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[[File:Alveley_Sidings-1959-10-07.jpeg|thumb|200px300px|right|6388 passes large numbers of coal wagons at Alveley Sidings in October 1959 ([[Sellick Collection]])]]

A set of sidings Alveley Sidings were located between [[Highley]] and [[Hampton Loade]] , and opened on 30 January 1939, built to serve [[Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway#Alveley Colliery| Alveley Colliery]], which was located across the river. The sidings were opened in the 1930s, and were kept in use beyond the closure of the line between [[Bewdley]] and [[Shrewsbury]] in 1963, accessed from Bewdley. However, the mine became uneconomical to work and was closed in 1969, with the sidings and line North of Bewdley being closed at the same time, as no other source of traffic remained. The sidings were adjacent to a [[Alveley Miners Halt level crossing | halt]] used by miners travelling to the colliery by railway.

== Operations ==[[File:GWRplanAlveleySidings.jpg|thumb|300px|right|GWR plan of Alveley Colliery =Sidings]]A concrete arched bridge was built across the river Severn between 1936 and 1937. Coal was brought from the colliery to the sidings and colliery, initially by a narrow gauge cable-worked tramway across the bridge, and later by an aerial ropeway above it.<ref name ="Marshall101">[[Bibliography#Books | Marshall (1989)]] p. 101.</ref>

The shaft at sidings were accessed via two ground frames, [[Alveley North ground frame|Alveley was sunk in 1935 to a depth of 360 yards North]] and [[Alveley South ground frame|Alveley South]], which were unlocked by the [[Highley Mining Company, and was connected with their workings from their signal box|Highley shaft, which had proceeded under the river by this point]]-[[Hampton Loade signal box|Hampton Loade]] token. Initial work An intermediate token instrument was completed provided in 1937, and production starting in 1938. The new shaft replaced a cabin between the one at Highley, which was closed in 1939two ground frames, with all production being brought direct telephone lines to the surface at AlveleyHighley Signal Box and Hampton Loade Booking Office, although as well as the old shaft was retained for ventilation and as an emergency evacuation routeWorcester Exchange-Bridgnorth Signal Box omnibus line. The workings were very modern, with full use being made of electrical power, including completely mechanical working of intermediate instrument allowed trains to be locked in so that other traffic could pass on the main line whilst shunting took place in the coal facesidings.

Coal was brought across The layout on the river by GWR side consisted of a rope-worked tramway across front loop line, with a bridge built capacity of 50 wagons, and a number of other sidings and headshunts. Two connections to serve the mineprivate sidings were provided, one at the South end leading to the empty wagon sidings, which held 40 wagons, and another at the North end leading to the loaded wagon sidings, holding 36 wagons. The two rakes of private sidings were connected internally via the coal screens, the large buildings visible in the Sellick photograph, where coal was later replaced with an aerial ropeway loaded into the wagons. GWR locomotives were used to set down and pick up wagons on these sidings, but were otherwise not allowed in 1961. This served the washeries and private sidings.

Production was fairly consistent, reaching full output in 1944 with 275,000 tons raised, with that year's record being 5,547 tons in one week, and a peak ==Preservation==The sidings were deemed unsuitable for the storage of 300,000 tons per year reached in the late 1950s. Employment was 741 in 1947, rising SVR stock due to over 1,250 in the mid 1950s, and falling to around 700 by the mine's closure. A major expansion was undertaken in remoteness of the late 1950s location and early 1960s, completed in 1962, after large reserves of coal were found to the East resultant risk of the current workingsvandalism. These <ref name ="Marshall101" /> They were purported to be enough to last the mine between 50 and 100 yearstherefore dismantled, but a drop in the quality of coal combined with a reduction in demand forced the closure much of the mine in 1969, with the last coal rail and point-work later being lifted re-used elsewhere on the 31st of Januaryline.

== Operations == The sidings were accessed via two ground framesIn 1996, [[Alveley North ground frame|Alveley North]] and [[Alveley South ground frame|Alveley South]], which were unlocked by the [[Highley signal box|Highley]]-[[Hampton Loade signal box|Hampton LoadeCountry Park Halt]] token. An intermediate token instrument was provided in a cabin between opened on the two ground frames, with direct telephone lines to Highley Signal Box and Hampton Loade Booking Office, as well as the Worcester Exchange-Bridgnorth Signal Box omnibus linesite. The intermediate instrument to allow trains to be locked in so that other traffic could pass on river bridge linking the main line whilst the sidings were being shunted. The layout country park on the GWR side consisted of a front loop line, east bank with a capacity of 50 wagons, and a number of other sidings and headshunts. Two connections to the private sidings were provided, one at Halt on the South end leading to the empty wagon sidings, which held 40 wagons, and another at the North end leading to the loaded wagon sidings, holding 36 wagonsSVR was replaced in 2006.<ref>[https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/7072/highley-alveley-footbridge-shropshire News article on www. The two rakes of private sidings were connected internally via the coal screens, where coal was loaded into the wagonstransportxtra. GWR locomotives were com]</ref> It is also used to set down and pick up wagons on these sidings, but were otherwise not allowed in the private sidingsby [[National Cycle Route 45]].

==See also==[[Alveley Miners Halt level crossingCategory:Featured articles]]