Trivia: Creation of Dead-End Branches Through Closing of Through Lines

[duncanp]

The Mill Hill East branch on the tube was once, when part of the Great Northern Railway (later the LNER) a through route to Edgware.

 

[The Planner]

No longer, but Bicester Town would have counted until a few years ago.

 

[MisterSheeps]

to get from Buxton LNW to Matlock and beyond via the Midland route required a revesal in the freight sidings

Wrong, there were direct freights from Rowsley to Adswood, Cheadle LNW exchange sidings, or Liverpool via the double line LNW to MR connection, see attached (first facing junction to Ashwood Dale, second to Parsley Hay, the flyover was from Parsley Hay to Dove Holes direction). It was one of the few ways of having such through freights between the 2 networks, was important. The facing connection still exists, but there is no crossover, apparently being reinstated.

The CK & P was truncated west of Keswick in 1966, then closed between Penrith & Keswick in 1972.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Wrong, there were direct freights from Rowsley to Adswood, Cheadle LNW exchange sidings, or Liverpool via the double line LNW to MR connection, see attached (first facing junction to Ashwood Dale, second to Parsley Hay, the flyover was from Parsley Hay to Dove Holes direction). It was one of the few ways of having such through freights between the 2 networks, was important. The facing connection still exists, but there is no crossover, apparently being reinstated.

The CK & P was truncated west of Keswick in 1966, then closed between Penrith & Keswick in 1972.

Now that I did not know. Thanks for the correction.

It does appear however the facing connection no longer exists (and in my memory has not for many years), the current Sectional Appendix confirms my understanding there is no connection off the Hazel Grove line onto the former Midland line towards Chinley and in days gone by Millers Dale Matlock etc (a double reveresal is required in the station and then in the freight sidings. The facing connection which does exist is the longstanding one onto the former LNW line which serves the quarries at Hindlow etc.

 

[MisterSheeps]

yes, that is correct, though in a thread about a bridge at Whaley Bridge being replaced, this is being corrected, at least so that Hindlow traffic can cross to the Dove Holes line.
AFAIK the link to the Ashwood Dale (ex MR) line was a 'wartime connection', the MR shed then closed. At one time there was a zigzag link between the MR goods yard and the LNW for freight exchange.

 

[gg1]

As we seem to be allowing through stations which became a terminus then back to a through station:

Birmingham Snow Hill is an interesting example in that it was built as a through station, in the final years before closure in the late 60s/early 70s it was a terminus for services from the west, on re-opening in 1987 it was a terminus for services from the east before becoming a through station again in the 90s.

Are there any others which have at various times have been operated as a through station and a terminus from opposite directions?

 

[MisterSheeps]

That was just a branch that was closed. At West Kirby (old home station long ago) it served a separate station, and the two lines did not touch except through sidings.

hmmm ... according to Lost Lines Liverpool and the Mersey by Nigel Welbourn, pub Ian Allan, p73 says "After the line was taken over by the LMS and GWR in 1923, a through New Brighton - Euston coach was introduced on this route [...] which practice continued until World War 2"

 

[507020]

Buxton is a curious one, From what I can understand there were originally two different railway companies serving it, the "Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway" (affiliated with the LNWR) to Manchester and the "Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway" (affiliated with the midland railway). Both lines used terminus stations sited next to each other. It's not clear to me if there were through services using both companies lines or if passengers had to change in buxton.

The midland railway arranged a different route to Manchester, leaving both lines to Buxton as branch lines. So the current route to Buxton was a "branch" (albiet not a "dead end branch") long before the closure of the route from matlock.

The L&NWR Buxton branch is a branch off the WCML all the way from Stockport, but the Midland Buxton branch is a much shorter branch leaving the MML at Peak Forest and Miller’s Dale Junctions (a triangle) the branch surviving for goods but the main line being closed south of Peak Forest Junction.

Wrong, there were direct freights from Rowsley to Adswood, Cheadle LNW exchange sidings, or Liverpool via the double line LNW to MR connection, see attached (first facing junction to Ashwood Dale, second to Parsley Hay, the flyover was from Parsley Hay to Dove Holes direction). It was one of the few ways of having such through freights between the 2 networks, was important. The facing connection still exists, but there is no crossover, apparently being reinstated.

