Another point of information, this time from a prctical point of view, is that the signal is all quite deeply woven into the interlocking of the signal box controlling the line and former junction. Re-arrangeing the interlocking is a safety critical task and not a trivial one. The reason it remains lit is the lamp proving and how lamp proving is interlocked with the previous signal in the direction of travel. If the signal is unlit, the lamp proving interlocking forces the previous signal to danger. It is a better option simply to replace a blown lamp every so often than to get close up and personal with all the interlocking to remove it permanently.
There would, of course, be the option to replace the lamp with a resistor that would maintain the lamp proving, without having the signal lit. If it's never going to be pulled off, then I would have thought that would solve any problem. Of course, being railway, it's probably not that simple!
@@gharwood1356 if its a standard BR lamp it has two filaments for failure, and each one is differently rated due to the fault circuit. So its just as easy to leave the lamp lite for every and a day. This not the only place on Network Rail where signals just stand there guarding a single line that may never see a train again.
@@gharwood1356 not only is it "not that simple" being the railway, but making that signal and junction interlock different from others will just mean that the unions demand extra pay simply because "it's different". Any slight change on the railway and the unions are up in arms. That is one of the reasons that parts of the railway still operate like its 1970 and are very resistant to change. No wonder other country's are far ahead if us in terms of railway.
As a signaling engineer it can be just that easy... I have put in a few resistors to substitute for signals to the interlocking until it can be changed... Although those are normally in place for a few months only as part of a series of stages leading up to an alteration to the interlocking
@@underwaterdick Bullshit. "No wonder other country's are far ahead if us in terms of railway." That because they invest in railways, fuck all to do with unions.
Just a correction. That signal was in use less than 30 yrs ago. Trains from the waste recycling operation at Sharston that needed to go in the Stockport direction would first run down in the Altrincham direction and into the loop just before Skelton Jct. The loco would uncouple come off the loop, onto the main line for a few yards, and then onto the 'disused' Warrington line and stop just beyond that signal and wait for the green. It would run wrong line on the main line to the other end of the loop, reverse in and couple up again. It would then either reverse it's train out of the loop and over the crossover onto the right line for Stockport direction or out of the loop and run wrong line back to Sharston where there is a crossover next to the signal box at Longley Lane.
Comments are gold. Wherever there's a railway video there's 100 experts on the minutiae of that line's history down to a resolution of about a half inch.
I agree. A silent sentry looking into the dark thick trees of the old abandoned railroad corridor. As it dutifully guards its switch. It's a lonely task that it never fails.
The reason this one is maintained is simply because there exists a viable physical connection from the main route and considered not acceptable to just clip and padlock the points and then block out the signal relay at the signal itself. Notice the catch points that protect the main route as well, those would be interlocked with the signal itself and I bet the motors for that are maintained too.
Fantastic seeing the old line. In 74 I worked at Timperly station as a young boy on the platform. I got friendly with the signal man in the Skelton junction box and spent many happy hours working the box with him. God forbid theses days but in between trains he’d go into the Moss Trooper pub for a pint 🙄 Shame it all got closed down 😫
It's... Probably for the best that the people staffing critical safety infrastructure _are not_ permitted to pop out down the pub for a pint. Especially since they tend to draw _Nice_ wages and have noteworthy amounts of trust and responsibility placed in their hands. I don't think that insisting they remain sober and at their posts for the duration of their shifts is an unreasonable ask.
There’s hundreds of signals like this on the network. I’ve seen signals still illuminated when trees have grown up and around the line, up and beyond 6ft tall. There’s quite a few round Carlisle and in the Midland region. It’s a shame that a lot of the ripped up railways weren’t left in a mothballed state like this one was.
@Richard Harrold once you repurpose it, you can’t take it back. They might not be used RIGHT NOW, but there’s so many lines across the country that they wish they could reopen now. Shame they were short sighted and put a housing estate on it. Instead, we’ll pay several billion to build HS2, instead of reinstate and rebuild the GCR (for example), which would’ve been much quicker and cheaper than rising bill for HS2. Suddenly the cost of maintaining a few bridges on a disused/disconnected railway for a couple of decades doesn’t seem so bad.
@Richard Harrold I wasn’t saying that EVERY line in the country should’ve been mothballed. I don’t know your region I’m afraid, so I’m just going to have to stick to my own for examples. Incidentally, I’m a MML freight driver. It’s adequate for what runs on it now, yes, but also under-utilised because of what it’s lost. Let’s say they kept the GCR and gave it a connection to Birmingham, or even a link to the WCML at Rugby. It wouldn’t necessarily be a great passenger route, but it would’ve been excellent for freight. Now, what’s causing half the problem on the WCML? Freight. Lots of demand for freight services over the route, but also mixed in with intense passenger services. Well, if they could run on the GCR instead, they’d still get to the major hubs that they currently use. Better still, if the connections to and from the MML hadn’t been ripped up, you could run a lot of it over there. Let’s take a Felixstowe container service to Birmingham for example: Out of Felixstowe to Cambridge. Over the East/West line that’s now being reinstated. You can come off at Bedford and go up the MML to Leicester and across. You could carry on to Bletchley and then head up the GCR if it were still there. What about Tilbury services heading north? Easy; pick the MML or GCR instead of the WCML. Doncaster and Sheffield services do the same, pick one of the alternatives. The bridges on the MML are all being raised for the cables as well, so it’s good for 9ft 6” boxes too. Down the Midland and across via the Bletchley link that’s being put back in, or cut across earlier at either Market Harborough or Wellingborough to Northampton lines (both lost). Now that I’ve brought it up, this opens up more potential connections from Corby all the way through to Northampton. The Midland and Central could have taken nearly all the freight off the West Coast, for a fraction of the cost. It’s the loss of smaller connecting lines that’s messed up any potential for it to work. I’m sure the same can be said in other regions.
There is one where the old Woodside line joins the main lines to Brighton and Oxted south of South Croydon station. As has been said easier and cheaper than completely rejiggkng all the interlocking.
In Cheltenham, a Melbourne suburb, the freight siding was converted into a car park and it was landscaped. In the middle of a garden of native shrubs was a dwarf signal showing a red light. I wished I’d taken a photo.
3:42 blinking light music is great, but so is the wonderful tour of the rail. The visual tours are always nice, even when folks really don't understand radios, antennae and other esoteric things.
We've got one like that round here. The signal controlling (or more like prohibiting) access to the Weymouth Quay branch still glows red, as it has done since 1987.
This 'peg' was used in conjunction with the Skelton loop for run-round moves. Pretty sure I did a run-round there with a failed 66 off the Northenden bins in about '00 or '01. Also run-rounds were performed with traffic ex-Northenden Blue Circle cement plant. As far as I'm aware, the spur of the old branch was never declared closed , it's future was always, it seemed, being debated. So it looks like it's status quo since I retired in 2018. And yes, to alter the current signalling and interlocking just to remove the signal would be a biggie. There are other similar signals, but memory is not what it was , so it hurts me head to try and recall 'em ! Happy days working over the Partington branch to Glazebrook and Partington power station , and to Arpley and Fiddlers Ferry , Widnes,Garsto n , Ditton and others back in the day. Better times then.Great evocative vlog.
