NCB Brakevans

[DOCJACOB]

The Wemyss Railway actually had a bit more than that already mentioned: There is mention of possibly x2 GNSR ones circa 1903, a number of MR vans (one rebuilt at at local workshops) x1 NBR version x2 GSWR usually at the Michael pit and laterly a selection of ex LNER? The enclosed image is also curious as it doesnt appear to get a mention/definitive ID (possibly No 6 0n close inspection of the image) in the Brotchie book on the WPR

 

Also this thread has forgotton Youngs Paraffin Oil Co LTD of West Lothian (I think HMRS has an image) and William Dixon LTD Airdrie

Edited October 30, 2012 by DOCJACOB

[Lochty no more]

Ex Glasgow & South Western Railway break van on the Wemyss Private Railway/NCB lines

photo courtesy of Peter Westwater

[RJL]

Thank you everyone for sharing your photos they are very useful.

[Respite]

The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway are running goods trains when you can ride on a brakevan for a £5 supplement. The brakevan is ex NCB Harton.

The next advertised day for this is May 30th. See their website for details

I travelled on the van on May 4th with NCB No.47 ex Backworth pulling the train, great!

[Porcy Mane]

So the list is:-

Lambton,

Cannock Wood,

Walkden (pway/derailments)

Chanters/Gibfield

Comrie,

Westoe/ Boldon

Littleton

Avenue (purpose unknown)

Weymss

Maesteg (derailments)

Ashington

 

 

A few more to add to the list. All from the NE area.

Derwenthaugh system. Used Ex NER railway brake vans, amongst others. One was almost permanently attached to the  permanent way train. In use until approx. 1986.

 

The NCB system around Consett. This system connected the Ex Consett Iron Companies collieries in the area. A NCB brake van was used on NCB trains exercising running powers over BR to access Eden Colliery and Bradley Shops(NCB Wagon Repair) 

 

Wearmouth Colliery used an ex short wheelbase LNER Brake van (Duckets removed) on it's own trains that ran between Wearmouth and Hylton Colliery. Unusually it was painted in the NCB blue house colour as opposed to the more normal NE area, NCB Indian red.

 

The Harton system brake vans got as far south as Boldon and Usworth (Washington) Collieries under running powers.

 

Lambton system brake vans reached as far west as Harraton Colliery. Two Brake vans were used on this train running between Harraton and Penshaw due to a reversal at Washington South Junction.

 

I have no photographic proof of this but was told by the loco driver: An NCB brake van used to run over BR lines between Lanchester (Malton Colliery) and Bearpark Colliery. For a time the collieries used to share a Loco and it was a BR stipulation  that the NCB supplied a brake van for the running inspector to ride in as the loco passed over BR metals.

 

Hth

Porcy

Edited May 13, 2015 by Porcy Mane

[bécasse]

A couple of odd ones were to be seen in the East Kent coalfield, working from Sheperdswell exchange sidings to Tilmanstone. They were ex-GWR fitted 'Toads' with footboards removed, presumably because of clearances in Golgotha tunnel- I'm not sure whether they were used as brakes at the end of trains, or as 'brake-force' vehicles at the train head, as the photos I've seen show them standing in the exchange sidings.

Shepherdswell to Tilmanstone was BR(S), normally worked by an 08 (09?) shunter in later years if my memory serves me correctly (although 33s and presumably 73s could be used), and had once formed part of the East Kent Light Railway. I am not sure about the fitted toads without footboards, not least because fitted toads were rare and because SR guards usually refused to work any form of toad on safety grounds (if you have ever ridden one on an unfitted freight train you would understand why).

[Respite]

The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway are running goods trains when you can ride on a brakevan for a £5 supplement. The brakevan is ex NCB Harton.

The next advertised day for this is May 30th. See their website for details

I travelled on the van on May 4th with NCB No.47 ex Backworth pulling the train, great!

The goods train event this weekend coming now has an 08 diesel on the trains not steam.

[Corbs]

Chaps, I have a question about NCB brake vans. Pictured (not my photo) is the NCB van they have at Chasewater. What are the two domed things on the right hand ends?

Many thanks in advance.

 

Edited January 2, 2018 by Corbs

[Mark Forrest]

Chaps, I have a question about NCB brake vans. Pictured (not my photo) is the NCB van they have at Chasewater. What are the two domed things on the right hand ends?

Many thanks in advance.

 

Vacuum brake cylinders, although I have no idea whether the NCB livery was carried by vac braked vans in service.

[cctransuk]

Chaps, I have a question about NCB brake vans. Pictured (not my photo) is the NCB van they have at Chasewater. What are the two domed things on the right hand ends?

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

I'm pretty certain that those vac. cylinders indicate an ex-WD van, rather than an ex-SR / BR-SR one.

 

I'm afraid that I cannot say whether the NCB had any ex-WD vans - though I would doubt it.

 

What would the NCB want a vac. braked van for .... and weren't the WD still using these vans at the time that the NCB was abolished?

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Porcy Mane]

I don't think the ST/WD brake van shown in the above link ever worked in NCB service.

 

It would appear that the Two SR type brakes that worked at Littleton Colliery did not have external Vac Cylinders fitted whilst in NCB ownership.

 

https://flic.kr/p/9EncDY

 

https://flic.kr/p/9uo3sE

 

http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=10572

 

P

Edited January 2, 2018 by Porcy Mane

[Corbs]

Thanks guys, planning an industrial brake van and it's a relief not to have to include them!