It seems a bit of a remote place to have your end on connection with the other company!

It does appear however the facing connection no longer exists (and in my memory has not for many years), the current Sectional Appendix confirms my understanding there is no connection off the Hazel Grove line onto the former Midland line towards Chinley and in days gone by Millers Dale Matlock etc (a double reveresal is required in the station and then in the freight sidings. The facing connection which does exist is the longstanding one onto the former LNW line which serves the quarries at Hindlow etc.

What do you mean no connection from Hazel Grove to Chinley? The Hope Valley line branches off the MML at Chinley with freights continuing to run to Buxton and Sheffield services now using the Hazel Grove curve to run from the L&NWR line. They could just as easily take the other route at Chinley and end up in the sidings at Buxton.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

What do you mean no connection from Hazel Grove to Chinley? The Hope Valley line branches off the MML at Chinley with freights continuing to run to Buxton and Sheffield services now using the Hazel Grove curve to run from the L&NWR line. They could just as easily take the other route at Chinley and end up in the sidings at Buxton.

I suspect you may not be reading this in the context of the recent discussion.
There is no facing connection at Buxton to enable a train to run directly off the Hazel Grove line onto the line towards Chinley, a double reversal is required.

 

[507020]

I suspect you may not be reading this in the context of the recent discussion.
There is no facing connection at Buxton to enable a train to run directly off the Hazel Grove line onto the line towards Chinley, a double reversal is required.

So is the idea that a facing connection (once the weight restriction at Whaley Bridge is dealt with) would prevent even 1 reversal for freights, creating a closed loop from the 2 Buxton branches rather than 2 dead end branches?

 

[d9009alycidon]

One through route that was closed creating two stubs, before being reopened and reconnecting the two stubs was the Glasgow to Edinburgh line via Bathgate. Passenger services between Airdrie and Newbridge were withdrawn in 1955. The line was lifted between Airdrie and Bathgate in 1982 creating one passenger and one freight stub before the reinstatement of passenger services, initially to Bathgate, then Drumgelloch then the complete line in 2010

 

[Cheshire Scot]

So is the idea that a facing connection (once the weight restriction at Whaley Bridge is dealt with) would prevent even 1 reversal for freights, creating a closed loop from the 2 Buxton branches rather than 2 dead end branches?

I was not aware of that proposal (or weight restriction) other than having seen it mentioned on this thread.

EDIT: Drifting off topic, I am not sure how many of the Peak District freight flows would actually benefit from a routing via Whaley Bridge and Stockport, some go over the top at Hazel Grove having come down through Chinley. Other posters may have a better feel for this.

 

[david1212]

A steep loop line ran northwards from Bog Hall Junction south of Whitby Town station up to Prospect Hill Junction north of Whitby West Cliff station. So by means of a reversal trains could run from Whitby Town station to Whitby West Cliff, and then on to Scarborough.

After the Whitby to Saltburn direct line was closed in the late 1950s due to a landslip (or the fear of one), the Scarborough to Middlesbrough service had to reverse no less than four times in quite a short journey, which must be a record. Immediately on starting at Scarborough, where the junction faced the wrong way, then at Whitby Prospect Hill, Whitby station, and Battersby. Fortunately the service had been changed to dmus not long beforehand.

Thanks for the posts. I thought there was a connection at Whitby.

 

[D6130]

After closure of the Stainmore line from Penrith to Darlington via Appleby East, Kirkby Stephen East and Barnard Castle in January 1962, a dead-end freight branch remained from Appleby to Hartley Quarry (later truncated in the 1970s to Warcop MOD and now preserved as the Eden Valley Railway). At the other end of the line, Darlington-Barnard Castle continued in use for another 2-3 years for the Middleton-in-Teesdale service, before being cut back to Barney as a freight branch to serve the Glaxo factory (and Specsavers?!) for a short time.

 

[Rescars]

Does Copyhold Junc to Ardingly count, as there is (at least currently) no way through to Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead?

Also, how about the stub retained between Dumfries and Maxwelltown, after the Port Road to Castle Douglas and Stranraer was shut?

 

[zwk500]

Does Copyhold Junc to Ardingly count, as there is (at least currently) no way through to Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead?