Here in the USA and I imagine it's similar there in the UK. As long as there is a physical connection to the main line like here. In this case a track switch. There must be working signals to protect the line. Per FRA regulations. My guess is that the line is now being used as a siding for the Maintenance of Way equipment of the Section Gang in that Subdivision. It looks like the Signal Maintainer put in a LED lamp. Because of the way it was flickering with the camera shutter speed.
There are a quite a few signals like this on the national rail network. Unless a branch is officially closed, the junction to the active line has to protected by a signal, even if it hasn't seen a train in decades. As for the Glazebrook line, it would probably still be open if the Cadishead viaduct wasn't in such a state, they would have to spend millions to replace it.
No, a signal in this situation does not always have to be maintained lit. If the trap points are secured (or better yet, two lengths of rails are removed) then the signal can be powered down. But as all the rails to the junction are present, I suspect that part of the line is used for on tracking road/rail machines.
And it isn't even a British thing. I personally know similar signals in Austria, Germany and Italy. @Mark 1024MAK: some of those are/were on definitely unused tracks. One even stands at a location where the track had already been removed (coordinates 48.73759, 15.38296 if you like to google it, the railway has been converted to a cycle path) and will remain there until they upgrade the responsible signalbox. And that's the actual reason: it's too much hassle to change (and re-certificate!) all the interlocking in the signalbox. It's much easier (and cheaper) to replace a blown lamp every now and then (if lit constantly those lamps basically last forever).
@@stephanweinberger - Yes, I know of a shunting signal that is still connected up and lit and maintained, even though the track on the approach to it has been lifted. Hence no train can get to it. However, it’s an LED type not a tungsten filament lamp type. If a signal is no longer required lit, if it uses a relay for lamp proving, you just strap a ‘stage’ wire across the appropriate relay contacts. If the signal is fed from an electronic computer based module, you connect a suitable load resistor across the appropriate terminals. If lamp proving is not essential, you don’t even need to do either of these things. U.K. tungsten filament lamp types for main aspect signals have a lifespan of 1000 hours for a standard signal lamp, or 8000 hours for a long life type. So they will blow eventually. LED type obviously don’t need changing for at least ten years.
@@Mark1024MAK what exactly would be the advantage of replacing the lamp with a resistor? You still have the power draw plus you have to do the work (and possibly a re-certification). Plus you end up with a non-standard installation. Also: the lifetimes are in operation, where the lamp is switched off and on (which is the moment were lamps usually fail) regularly. When it's lit constantly it usually lasts way longer.
There is an odd amount of strange signaling around the world. Here in the USA, specifically Atlanta, the beltline bike trail has a brand new signal that is currently lit and operational that protects a would be wye the bike trail now stands on. It is still in the track diagram so has to be signaled.
The stacks of rails and the level section suggests this location could be used for engineering trains and or road/rail engineering equipment as part of maintenance work. If so the connection to the main line would need to be maintained and the connection protected in all directions.
Thanks for sharing this video. The National Library of Scotland has online maps of the UK showing how things looked going back through many decades. Their OS Six Inch, 1888-1913 map has all the stations, junctions and lines that are mentioned in this video. The desired map is selected using a pop-up window on the main map.
This looks like exactly the type of place that my friends and I would play around as kids. You cover some fascinating topics and I enjoy your stock footage!
I seem to remember near Prestonpans there was a cut off line with a red signal active and an old fuel depot on the way to Weston Super Mare past Bristol had a cut off link but still active signalling. I remember the two signals on the down ramp of the Bricklayer's Arms branch, the exit to main line signal remained operative at London Bridge as well as the signal down in what became an industrial unit where the track had disappeared under mud and tarmac and the signal vandalised mercilessly and yet the S&T would faithfully wander down and repair up the lone signal and kept the main line points and motor/signal on the ramp perfect running order. One of the reasons was the SR were interested into turning the old branch into stock sidings having lost the New Cross Gate stables but decided to put it elsewhere so the Bricklayer's was finally lifted, the land flogged off and the two signals disappeared almost as quickly as the old signal box down there.
Thanks for this; I never tire of hearing about this legendary place,the nerve centre of the Cheshire Lines Network. As I've mentioned elsewhere, a cab ride from here to Partington was filed on a railtour in 1991 and was published on a VHS tape: 'The Manchester Circular' as one of Tony Cooke's 'North West Cab Rides' which may still be found.
Another example I've seen of a permanently red railway signal was in Weymouth, Dorset. The line that ran through to the Quayside, along public streets, to a station called Weymouth Quay. In a DVD released in 2012, Video 125 briefly talked about the branch that was sometimes nicknamed "the Weymouth Tramway," "Just discernable amongst the undergrowth is a disused railway. A long closed level crossing and permanently red coloured light signal are the remains of the Weymouth Tramway, in fact the old Weymouth Quay branch, which last saw a train in May 1999. Trains used to connect with ferries to France and the Channel Islands, the Boat Trains beIng hauled by Class 33 diesels at a mere walking pace. It's quite likely the branch will never see a train again." Sadly, the last part proved to be prophetic because in 2020/21, work was carried out to remove the tracks that ran through the streets of Weymouth to the Quayside
Here in Trenton NJ we have a signal on a branch line downtown that has been disused for 20 years. The branch will eventually become part of the light rail as soon as the politicians can figure out a kickback scheme.
Fond memories of watching steam trains there as a kid when there was a steady stream of trains taking the Warrington line. The loop on the other side of the bridge was available for use in the mid 2000s as it was used for some steam specials run from Altrincham to Chester although this now seams to be abandoned as well
Despite being a disused branch, it is still connected with the main line. Hence, that signal is still being used to protect that junction point, just in case!
This is quite common even outside the UK. It's easier to leave the signal in place than alter the interlocking (and that may also require a formal close order for the branch, instead of just service suspended'). I've heard of a case where the mainline signals failed to all stop because the relay that controlled the branch failed. And it took ages for the signal electricians on-site to realise the system had failed due to the relay that drove the long removed signal was the actual fault. As some have suggested in this forum, they can just bridge out the signal lamp proving with appropriate resistors, but the logic is still there and logic relays can fail too.
Bridging out the lamp with a resistor will just make things more complicated (because non-standard). And the electricity bill will be exactly the same.
@@PottersVideos2 what? A lamp, or bridging it out with a resistor? I guess you could construct a case where a signal lamp (or resistor bridging it, which wouldn't make much difference in terms of temperature) could somehow cause a wildfire (e.g. some vine sneaking its way into the lamp housing, then drying out and catching on fire) - but the same could happen at any of the thousands of other signals in the country, which are also only visited by maintenance crew when a lamp dies. It doesn't seem to be a big problem in practice.
I think DR 205/25 in Weymouth has been the same for 22 years. It's the signal for the old tramway line through the outskirts of the town, which led from the mainline to the quayside and the ferries.
