Rayners Lane Sidings

[Hutch]

I have just been cruising Google Earth mainly to look at Hammersmith Met. and see what options there are for lengthening the platforms. That aside though, my wanderings took me to Rayners Lane where I came across two disused sidings between the car park and platforms. I can see that their connection to the Uxbridge bound track beside the Piccadilly turn back siding has been disconnected . Furthermore, they don’t appear to have been electrified – or the conductor rails have been removed. What were they used for please and when were they last used. Google Earth’s images are two to three years old – I can tell because my father’s old car which he sold two years ago is parked in his drive! – are these sidings still there? They look to be occupying valuable car parking spaces that could be turned to account.

[orienteer]

The sidings are still there. Never been used for regular trains within my memory, but seem to recall some wagons or track equipment being on them years ago when they were still connected to the main line. Maybe they were no longer required after the Ruislip siding/connection to the Central Line depot was built.

[q8]

'Weren't they the sidings used by a coal merchants for their wagons? I seem to recall some reference to a coal yard at Rayners Lane

[ejitrafik]

Also (kind of on topic!) Where the West Ruislip depot line joins the Picc/Met, what train is sitting at that junction? It looks silver?

[Deleted]

In another thread, Harsig provides a map from 1935 of Rayners Lane (link on quote below), and the sidings are there then.

harsig said:

theonekea said:

Ah - then it could be the South Harrow viaduct.

Harsig once posted a signal diagram of the gasworks siding at South Harrow - perhaps it has some auto numbers on it...

This is the link you are referring to

www.geocities.com/idsmesig/ForumPictures/RaynersLane1935.jpg

As you will see, and as I stated earlier in this thread, the Rayners Lane Branch Autos are in the A5xx series

[motormanmet]

These sidings were part of the goods yard which of course was bigger (the car park is now on part of it), i believe the yard was closed in 1964 but two sidings were retained for engineers trains. They were never electrified.