It depends on the OP's definition.
From 1933, all regular trains terminated at Horsted Keynes as the limit of 3rd rail. There may have been goods, specials and reliefs that worked through.
In 1955 all traffic stopped beyond Horsted Keynes (briefly), then for a rather longer period from 1958. So it definitely counts from 1958-1963 when the Ardingly Branch closed to passengers, the Bluebell line connection facing the wrong way and having a sleeper across it until 1962.
The track was only lifted in 1964, along with the section north of Horsted Keynes.

So it could be argued that it was a Branch after 1933, that it was only a branch between 1955-56 and 1958-1963, or that it was only in 1964, or even that it went straight from a through route to a siding/yard with nothing in between.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When would the last ever through workings have been from (North of) East Grinstead to Haywards Heath and beyond (routed via Horsted Keynes/Ardingly)?

 

[Rescars]

It depends on the OP's definition.
From 1933, all regular trains terminated at Horsted Keynes as the limit of 3rd rail. There may have been goods, specials and reliefs that worked through.
In 1955 all traffic stopped beyond Horsted Keynes (briefly), then for a rather longer period from 1958. So it definitely counts from 1958-1963 when the Ardingly Branch closed to passengers, the Bluebell line connection facing the wrong way and having a sleeper across it until 1962.
The track was only lifted in 1964, along with the section north of Horsted Keynes.

So it could be argued that it was a Branch after 1933, that it was only a branch between 1955-56 and 1958-1963, or that it was only in 1964, or even that it went straight from a through route to a siding/yard with nothing in between.

Many thanks for all this. Much more nuanced than I had realised.

 

[zwk500]

When would the last ever through workings have been from (North of) East Grinstead to Haywards Heath and beyond (routed via Horsted Keynes/Ardingly)?

Almost certainly 1955 for regular timetable traffic.

A 1950 Southern Region timetable shows an early morning East Grinstead to Lewes via Ardingly and a West Hoathly via Ardingly shortly after it, but no all-day through traffic. After BR were forced to reintroduce the 'Sulky Service' in 1956, they stuck to the letter of the law so I suspect, but cannot prove, that there were no regular through workings after the 1955 closure. It is possible that freight, special workings and summer relief traffic did use the route via Kingscote until 1958. Once the final closure of that section happened in 1958 I doubt BR would have entertained the thought of running anything over the line in case they suddenly had a fresh legal battle on their hands. However I am open to correction on that.

Many thanks for all this. Much more nuanced than I had realised.

Yes, the story of the Bluebell's closure is particularly messy as there was a lot of railway and parliamentary politics involved, and the definition of a branch is also quite contested. However, if it hadn't been so messy there arguably wouldn't have been time for the preservation movement to organise and there'd have been no BRPS, which could have left a very different looking heritage sector 20 years later.

The distinction between a freight-only running line and a long access siding is particularly hard to make. Newhaven Marine is another case of 'is it a branch, stub or siding?'. I personally would say that the route via Ardingly became a branch line between 1955-56 and 1958-63, as although the track was in situ the line was unusable. However once the passenger service removed and track lifted, it just became a freight yard off the main line.

Lastly, it's worth pointing out that the original closure of HK-EG was pre-Beeching.

 

[30907]

Almost certainly 1955 for regular timetable traffic.

A 1950 Southern Region timetable shows an early morning East Grinstead to Lewes via Ardingly and a West Hoathly via Ardingly shortly after it, but no all-day through traffic. After BR were forced to reintroduce the 'Sulky Service' in 1956, they stuck to the letter of the law so I suspect, but cannot prove, that there were no regular through workings after the 1955 closure.

There was a 3.28pm Brighton-London Br via Ardingly (no idea why!) in the pre-1955 timetable, which (OT) apparently produced an Atlantic regularly.

 

[Tester]

Also, how about the stub retained between Dumfries and Maxwelltown, after the Port Road to Castle Douglas and Stranraer was shut?

I think the OP means currently, and Maxwelltown is gone (but now almost entirely a foot/cycle path).

 

[dastocks]

There is the East London Line, where trains ran between Liverpool Street, South London and even as far as Brighton until it became part of London Underground with trains terminating at New Cross Gate and Shoreditch when the rail connections were severed at those stations.

 

[zwk500]

There is the East London Line, where trains ran between Liverpool Street, South London and even as far as Brighton until it became part of London Underground with trains terminating at New Cross Gate and Shoreditch when the rail connections were severed at those stations.