I envy the people who managed to access the track itself. After watching this, I had to see the signal for myself, as I recently moved to Whalley Range. Nothing up close, but I got a shot of it from behind the fences. Very interesting find. If you're a local, have you seen the abandoned gantry at Hadfield for the old Woodhead Line? It's a bit dangerous to access without going beyond the platform, and despite being almost completely hidden by vegetation, it's still there after over 41 years since it last saw a train go past. See for yourself.
A very eerie sensation that I'm getting from this. The light is signalling to nobody, yet it's still on. You don't expect it to work, but it still does. It's a little liminal in this aspect- There is nothing to stop here, nobody will ever drive their train down these tracks, yet this light still glows.
In ohio there is a Diamond where the Pennsy main crossed a B&O branch. The B&O is still used by CSX yet the PRR main to chicago was abandoned.. a dwarf position signal at the cross over just before the diamond is still lit in a clear position. A few position lights within the area are aswell. To cut them off would cost more than to leave them running
In the USAQ, there are many closed closed factories that had rail service. When there is still a switch from the active track its flag and light are maintained even though the operating motor or hand leaver are removed. A few of these are equipped with an active motor or hand leaver when they have a length of a 100 feet or so behind them that could be used as a set-out for Maintence Of WAY CREW OR DISABLED CARS.
There is one at cannock mid junction on the chase line in the west midlands that was only put in a few years ago (its LED) and has never seen a train and is unlikely to do so in the near future. Its protecting the main line from a line to nowhere into the Pantelever container terminal. There is no track in rear of the signal The signal and all interlocking etc is in place already it will make it much cheaper to open the yard to rail traffic in the future should it be required
Is this the line from Lichfield ? Was wondering about this on my way back to Burton along the A5 where the line passes an old quarry at chasetown ! There's also a bridge to nowhere over the toll road on the opposite side !
@@johnwalker194 thats a closed line that used to go from lichfield south to where the sutton park line leaves the chase line just north of walsall (Ryecroft junction). Theres a bit of a stub at lichfield of that line called anglesey siding but not used anymore and a steel fence across the track
I was going to think it was still lit due to some weird law. Where I am in the US, there are a few level crossings I know of where the track has been torn up on both sides of the road, the rails in the road remain for whatever reason (usually it's a busy road and removing and repaving it takes time and money). Nevertheless, they still have to be marked as active crossings. They'll mark them with just the bare minimum (Just a crossbuck, no lights, gates, etc) but vehicles that need to stop at all railroad crossings (IE, school busses) still need to stop there.
Here in smarties thier was a old railway station for the septa commuter rail that had a signal in front of it, and when the station was abandoned and later converted too a hospital, the signal remained active and stuck in red for over 18 years, before a car accident knocked it over. It’s still thier but was never put back up (which is fine as the rails where long gone and the bulb burned out a few months before the incident.
The fact there is a large space with a fair amount of neatly stacked rails and sleepers suggest it might still get used as a place to load PW trains for nearby work. It also has a section of track that's set up to Road/Rail Vehicles to go on and off the railway, and an access gate that is clearly still accessable to the ousdie world. Also the plate identifying the signal is *far* too clean for that signal to not get regular maintainence (or at least to have not recently had maintainence), so I suspect that, while the line clearly is unused pass that point, the signal itself and the track between it and the mainaline maywell not be as unused as you think
The feather, on the otherhand, deffinutly is out of use (seeing as both routes are not in a usuable state) however, it's not unusual to leave no longer required feathers in place.
Perhaps if British Rail had adopted the policy of letting lines 'sleep' in the 1960s, we could have revived a number of routes that we are in desperate need of today.
Having read through the comments I get that there are certain reasons why the light is kept on, but I see this and cannot help thinking that we keep being told not to leave our electronic devices on standby because of climate change! As for the video itself, it was very well put together. I especially liked the waste train passing through as there were two of these that passed through my home town of Bicester on a daily basis before the East-West Rail project started. Well done.
"Having read through the comments I get that there are certain reasons why the light is kept on, but I see this and cannot help thinking that we keep being told not to leave our electronic devices on standby because of climate change!" Here it's a matter of safety not negligence.
Leaving electronic devices on standby will not have any measurable effect on the climate. Some people are simply obsessed with controlling what everybody else does, and they do it through fear.
There’s a couple (well one now) on my routes. One by Windmill lane tunnel leaving Chester towards the racecourse. And then one, that’s very recently been reinstated at Penmaenmawr (PR19 I think). Both can be seen on the Holyhead video on the Don Coffey channel.
Similar setup at Selsdon on the old junction from the Oxted - Woodside Line. Passenger line closed 1983, freight continued until 1991ish. Ground signal with double red lights strongly illuminated. More complex to remove than leave in situ apparently. Very obvious from the passing trains.
I grew up in a house just off to the left of the disused freight line.....I remember many 36/46's sitting there idling before heading off towards the bridge at Moss Lane. In fact, my next door neighbour's (now sadly deceased) dad used to work the signals etc many decades ago for Skelton Junction. I'd never seen the structure until today when I saw an old photo of it.....would've been able to see it out the rear bedroom window had it remained. Many a fond memory of the Black Bridge and walking over the Bridgewater on the way to Broadheath before access was rudely taken away!!
Hi, here in the USA, there are combinations of signals and or tracks left operational or at least looking like in many parts of the country. I have an old branch line near me that is still considered in service even though it’s impossible to operate a train on it due to large sections of missing track. Also there are many crossing signals and gates missing or broken. Time will only tell if a train will ever operate on it again.
When you mentioned the reason for not removing the line my first thought was is that why the line from Gillingham to Chatham docks still exists and has some network rail activity along with the warning signs for trains but then I remembered that the Chatham waters development plans never included a place for a station
York was resignalled in 1989 and a new colour light signal was provided halfway along the Harrogate platform at Poppleton station. Only after installing it did they realise that use it they would have to lengthen the platform at vast expense so it stood there unused for nearly 30 years till it was removed.
I used to be a shunting engineer at Schaarbeek in Belgium. Underneath the Goods siding there used to be an industrial line wiggling its way into Vilvoorde, it must have been out of order ever since the 80's I suppose. Thick vegetation started growing into the tracks. forming what was basically a small forest with trees already 30 cm thick and the tracks running true them. somewhere, in the middle of that forest stood a simplified entry signal, still glowing its red light. It was a surreal sight when you drove your car by at night. somewhere in 2017, the signalling at Schaarbeek was digitalised and in one weekend, all lights where changed to leds. That is when they must have cut the cable. To this day i regret not taking a picture of that signal and its futile purpose.
I'm in the US, and I find this story somewhat spooky and interesting. I love stories and actual video footage of abandoned places and things. Would it be ever possible for you to get some video of this lit signal lamp at night? Either from the ground or directly head on with a drone? It is so spookily hypnotizing even during the daylight, but a nighttime ambience would be so much more. I truly would appreciate it if this task can be done. I will subscribe and check out your other videos, as well! Blessings from Texas!
That was Excellent Mate Hopefully one day they will reopen the West Timperley line. I Remember the day when Skelton junction Box Was demolished in 1991.
