Fords at Dagenham

[Hippo]

Hi has anyone got any pictures or links for Fords internal railway at Dagenham. I have found a few pictures but nothing great.

 

Many thanks

Owen

[Arthur]

I've got this Owen, from a 1962 ad. by the locomotives manufacturer, AEI, demonstrating their longevity, they had been supplied in 1931.

 

 

I've a few other photos which may show bits of the system in the background, not sure whether they would be of interest?

 

 

[micklner]

I will speak to my mate who worked there for over 30 years to see if he has anything. In case you do not know the site virtually all gone . It is only a few miles from where I live.

[PhilJ W]

My late father worked at the plant from 1952 to 1962. I remember the Bo-Bo Diesels, there was three of them one of which has been preserved in working condition on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. I am working on a OO scale model of one of these locomotives but have reached a bit of an impasse when it comes to the rather complicated roof details.

[trisonic]

I believe "Back Track" did an article on the system - but that must have been around ten years ago. If you can find their search facility you may come across it. So far as I remember it concentrated on their steam engines.
 

Best, Pete.

[DonB]

Have you tried the people who took aerial photos .. were called Aerofilms, years ago, now part of  English Heritage. Almost certain to have a series of photos over the years, but It will be pot luck to find a shot showing the details you require but their archivists may be able to help.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collections/nmr/archives/photographs/aerofilms/

 

HTH

 

Took me a while to work out that the oval Buffer on the front of the loco in Arthur's picture was askew. If you modelled it like that, there would be adverse comments from the " rivet counting brigade"

Edited April 19, 2013 by DonB

[PhilJ W]

Railway Bylines had an article on the locomotives about the same time. I have acquired a fair amount of information on these locomotives that I don't have to hand as it is with the person doing the graphics and drawings for me. I hope to visit the K&ESR later this year to get more information.

[Hippo]

Thanks for your replys gents, I regulary drive past the site in a truck and can get a pretty good view (they were shunting in the big shed when I went past today).

I have found a few pictures on-line of the 04 and the Pecketts,

 

Ta

Owen

[Adam]

Thanks for your replys gents, I regulary drive past the site in a truck and can get a pretty good view (they were shunting in the big shed when I went past today).

I have found a few pictures on-line of the 04 and the Pecketts,

 

Ta

Owen

 

Have you found these? (Link plus next four shots) Pecketts and a Hudswell diesel* - I seem to remember reading somewhere that Fords weren't all that keen on allowing enthusiasts round, but these pictures do show some of the principal peculiarities of their fleet - look at all the additional windows on the steamers...

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454357965/in/set-72157628278328931

 

Adam

 

* I think Mike Edge has said something about doing this variety of Hudswell at a later date - I believe that both the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Docks had some.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Adam

[Osgood]

Anyone else noticed the extra side and front glass in that Peckett cab?

[Adam]

Er, yes Osgood.

 

...these pictures do show some of the principal peculiarities of their fleet - look at all the additional windows on the steamers...

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454357965/in/set-72157628278328931

 

Adam

[Michael Edge]

Have you found these? (Link plus next four shots) Pecketts and a Hudswell diesel* - I sem to remember reading somewhere that Fords weren't all that keen on allowing enthusiasts round, but these pictures do show some of the principal peculiarities of their fleet - look at all the additional windows on the steamers...

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454357965/in/set-72157628278328931

 

Adam

 

* I think Mike Edge has said something about doing this variety of Hudswell at a later date - I believe that both the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey Docks had some.

The test etch for the MDHB version of this Hudswell is in the queue waiting to be built.

[Hippo]

Cheers for the link Adam, Ford seem to be very secretive about the Dagenham internal railway, even though most of it is clearly visable from the new A13 (still called 'The New' even though its not any more lol).

 

Owen

[Osgood]

Er, yes Osgood.

 

It's been a long day........

[rue_d_etropal]

Given the article in current BRM mag, one reason I actually bought a copy, I wonder if there are any published drawings of the loco preserved now at KESR. Would love to build one, but in a different scale. If no drawing something on dimensions so can work from photos.

