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The Coal Yard


dreghornpug
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Coal is part of my family experience.

 

The “Fulton” coal wagon bears my family name but I have no connection with the business. I got the wagon from Robbie Burns of Abergaveny long before Oxford Rail used the same livery.

 

From Robbie’s PO wagons, I noted he had the Kenneth and Sons coal wagon, which I had to have for the following reasons.

 

You may note that they were based in Dreghorn, the one near Kilmarnock, in the Montgomery coalfield.  My grandpa Fulton worked as a miner with them all his life. He, his wife, and five sons – including one who had polio - lived in a company owned two-roomed flat in property known as Kenneth’s Buildings in Dreghorn. When on holiday in the 1940/50’s my brother, sister, and I would wait for the pug – a 0-4-0T probably a Barclay from nearby Kilmarnock - to sound, its whistle as it approached the level crossing . We would then run about 150 yards along the main road, jump on the crossing gates to watch the rake of coal wagons pulled by the pug go down to the main line. This was the Busby Branch and ran between Kilmarnock and Irvine.  Sometimes we were on site watching the loading and shunting and we often followed the pug “doon the line” and have skinny dip in Annick Water.

 

The Shewalton Colliery was about half a mile south across the river Irvine. Coal was carried in skips to the Dreghorn site pulled by wire rope along a tramway, which included a wooden trestle style bridge over the river. This always reminded me of bridges seen in the Tom Mix and Roy Rogers films. My pals and I would hitch a ride on a skip. I think I was Tom Mix!

 

On the same site in Dreghorn, there were Kenneth’s brickworks.  We wandered in and out of the brickworks where heavy machinery and dust was evident. There was a bing – a heap of coal waste – about 100 ft high, which we would race up and collapse at the top to see the view across Ayrshire including Ailsa Craig of curling stone fame and the Isle of Arran. This was not done very often. We were often chased but never caught. If there had been Health and Safety at that time, holidays would not have been as much fun.

 

You now know why my pseudonym is dreghornpug.

 

My second entry is a busy coal yard

 

 

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These are the basic elements. I decided sheep and coal did not mix and a stone wall replaced a brick wall. The different coloured barrels are for different oils.

 

There is a dispute in the coal yard. The coal is too large for domestic use. Mr Jones the coal merchant is blaming Fulton the agent who in turn is blaming Kenneth the supplier who grudgingly accepts it should have passed through a crusher or gone for marine use. Meanwhile, Charlie Jones is on top of the wagon breaking the large lumps because there is a great demand for coal. Jock Jones is using the land rover to move empty barrels–and collect a bag of coal – for the collection of waste oil from factories and workshops by his Brother Willie’s tanker. Mr Jones moved to Scotland from South Wales to marry Maggie about thirty years ago. Fair play, haven’t they done well! Dai Williams the deliveryman with the red lorry also came from South Wales looking for Maggie but that’s’ another story!

 

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After the coal mining, the coal is broken and then comes into the coal wash. After that, the charcoal is sorted by seven by size. So it is very unlikely that such large chunks of coal will be loaded. It would certainly do the scene well and replace the charcoal with smaller ones. Also, this would relieve the poor worker who is trying to crush the coal with the hammer. Otherwise very nice model and I love the British short freight wagon with advertising inscriptions.

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After the coal mining, the coal is broken and then comes into the coal wash. After that, the charcoal is sorted by seven by size. So it is very unlikely that such large chunks of coal will be loaded. It would certainly do the scene well and replace the charcoal with smaller ones. Also, this would relieve the poor worker who is trying to crush the coal with the hammer. Otherwise very nice model and I love the British short freight wagon with advertising inscriptions.

 

Hi Helmut,

 

It was Mark Twain who said, “... don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. “  I expected someone to comment on the size of coal. I sincerely appreciate your comments but perhaps Kenneth’s ways were not as sophisticated as the procedures you outline. I am reminded of the case that went to the High Court in London when a farmer sued a stable for the supply of a bad load of manure. On top of the load, the manure looked fresh and steaming, but underneath it was stale and cold.

 

I have heard the coal yard dispute has been settled. Kenneth confessed that some coal had passed out during a break down and they failed to let their customers know. Jock soon discovered better-graded coal underneath the big lumps. Mr Jones accepted the lumps at a 75% discount and Jock got a bonus.

 

Cheers 

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