Siding/yard off the WAML at Duxford

[jfowkes]

Hi,

I've just moved to a little village near Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Not much in the way of massively interesting rail things, but just down the road there's a connection off the WAML to a siding, leading to a factory. The factory makes composites now, but clearly did enough to justify a rail connection at some point. The rails are still present, still connected to the mainline and still enter the site, though have clearly not been used in a considerable amount of time.

Google map link: https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0878278,0.1673864,16z/data=!3m1!1e3

There was clearly a much more substantial yard at some point, I did some exploring on foot (see attached photos).

Does anyone know anything about it when it was operational? One curious thing is that it has 1, 2, 3 and 4 Car Stop boards, like at stations. Maybe it was used as a siding for passenger vehicles after it stopped being used for freight? It's not electrified though.

Anyway, just curious. I'd appreciate any insights/info/trivia. Thanks!

 

[306024]

Freight sidings for Ciba-Geigy. Found this on the internet which may help:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/46243914045

 

[John Webb]

Baker's Rail Atlas (12th Edition, 2010) mentions these as being "Ciba-Geigy (Disused)" so they've been out of use for some time.

 

[apinnard]

Slightly off topic - I have family members in Hinxton (a lovely little village) and often pop across the fields backing onto the WAML. Lovely little walk if you’re ever looking for something to do.

 

[55002]

There used to be a daily Duxford to Tyne Yard train back in the eighties if memory recall. Will check tomorrow

 

[Mcr Warrior]

48 miles from Liverpool Street via Clapton, located on the line to Cambridge. Fourth Edition of "Railway Track Diagrams (Eastern)" published in 2016 shows the siding on the Down Main as "Huntsman / Hexcel, Aerolite Resin Loading / Urea Discharge Pit" and Not in Regular Use / Out of Use beyond the Level Crossing.

 

[55002]

Found this from quick google search

march 37032 6N84 duxford-tyne yard speedlink 170490

Photo by Ivan Stewart. A well loaded speedlink from Duxford! At this time Ciba-Geigy chemicals at Duxford made extensive use of railfreight. In the background on the Up Loop 31543 is hauling DPU 55993 south from Doncaster works. 37032 has a happy future undergoing extensive restoration on the...

www.flickr.com

 

[Bald Rick]

Found this from quick google search

march 37032 6N84 duxford-tyne yard speedlink 170490

Photo by Ivan Stewart. A well loaded speedlink from Duxford! At this time Ciba-Geigy chemicals at Duxford made extensive use of railfreight. In the background on the Up Loop 31543 is hauling DPU 55993 south from Doncaster works. 37032 has a happy future undergoing extensive restoration on the...

www.flickr.com

The guy who took that is a lovely bloke.

 

[pdeaves]

One curious thing is that it has 1, 2, 3 and 4 Car Stop boards, like at stations

Depending on the exact wording, these could well be to assist freight drivers in stopping wagons in the right place.

 

[306024]

Ciba-Geigy were very pro-Rail. Seem to remember them hiring a train for a works outing back in the day.

 

[jfowkes]

Thanks everyone, that's all very interesting! Good to see some photos of when it was operational.

Slightly off topic - I have family members in Hinxton (a lovely little village) and often pop across the fields backing onto the WAML. Lovely little walk if you’re ever looking for something to do.

Yeah, we moved into Hinxton about 2 months ago. Still exploring, but we've found the paths down by the railway. I time my visits to the local shops to coincide with something going over the level crossing!

Depending on the exact wording, these could well be to assist freight drivers in stopping wagons in the right place.

They looked like standard ones you get at stations, I didn't notice the spacing. But yeah, I can believe that explanation.

 

[whittlesfordok]

Originally sidings were there for the fertiliser works.

 

[Dr_Paul]

This branch and the factory it served aren't on this OS map from 1960 -- the branch would leave the main line roughly at bearing 457487 -- so both mill and factory must have been built sometime in the 1960s or thereafter.

There is another branch that comes off the main line in the same way further down the line towards Cambridge, at bearing 475495, which went to the paper mill near Sawston. Looking at older maps, it seems that this mill didn't have a railway link until the 1950s, although the mill was there in the nineteenth century.

 

[whittlesfordok]

The fertiliser works were pre 1930’s I believe as I was told by the son of Dr Norman De Bruyne that he chose the site as it had a rail link. He invented the
Araldite and it was manufactured here.

 

[Duxford]

As far as I am aware the siding into the factory was installed by CIBA-Geigy in the early 1980s but was only used for a short time. The main problem was the government policy at the time of expecting every inch of railway to make a profit and this lead to the operation of the siding becoming prohibitively expensive. It is unlikely it will ever be reopened as the factory site was split between 2 companies, Huntsman and Hexcell when CBA-Geigy sold off their industrial chemicals. They seem little interested in the siding and a section of rail has been removed. As it is part of my daily dog walk, I often meet the the Network Rail maintenance team who look after the turn out from the main line. When I suggested they should just remove it I was told it would take 18 months to plan and carry out and cost in excess of £500,000 so it was cheaper just to carry out monthly maintenance.

 

[Steve Harris]

The fertiliser works were pre 1930’s I believe as I was told by the son of Dr Norman De Bruyne that he chose the site as it had a rail link. He invented the
Araldite and it was manufactured here.

You are spot on. The siding was installed for the delivery of urea (which was used in the process of making Araldite).

I can also confirm that Huntsman and Hexcel now own the site and I noticed some track had been removed when I visited the site approx 5 yrs ago.

The paper mill at Sawston was owned by Spicers and I believe planning permission has recently been given to Huawei who now own the site.