Reigate landfill (?) siding

[tsr]

Hi folks! On the "Rail Map Online" website which we've been discussing elsewhere, there's an interesting siding between Redhill & Reigate.

Link: http://www.RailMapOnline.com/UKIEMap.php?lat=51.24018&lng=-0.18638

This is effectively no longer visible on the ground, except that the site of the end of the siding is still an empty area at roughly the same level as the adjacent (open) railway line in the cutting, bridged by an overgrown structure carrying Madeira Walk (if anyone knows the area, this is the route taken by the quieter cycle route between Redhill and Reigate). In addition, there are some old warehouse-type buildings at a lower level than the local roads. These can be accessed behind the flats on Wray Common Road, but I would not recommend anyone explores them on foot, as they are part of a gated private property.

The site of the old siding leads to an old rubbish dump / landfill site, which is disused except for the odd rat having dinner - it has been grassed over, and is now (ironically) surrounded by fairly nice houses on private roads. There is also a nearby spring/borehole, but I can't imagine that has any implications on anything. The ground slopes down to the siding site quite steeply, and appears to cause problems when people try to extend their houses!

My question is: when exactly was the siding in use, and are there any documents about old workings into the siding? I can't find any exact documentation and my local knowledge has drawn a blank. If anyone can help with some history, that would be amazing. It's merely to satisfy my own curiosity!

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi there,
It's a really obscure bit of history you're looking at!

The site was originally a sand quarry. I think it was called "Maderia Sandpit". The size of the site is defined on page 101 & 102 of this pdf file
Once the quarry was worked out the site was then reused a rubbish tip.

There are few railway references I know to it. The only one I've seen is a link to the signal diagrams for the line.
Linky
It seems that it's called the "Silver Sand" siding - the name matches the type of sand / geology for that specific area.

If all else fails in your search, you could ask these guys: Wealden Cave & Mine Society
or this lot:
Surrey Industrial History Group

Not a complete answer by any means but maybe something to work with?
Cheers,
Mr Toad

 

[tsr]

bangor-toad - Many thanks indeed for your post. There's a lot written online about the geology of the area, but I can find very little about the railway connection, bar a few sources vaguely mentioning sidings which "may" still be seen in the Reigate area. I suspect the Madeira [Walk] Sandpit, as you call it, may once have been what is referred to as the Doods Road Pit, mined by a Mr Apted. A couple of links mention this in terms of general local history, but there's little in the way of any railway information.

https://archive.org/stream/memoironbritishr003345mbp/memoironbritishr003345mbp_djvu.txt (search for "Reigate" within the text)
http://www.wcms.org.uk/cgi-bin/wcmsarchive.pl?archid=apted_sep2010

Your links are of much interest as I had not noticed them previously. I did search for "Madeira" on the RBBC website but it was reluctant to reveal anything! As I note this is council-owned land, I might just see if I can arrange to visit the site, though I'm not sure what condition it is really in (the view is largely obscured by hedges, so it's difficult to gauge). Being able to see any remaining track would be a bonus, but that looks to me highly unlikely, especially given the disused nature of the pit. I don't know if the WCMS hold any information on railway sidings, but if I see any of their guys soon, I'll give it a mention. Likewise the Surrey Industrial History Group, though it's probably best for me to just email them

The warehouse/shed in the disused cutting by the route of the siding towards the pit is curious. It looks pretty derelict - smashed glass, broken tiles, surrounded by grass, etc. - and yet I could be sure I've seen people down there at various times over the last few years, and not particularly looking like trespassers or louts who had just discovered it as a place to hang out, either.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

There was a flow of sand from there to - I think Warrington / St Helens which lasted until the early 1980's. The wagons were the usual unbraked rubbish of the time - and the % of wagons reaching destination was fairly low , due to hot axle boxes and so on.

 

[steamybrian]

There was a flow of sand from there to - I think Warrington / St Helens which lasted until the early 1980's. The wagons were the usual unbraked rubbish of the time - and the % of wagons reaching destination was fairly low , due to hot axle boxes and so on.

Incorrect...
...That was Holmethorpe Sidings which was connected to the down line between Merstham and Redhill. The sidings were between the Redhill Lines and Quarry Lines and I think actually went under the Quarry Lines as well.