[Barclay]

Only slightly off-topic, so I hope you'll forgive me. I re-purposed this lovely Highland Railway brake van into a platelayers' mess van for my industrial layout. It was scratch built in card by a Mr. Posford, and appeared in the Railway Modeller many years ago. I bought it very cheaply second hand, gave it a new brass chassis and roof and a suitable internal user livery of dirty black. It hasn't moved from the end of that siding in years, but I think it looks the part.

[Beatty 139]

As far as I’m aware the van in Littleton livery at Chasewater has never been an NCB vehicle and was painted into livery by the railway, in fact the sand boxes are around the back of the heritage centre but didn’t get refitted as yet.

 

However the railway does have two ex NCB brakes, the Cannock Chase Collery van as mentioned before and the GWR 16Ton AA3 recently restored which is ex Littleton colliery

[avonside1563]

I don't think the ST/WD brake van shown in the above link ever worked in NCB service.

 

It would appear that the Two SR type brakes that worked at Littleton Colliery did not have external Vac Cylinders fitted whilst in NCB ownership.

 

https://flic.kr/p/9EncDY

 

https://flic.kr/p/9uo3sE

 

http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=10572

 

P

One of the ex-Littleton vans is preserved at the Foxfield Railway, it's easily identifiable as it has the duckets at the wrong end compared to a standard SR van.

[Mark Forrest]

One of the ex-Littleton vans is preserved at the Foxfield Railway, it's easily identifiable as it has the duckets at the wrong end compared to a standard SR van.

Not sure there is a wrong end as such. IIRC diagram 1578 had them on the left, diagram 1579 had them on the right.

[Covkid]

Not sure there is a wrong end as such. IIRC diagram 1578 had them on the left, diagram 1579 had them on the right.

 

 

Then there the different planking arrangements as well as 15T and 25T vans with different frame depths.

[Norton961]

On my thread The Lillershall Co, PGH of this Parish posted photos of the 2 ex Cannock and Rugeley Colliery Brake vans that were used at Grabville Colliery (ex Lilleshall Co) which I am re posting on this thread.

One of these vans is now at Thee Telford Trust site.

 

I dont know the origin of these vehicles or when they arrived at Granville.

 

David

[DOCJACOB]

Not my normal area as South of Border but guessing LNWR types?

[avonside1563]

Not sure there is a wrong end as such. IIRC diagram 1578 had them on the left, diagram 1579 had them on the right.

Ah I didn't realise that, I do know that if you're sitting in the ducket the door open straight on to you!

[Beatty 139]

On my thread The Lillershall Co, PGH of this Parish posted photos of the 2 ex Cannock and Rugeley Colliery Brake vans that were used at Grabville Colliery (ex Lilleshall Co) which I am re posting on this thread.

One of these vans is now at Thee Telford Trust site.

Granville Brake Van 1.jpg

Brake Van No 2.jpg

Brake Van No 2 2.jpg

 

I dont know the origin of these vehicles or when they arrived at Granville.

 

David

They were specifically built by Cannock and Rugeley colliery in there own wagon shop at Cannock Wood. For the line as the Cannock Chase Collery Van was built at the Plant (CCC No5 pit) both companies had large wagon shops and CCC even built its own loco, Foggo after the second war. Both systems were linked by the line over bleak house and of corse became one after vesting day. Although the CCC system was actually a plarlementry Railway The Cannock Chase and Wolverhampton Railway with its registered offices at Carr’s Lane Birmingham.

[PGH]

On my thread The Lillershall Co, PGH of this Parish posted photos of the 2 ex Cannock and Rugeley Colliery Brake vans that were used at Grabville Colliery (ex Lilleshall Co) which I am re posting on this thread.

One of these vans is now at Thee Telford Trust site.

 

I dont know the origin of these vehicles or when they arrived at Granville.

 

David

 

If you had read the text that accompanied my photos you might have found a possible answer to that question:-

 

"The two brakevans at Granville in latter years came from the NCB's Cannock & Rugeley Collieries system.  They were apparently employed on trains of container wagons used to transport coal from West Cannock Colliery to the canal basin at the end of the Cannock Extension Canal.  This traffic ceased about 1962 which is probably about the date they were transferred to Granville."

[Norton961]

PGH, sorry I was in a bit of a rush so I did not re read the thread, just copied over the photos without re reading the data that went with the photos.

Given the fact that the Brake vans were built by the CRC little chance of a kit then!

 

David

[PGH]

The two brakevans at Granville in latter years came from the NCB's Cannock & Rugeley Collieries system.  They were apparently employed on trains of container wagons used to transport coal from West Cannock Colliery to the canal basin at the end of the Cannock Extension Canal.  This traffic ceased about 1962 which is probably about the date they were transferred to Granville.  It seems likely that the container wagons at Granville shown in Post #107 were also originally used for this traffic on the Cannock & Rugeley system.

 

 

I don't know their origins but I would guess either home made or perhaps not one of the regular rolling stock manufacturers.  There were no builders plates on either, the van in use had the lettering "W.H.Ltd." on the axleboxes and the other, No.4, had lettering "E.E.G." on its axleboxes.  Both were painted light grey with black underframes.

Edited October 15, 2018 by PGH

[Guius]

I agree, vertical planking with cover strips isn't a common form of rolling stock construction. Also the sagging roof suggests the sides are being pushed outwards by the roof  sticks. More pigeon loft in parentage rather than C & W works. Still very interesting photos though.

 

Guy