There's one like near Shirebrook and was on one of the Colliery branch's that joins and protects the mainline, the signal is still showing a red and is totally surrounded in trees.
Weymouth Harbour Tramway had signal like that - just before the crossing that lead onto the tramlines. Sat on red since about 1994 and only recently removed when they pulled up the line
how is the lamp controlled? where is it obtaining the power? where are the signal switches that control the lamp? what type of lamp is it, and why has it continued to function and not burn out? These are but a few of the questions you could have answered...
My house is pretty close to this line and about 15 years ago I witnessed a train going as far as the arches just before the bridge over the Bridgewater Canal… the only time in 23 years of living here, so very infrequently
Another 'LONG-LIT' signal - spotted in thick and thorny, almost impassable undergrowth - stood past the east end of Newton-le-Willows station, which I was surveying just a little over 20 years ago. This controlled the exit from the old, long-abandoned Motorail sidings (a car-loading ramp was located at the eastern extremity of the Manchester-bound platform). The same reason (the potential costs of a "rationalisation re-design" of the local signalling installation there made it cheaper to just maintain the status quo). However, within a dozen years of my visit, the site had been cleared and practically no traces remain visible).
Well, that 1 light bulb is a lot cheaper than driving a solitary loco down the tracks every week or two, which is what I've seen is necessary to keep a line "active" (though that was for a branch line running down the middle of a street.)
There was a great little swamp in a badly drained area in the junction . I spend many happy hours there in the 1950s and '60s playing on rafts made of old wooden sleepers. It was a great place to catch newts. Now a highly protected species of course. I wonder if Skelly Junction still has a swamp area and if so do the newts still survive?. I hope so! Another great little swamp was in a corner caused where the Warrington line crossed the Bridgewater Canal at West Timperly next to where Timperly Brook was culverted under the canal. Another spot for happy hours getting water in my wellies!
Nice video. It looked for a bit like the light was a flickering lightbulb about to burn up but my guess is that it's an LED based lamp with some frequency based controls creating an interference pattern with the camera shutter
@@Detroit8V92tta Sorry mate, but it will! When I worked in a cinema, the optical sound tracks had to have smoothed DC lamps in the readers and the photocells had to be carefully screened against pickup of hum from the projection room lighting.
I was on a railtour on leap year day (29/Feb/1992) that did Partington! I think we got the righthand feather on returning. There’s no ‘main route’ off that signal.
Similar situation near where I live in the US, mine closed, the tipple/preparation plant closed soon after, and the branch line went defunct, yet signals are still maintained as well as crossing signals, and there’s a relay cabinet also not far from me used to control a crossing, but the tracks have been completely removed from the 12 mile line, and recently the company who owned the line had crews out maintaining it and upgrading it with a satellite dish, very odd what happens on the railroads, sure it all has it’s uses and reason but strange none the less
Most of the signals in the US are controlled by track continuity (aka automatic block signalling) or manually controlled by the rail traffic control center. In their normal state, the lights are all off unless a train is scheduled for that line or a train is occupying the block. The fact that there are no tracks anymore means there is no longer any tone continuity (the signal controller sends a tone down the track and measures the return delay), so the lights must be lit in a failsafe mode and to keep the alarm circuits happy. There are different types of signals and different ways they work so I don't know how this specific one works, but they are a lot more complicated than you think.
Wasn't the CLC line from Ditton through Warrington to Skelton Junction part of the line across via Stockport Tiviot Dale to Godley, linking up with the GCR Woodhead route? MGR trains from the Yorkshire coalfields used this line to access Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. There were quite a few lines which bypassed Manchester, the Fallowfield loop also being one such line. These lines would be very useful for freight nowadays especially now Oxford Road to Piccadilly is more or less at capacity.
Thank you for the video. Would dearly love to see these two lines reopened. Why let them get to this state? The possibilities are endless if they revitalised.
The idea of this as a freight route into Trafford Park has been proposed. Big oil may stop it as they oppose decarbonisation (electrification) but freight shippers are wakening to rail as a solution to lorry driver shortages
My old section manager, a guy called Alan took possession of that portion of line many many years ago. It’s still under possession under he’s name even though he retired about 4/5 years ago. I was there about 3/4 hours ago doing some maintenance work and the signal is still lit and will remain lit for obvious interlocking purposes. The points that lead from the main line which are under the road bridge have been scotched and clipped out of use so nothing will use that line again until something is done with it. Quick question to the author of the video. How did you get permission from network rail to access the access at newstead terrace and also gain permission to use a drone above a working railway line?
There's a disused line that runs across Anglesey from Gaerwen to Amlwch, it was a passenger line but was later utilised by associated Octel a company that used to manufacture additives for leaded petrol. It's pretty much still complete, but the numerous bridges (predominantly on country lanes) have become launching points for old fridges, cookers, general fly tipping and the occasional burned out car!
It maybe out of use, but the signal interlocking doesn't know this so it's kept lit like a working signal, if it goes out other working signals go red, protecting the line and the running trains.
Most of the older signalling have been replaced by new LED signalling. And that piece of track which isn’t being used could one day be reinstated or to be used as a public bridleway and pedestrian walkway.
Another point of information, this time from a prctical point of view, is that the signal is all quite deeply woven into the interlocking of the signal box controlling the line and former junction. Re-arrangeing the interlocking is a safety critical task and not a trivial one. The reason it remains lit is the lamp proving and how lamp proving is interlocked with the previous signal in the direction of travel. If the signal is unlit, the lamp proving interlocking forces the previous signal to danger. It is a better option simply to replace a blown lamp every so often than to get close up and personal with all the interlocking to remove it permanently.
There would, of course, be the option to replace the lamp with a resistor that would maintain the lamp proving, without having the signal lit. If it's never going to be pulled off, then I would have thought that would solve any problem. Of course, being railway, it's probably not that simple!
@@gharwood1356 if its a standard BR lamp it has two filaments for failure, and each one is differently rated due to the fault circuit. So its just as easy to leave the lamp lite for every and a day. This not the only place on Network Rail where signals just stand there guarding a single line that may never see a train again.
@@gharwood1356 not only is it "not that simple" being the railway, but making that signal and junction interlock different from others will just mean that the unions demand extra pay simply because "it's different".
Any slight change on the railway and the unions are up in arms.
That is one of the reasons that parts of the railway still operate like its 1970 and are very resistant to change. No wonder other country's are far ahead if us in terms of railway.
As a signaling engineer it can be just that easy...
I have put in a few resistors to substitute for signals to the interlocking until it can be changed... Although those are normally in place for a few months only as part of a series of stages leading up to an alteration to the interlocking
@@underwaterdick Bullshit.
"No wonder other country's are far ahead if us in terms of railway."
That because they invest in railways, fuck all to do with unions.
Just a correction. That signal was in use less than 30 yrs ago. Trains from the waste recycling operation at Sharston that needed to go in the Stockport direction would first run down in the Altrincham direction and into the loop just before Skelton Jct. The loco would uncouple come off the loop, onto the main line for a few yards, and then onto the 'disused' Warrington line and stop just beyond that signal and wait for the green. It would run wrong line on the main line to the other end of the loop, reverse in and couple up again. It would then either reverse it's train out of the loop and over the crossover onto the right line for Stockport direction or out of the loop and run wrong line back to Sharston where there is a crossover next to the signal box at Longley Lane.
