There are plans to build a three road wagon storage shed on the site of the old sugar beet sidings at Foley Park
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WAGON STORAGE SHED
During the late 1960s and 1970s the SVR (mainly the 813 Fund) built up an enviable collection of pre-nationalisation rolling stock including a large number of mainly Great Western Railway wagons.
There are over 100 wagons on the Railway, with over 50 being ex GWR, representing over 30 different types. In theory, there are sufficient open wagons, vans and engineering wagons and to run representative services for coal, stone or merchandise traffic.
The next largest group is ex British Rail vehicles, but most of these are for specific engineering purposes on the Railway. There are smaller numbers from other railway groupings.
Background
Recent History
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In April 2008 Steve Peplow produced a paper on the ‘Funding and Responsibility for Wagon Repairs on the SVR’. It sought a means of establishing responsibility for funding and repairs to the fleet of goods wagons. It led to a proposal for a shed to protect and store the more historic vehicles and allow easier marshalling of freight trains. Paul Fathers prepared an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2010 for financial support for a two road shed in the Stourport line cutting that also included use of the Bewdley Goods Shed as an educational resource.
The Group
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The following tasks have been achieved to date:
• Terms of Reference agreed for the Group
• A draft wagon list produced showing status, ownership and priority for covered storage
• Draft ideas for adding a wagon repair facility into the Bewdley Yard redesign have been established as compatible, allowing the Bewdley Goods Shed to become a display/demonstration resource in the future
• Scrub from the sidings cleared in December 2015 by the combined resources of Bewdley groups
• Full ground survey of the former sidings area funded and produced
• Agreed list of requirements for the area produced with the help of engineering, P-Way and Wagon Departments. It includes the shed, access and p-way/loco delivery point.
• Discussions with S&T Dept have ascertained the S&T cabling along this stretch is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced as part of the works.
• Discussions held with St Francis Group (developer of Silverwoods) with compatibility checked with the South Kidderminster Enterprise Park Masterplan.
• Provision allowed for possible Foley Park Platform and the small car park.
• A draft track layout has been prepared with a single lead (for ease of signalling, although a cabinet will need re-siting) to service a 3 road 150 metre long shed (accommodates c 60 wagons – see cross section) together with run round loop, headshunt and an off loading facility - hopefully accessed where the proposed commercial access road off Silverwoods Way roundabout will meet the SVR fence line.
• Sketches have been produced to illustrate how a shed building would relate to the Silverwoods developments, particularly to the flats for the elderly. The trees on the boundary have been surveyed by St Francis Group with the design seeking to retain as many as practicable.
• An initial discussion has taken place with Wyre Forest District Council Planning Officer to ascertain any specific requirements for a planning application (some consultation with the new residents and an invertebrates survey).
• Discussions held with 813 Fund to establish their support and willingness to amend their running agreements and constitution to take into account the benefits of inside storage.
• Approaches have been made to design and build suppliers of ‘Agricultural’ type portal frame buildings to establish budget costs and interest in helping has been identified.
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The proposals utilise the full area of the former Foley Park Sidings. This originally held 4 tracks with a headshunt over Lisle Avenue underbridge to reach the start of Falling Sands Viaduct. The platform at Foley Park was originally on the south side with an access pathway (which still exists) to Stourport Road. On construction of the sidings the platform with pagoda shelter was moved to the north side. Stourport Road overbridge was constructed for double track. The clearance work so far has not uncovered any track drainage suggesting that the design should incorporate a new drain and/or French drains to discharge at the east end where St Francis Group have their outfall to the canal/river.
The design seeks to accommodate a 60 wagon 3 road storage shed with an external run round loop and the engineering siding at the east end. The latter would facilitate the offloading of permanent way materials and visiting locomotive loading with road access off Silverwoods Way.
It is envisaged that the shed would be a standard ‘Agricultural’ type building with 5 metre spaced portal frames (on pad foundations in the sandstone formation) and propriety cladding with windows and photovoltaic panels on the roof to provide income source including lighting. Electrical and water supplies could be accessed off Stourport Road. The 3 roads would be fed from the east with only a single road emerging from the west end. The latter would allow demonstration wagon events linked to the car park access off Felix Baxter Drive.
