spikey Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Thanks to that thread about BD containers and Conflats, I now know better than to plonk containers on my Lowfits. However, when I explained this to Mrs Spikey, who'd asked why the Lowfits are running round empty nowadays, she of course said "So what should be on them then?", to which I could only waffle on about probably machinery, big castings and suchlike. But I really can't remember what I used to see on them, so today's question is - what sort of thing would have been a common load for a Lowfit in early BR days (say up to 1960)? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 It might be a bit of a cliche but how about new tractors on them? https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/paulbartlettsrailwaywagonphotographs/h1af40176#h1af40176 Jason 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted December 23, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 23, 2018 A hay baler, a muck spreader or other farm machinery. Small motor cars. Check out the Springside and Langley ranges for farm implements. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardman Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Mainly vehicles or light machinery or farm equipment. Remember lowfits are only 12ton capacity, so heavy machinery, steel plate etc could exceed the wagon capacity. Steel plate tended to be carried in plate wagons, not only for the weight, but the load was less likely to try and break out the ends of the wagon with a steel bodied wagon. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 (edited) I would also say those Invacar things. But I don't know anyone who makes models of them. https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1366&bih=651&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=N7EfXMbjLpSV1fAPxNisuA0&q=invacar+on+lowfit&oq=invacar+on+lowfit&gs_l=img.12...172042.176537..178136...0.0..0.91.767.11......0....1..gws-wiz-img.piMbIBvfjic#imgrc=_ I linked to Google Images as I couldn't link to Twitter for some reason. Jason Edited December 23, 2018 by Steamport Southport 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Light army vehicles such as Land Rovers. There's a nice photo somewhere of a 'novelty' advertising van shaped like a beer bottle on a Lowfit at Brockenhurst for delivery to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Bill 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Transfer them to the engineers? Hoo Junction 1985 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted December 23, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2018 (edited) I would also say those Invacar things. But I don't know anyone who makes models of them. https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1366&bih=651&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=N7EfXMbjLpSV1fAPxNisuA0&q=invacar+on+lowfit&oq=invacar+on+lowfit&gs_l=img.12...172042.176537..178136...0.0..0.91.767.11......0....1..gws-wiz-img.piMbIBvfjic#imgrc=_ I linked to Google Images as I couldn't link to Twitter for some reason. Jason I've never come across models of them, either. One for the Oxford Diecast wish list methinks. They came out of various locations by rail, two to a Lowfit (I don't think there were enough lashing rings for more) and sometimes several wagons worth at once. Some were made by AC, a bit of a contrast to a Cobra, though one AC enthusiast I met reckoned it's what you were likely to end up in if you overdid things in a 428. John Edited December 23, 2018 by Dunsignalling 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 As above they majored on vehicles various that could be rolled on from an end loading dock using the drop end ramps. What we might loosely call contractor's equipment was a favourite of mine: portable generators, cement mixers, arc welding sets, gas bottle trolleys, air compressors, scissor lifts, portable lighting sets, heavyweight event PA kit; all of which were commonly two or four wheel trailer mounted in the 50s and 60s. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike hughes Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 I have see the odd picture of ‘H’ containers on them Michael 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted December 23, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2018 Transfer them to the engineers? Hoo Junction 1985 85-4-32 ADB 450186.jpg Interesting bogie. Griff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giz Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Interesting bogie. Griff It looks like the single bolster emu version of the BR1 bogie. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 (edited) It looks like the single bolster emu version of the BR1 bogie. Wouldn't be surprised - there was a whole train of assorted wagons carrying bogies, probably at Hoo Junction en route to/from Slade Green. Unless they were recovered from the odd 4-SUB that was scrapped at Hoo Jn around that time. Think I posted a lot of these elsewhere on rmweb... but I can't locate them with google Much later edit... found them on the archive at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21423#p329758 Edited December 24, 2018 by eastwestdivide 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted December 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2018 I would also say those Invacar things. But I don't know anyone who makes models of them. https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1366&bih=651&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=N7EfXMbjLpSV1fAPxNisuA0&q=invacar+on+lowfit&oq=invacar+on+lowfit&gs_l=img.12...172042.176537..178136...0.0..0.91.767.11......0....1..gws-wiz-img.piMbIBvfjic#imgrc=_ I linked to Google Images as I couldn't link to Twitter for some reason. Jason I can confirm this. To my city's eternal shame, these dreadful things were made in Cardiff in a factory on Dumballs Road, and despite it being rail connected the Invacars were taken on flatbed lorries to the Newtown Goods Depot where they were loaded on to lowfits at an end loading dock. