Cider Traffic

[The Yard Shunt]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to the website and just dipping my toes in the online forum setup. 

 

I'm modelling a light railway in the early 1950s on its last legs - one of Colonel Stephens survivors - and it is set in north Devon. I have tried to go for standard branch line traffic (farm produce, coal, petrol, timber, van traffic, minerals, dairy products, machinery, etc) with the added benefit of local goods relative to the setting. The first of these is from a small chalk quarry and the second is seasonal fruit traffic that would be directed into the local cider industry.

 

On that note, is cider traffic much the same old noise as beer traffic (vans mostly) and what can I carry in open wagons going into the Pearson Brewing Company sidings? How were apples transported? In bags or crates in open wagons or in fruit vans? What is the most prototypical operation for fruit van working?

 

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jim.

[stadman]

In my local factory (Whiteways of Whimple)Apples arrived by road tractor / trailer from local fields.

Left in open pallet trucks for domestic or vans for export. So I was informed by an employee as was at school at the time.

Kev S

[Co-tr-Paul]

Chalk quarry in north Devon..... ?? Granite more likely ?

[JZ]

Cider making in the period you are looking at, would be a few large producers and many, if not hundreds, of local makers. Whiteways were about the only large producer in Devon and even then, apples were procured locally, mostly from their own orchards and those of nearby farmers/growers. In North Devon, it was mostly produced on small farms and often only available for maybe a couple of weeks per year, until sold out.

[Stubby47]

Hi Jim & welcome to the forum.

 

If your Col Stephen's line serviced local farms, en route, I'd expect apples to be in open wooden barrels, upright in an open truck, maybe with a tarp.

 

And I'm sure there was chalk in North Devon...

 

Don't forget Rule 1.

 

Stu

[The Yard Shunt]

Hi all, made a mistake. I'm modelling in DORSET not Devon. Silly me. Going down the wrong line again 

[Stubby47]

Hi all, made a mistake. I'm modelling in DORSET not Devon. Silly me. Going down the wrong line again 

Oh, you're going to fit in well on this forum!

[The Stationmaster]

Apples in later years came in loaded in open farm trailers - why bother to sheet or bag them especially if the were simply tipped out of the trailer.  If you come up with something to justify sending them by rail then an open wagon going direct into the cider company sounds the best bet.  The only stuff I ever came across (in the 1970s) being sent in sacks (large hessian ones) was dried pear peel for Bulmers in Hereford which arrived from the docks loaded in Vanfits for road delivery to the works - they originated in France.

 

Product would go out either in casks - but that was basically local in the old days of course, or possibly bottled in crates which would ideally be loaded in vans or sheeted opens.