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Loco 1 Loco 2 Loco 3 FH 3832 FH 4006 British Industrial Sand at Holmethorpe, Redhill, was formerly known as the Standard Brick & Sand Company. The site was located within walking distance north of Redhill station. In latter days most, if not all, wagons were despatched loaded to Warrington. In latter years the main line wagons were brought in and taken out primarily by class 33 diesel electric locomotives, built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick. The sidings left the down London to Brighton line at a trailing connection. The main line had been built by the London & Brighton Railway (L&BR) but this short stretch from Stoat's Nest Junction to Redhill Junction later changed hands and became the property of the South Eastern Railway (SER). 
Loco "2" waits to enter the works with a rake of empty vacuum braked sand hoppers in 1984. The bridge in the background carries the "Quarry Line", bypassing Redhill. The line into Holmethorpe dipped and curved to the east before entering the exchange sidings, adjacent to the Holmethorpe Industrial Estate. BR's TOPS code for the exchange sidings was 71.304. Main line locomotives worked into the exchange sidings from the west, while the BIS shunting locomotives worked into them from the east. Beside the exchange sidings was a locomotive depot for servicing the industrial shunting locomotives. At the eastern end of the exchange sidings the single track line ran under the "Quarry Line", a bypass built so that London to Brighton trains could avoid using the tracks which had been handed to the SER. Beyond the bridge under the "Quarry Line" lay the BIS site itself. This area, beyond the overbridge, was the preserve of the BIS owned shunting locomotives, one of which could sometimes be found in a shed (which may have served as a second loco shed). 
Loco "2" waits in the exchange sidings with a rake of empty vacuum braked sand hoppers in 1984. The loco shed is on the left, with loco "1" visible. 
Loco "3" awaits attention in 1984. The loco shed was at grid reference TQ 288517. Beyond the loco shed is loco "1", to an unusual design called "Husky". 
Loco "1" outside of the loco shed in 1984. 
Loco "2" waiting to enter the works with a rake of empty vacuum braked sand hoppers in 1984. In the distance the three sidings link up, then the line curves sharply to the left and rises until it meets the former SER line into Redhill. Soon after this photograph was taken the BR vacuum braked type MKV sand hoppers ceased to be used at this location, being replaced by higher capacity air braked hopper wagons in BIS white livery. 
British Rail wagon B437726, TOPS code HKV, is typical of the vacuum braked 34 tonne hopper wagons which were used to carry sand from Holmethorpe sidings until the mid-1980s. |
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