Comments are gold. Wherever there's a railway video there's 100 experts on the minutiae of that line's history down to a resolution of about a half inch.
😂😂👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love the loneliness of this forgotten sentinel. And to think that someone has maintained it too. Thank you for sharing.
I agree. A silent sentry looking into the dark thick trees of the old abandoned railroad corridor. As it dutifully guards its switch. It's a lonely task that it never fails.
Ha ha ha. It’s likely haunted too. Ooooooooooooh
The reason this one is maintained is simply because there exists a viable physical connection from the main route and considered not acceptable to just clip and padlock the points and then block out the signal relay at the signal itself. Notice the catch points that protect the main route as well, those would be interlocked with the signal itself and I bet the motors for that are maintained too.
Lewis,
Very cinematic, a well written script, great choice in music, and you narrated it as clear as a bell too. AS USUAL. Brilliant.
Thanks mate!
Fantastic seeing the old line. In 74 I worked at Timperly station as a young boy on the platform. I got friendly with the signal man in the Skelton junction box and spent many happy hours working the box with him. God forbid theses days but in between trains he’d go into the Moss Trooper pub for a pint 🙄 Shame it all got closed down 😫
It's... Probably for the best that the people staffing critical safety infrastructure _are not_ permitted to pop out down the pub for a pint. Especially since they tend to draw _Nice_ wages and have noteworthy amounts of trust and responsibility placed in their hands.
I don't think that insisting they remain sober and at their posts for the duration of their shifts is an unreasonable ask.
It’s just a pint mate, wonder why everyone gets so bothered
There’s hundreds of signals like this on the network. I’ve seen signals still illuminated when trees have grown up and around the line, up and beyond 6ft tall. There’s quite a few round Carlisle and in the Midland region.
It’s a shame that a lot of the ripped up railways weren’t left in a mothballed state like this one was.
You are right lines should have been mothballed.
@Richard Harrold Very true.
@Richard Harrold once you repurpose it, you can’t take it back.
They might not be used RIGHT NOW, but there’s so many lines across the country that they wish they could reopen now.
Shame they were short sighted and put a housing estate on it. Instead, we’ll pay several billion to build HS2, instead of reinstate and rebuild the GCR (for example), which would’ve been much quicker and cheaper than rising bill for HS2.
Suddenly the cost of maintaining a few bridges on a disused/disconnected railway for a couple of decades doesn’t seem so bad.
@Richard Harrold I wasn’t saying that EVERY line in the country should’ve been mothballed.
I don’t know your region I’m afraid, so I’m just going to have to stick to my own for examples.
Incidentally, I’m a MML freight driver. It’s adequate for what runs on it now, yes, but also under-utilised because of what it’s lost.
Let’s say they kept the GCR and gave it a connection to Birmingham, or even a link to the WCML at Rugby. It wouldn’t necessarily be a great passenger route, but it would’ve been excellent for freight.
Now, what’s causing half the problem on the WCML? Freight. Lots of demand for freight services over the route, but also mixed in with intense passenger services.
Well, if they could run on the GCR instead, they’d still get to the major hubs that they currently use. Better still, if the connections to and from the MML hadn’t been ripped up, you could run a lot of it over there.
Let’s take a Felixstowe container service to Birmingham for example:
Out of Felixstowe to Cambridge. Over the East/West line that’s now being reinstated. You can come off at Bedford and go up the MML to Leicester and across. You could carry on to Bletchley and then head up the GCR if it were still there.
What about Tilbury services heading north? Easy; pick the MML or GCR instead of the WCML.
Doncaster and Sheffield services do the same, pick one of the alternatives. The bridges on the MML are all being raised for the cables as well, so it’s good for 9ft 6” boxes too. Down the Midland and across via the Bletchley link that’s being put back in, or cut across earlier at either Market Harborough or Wellingborough to Northampton lines (both lost).
Now that I’ve brought it up, this opens up more potential connections from Corby all the way through to Northampton.
The Midland and Central could have taken nearly all the freight off the West Coast, for a fraction of the cost. It’s the loss of smaller connecting lines that’s messed up any potential for it to work.
I’m sure the same can be said in other regions.
There is one where the old Woodside line joins the main lines to Brighton and Oxted south of South Croydon station. As has been said easier and cheaper than completely rejiggkng all the interlocking.
In Cheltenham, a Melbourne suburb, the freight siding was converted into a car park and it was landscaped. In the middle of a garden of native shrubs was a dwarf signal showing a red light. I wished I’d taken a photo.
3:42 blinking light music is great, but so is the wonderful tour of the rail. The visual tours are always nice, even when folks really don't understand radios, antennae and other esoteric things.
Kinda spooky esp at night. Really interesting stuff Lewis and great drone footage.
We've got one like that round here. The signal controlling (or more like prohibiting) access to the Weymouth Quay branch still glows red, as it has done since 1987.
Actually specials ran on that line up to 1999.
Cheaper for NR to keep the signal in place and maintained, than to remove and have to redesign signalling and interlocks.
This 'peg' was used in conjunction with the Skelton loop for run-round moves. Pretty sure I did a run-round there with a failed 66 off the Northenden bins in about '00 or '01. Also run-rounds were performed with traffic ex-Northenden Blue Circle cement plant. As far as I'm aware, the spur of the old branch was never declared closed , it's future was always, it seemed, being debated. So it looks like it's status quo since I retired in 2018. And yes, to alter the current signalling and interlocking just to remove the signal would be a biggie. There are other similar signals, but memory is not what it was , so it hurts me head to try and recall 'em ! Happy days working over the Partington branch to Glazebrook and Partington power station , and to Arpley and Fiddlers Ferry , Widnes,Garsto n , Ditton and others back in the day. Better times then.Great evocative vlog.
Super cool! Suggestion: a map would have been helpful for more context of this situation. Even just a quick shot of Google Maps
Here in the USA and I imagine it's similar there in the UK. As long as there is a physical connection to the main line like here. In this case a track switch. There must be working signals to protect the line. Per FRA regulations. My guess is that the line is now being used as a siding for the Maintenance of Way equipment of the Section Gang in that Subdivision. It looks like the Signal Maintainer put in a LED lamp. Because of the way it was flickering with the camera shutter speed.
There are a quite a few signals like this on the national rail network. Unless a branch is officially closed, the junction to the active line has to protected by a signal, even if it hasn't seen a train in decades.
As for the Glazebrook line, it would probably still be open if the Cadishead viaduct wasn't in such a state, they would have to spend millions to replace it.
No, a signal in this situation does not always have to be maintained lit. If the trap points are secured (or better yet, two lengths of rails are removed) then the signal can be powered down. But as all the rails to the junction are present, I suspect that part of the line is used for on tracking road/rail machines.
I thought that there are plans for the Cadishead Viaduct ?
And it isn't even a British thing. I personally know similar signals in Austria, Germany and Italy.
