Last Look at Trafford Park

(All 1.5.1986 copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing)

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A last look at some of the lines that in 1986 littered the Trafford Park Estate in Manchester. I walked a fair bit of the lines but didn't see a single item of rolling stock.

I think at least part of this system survives, but it seems crazy that it is not busy with trains, offering a far more efficient delivery service than our crumbling roads ever will. Hopefully as time goes by more and more of this system will come back to life and offer an inspiration to other estates around the country, giving them a resilence that road-only served estates will only be able to dream of!

Trafford Park again

All copyright Steve Sainsbury/Rail Thing 13.5.1986

FACEBOOK - RAILS OF MANCHESTER

Five more shots from the industrial lines at the Trafford Park Estate in Manchester, taken on 13 May 1986. They all display the rather intimate nature of the mainly roadside route, though signs of disuse are rife as well!

There were at one time 18 miles of routes through the estate. Hopefully the lines will see further use in the future!

Further information

Purbeck narrow gauge

FACEBOOK - INDUSTRIAL RAILWAYS

Way back in 1971 I took a couple of trips to the Swanage branch just before it's  ridiculous closure and on one trip got off at Corfe Castle to explore a bit. I'd spotted a small bridge crossing the track near the station and wanted to see what it was.

Amazingly when I got there there was a two foot gauge railway complete with wagons, that led off on to the heath. I didn't have time to explore further as I had a train to catch back, but took a few photos. Sadly the whole roll of film didn't come out so all I have is memories, but the line was one of the many NG lines on the Furzebrook peninsular.

Now the Swanage railway - rebuilt and thriving - has opened a museum to celebrate these fascinating lines!

Star opening for heritage museum

11:56am Friday 6th June 2014 in NewsBy Martin Lea

Emmet the steam engine at the museum

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AN INDUSTRIAL museum celebrating Dorset’s clay mining heritage will be officially opened today.

Antiques Roadshow star Paul Atterbury, an expert on ceramics and author of railway books, has been invited to open the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum.

The museum is next to Swanage Railway’s station at Norden, near Corfe Castle.

It was built by volunteers on the site of old ball clay works demolished during the 1970s.

Explaining the history and technology behind ball clay mining – which dates back 2,000 years – the museum features a realistic reconstruction of an under-ground mine tunnel, a rebuilt ball clay trans-shipment building, a 300-metre section of narrow gauge railway as well as an engine shed with viewing area.

Purbeck ball clay was used in the manufacture of fine china and was also used in the 27,000 ceramic tiles making up the space shuttle’s outer skin and preventing the hi-tech spacecraft from burning up during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

The museum, which has been built over the past decade, won the Heritage Railway Association’s Interpretation Award for quality earlier this year recognising its value as an educational resource and quality visitor attraction.

Museum chairman Peter Sills said: “We are delighted that Paul Atterbury has agreed to officially open the museum which has taken volunteers some 12 years and 40,000 hours to plan and build from scratch.It will be opened in a ceremony beginning at 2pm witnessed by guests including South Dorset MP Richard Drax and Swanage Railway Trust patron Sir William McAlpine who is a keen railway expert and enthusiast.

“Part of the Swanage Railway Trust and its educational remit, the museum has been achieved thanks to a £100,000 European Union grant from the Chalk and Cheese organisation as well as £40,000 donated by generous members of the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum.”

something different!

This is a rare shot showing the electrified industrial railway at Kearsley near Manchester, back in 1974. I'm not sure about the current (no pun intended!) state of this line, but what I do know is that the industrial railway will soon make a comeback big time!

When I started this blog not a lot of people were aware of Peak Oil but in the  last year or two it's an issue that's becoming ever more important. Whilst some roads may survive within towns and cities for electric vehicles and horse drawn traffic, it's highly unlikely that roads BETWEEN places will survive. At the same time most if not all freight will switch to rail, and many industrial locations, if they are to continue, will need dedicated rail access. This will mean a network of industrial railways springing up, as well as agricultural lines and lines into markets. Some will be electrified but many will use wood burning steam - diesels will vanish in step with oil.

I've been buying up negatives and slides of mainly diesel locomotives and industrial lines for The Rail Thing, which should launch fully later this year.

industrial line

Some evening shots of an industrial line near Redhill, taken on 12 June 1985. It was visible from the London-Brighton main line, under which it crossed. With some roadside running, street track and its own little locomotive this was a fascinating place. Wonder if it's still there?