[Caledonian]

I've always found it a touch bizarre that the Ford Motor Company, one of the largest manufacturers of internal combustion engines and vehicles driven by them should be so heavily reliant on steam engines. Perhaps that's why they weren't too keen on people with cameras. 

[rue_d_etropal]

Other car factories used steam locos,diesel electrics were very much in their infancy at the time. Diesels in road vehicles were rare, so steam locos probably performed better than petrol vehicles. Not sure on what diesels Ford had before the 30s. Having both steam and diesels would also have provided a lot of useful info in the way they compared.

Austin Longridge had a mainly steam operated system, and in France Peugeot had two ex war department Austeriy  tank locos, which looked a bit odd truddling down line through local village. I can't think of any lorry factories which had their own railways, although many if not most would have had railway sidings.

[Mark Saunders]

Given the article in current BRM mag, one reason I actually bought a copy, I wonder if there are any published drawings of the loco preserved now at KESR. Would love to build one, but in a different scale. If no drawing something on dimensions so can work from photos.

 

Why not arrange to visit the KESR and measure the real thing rather than rely on photographs alone as it is easy to get dodgy measurements rom photographs alone!

 

Mark Saunders

[PhilJ W]

I had the details of the diesel locomotive plus dozens of photographs and measurements I had taken of the locomotive on the K&ESR. Unfortunately the model project fell through and a lot of stuff wasn't returned to me. I'll be getting a copy of BRM first thing in the morning.

[rue_d_etropal]

Why not arrange to visit the KESR and measure the real thing rather than rely on photographs alone as it is easy to get dodgy measurements rom photographs alone!

 

Mark Saunders

although I used to live down that way, it is a bit far now. just surprised there are no drawings around, not even a Wiki page with measuremets etc.

[Dava]

Luton MRC have built a gauge 0 model called Central Works based on Dagenham, with a model of the DE shunter. It was featured in the G0 Gazette Feb 17 and the model was at Ally Pally and wil be at the Luton show 29 April. So they must have found loco drawings.

 

Dava

[Guest Isambarduk]

"I wonder if there are any published drawings of the loco preserved now at KESR. Would love to build one"

 

"Why not arrange to visit the KESR and measure the real thing rather than rely on photographs alone as it is easy to get dodgy measurements rom photographs alone!"

 

"Luton MRC have built a gauge 0 model called Central Works based on Dagenham ... So they must have found loco drawings."

 

A group of us from the LMRC went down and spent a very pleasant summer's day at the KESR, measuring up the BTH Bo-Bo before going for an excellent lunch and a round trip.  I subsequently collated the photographs and dimensions to produce the dimensioned sketches that Simon Bolton used to scratch-build his excellent 7mm model, which currently resides on Central Works (www.lutonmodelrailwayclub.org.uk/central_works.htm).

 

 

David

[pete_mcfarlane]

Other car factories used steam locos,diesel electrics were very much in their infancy at the time. Diesels in road vehicles were rare, so steam locos probably performed better than petrol vehicles. 

The early petrol locos were pretty puny things - OK for trundling a few wagons around, but less useful for sites with heavy rail traffic. 

 

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/21/Veteran.htm

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/15/Bg_800.htm 

[rue_d_etropal]

As I said, diesel was still in its infancy. Petrol engines wre still be used in some big road vehicles including Scammells, the alternative being steam such as in Foden steam lorries. I am not even sure if Ford had any diesel road vehicles themselves. They had 'given' their AA and AAA series trucks to Russia, and they developed it as their own GAZ right through WW2. Diesels, partly thanks to German development, was better at the end of the 30s, so a diesel electric loco was very much ahead of its time, and one reason it is an important loco in preservation. I presume Ford wanted their Ford signs back,as they are not on the loco now.

Might raise some eyebows , a FORD loco in the heart of Vauxhall/Bedford country!

 

I was searching around a couple of years ago, and saved what ever pictures I could find including one showing a part built model, which with other info should be enough for me.

[rue_d_etropal]

Done a basic design of the Ford loco based on info I have

I plan to build it in HO , using a Bachmann chassis.