Chadderton Goods Branch
ChaddertonGoodsBranch

NEWS & UPDATES - 14/08/2021 Photos added to the BR Full & Empty Wagon Working section. 06/01/2021 A Link to Alan Roach's Youtube video of Middleton Junction Signal Box added. This is in the Middleton Junction & Vitriol section. 30/12/2020 - Loco working details updated. 22/12/2020 - No updates for a while but hopefully more to come in 2021. In the photo section for the Industrial Shunter there is a YouTube link. I you look at 2:58 in the video you will see a familar sight.

Guestbook

If you have any information about the folloing please get in touch;

Chadderton Goods branch & train workings.

Middleton Junction & Vitriol Works signal boxes.

Chadderton Power Station trains & workings.

Comments

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  • Richard Maund (Wednesday, August 17 22 11:11 am BST)

    Your 'train working' shows last movement on 3 June 1987 - presumably for removal of last emptied wagons?

    So for what purpose would 47144 have needed to visit the site for in 1988? Do you really know it was 1988 - or simply that it was sometime after June 1987?

    Your own sketch of Chadderton shows Stop Block. However, this was not a fixed Stop Block (buffer stop) but rather a removable scotch (swung open to allow trains in and out, but otherwise secured across the rail to prevent runaways)
    as shown in your photo
    https://www.chaddy-goods.co.uk/s/cc_images/cache_50046510.jpg?t=1443025577
    This was in lieu of the trap siding shown on the engineer's plan as being removed (the absence of which is made clear by later photos at Chadderton Jn).

    What date was the engineer's redundant assets plan that you show (it won't enlarge sufficiently to read any dates in the bottom right corner).

    Would I be correct in interpreting your comment: ".... the line was lifted on 30th September 1991, even though the line didn't officially close until the 8th August 1993" as indicating that the Chadderton yard area was cleared of track in Sep 1991 but that the Up & Down Siding to Vitriol was not severed until August 1993?

    At some date, Middleton West Jn box was closed and Vitriol became the "junction" for Chadderton - do you know when?

    The caption to photo https://www.chaddy-goods.co.uk/s/cc_images/cache_62839263.jpeg?t=1489162212 is misleading. Although the remaining passenger service was withdrawn and the Down (up hill) track taken out of use (and later lifted) from 7 Jan 1963, the Up (down hill) track on the Werneth incline remained a through running line until 6 Jan 1964, when the Werneth - Chadderton Jn section was taken out of use.

    I'd certainly be interested in any comments you may have to make - this message is not (necessarily) intended for publication in your Guestbook but seems to be the only way I can "email" you.

  • Stuart Haynes (Tuesday, February 15 22 10:20 pm GMT)

    Fond memories. Thank you for the updates

  • Steve (Saturday, July 17 21 07:49 pm BST)

    Well done for putting the history of this branch and story on the internet.

  • Russ Wykes (Monday, April 20 20 02:46 pm BST)

    What a fascinating website. A great record of the history and operation of the goods branch. Fabulous detail.

    I’m currently researching my next little model railway project and am looking for inspiration and just this sort of detail.

    Thanks for taking the time and trouble putting it together.

  • Darren Brierley (Saturday, February 10 18 09:08 am GMT)

    Fantastic pictures. I have always known of the coal yard, but as a kid I never saw any locos on it. I now live in Clatt, N E Scotland. I cannot believe how much things have changed on the old line. Thanks again for the site. Darren

  • Chris (Saturday, February 03 18 05:50 pm GMT)

    Chris, you are correct. The sidings ran adjacent to Hunt Lane and the buffers stops were facing Broadway. I need to update the track plan with a bit more info at some point.

  • Christopher (Monday, January 08 18 12:06 am GMT)

    Chris, have found your site an interesting read. As a local to the area I am interested in the layout of the goods yard. Am I right in thinking sidings 2/3 and the coal drop ran adjacent to Hunt Lane meaning the buffers were facing Broadway? Many thanks. Chris

  • Matthew Rutherford (Tuesday, December 26 17 12:58 pm GMT)

    Dear Chris. What a brilliant site. Well done. I have always been facinated by the branch, Middleton Junction and Vitriol Works. I Would love to model the area in N Gauge but can't find any details of track leading in to the power station and the back of the signal box nor track plans of the power station or train details. Let's see if anyone comes forward in the future. All the best. Matt.

  • Russell Clarke (Wednesday, September 13 17 11:18 pm BST)

    While working at Broadway Co-oP in the 1970s I used to see Healey Mills class 37s regularly arrive at Chadderton power station they were seen at the buffer stops near to Broadwat but couldn't get the numbers hauling 16ton mineral wagons I think.

  • David Lees (Tuesday, February 07 17 09:00 pm GMT)

    Hi ... My folks lived 1951-2015 on Ferney Field Road and I grew up there 1953-1973. Loved the old branch line. I have some photos which I'll dig out and contact you again when they're found.

  • CHRIS BRUCE (Sunday, January 01 17 08:50 pm GMT)

    Tom Hugill, the brief history and closure dates are on the start page in purple writing. I don't have any higher resolution track plans at the moment but I am working on it.

  • Tom Hugill (Tuesday, October 27 15 01:54 pm GMT)

    Hi, very interesting site. I was looking at a quail map from around 1990-2 and saw the branch detailed and found this site looking for more information. In the update it mentions adding information
    on the closure, but I cant seem to find this! Do you have any high resolution of the BR track plans?

  • Russell Butler (Saturday, April 25 15 08:32 pm BST)

    I seem to recall an article in a railway magazine about 35 years ago describing a cab ride to this destinatination. I can remember nothing else about this article but it left me very intrigued by
    this bavk water.

  • Chris Bruce (Monday, February 02 15 09:41 pm GMT)

    Track plan sketch has been added.

  • Warren Mcclintoch (Saturday, January 31 15 06:34 pm GMT)

    Is there a track layout for this

  • Russell Clarke (Tuesday, November 25 14 01:46 pm GMT)

    Good web site, I used to walk along Hunt Lane each morning in the early 1970s on my way to work and remember seeing a small shunter working the yard but can\'t remember it being yellow at that time.

  • Chris Bruce (Tuesday, December 17 13 10:43 pm GMT)

    Chris
    I would be very interested in anything to do with Chadderton Goods. Can you scan a copy of the drawings?

  • Chris Parker (Thursday, November 21 13 10:28 pm GMT)

    Hi Chris,
    I think the website is great, this was my playground when I was growing up as we lived just over the road from the coal yard, if you are interested I have a copy of a plan of the yard that was drawn
    in 1979/80, this plan shows the layout where the track was and some of the buildings, I am interested in trains and model railways and I am thinking of modelling a layout on the chadderton
    yard,
    Regards,
    Chris Parker.

  • Dave Ogden (Tuesday, April 09 13 04:28 pm BST)

    I used to live on Laurel Avenue in the early 70's where I could look out and see the occassional passing train. I used to refer to them as 'the squeeky train' and found them a little scary as I was
    very young. Myself and some friends once got lost walking along the track attempting to discover where it went to.
    Sad to see it is no more as I live in Birmingham now.
    Cool web-site and good luck with adding to the photos.

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