7th May 2000

Branch Line Society
Ringway Requiem

Route :
1Z70 : Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport Stone Terminal
1Z37 : Manchester Airport Stone Terminal to Manchester Piccadilly

Notes from booking form (1a+1b) and ticket letter (2):
(1a) The only opportunity before it disappears again, to visit the branch line opened by Railtrack and the Manchester Airport plc in December 1997 for conveyance of stone from Peak Forest for use in the construction of the Airport's Second Runway. The stone contract finishes on 25th March and the line will then close to traffic, but access for our special train is expected still to be available on 7th May.
(1b) The full length of the branch, as built, was 1.3 miles, of which the first 939 yards belongs to Railtrack, beyond which is a private line belonging to the Airport and managed by the contractors for the Second Runway. The stone unloading plant encroaches into the area of the new runway and must be demolished in March as soon as traffic ceases, also involving removal of 400 metres of the end of the branch. It is anticipated that the tour will be able to traverse the remaining length, some 800 metres of the private line.
(2) With regard to the route, not withstanding information from both the Airport's Second Runway Project Manager and the Project Director of the contractors, AMEC-Carillion Joint Venture, and the permissions for private line traversal obtained from both bodies, a personal inspection made by Railtour Organiser revealed that the cut-back of the track has been rather more than predicted in the booking form, viz to about half the original length, with the intended stop block erected only a short way west of the Railtrack boundary and the track beyond lifted. Whilst this is a little disappointing, the train will still definitely run and, given that even the new end of line is within the safety zone for the soon to be commissioned new runway, is expected to be unrepeatable.

Source : Alan Sheppard (on the train throughout)

Timing's (Booked & Actual)
(from Alan Sheppard)

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