Langley Oil terminal and Colnbrook Logistics Centre

[Tubeman]

Hi All

First post / thread here...

I'm the 'author' (cartographer) of the 'London Railway Atlas' (Ian Allan) and in researching the Third edition have hit the buffers with two recent infrastructure developments.

Firstly: Langley Oil Terminal (the Langley one stop east of Slough)... Does anyone have a date when it became disused (i.e. last oil delivery)? I think it survived well into the 2000's, the sidings are intact still on Google maps satellite and it's merely 'disused' on Quail, but they're now overgrown and fenced off from the main line.

Secondly: Colnbrook Logistics Centre (CLC) on the old GWR Staines branch, just west of Heathrow airport. Anyone know when it opened? T5 construction officially started September 2002, but it was initially site clearance and I don't think proper construction requiring inward rail-borne aggregates and steel started until early 2003... so around then?

I think the Foster Yeoman terminal at the north end of the site opened first?

Any assistance would be much appreciated... many thanks!

[Tony]

Hi Tubeman,
I used to live in Langley when the oil train caught fire there (circa 1976?). I have sketches and layout (with siding lengths) of the terminal when it was operating; these are pre 1979. Are copies any good to you?
When I passed by train last year, all traces of the terminal had disappeared and the sidings overgrown/covered with builders rubbish.

[Tubeman]

Hi Tony

Many thanks for this, but I think I've got everything I need bar the closure date... There's interesting coverage of the depot and the 05/10/1973 fire in the Middleton Press 'Ealing to Slough' album (V Mitchell / K Smith), including photos of the aftermath and the oil tankers in their final resting place in the now-dismantled sidings at Iver.