
would possibly make it the newist track to be abandoned
that and does any of the farringdon-moorgate section of the city widened line still have track?
Fawkham to Southfleet Junction must be one of the most closed & then reopened railways. It opened in 1886 as the Gravesend West Branch then closed to passengers in 1952 and freight in 1968. It was then reopened in 1972 for freight to Southfleet before closing again in 1976. It was briefly the failed North Downs Steam Railway before that merged with Spa Valley. Some of the track was then recovered for use on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. It was then reopened as the spur to HS1 and is now Oou but still maintained.
 
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thruud

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Fantastic thread, although heartbreaking to hear of the closure of the Blaise Castle narrowgauge line - many fond childhood memories there.

There is definitely still line inside the more interesting bit of Box Tunnel - the ammunition depot was I believe severed from the main line some time ago, but beyond the bricked up entrance, the station has rails still in place, although it is many decades since last used - there is a quite extensive set of track down there for long munitions trains from the war. A fascinating place to visit, I can assure you :)

DM Kineton also has a large set of track, and some clearly abandoned parts too out there.

RN sites do have track, but not used in many years, if not decades.
 

najaB

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but beyond the bricked up entrance, the station has rails still in place, although it is many decades since last used - there is a quite extensive set of track down there for long munitions trains from the war.
And steam trains, from what I've heard...
 

Tracked

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Thorpe Marsh Power station, North Doncaster - accessed via the entry to the nature reserve on Applehurst Lane. The power station's gone, but a lot of the line's still there (the site of the power station is fenced off, but there's a good bit of track left before this.

St James' Car Park, Doncaster - used to be sidings just south of platform 1, last time I looked there was quite a bit of the old track showing through the tarmac near the Church
 

Y Ddraig Coch

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I don't think any Beeching era closures retain any track.

Of later ones, the Amlwch branch in North Wales, which closed to passengers in 1962 and freight in 1993, seems to still have track throughout.

Weymouth Quay tramway retained all track until very recently.

Also in North Wales, the Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd line is still in Situ and over a very impressive viaduct too.
 

Irascible

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Of later ones, the Amlwch branch in North Wales, which closed to passengers in 1962 and freight in 1993, seems to still have track throughout.

Gaerwen Jn - Alnwich is listed as out of use in the sectional appendix, so I guess not actually closed.
 

Mikey C

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The ipswich docks railway is still in situ from the mainline to what was the ranleigh road crossing and to and over the bridge over the river with a signal still also there. There is also a tiny stretch fenced off each side under Princes street
I was staying in the hotel next to the level crossing on the night the track across the road was removed back in 2012!

Interestingly from the latest street view pictures, more of the track on the side nearest the mainline has now been removed. You can see the change when you compare the view down the years, as in March 2019 that track was still there

 

Essexman

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The military railway on the Shoeburyness MoD range still has track in place.
 

DJames

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The line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the West Midlands was abandoned, but still had tracks in situ, until very recently. It's now being converted into a Midland Metro line, and I'm pretty certain they've removed the old tracks already. I've got a feeling that the section from Wednesbury to Walsall still has tracks though.
 

james60059

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The line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the West Midlands was abandoned, but still had tracks in situ, until very recently. It's now being converted into a Midland Metro line, and I'm pretty certain they've removed the old tracks already. I've got a feeling that the section from Wednesbury to Walsall still has tracks though.
Part of the line from Walsall going towards Wednesbury was relaid a few years ago, so coal trains to and from Rugeley Power Station could run-round before heading up the Chase loaded, or back towards Water Orton when empty. Wasn't used for very long though. Prior to that, I think they ran round in Bescot
 

GusB

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I’m sure there’s still track along the Burghead branch in Moray though I believe the junction with the Aberdeen to Inverness line at Alves has been severed.

There was also track on the former branch to DM Crombie in Fife when I visited a couple of years ago, again I think the junction with the main line has been removed.
I'm rather late in replying to your post, but while the connection to the main line has been severed, I believe that most of the track from Alves to Burghead is still intact.

The link to the Burghead Maltings was cut a few years ago, although I was living away from the area at the time and I don't know exactly when it happened. The station building was gutted by fire and the bridge demolished. There's now a playpark where the station building used to be. The track was cut back to the edge of Roseisle Forest, but I haven't been over that way in a good while. I've just bought myself a bike so I'll be exploring soon.

Roseisle 12-11-2007 14-12-06.JPGRoseisle 16-11-2007 13-57-29.JPG

The images above show the views from a crossing in Roseisle Forest. The first one is looking south towards Roseisle Maltings and Alves Junction and the second is looking north towards Burghead. While the trackbed looks reasonably clear then, bear in mind that the photographs were taken back in 2007 (when the main line connection was still in place, I think). I thought I had some more recent photos which would have shown how much more overgrown the line has become, but unfortunately I cannot seem to find them. The white blob in the foreground of the second photo was about a year old at the time and she is sadly no longer with us.
 

