The Mottram Marshalling Yard.

Suitably planned and conveniently placed marshalling-yards are essential for the expeditions handling of goods traffic. With the object of facilitating the movement of traffic in and out of Manchester, the L. & N.E. Railway has recently brought into use a new and commodious marshalling yard at Mottram, about 11 miles outside the Lancashire cotton city. The yard is 1 1/2 miles in length, and there are eight reception tracks each capable of accommodating a train of 80 wagons, these tracks being on a falling gradient towards the sorting sidings. The sorting lay-out consists of two groups of ten tracks, each holding 65 wagons. Classification of wagons for various destinations is effected by gravity, and the points leading into the different roads are electrically controlled and pneumatically operated. Two tracks are available for wagons waiting repairs.

In the control tower is a control panel consisting of a row of push-buttons, and an illuminated diagram to indicate the movement of each wagon, or group of wagons. The points are operated by air pressure, controlled from the tower by means of electrically-operated valves, and each pair of points is held during the passing of wagons by means of an electric track circuit, which also operates the apparatus for automatic point operation.