Uxbridge Branch 1986

[goldenarrow]

Another superb video from this channel showing the Uxbridge Branch from the front of a 1973 stock from Rayners Lane to Uxbridge.

Things of note include:

Rayners Lane: Goods yard connection and 'bridge to nowhere' both then still in situ.

Ruislip Manor: In it's prior condition with wooden shelters and down lights both long gone.

Hillingdon (Swakeleys): Precious footage showing the orignal station before it was completely swept away in 1992 for the A40 Hillingdon bypass.

Uxbridge: MW cabin in its last full year of operation (closed 1987) and associated warning and calling on signals.

[t697]

Also maybe of interest, the OPO mirrors and monitors seem to be in place ready except at Uxbridge where no sign of them at all. Perhaps the Heritage negotiations took just as long then as more recently...
Fun to hear the signal bell on this obviously two person operated train.

[Ben]

goldenarrow those lamps at Ruislip Manor went long, long ago before the 07 refurb. Possibly around the time that Ruislip lost its concrete standards?

Was there some sort of programme to replace and enhance platform lighting at stations around the time of OPO coming in?

[goldenarrow]

Ben , My apologies, some very loose language was used up there, thanks for the nudge.

[Ben]

goldenarrow not at all! I live on the branch and Ruislip Manor has been one of my local stations for decades. Anything about the branches history, especially pictures and video, is fascinating. It all looks so familiar, but just different as well.

On the subject of Ickenham, it doesn't look like it has any waiting rooms (or, at least, in the position they are now). When were they built?

[goldenarrow]

Ben , I really should know about Ickenham as that was my neck of the woods. Looking at the vid, the EB waiting is room is there, photos of the WB waiting room don't pop up till 1999.

[cso]

Nice to see they've done some deforestation at Ickenham now, though :-) (Possibly even more as they make it step-free...)

[silverfoxcc]

What was 'the bridge to nowhere?

[goldenarrow]

Jan 31, 2020 0:13:46 GMT silverfoxcc said:

What was 'the bridge to nowhere?

It was in place to link Village Way and High Worple crossing the railway just west of the end of the reversing siding. I can only assume it was never used as this was a name given by p-way gangs when it was removed leaving only the stumps that remain today.

[Chris M]

The 1916 OS map shows a bridge linking two fields.
The 1935 OS map has the bridge linking Village Way with fields south of the railway.
The 1944 OS map shows development south of the railway has apparently ignored the bridge
The 1956 OS map implies the bridge is a dead end due to property boundaries, although it is a smaller scale map than the others.
The 1960 OS map shows the bridge linking Village Way to the garden fence of the last house on Newlyn Gardens.

[littlejohn]

I notice that at Uxbridge all the lines are free. Is there any particular protocol dictating which line is allocated to which train – are they taken in rotation or what? I first travelled from Ruislip Manor to Uxbridge in the late 40s, although I cannot claim any clear recollection. I do however remember very clearly the coal staithes at Ruislip. Can anyone tell me when they were taken out of use?

[londoner]

Did any LU stock ever use the coal sidings?

[littlejohn]

According to the Ruislip Online website (http://www.ruisliponline.com/tube/ruislip.htm), which credits the LT Museum for the info, ‘A small goods yard was provided to the east of the station on the London-bound side, with facilities for coal and cattle and a dock from which road vehicles could be put on and off trains’. I suppose the coal would have been delivered by rail for onwards distribution - I remember ‘Cade’s Coals’ as one company, with gold on red livery and another with white on black whose name escapes me. Presumably, the freight movements would be by BR?

[t697]

I only noticed recently that the bridge to the west of the station appears to be built to accommodate another track that would route behind the westbound platform. Was that ever installed I wonder? The interesting link above doesn't show it in any photo, but maybe it was there at another time.

Perhaps it was the loco run round for the goods trains.

[Ben]

A couple of the sidings at Ruislip goods were electrified and there is a picture of a O/P stock train moving out from one somewhere online after running an Uxbridge-Ruislip shuttle.

Harsig states here districtdavesforum.co.uk/post/373564 that the last yards on the branch closed in 1964. Incidentally some of the final goods trains were diesel hauled.

[littlejohn]

Thank you, Ben. I left Ruislip in 1961 (although I came back later) and my parents left in 1963 so I just missed the closures in 1964.