PTA Tipplers

[ewen]

Does anyone know what length of fixed rake was common for iron ore workings? I understand that the inner wagons were without buffers and connected by draw bars but I am not sure how many inners there were to a pair of outers.

I am particularly interested in the workings from Hunterston to Ravenscraig.

[mjkerr]

From memory it was about 25 PTA in a rake, as this was the maximum length that would fit into the shortest of the three passing loops that were used between Shields Road and Ardrossan

I only ever remember the outer wagons having buffers, I don't remember ever seeing any on the inner wagons

The coupling between wagons looked more like a type of buckeye coupling, and allowed the wagon to rotate during unloading

Edited August 7, 2017 by mjkerr

[Fat Controller]

There were no buffers within the rakes, just a very hefty 'AAR' coupling, which could rotate to allow wagons to be inverted without uncoupling. To move individual wagons for works attention, there were a number of modified brake vans with standard buffers and couplings at one end and AAR couplings at the other.

Though the iron-ore rakes were quite lengthy, in latter years some short rakes (9 wagons, IIRC) ran from Ferryhill, south of Durham, to Ravenscraig with powdered dolomite flux. I'm not sure, but I think similar workings might have run from British Steel's quarry at Shap to Ravenscraig.

[mjkerr]

I'm not sure, but I think similar workings might have run from British Steel's quarry at Shap to Ravenscraig.

I only ever remember seeing PAA type tank wagons on these workings, although one rake of PTA type wagons replaced some of these in the mid 1990s, but I never saw them Edited August 7, 2017 by mjkerr

[keefer]

The buckeye-type inner couplers looked like the 'tightlock' couplers on EMUs and Mk 4 coaches, with a protrusion and corresponding hole at the sides, to ensure they didn't twist apart when rotated.

They were also fitted with longer (IIRC 33") brake pipes, so they didn't pull apart.

Each wagon had one fixed coupler and one rotary - the wagon body had an orange band at the rotary end to show which was which as the wagons all had to be the same way round

Edited August 8, 2017 by keefer

[ewen]

_{Thanks for all your replies.}

_Ewen