Unlike airlines approaching a blocked terminal, at least trains can be parked in the weeds without harm to the equipment or the personnel... You present a great photo essay, Alan...thanks
The trains are cool but I'm so impressed with the signals in those shots. You can see all these old style mechanical semaphore signals on these huge tree like arrays. Very very cool stuff. I guess I've gotten used to seeing graffiti on American trains so it's just part of the scenery to me. I'm fairly sad to see those english trains bearing tags, I guess I'm so used to seeing european trains only as toys in boxes that seeing them with real markings just seems wrong. I'm sort of curious about this place barnetby. I know nothing about it. Is it some sort of really important junction? I see the tracks curving off in one shot with the other set running straight out into the distance. [ September 28, 2005, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Alan ]
Yes, it is an important freight route. Barnetby is a junction of the lines from Lincoln, Brig, and Scun thorpe to Immingham Docks, near Grimsby. Passenger trains go to Grimsby. Coal and iron ore are imported and loaded onto trains in the docks. The iron ore trains shuttle between the docks and Scunny steelworks. Coal trains are to various power stations.
Ah, yes, 'tagging'. Another word for criminal damage in my eyes! I used to see a lot of that in Germany before seeing much here, but it seems it is a worldwide disease now
At least with the trains parked for so long, it gave me time to take a look at the coal car details. [ September 28, 2005, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: Alan ]
Matt and I are planning to go to Barnetby next monday if the weather is ok. He likes the sound of the place, so I will take him along to see for himself. I just love freight trains, and those semaphore signals
Try this link: Area Map Link The rail lines are thin grey lines, stations are white dots on those lines. Starting from the East, there is a large port at Immingham, just north of Grimsby, and the main route runs west from there. There are lots of refineries in the area as well (not shown on this scale of map), a passenger-only branch from Barton on Humber joins at Ulceby, where there is a triangle. The main route then funnels all traffic from the area past Croxton, Melton Ross and Barnetby (Barnetby Le Wold on the map) and splits three ways at Wrawby Junction, which is the junction that is down the line in Alan's pics. Following the northern route west (most freight goes that way) you get to Scunny, where there is still a large steelworks, destination for the iron ore trains and some of the coal. The coal in box wagons goes to various industries, such as the cement plant at Rugby, and is unloaded with grabs. The other coal heads for various power plants. Past Scunny, the line eventually joins to other lines from Hull and connects to the East Coast main line at Doncaster. The middle route heads to Gainsborough, then on past the East Coast main line at Retford towards Sheffield. The line that turns south heads down to Lincoln.
Ref the signals, the three sets of three signals in the distance control the junction, there are three westbound tracks at that point, one gantry (mast) refers to each track, and the individual signal heads clear the route to left/ahead/right routes. The middle one is the fastest route (straight on) through the junction so has the highest mounted signal head. Hope that makes sense!
Does to me Martyn - but then I grew up with 'em One advantage in living in Lincolnshire is that most signals are semaphores
That map has my favorite place name ever, just north of Caenby Corner (A15-A631) junction. But you'll have to look....
It just reminded me of a sign I saw in a field a couple of years ago. On this very spot On the 12th February 1732 Absolutely Nothing happenned.....
Martyn, is this another case of the Village Historical Society of being "Neither For, Nor Against Apathy?" Frankly, I doubt if they really cared one way or the other....