Of course, since partially restored! There's quibble about if Highbury and Islington counts as a proper connection, but New Cross Gate certainly does. New Cross remains a branch, but then I think it had always been a branch with no connection to the SE lines?

 

[satisnek]

An interesting one was the Great Central London Extension in its final years when it ran from Nottingham Arkwright Street to Rugby Central. The result was a completely isolated passenger route, surely unique on the UK mainland?

 

[Doctor Fegg]

The result was a completely isolated passenger route, surely unique on the UK mainland?

Waterloo & City?

 

[MisterSheeps]

I was not aware of that proposal (or weight restriction) other than having seen it mentioned on this thread.

EDIT: Drifting off topic, I am not sure how many of the Peak District freight flows would actually benefit from a routing via Whaley Bridge and Stockport, some go over the top at Hazel Grove having come down through Chinley. Other posters may have a better feel for this.

I believe the idea of the crossover is to allow loaded Hindlow (stone) traffic to use the Whaley Bridge route (empties can & do run in the other direction), as an alternative to sending it down Ashwood Dale and up Great Rocks Dale (which is sinuous & slow) and through Dove Holes tunnel (on the ex MR, has always been a problem with water ingress, requires regular maintenance). It is falling gradient 1 in 90 to Chinley, whilst the ex LNW is 1 in 58 from Dove Holes to Whaley Bridge, also having the problem of flat junctions at Stockport, and Heaton Norris if going via Denton. Going this way is obviously only useful for stone trains going north, via Standedge, Rochdale, Salford, etc.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I believe the idea of the crossover is to allow loaded Hindlow (stone) traffic to use the Whaley Bridge route (empties can & do run in the other direction), as an alternative to sending it down Ashwood Dale and up Great Rocks Dale (which is sinuous & slow) and through Dove Holes tunnel (on the ex MR, has always been a problem with water ingress, requires regular maintenance). It is falling gradient 1 in 90 to Chinley, whilst the ex LNW is 1 in 58 from Dove Holes to Whaley Bridge, also having the problem of flat junctions at Stockport, and Heaton Norris if going via Denton. Going this way is obviously only useful for stone trains going north, via Standedge, Rochdale, Salford, etc.

That makes sense although it is quite a stiff albeit relatively short climb out of Buxton towards Dove Holes and looking at the Sectional Appendix it appears freight trains are limited to 25mph throughout between Buxton and Hazel Grove (in both directions) unless perhaps there are plans to address this as part of the scheme.

 

[D6130]

Following the closure of the Callander to Crianlarich Lower line (and the Killin branch) in September 1965, a short dead-end branch continued to operate between Dunblane and Callander for a further couple of months....although the much shorter freight branch from Crianlarich Lower Junction to the timber terminal at the former Crianlarich Lower station continued in use for more than a further twenty years.

In the same part of the world, closure of the Balquhidder to Comrie section of the through line to Perth in 1951 brought about a long dead end branch from Perth to Comrie, with the railbus passenger service operating latterly from Gleaneagles over the branch from there to Creiff and on to Comrie.

Have we also mentioned the closure of the ex-Caledonian main line between Stanley Junction and Bridge of Dun via Forfar in 1967? This resulted in the creation of a very long freight branch from Stanley to Forfar and a much shorter one from Kinnaber Junction to Bridge of Dun (and on to Brechin)....both of which closed in 1982 or 83.

When the Waverley Route closed in January 1969, a long freight branch from Millerhill to Hawick remained in use for about a year, after which it was truncated to Lady Victoria colliery at Newtongrange, which is now the Scottish Mining Museum.

 

[satisnek]

Waterloo & City?

Indeed this is isolated in terms of track but one end interchanges with the rest of the network within one station. The final remaining part of the GCLE in the late 1960s appeared on the BR passenger network map as an unconnected route with no interchanges. This is what I'm saying must be unique?

 

[Dai Corner]

Indeed this is isolated in terms of track but one end interchanges with the rest of the network within one station. The final remaining part of the GCLE in the late 1960s appeared on the BR passenger network map as an unconnected route with no interchanges. This is what I'm saying must be unique?

Yes, but an earlier post suggested only through running should count. Has a train ever run off the W&C onto the wider network?