Gloster

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Wasn’t the line either retained in a useable condition (or refurbished) as far as Roseisle Maltings, although beyond that it was out of use? I am not sure if it saw much use. I am sure I read something ten or fifteen years ago.
 

Ashley Hill

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Not sure what they’re for, but there is definitely a resumption of interest in Quidhampton sidings as a freight terminal. Discussions have been had within NR about the methods of working for shunting trains in/out of the terminal, as it can restrict movements on the adjacent main running lines depending on the number of operational staff provided.
I noted the other day that the pointwork into Quidhampton has recently been renewed.
 

LAX54

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Weren't the rules changed a good few years ago, that any line that 'closed' had to be kept in situ, just in case it was needed once more ?
 

D6975

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I noted the other day that the pointwork into Quidhampton has recently been renewed.
It's for the trains bringing spoil from HS2 I think. They've been looking for a source of infill since 2016, they want to fill it in and landscape the site.
 

zwk500

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Weren't the rules changed a good few years ago, that any line that 'closed' had to be kept in situ, just in case it was needed once more ?
There's been a fairly long-standing policy (90s?) that no development would be permitted over the course of an abandoned line, but I'm not aware of any prohibition to the line itself being closed. It's just legally a lot easier to abandon it informally than formally close it - look at the ridiculous objections to Newhaven Marine or Weymouth Tramway.
 

CEN60

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I'm rather late in replying to your post, but while the connection to the main line has been severed, I believe that most of the track from Alves to Burghead is still intact.

The link to the Burghead Maltings was cut a few years ago, although I was living away from the area at the time and I don't know exactly when it happened. The station building was gutted by fire and the bridge demolished. There's now a playpark where the station building used to be. The track was cut back to the edge of Roseisle Forest, but I haven't been over that way in a good while. I've just bought myself a bike so I'll be exploring soon.

View attachment 98424View attachment 98425

The images above show the views from a crossing in Roseisle Forest. The first one is looking south towards Roseisle Maltings and Alves Junction and the second is looking north towards Burghead. While the trackbed looks reasonably clear then, bear in mind that the photographs were taken back in 2007 (when the main line connection was still in place, I think). I thought I had some more recent photos which would have shown how much more overgrown the line has become, but unfortunately I cannot seem to find them. The white blob in the foreground of the second photo was about a year old at the time and she is sadly no longer with us.
The mainline switches at Alves had been partially removed some time ago - the remaining turnout kit was removed about 3 years ago during the works at Enhancement Works at Forres & Elgin.
 

JKF

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Are there not walls built across the tracks of Clifton Rocks? I think that has been given as reason not to reopen in the past.
A broadcasting station was built in the tunnel during the Second World War with brick and concrete structures, this is considered to be a historic feature as much as the funicular, so it can’t really be removed for reinstatement of services. At best they could operate a short section of line up/down to the blocked part. There’s also nothing at the bottom other than a very busy road and a narrow pavement so it couldn’t really work as a tourist feature unless the road was moved (there have been some suggestions of putting the road in a tunnel under the river but I think further upstream).
 

John Webb

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I'm rather late in replying to your post, but while the connection to the main line has been severed, I believe that most of the track from Alves to Burghead is still intact.

The link to the Burghead Maltings was cut a few years ago, although I was living away from the area at the time and I don't know exactly when it happened. The station building was gutted by fire and the bridge demolished. There's now a playpark where the station building used to be. The track was cut back to the edge of Roseisle Forest, but I haven't been over that way in a good while. I've just bought myself a bike so I'll be exploring soon.

View attachment 98424View attachment 98425

The images above show the views from a crossing in Roseisle Forest. The first one is looking south towards Roseisle Maltings and Alves Junction and the second is looking north towards Burghead. While the trackbed looks reasonably clear then, bear in mind that the photographs were taken back in 2007 (when the main line connection was still in place, I think). I thought I had some more recent photos which would have shown how much more overgrown the line has become, but unfortunately I cannot seem to find them. The white blob in the foreground of the second photo was about a year old at the time and she is sadly no longer with us.
These views (click on photos to go to the larger original on the Geograph website) suggests the track is still there but in the first photo from 2017 it's well-buried - there's a hint of sleepers here and there:
Disused railway line near Burghead

© Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From two weeks ago and further south of Burghead:
Disused Railway Line

© Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
 

reddragon

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These views (click on photos to go to the larger original on the Geograph website) suggests the track is still there but in the first photo from 2017 it's well-buried - there's a hint of sleepers here and there:
Disused railway line near Burghead

© Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

From two weeks ago and further south of Burghead:
Disused Railway Line

© Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Now that's what I like, pictures!!

Can you still see the tracks in the Slate Quarry car park in Caernarfon?

 
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John Webb

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Now that's what I like, pictures!!

Can you still see the tracks in the Slate Quarry car park in Caernarfon?
Don't know - can't see where the slate quarry car park is in Caernarfon on any of the maps. I might be able to find something if you can tell me where it is (post code or grid reference or street name should suffice).
 
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