@Mark 1024MAK: some of those are/were on definitely unused tracks. One even stands at a location where the track had already been removed (coordinates 48.73759, 15.38296 if you like to google it, the railway has been converted to a cycle path) and will remain there until they upgrade the responsible signalbox. And that's the actual reason: it's too much hassle to change (and re-certificate!) all the interlocking in the signalbox. It's much easier (and cheaper) to replace a blown lamp every now and then (if lit constantly those lamps basically last forever).
@@stephanweinberger - Yes, I know of a shunting signal that is still connected up and lit and maintained, even though the track on the approach to it has been lifted. Hence no train can get to it. However, it’s an LED type not a tungsten filament lamp type.
If a signal is no longer required lit, if it uses a relay for lamp proving, you just strap a ‘stage’ wire across the appropriate relay contacts. If the signal is fed from an electronic computer based module, you connect a suitable load resistor across the appropriate terminals.
If lamp proving is not essential, you don’t even need to do either of these things.
U.K. tungsten filament lamp types for main aspect signals have a lifespan of 1000 hours for a standard signal lamp, or 8000 hours for a long life type. So they will blow eventually. LED type obviously don’t need changing for at least ten years.
@@Mark1024MAK what exactly would be the advantage of replacing the lamp with a resistor? You still have the power draw plus you have to do the work (and possibly a re-certification). Plus you end up with a non-standard installation.
Also: the lifetimes are in operation, where the lamp is switched off and on (which is the moment were lamps usually fail) regularly. When it's lit constantly it usually lasts way longer.
There is an odd amount of strange signaling around the world. Here in the USA, specifically Atlanta, the beltline bike trail has a brand new signal that is currently lit and operational that protects a would be wye the bike trail now stands on. It is still in the track diagram so has to be signaled.
Now I’m curious as to what part of the trail it’s on, to see if I can spot it in a satellite photo or in street view!
The stacks of rails and the level section suggests this location could be used for engineering trains and or road/rail engineering equipment as part of maintenance work. If so the connection to the main line would need to be maintained and the connection protected in all directions.
Thanks for posting. I love these types of anachronisms.
Great drone work as well.
Thanks for sharing this video.
The National Library of Scotland has online maps of the UK showing how things looked going back through many decades. Their OS Six Inch, 1888-1913 map has all the stations, junctions and lines that are mentioned in this video. The desired map is selected using a pop-up window on the main map.
This looks like exactly the type of place that my friends and I would play around as kids. You cover some fascinating topics and I enjoy your stock footage!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I seem to remember near Prestonpans there was a cut off line with a red signal active and an old fuel depot on the way to Weston Super Mare past Bristol had a cut off link but still active signalling. I remember the two signals on the down ramp of the Bricklayer's Arms branch, the exit to main line signal remained operative at London Bridge as well as the signal down in what became an industrial unit where the track had disappeared under mud and tarmac and the signal vandalised mercilessly and yet the S&T would faithfully wander down and repair up the lone signal and kept the main line points and motor/signal on the ramp perfect running order. One of the reasons was the SR were interested into turning the old branch into stock sidings having lost the New Cross Gate stables but decided to put it elsewhere so the Bricklayer's was finally lifted, the land flogged off and the two signals disappeared almost as quickly as the old signal box down there.
It always amazes me the things that are around us that are hidden until someone like you points them out. Thank you for this interesting video.
Thanks for this; I never tire of hearing about this legendary place,the nerve centre of the Cheshire Lines Network. As I've mentioned elsewhere, a cab ride from here to Partington was filed on a railtour in 1991 and was published on a VHS tape: 'The Manchester Circular' as one of Tony Cooke's 'North West Cab Rides' which may still be found.
Another example I've seen of a permanently red railway signal was in Weymouth, Dorset. The line that ran through to the Quayside, along public streets, to a station called Weymouth Quay. In a DVD released in 2012, Video 125 briefly talked about the branch that was sometimes nicknamed "the Weymouth Tramway,"
"Just discernable amongst the undergrowth is a disused railway. A long closed level crossing and permanently red coloured light signal are the remains of the Weymouth Tramway, in fact the old Weymouth Quay branch, which last saw a train in May 1999. Trains used to connect with ferries to France and the Channel Islands, the Boat Trains beIng hauled by Class 33 diesels at a mere walking pace. It's quite likely the branch will never see a train again."
Sadly, the last part proved to be prophetic because in 2020/21, work was carried out to remove the tracks that ran through the streets of Weymouth to the Quayside
Here in Trenton NJ we have a signal on a branch line downtown that has been disused for 20 years. The branch will eventually become part of the light rail as soon as the politicians can figure out a kickback scheme.
Fond memories of watching steam trains there as a kid when there was a steady stream of trains taking the Warrington line.
The loop on the other side of the bridge was available for use in the mid 2000s as it was used for some steam specials run from Altrincham to Chester although this now seams to be abandoned as well
Despite being a disused branch, it is still connected with the main line. Hence, that signal is still being used to protect that junction point, just in case!
This is quite common even outside the UK. It's easier to leave the signal in place than alter the interlocking (and that may also require a formal close order for the branch, instead of just service suspended'). I've heard of a case where the mainline signals failed to all stop because the relay that controlled the branch failed. And it took ages for the signal electricians on-site to realise the system had failed due to the relay that drove the long removed signal was the actual fault. As some have suggested in this forum, they can just bridge out the signal lamp proving with appropriate resistors, but the logic is still there and logic relays can fail too.
Bridging out the lamp with a resistor will just make things more complicated (because non-standard). And the electricity bill will be exactly the same.
@@stephanweinbergerIsn't that a fire hazard?
@@PottersVideos2 what? A lamp, or bridging it out with a resistor?
I guess you could construct a case where a signal lamp (or resistor bridging it, which wouldn't make much difference in terms of temperature) could somehow cause a wildfire (e.g. some vine sneaking its way into the lamp housing, then drying out and catching on fire) - but the same could happen at any of the thousands of other signals in the country, which are also only visited by maintenance crew when a lamp dies. It doesn't seem to be a big problem in practice.
I think DR 205/25 in Weymouth has been the same for 22 years. It's the signal for the old tramway line through the outskirts of the town, which led from the mainline to the quayside and the ferries.
I envy the people who managed to access the track itself. After watching this, I had to see the signal for myself, as I recently moved to Whalley Range. Nothing up close, but I got a shot of it from behind the fences. Very interesting find. If you're a local, have you seen the abandoned gantry at Hadfield for the old Woodhead Line? It's a bit dangerous to access without going beyond the platform, and despite being almost completely hidden by vegetation, it's still there after over 41 years since it last saw a train go past. See for yourself.
A very eerie sensation that I'm getting from this. The light is signalling to nobody, yet it's still on. You don't expect it to work, but it still does. It's a little liminal in this aspect-
There is nothing to stop here, nobody will ever drive their train down these tracks, yet this light still glows.
