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The Manchester Ship Canal railway system

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Wyvern

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For those that dont know:

170px-Manchester_Ship_Canal_Hunslet_0-6-0T_number_686_The_Lady_Armaghdale_at_Bridgnorth.jpg


Courtesy of Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal#Manchester_Ship_Canal_Railway
 
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lord rathmore

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suffolk
Have we ever had a thread on this sub-forum about this railway system and are there any forum members with photographs to submit or reminiscences to make about it ?

I regularly saw MSC locos at Trafford Park yard in the late 60s. They were numbered D1 to D14, DH15 to DH32, plus 4001 "Alnwick Castle " and 4002 "Arundel Castle ". D1 was named "Ashdown ". All the DHs were Sentinel 040 hydraulics painted royal blue, and I think the rest were green (but memory a bit vague on this). I saw all of them except DH 26 which somehow eluded me!
In the early 70s I worked in Trafford Park, but by then there were very few train movements in the estate though you could still see them in the docks at Salford and further up the ship canal.
Hope this is helpful.
 

Green Lane

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are there any forum members with photographs to submit or reminiscences to make about it ?

Only recent photographs I'm afraid and nothing from the era when trains were running on it. To me, the tracks seemed to indicate a disused line.

I walked along the Barton Dock Road on 29th August 2013, and took a few snaps. Not sure if anyone would be interested in these - but here goes :D :-

800px-Manchester_Ship_Canal_Railway%2C_Barton_Dock_Road_%283%29.JPG


800px-Manchester_Ship_Canal_Railway%2C_Barton_Dock_Road_%284%29.JPG


800px-Manchester_Ship_Canal_Railway%2C_Barton_Dock_Road_%281%29.JPG
 

Taunton

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I recall, as a kid, being with a relative who stopped in to see a construction project in Trafford Park, I would guess early 1966. Across the road was an MSC 0-6-0T, black, in steam, which just sat there all the hours we waited there.

I get the impression most work was just freight between factories and the nearest main line rail connection, and it was mostly traffic connected to factories and not to ships. Was it a series of separate sidings rather than a continuous line, and did it service both banks of the canal throughout; there seem to be few if any canal bridges for the system apart from Trafford Bridge itself at the far east of the canal.
 

Bevan Price

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The MSC railways were a complicated system. The main line ran along the north bank of the Ship Canal from Salford to Latchford (Warrington), including connections to Irlam steel works and to the CWS soap factory at Irlam.
There were sidings and lines serving the Salford Docks, plus factories in the Trafford Park area. The main loco depot & workshops were at Mode Wheel.
There were connections to BR at (or near):
New Barns Jn (Salford) - L&YR line to Windsor Bridge
West of Mode Wheel (connection to LNWR Weaste / Eccles branch)
Glazebury Jn (connection to CLC line.)
Latchford Jn (the lower level of the sidings still used by freights reversing at Latchford Sidings.
Trafford Park Jn (CLC line, access via an independent "Trafford Park Railways" line.)

There were also isolated sections of the railway at Ellesmere Port, and on the west side of Warrington.

Some of the MSC steam locos and at least one diesel are preserved.
 

table38

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Stalybridge
I assume most people are aware of the Manchester Ship Canal Cruises, but Manchester Guided Tours (the same people who do the Manchester Central Station / G-Mex Tours) are advertising a circular tour starting at the Mark Addy Pub on the River Irwell down to Barton and back, so it does the "top end" of the docks.

Details are here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/irwell-to-barton-canal-cruise-tickets-10752247261?aff=eorg

The available dates are:

Sunday 15 June (Father's Day)
Sunday 27 July
Sunday 24 August

All cruises start at 1:30pm. The cruise lasts three hours.
Meet at Ralli Quays, by the Mark Addy, Stanley Street M60 9HL
Only £20
Booking via www.mgt.eventbrite.com
For further information phone 07505 691105, 07500 774200, 07812 129754.

I've booked on the Sunday 24th August one if anyone wants to join me!

Pictures below were in the MEN the other day and are from http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/
 

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mailbyrail

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23 Dec 2010
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Just spotted this thread, so I realise I'm way behind the times, but I've got a detailed map dated Jan 1963 of the Manchester Ship Canal - Manchester Docks & Barton Dock Estate at 6 inches to 1 mile showing all lines and owners of each premises served. An amazing listing of Britain's industrial past.
It's too big at that scale to scan and post on this site, but anyone needs more detail, I'm happy to oblige. I think I've got another earlier map of the entire canal but can't put my hands on it.
 

9K43

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1 May 2010
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In the mid 1980's Healey Mill's men had regular Tank Train which came up from Imminham crews which we took off from HM signal 181 upmain.
We then took this train from HM via the Lanky to Manchester Vic to Eccles. At Eccles the train was run round outside the PW Cabin.
The train was then propelled down into the Ship Canal sidings at the side of the canal.
we split the tanks at the side of the canal, then a Canal loco took the full tanks up to a fuel discharge location. at this time we went light engine upto Eccles Station and waited for the tanks to be emptied. When the tanks were empty the Shunter brought them upto another RR then the whole train was shoved onto the main line and off we went home.
we got taken off at Wakefield Kirkgate , then home. this train even ran on Christmas Eve cos I was the guard.
 
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deltic

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My mother used to work for Metrovicks in Trafford Park in the 1940s and used to describe how steam trains used to run through the factory
 

fsmr

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11 Feb 2009
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659
Don't know if this is a combined Trafford park system and MSC but up at Tarfford park working today and a artic pulled out by Manu Uniteds ground from the park loaded with old track panels and two rail buffer stops from the system. Looks like it is sadly being dismantled now Hope the track finds a new home wish I had taken some film when I first started coming up here to work in the 80s All seemed so permanent watching the CPC wagons running down the rd by lake terrace
 

RayE

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18 Oct 2014
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I remember the steam hauled trains going along the line at Bobs Lane Ferry, Cadishead. They seemed to go across the level crossing very fast, no gates or flashing lights, just a quick whistle. As kids we went down to the canal to see the ships and mess about of course. My grandfather drove the diesel loco at Lancashire Tar Distillers, Cadishead and let me have cab rides around the site and pull the cord that went across the cab roof to sound the horn. Innocent times.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The MSC railways were a complicated system. The main line ran along the north bank of the Ship Canal from Salford to Latchford (Warrington), including connections to Irlam steel works and to the CWS soap factory at Irlam.
There were sidings and lines serving the Salford Docks, plus factories in the Trafford Park area. The main loco depot & workshops were at Mode Wheel.
There were connections to BR at (or near):
New Barns Jn (Salford) - L&YR line to Windsor Bridge
West of Mode Wheel (connection to LNWR Weaste / Eccles branch)
Glazebury Jn (connection to CLC line.)
Latchford Jn (the lower level of the sidings still used by freights reversing at Latchford Sidings.
Trafford Park Jn (CLC line, access via an independent "Trafford Park Railways" line.)

There were also isolated sections of the railway at Ellesmere Port, and on the west side of Warrington.

Some of the MSC steam locos and at least one diesel are preserved.

Think you mean Glazebrook East Junction not Glazebury Bevan
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
 
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