Chopped off bit of track Between Crewe And Stafford?

[DazDude]

As I regularly travel the line between Crewe and Wolverhampton for work I've noticed on the way towards Stafford as I pass near Madeley a piece of severed track that actually goes a fair short distance having looked on google maps, despite not being physically connected to the network. In fact as I've noticed just before it cuts off just before it would join the WCML there is actually a signal by the track that is actually still switched on and naturally at red.

Can anyone divulge a bit more information on this line? where it went? when it closed? any links would be cool as it's sparked my curiosity...

a link to the location in question here - http://g.co/maps/srgeb

Daz

 

[tsr]

This appears to be part of the North Staffordshire Line, and for further information, I shall direct you to the Wikipedia article, which has some information on its history. Unfortunately, I am not an expert on the WCML, so I can't comment as to this disused junction. One possible purpose nowadays might be to store road-rail vehicles for maintenance works.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Yep, it joins to a disused line above the WCML that ran between Market Drayton and Keele, carrying on east to Newcastle and Stoke. I can't check any further ATM.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The specific section of the line it joins above closed 5 May 1956, between Market Drayton and Silverdale, east of there closed a decade later.

 

[Crossover]

I suspect that if the track on longer joins the disused branch, the chances are it will retain the signal possibly for purposes of having grandfather rights should it reopen in the future. It may also be the signalling system has been tricked into thinking the pointwork still exists despite being plain track now. Quite why so much track has been left on the branch, I'm not quite sure though.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It joins the old line at Madeley Chord Jn. The old line is still in situ from 3m27 to 8m14 ex-Cockshute Jn north of Stoke. I think it may have been retained to serve Silverdale Colliery. The chord ex-WCML is 25c and joins at 7m36.

 

[CosherB]

Yup, the old Knotty line from Stoke to Pipe Gate.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I am pretty sure the slow line connection off the WCML was resignalled and remodelled during the WCRM blockades in 2000, with the fast line connection removed.
More recently the remaining slow line connection has been severed, but the signals remain.
Another waste of cash, like a lot around Stoke at the time.

Silverdale colliery finally closed in 1998, the last in the area.
The original North Staffs line was from Stoke (Newcastle Jn) to Market Drayton.
I think the spur off the WCML was only put in around 1970 after the bulk of the line closed, in order to reach the colliery using the remaining track.
This allowed the line from Newcastle Jn to close.
There is also a single track bridge for the line over the M6, but it is quite hard to pick out from the road.

 

[Wath Yard]

The line probably closed in 1998 along with Silverdale Colliery, with the connection to the WCML being removed as part of the WCML upgrade.

 

[John Webb]

It's not uncommon when tracks are disconnected to leave signals in situ and on - saves time and trouble reprogramming the interlocking computer!

 

[OuterDistant]

Wiki has a bit on its Stoke to Market Drayton Line article. Flickr also has a photo of the last coal train.

 

[John55]

This bit of line was left disconnected as a result of a derailment which ripped up the s&c and some hundreds of yards of track on the down slow of the WCML. The down slow was restored with plain line to get things moving quickly. Presumably its a bit tricky to remove the rest of track if there is no rail connection.

 

[DarloRich]

It's not uncommon when tracks are disconnected to leave signals in situ and on - saves time and trouble reprogramming the interlocking computer!

It also costs a bloody fortune to disconnect and rearrnage the signal circuits!

it is the remains of Silverdale Colliery branch

 

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

The photo mentioned in OuterDistant's post states that it was taken on 30th Jan 2009 - much more recent than the other dates for closure mentioned? One of the photographer's comments on the photo suggests that there was an idea to reopen the branch to serve a distribution centre, but I'm guessing this is pie in the sky...?

 

[OuterDistant]

Probably the date the photo was scanned - the last train was definitely December 1998.

 

[Crossover]

Thanks for mentioning this - I came past today and was on the lookout for it. Very interesting to see

 

[Trog]

As stated above the junction at Madeley was plainlined following a derailment.

It will soon be reinstated at least on the slow lines, as there is the prospect of future traffic off the Silverdale Branch.

 

[OuterDistant]

Was flicking through The Potteries Loop Line by Allan C. Baker last night, and he mentions that the embankment for Madeley chord (i.e. the connection to the main line) was built around 1860, but the actual connection was not laid until 1962!

 

[CosherB]

It will soon be reinstated at least on the slow lines, as there is the prospect of future traffic off the Silverdale Branch.

IIRC Silverdale is east of the WCML, the chord comes off the southbound WCML and connects to the branch to the west of WCML. So any movement from Silverdale using the chord would have to reverse.

 

[ole man]

It was plain lined about 3 years ago when a EWS train carrying rail dropped its load and caused a lot of damage to the pionts, we took the decision to plain line it, the signal is still showing a red aspect thats because the line believe or not is still operational.

 

[the sniper]

It will soon be reinstated at least on the slow lines, as there is the prospect of future traffic off the Silverdale Branch.

What traffic will that be?

 

[The Planner]

It is currently down as out of use until December 2012. So unless any new traffic materialises then I can see it getting put through a closure process. Getting a train off the down slow and on to the branch will seriously constrict access to whatever new business is planned along it.

 

[ole man]

I know that this route is planned for complete closure , there was talk about 5 years ago of it becoming a preserved railway, but that never materialised.
Nwr Will not spend the money to re-instate the pionts required to access the line.
Why dont Nwr reopen it to Keele, reopen the line to Market Drayton, then from Market Drayton to Nantwich.

 

[zoro]

This is the branch in question.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40011/6583256993/

and the junction itself coming in from the left

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40011/6583187377/

 

[DazDude]

Incidentally on my way to work a couple of days ago I noticed a p-way gang walking part of the line, inspecting perhaps?