In ohio there is a Diamond where the Pennsy main crossed a B&O branch. The B&O is still used by CSX yet the PRR main to chicago was abandoned.. a dwarf position signal at the cross over just before the diamond is still lit in a clear position. A few position lights within the area are aswell. To cut them off would cost more than to leave them running
Nice to see you branching out of your usual topic Lewis. This is just my cup of tea 👍
Hi Mothren, hope your well 👍
@@MartinZero I'm good thanks Martin. Hope you've been keeping well.
In the USAQ, there are many closed closed factories that had rail service. When there is still a switch
from the active track its flag and light are maintained even though the operating motor or hand leaver are removed. A few of these are equipped with an active motor or hand leaver when they have a length of a 100 feet or so behind them that could be used as a set-out for Maintence Of WAY CREW OR DISABLED CARS.
There is one at cannock mid junction on the chase line in the west midlands that was only put in a few years ago (its LED) and has never seen a train and is unlikely to do so in the near future.
Its protecting the main line from a line to nowhere into the Pantelever container terminal. There is no track in rear of the signal
The signal and all interlocking etc is in place already it will make it much cheaper to open the yard to rail traffic in the future should it be required
Is this the line from Lichfield ? Was wondering about this on my way back to Burton along the A5 where the line passes an old quarry at chasetown ! There's also a bridge to nowhere over the toll road on the opposite side !
@@johnwalker194 thats a closed line that used to go from lichfield south to where the sutton park line leaves the chase line just north of walsall (Ryecroft junction). Theres a bit of a stub at lichfield of that line called anglesey siding but not used anymore and a steel fence across the track
The UK and it’s rail history is beautiful , much love to UK from a Canadian railfanner!
I was going to think it was still lit due to some weird law.
Where I am in the US, there are a few level crossings I know of where the track has been torn up on both sides of the road, the rails in the road remain for whatever reason (usually it's a busy road and removing and repaving it takes time and money). Nevertheless, they still have to be marked as active crossings. They'll mark them with just the bare minimum (Just a crossbuck, no lights, gates, etc) but vehicles that need to stop at all railroad crossings (IE, school busses) still need to stop there.
Here in smarties thier was a old railway station for the septa commuter rail that had a signal in front of it, and when the station was abandoned and later converted too a hospital, the signal remained active and stuck in red for over 18 years, before a car accident knocked it over. It’s still thier but was never put back up (which is fine as the rails where long gone and the bulb burned out a few months before the incident.
The fact there is a large space with a fair amount of neatly stacked rails and sleepers suggest it might still get used as a place to load PW trains for nearby work. It also has a section of track that's set up to Road/Rail Vehicles to go on and off the railway, and an access gate that is clearly still accessable to the ousdie world. Also the plate identifying the signal is *far* too clean for that signal to not get regular maintainence (or at least to have not recently had maintainence), so I suspect that, while the line clearly is unused pass that point, the signal itself and the track between it and the mainaline maywell not be as unused as you think
The feather, on the otherhand, deffinutly is out of use (seeing as both routes are not in a usuable state) however, it's not unusual to leave no longer required feathers in place.
Brilliant Lewis. Seriously good presentation
Nice drone footage at the end. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
I love stuff like this, thank you for sharing!
Great video. 👏
Used to do a bit of trainspotting at Skelton Junction in the late 1970s, always great place to visit.
Perhaps if British Rail had adopted the policy of letting lines 'sleep' in the 1960s, we could have revived a number of routes that we are in desperate need of today.
The tried that on the Pelaw Branch and the local Charvas pinched the bloody rails for scrap!
Was on a BLS railtour that went a short way along this line around 2007. Only went as far as the 1st signal after the junction.
Having read through the comments I get that there are certain reasons why the light is kept on, but I see this and cannot help thinking that we keep being told not to leave our electronic devices on standby because of climate change!
As for the video itself, it was very well put together. I especially liked the waste train passing through as there were two of these that passed through my home town of Bicester on a daily basis before the East-West Rail project started. Well done.
"Having read through the comments I get that there are certain reasons why the light is kept on, but I see this and cannot help thinking that we keep being told not to leave our electronic devices on standby because of climate change!"
Here it's a matter of safety not negligence.
Leaving electronic devices on standby will not have any measurable effect on the climate. Some people are simply obsessed with controlling what everybody else does, and they do it through fear.
Hope it’s never removed. Cheers from the US 🍺
There’s a couple (well one now) on my routes. One by Windmill lane tunnel leaving Chester towards the racecourse. And then one, that’s very recently been reinstated at Penmaenmawr (PR19 I think). Both can be seen on the Holyhead video on the Don Coffey channel.
Great views of the freight train. Cool oddity absolutely fascinating info❤️😊🎄
Similar setup at Selsdon on the old junction from the Oxted - Woodside Line. Passenger line closed 1983, freight continued until 1991ish. Ground signal with double red lights strongly illuminated. More complex to remove than leave in situ apparently. Very obvious from the passing trains.
I grew up in a house just off to the left of the disused freight line.....I remember many 36/46's sitting there idling before heading off towards the bridge at Moss Lane. In fact, my next door neighbour's (now sadly deceased) dad used to work the signals etc many decades ago for Skelton Junction. I'd never seen the structure until today when I saw an old photo of it.....would've been able to see it out the rear bedroom window had it remained. Many a fond memory of the Black Bridge and walking over the Bridgewater on the way to Broadheath before access was rudely taken away!!
That moment when the subject matter and thumbnail scream Tom Scott, but Tom Scott is nowhere to be seen.
Fascinating video! :D
Great video, Lewis...👍
Hi, here in the USA, there are combinations of signals and or tracks left operational or at least looking like in many parts of the country. I have an old branch line near me that is still considered in service even though it’s impossible to operate a train on it due to large sections of missing track. Also there are many crossing signals and gates missing or broken. Time will only tell if a train will ever operate on it again.
Strangely haunting film. Excellent footage, well done.
When you mentioned the reason for not removing the line my first thought was is that why the line from Gillingham to Chatham docks still exists and has some network rail activity along with the warning signs for trains but then I remembered that the Chatham waters development plans never included a place for a station
Great production values mate.
My house bulbs only last about 2 bloody years...have a pint that man....
York was resignalled in 1989 and a new colour light signal was provided halfway along the Harrogate platform at Poppleton station. Only after installing it did they realise that use it they would have to lengthen the platform at vast expense so it stood there unused for nearly 30 years till it was removed.
I used to be a shunting engineer at Schaarbeek in Belgium. Underneath the Goods siding there used to be an industrial line wiggling its way into Vilvoorde, it must have been out of order ever since the 80's I suppose. Thick vegetation started growing into the tracks. forming what was basically a small forest with trees already 30 cm thick and the tracks running true them. somewhere, in the middle of that forest stood a simplified entry signal, still glowing its red light. It was a surreal sight when you drove your car by at night. somewhere in 2017, the signalling at Schaarbeek was digitalised and in one weekend, all lights where changed to leds. That is when they must have cut the cable. To this day i regret not taking a picture of that signal and its futile purpose.