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 I can confirm this. To my city's eternal shame, these dreadful things were made in Cardiff in a factory on Dumballs Road, and despite it being rail connected the Invacars were taken on flatbed lorries to the Newtown Goods Depot where they were loaded on to lowfits at an end loading dock. There was always one by mine when I was a kid in the 1970s. I don't think it ever moved. I assume it belonged to someone who lived in the nearby pensioners flats. I didn't even know what it was at the time, we just thought it was a funny little car. Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 Do tractors. If you're exhibiting, they're easy to do and the kids love seeing them. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardman Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 As one “enthusiast" told me on seeing my train load of tractors at an exhibition , “I think you'll find the Fordson Power Major was only made in blue”. To which I replied “If the only thing you can find wrong with my layout is the colour of one Tractor I think I've won”. 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 I was told that new tractors were supplied without the exhaust fitted. These are therefore second hand and going to auction. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted December 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 24, 2018 I remember seeing trainloads of those light blue invalid carriages in the sidings at Hove station. I was too young to confirm that they were lowfits, but I had always assumed so in later life. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2018 Ministry of Health invalid cars and adapted cars were sent by rail for longer distance journeys under a special agreed flat rate which included distribution when new from the factory (Invacars were made by AC at Thames Ditton at one time, the other part of their factory was turning out AC Cobras!) and distribution from depots where presumably stocks were held. They are thus a good load in the post-war period up until their disappearance and adapted cars are also a good load because they are more readily available as models - Morris Minors seem to have been popular for official adaptation. They were therefore be more likely to be seen at just about any station capable of loading/unloading them than agricultural machines which went from factories to agricultural areas. At one goods depot we here I worked in the '60s we never saw agricultural machinery but we did have occasional Ministry of Health traffic in the form of either Invacars and adapted vehicles. However 10 years later the plac e where I was working had frequent traffic in the form of agricultural vehicles but we never saw anything like adapted cars. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 I was told that new tractors were supplied without the exhaust fitted. These are therefore second hand and going to auction. I suggest your scenario is highly unlikely. Second hand tractors are usually sold locally as the cost of transporting eats too much into any profit. Gordon A 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 I refer m'learned colleague to Exhibit A (which was what I used to rope them on) and invoke Rule 1. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 I used to like tractors, but I don't anymore. Does this mean I'm an ex-tractor fan? Jason 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted December 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 24, 2018 Further discussion of the BR Lowfit wagons themselves on this thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/100419-lowfit/ As mentioned there and illustrated in eastwestdivide's post above, the Mainline/Replica/Bachmann model should be on an LMS-style clasp-braked underframe. The former Red Panda kit is still listed in the Parkside range and would make a fairly easy upgrade project, though I notice you have to arrange your own headstock and buffers, which complicates things a little. https://peco-uk.com/collections/wagon-van-and-underframe-kits/products/br-10-foot-chassis-kit-vacuum-fitted-with-clasp-brake-shoes 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadway Clive Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 (edited) I was told that new tractors were supplied without the exhaust fitted. These are therefore second hand and going to auction. I refer m'learned colleague to Exhibit A (which was what I used to rope them on) and invoke Rule 1. Your Exhibit A shows a trainload of brand new Fordson E27N tractors at Temple Mills, east London that will have come from the factory at Dagenham, and all fitted with exhausts on the opposite side to yours. Blue was indeed the standard factory colour for Ford's postwar British made tractors so I suggest Oxford's other colours are maybe rather fanciful. Grey was always associated with Ferguson tractors which became affectionately known as 'little grey Fergies', so are yours in fact of that make rather than Fordson? Edited December 24, 2018 by Broadway Clive 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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