It is envisaged that there would be raised walkways between the internal tracks allowing limited access for viewing. At present, the southerly road would contain historically significant non-runners with the remaining roads having different demonstration goods trains with vans at each end. There is provision at the east end for a large locomotive (e.g 8F or 28XX) to sit in front of the doors. The run round loop and headshunt are around 175 metres long to accommodate typical freight trains or engineering trains. The engineers siding has been designed to allow road vehicles to run along as well as offloading ballast or rails. The actual access road alignment awaits discussions with the developer of the commercial plots and their servicing requirements.
On costs, much of the trackwork will be available from main line re-layings and could be stored on the area for re-use. A suitable switch point is available from stock for the connection onto the main line. 5 additional turn outs would need to be acquired. S&T envisage the single main line switch would be incorporated into the Kidderminster signalling with the rest operated by hand.
Initial estimates from building suppliers suggest around £200k for design, supply and erection of the shed with additional works needed on earthworks, drainage, fencing/security, electricity and water supply. Construction could be phased with the engineer’s siding being required sooner for trackwork delivery and the works to the cabling and relaying need to be planned together. When many of the wagons are moved it would be possible to proceed with the Bewdley plans as a separate phase.
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Benefits and Outcomes
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Proposals
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• A new base for movement of P-Way materials and transfer of rolling stock with unfettered access.
• New storage facility for storage of much of the wagon fleet and protecting the fragile wooden bodied stock.
• In due course, enhanced wagon repair facilities at Bewdley .
• In conjunction with the Engine House and Kidderminster Railway Museum, an ability to set out and demonstrate the historical importance of goods operations on a country branch railway.
• Limited public access would be available to the Wagon Storage Shed and Bewdley Goods Shed with interpretive material available.
• An improved despatch and disposal of demonstration goods trains with particular types of services available.
• Income source from Photovoltaic Panels.
• A much tidier and less congested railway.
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A plan of the proposed shed. Click on the image for a larger version.
The SVR also possesses an original GWR Goods Shed with hand crane at Bewdley (the one at Bridgnorth was absorbed into the loco shed/works) and many original features in the former goods yards at Eardington, Hampton Loade, Highley and Arley.
The former Carpet Warehouse at Kidderminster is used as the Carriage Works while the Grain Warehouse is used by the Kidderminster Railway Museum (KRM). On view in the Engine House at Highley is a private owner wagon and KRM has four wagons visible but not currently accessible.
The 1980s saw the setting up of the Wagon Department based in the Bewdley Goods Shed and led by Steve Peplow. The Department has sought to progress wagon repairs with little budget and basic facilities – keeping the engineering fleet and demonstration goods trains in service. A highlight was the, not to be forgotten, visit to Newport in 1985 of 2857 hauling a train of restored GWR goods wagons from the Railway to mark the GWR 150 celebrations.
The continued exposure to the elements of outside storage means that over 30 vehicles are currently unserviceable, many being of historical importance. Demonstration freight trains remain popular but the educational potential remains largely untapped.
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Foley Park Halt and the sugar beet sidings
Following the initial meeting in September 2015 further meetings have been held together with discussions with the Railway’s P-Way, Signalling and Engineers Departments. The ‘Wagon Review Group’ as it became known, involves representatives from the Wagon Department, wagon owners, Bewdley Station, P-Way and those engaged in earlier attempts. Possible locations for the shed were soon whittled down to a preferred location of the former Foley Park Sidings. The rapid developments at the former Sugar Beet Factory increased the urgency of making early progress on the ideas.
The bid was unsuccessful having insufficient community or educational outputs.
Following discussions with the Wagon Department in the Summer of 2015, Richard Gunning called an initial meeting of interested parties on 5th September to consider forming a group to progress ideas for a wagon shed and associated facilities. The Carriage Department Review had already proposed an additional carriage repair facility at Bewdley which could be supplemented by a new wagon repair shed, provided the number of wagons stored at Bewdley could be substantially reduced.