I'm in the US, and I find this story somewhat spooky and interesting. I love stories and actual video footage of abandoned places and things. Would it be ever possible for you to get some video of this lit signal lamp at night? Either from the ground or directly head on with a drone? It is so spookily hypnotizing even during the daylight, but a nighttime ambience would be so much more. I truly would appreciate it if this task can be done. I will subscribe and check out your other videos, as well! Blessings from Texas!
Fascinating stuff, well done!
I remember into the 1990s - on the line past Rowntrees that had not been used for many years - the signals were all still lit on red.
That was Excellent Mate Hopefully one day they will reopen the West Timperley line. I Remember the day when Skelton junction Box Was demolished in 1991.
It may technically be guarding the junction, but nothing's getting past that catch-point.
One at Chichester station too for the old oil terminal
There's one like near Shirebrook and was on one of the Colliery branch's that joins and protects the mainline, the signal is still showing a red and is totally surrounded in trees.
We had a few of those signals in the Netherlands. But those tracks are broken up now, so the signals are gone too
Weymouth Harbour Tramway had signal like that - just before the crossing that lead onto the tramlines. Sat on red since about 1994 and only recently removed when they pulled up the line
Cool signal. Nothing like that in America. Nice video and history. Glad to see a professional quality video made on abandoned lines.
how is the lamp controlled? where is it obtaining the power? where are the signal switches that control the lamp? what type of lamp is it, and why has it continued to function and not burn out? These are but a few of the questions you could have answered...
My house is pretty close to this line and about 15 years ago I witnessed a train going as far as the arches just before the bridge over the Bridgewater Canal… the only time in 23 years of living here, so very infrequently
Another 'LONG-LIT' signal - spotted in thick and thorny, almost impassable undergrowth - stood past the east end of Newton-le-Willows station, which I was surveying just a little over 20 years ago.
This controlled the exit from the old, long-abandoned Motorail sidings (a car-loading ramp was located at the eastern extremity of the Manchester-bound platform).
The same reason (the potential costs of a "rationalisation re-design" of the local signalling installation there made it cheaper to just maintain the status quo).
However, within a dozen years of my visit, the site had been cleared and practically no traces remain visible).
Well, that 1 light bulb is a lot cheaper than driving a solitary loco down the tracks every week or two, which is what I've seen is necessary to keep a line "active" (though that was for a branch line running down the middle of a street.)
We've got one of those down in Dorset on the spur to Weymouth Harbour. Last used 1990.
There was a great little swamp in a badly drained area in the junction . I spend many happy hours there in the 1950s and '60s playing on rafts made of old wooden sleepers. It was a great place to catch newts. Now a highly protected species of course. I wonder if Skelly Junction still has a swamp area and if so do the newts still survive?. I hope so!
Another great little swamp was in a corner caused where the Warrington line crossed the Bridgewater Canal at West Timperly next to where Timperly Brook was culverted under the canal. Another spot for happy hours getting water in my wellies!
Nice video. It looked for a bit like the light was a flickering lightbulb about to burn up but my guess is that it's an LED based lamp with some frequency based controls creating an interference pattern with the camera shutter
That design is normally filament, but if it's AC fed, then you'll get that strobe effect.
@@gharwood1356 no you don't. It's been replaced with a LED light source. Incandescent won't pulse on AC or DC.
@@Detroit8V92tta Sorry mate, but it will! When I worked in a cinema, the optical sound tracks had to have smoothed DC lamps in the readers and the photocells had to be carefully screened against pickup of hum from the projection room lighting.
Great videos, love your sense of history! 👏
I was on a railtour on leap year day (29/Feb/1992) that did Partington! I think we got the righthand feather on returning. There’s no ‘main route’ off that signal.
Wow !! Love it
It's to prevent any train from entering the line we have one in Ireland
There's one at Rotherham Masbrough station deep in the bushes at the disused loop exit at the north end.
the waymouth tramway (whats left of it) also retains two signals that are still lit
Looks just amazing 🤩
Similar situation near where I live in the US, mine closed, the tipple/preparation plant closed soon after, and the branch line went defunct, yet signals are still maintained as well as crossing signals, and there’s a relay cabinet also not far from me used to control a crossing, but the tracks have been completely removed from the 12 mile line, and recently the company who owned the line had crews out maintaining it and upgrading it with a satellite dish, very odd what happens on the railroads, sure it all has it’s uses and reason but strange none the less
Most of the signals in the US are controlled by track continuity (aka automatic block signalling) or manually controlled by the rail traffic control center. In their normal state, the lights are all off unless a train is scheduled for that line or a train is occupying the block.
The fact that there are no tracks anymore means there is no longer any tone continuity (the signal controller sends a tone down the track and measures the return delay), so the lights must be lit in a failsafe mode and to keep the alarm circuits happy.
There are different types of signals and different ways they work so I don't know how this specific one works, but they are a lot more complicated than you think.
Wasn't the CLC line from Ditton through Warrington to Skelton Junction part of the line across via Stockport Tiviot Dale to Godley, linking up with the GCR Woodhead route? MGR trains from the Yorkshire coalfields used this line to access Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. There were quite a few lines which bypassed Manchester, the Fallowfield loop also being one such line. These lines would be very useful for freight nowadays especially now Oxford Road to Piccadilly is more or less at capacity.
Seen quite a few Lit signals , some on Selby branch with some well established trees in 4 foot
"I know a place where we can go, where we are not known"
Similar thing in my local area in Poland where there's a lit blue signal but the track isn't used..
Very interesting video Lewis. Keep them coming. 73.
Thank you for the video. Would dearly love to see these two lines reopened. Why let them get to this state? The possibilities are endless if they revitalised.
The idea of this as a freight route into Trafford Park has been proposed. Big oil may stop it as they oppose decarbonisation (electrification) but freight shippers are wakening to rail as a solution to lorry driver shortages
Excellent video. I found it very interesting.
My old section manager, a guy called Alan took possession of that portion of line many many years ago. It’s still under possession under he’s name even though he retired about 4/5 years ago. I was there about 3/4 hours ago doing some maintenance work and the signal is still lit and will remain lit for obvious interlocking purposes. The points that lead from the main line which are under the road bridge have been scotched and clipped out of use so nothing will use that line again until something is done with it. Quick question to the author of the video. How did you get permission from network rail to access the access at newstead terrace and also gain permission to use a drone above a working railway line?
Network Rail don't control the air space. If there are no CAA flight restrictions, sub 250g drones can fly with line of sight from the operator.
There's a disused line that runs across Anglesey from Gaerwen to Amlwch, it was a passenger line but was later utilised by associated Octel a company that used to manufacture additives for leaded petrol.
It's pretty much still complete, but the numerous bridges (predominantly on country lanes) have become launching points for old fridges, cookers, general fly tipping and the occasional burned out car!
A mate has been a signaller in the area and apparently when NR rolled out new LED signal heads DJ8 duly got one.
It maybe out of use, but the signal interlocking doesn't know this so it's kept lit like a working signal, if it goes out other working signals go red, protecting the line and the running trains.
Most of the older signalling have been replaced by new LED signalling. And that piece of track which isn’t being used could one day be reinstated or to be used as a public bridleway and pedestrian walkway.