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Ruston

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Blog Entries posted by Ruston

  1. Ruston

    ICI Ruston 88DS

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 20-ton Ruston 88DS was sold for scrap after the ICI works at which it was used ceased to use rail traffic. It had been well-maintained by the ICI fitters and, instead of being cut up, was put on the sale or hire list at Strong's. It spent some time in use as the yard shunter and also shunting the Watery Lane works of Metal Box Ltd.

    It was later sold for preservation but, as is so often the case, was cast aside as soon as the railway got ideas above its station and started to run an ex-BR steam loco. The Ruston was sold back to Strong but this time it was not so lucky and became razor blades and Rover 75s.

  2. Ruston

    Ruston & Hornsby 165DE (1st)

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 165HP diesel arrived in 1975, from a shipyard in the North East of England. It was only recorded working a couple of times, before being shunted into the scrap line. A shortage of motive power at Shelby Group's subsidiary, White Peak Limestone & Tarmacadam Ltd. saw it taken into the Watery Lane workshop for servicing and an overhaul of the brakes. IRS records show it as being seen on  the 10th of August 1976 on the back of a Shelby Haulage low-loader at Stafford Services on the M6. A 1979 visit to WP, by a group of IRS members found it in the loco shed under repair.

     
     
  3. Ruston
    This Ruston V6-powered diesel-electric came to the yard from the former English Steel Corporation's River Don works, near Sheffield. It had led a hard life of moving huge forge ingots and casting cars around, and was smokey. It also leaked oil from the engine and was said to use as much oil per hour as it did diesel! It was used intermittently until one day in 1979 when a traction motor fire ended its usefulness.
     
    It spent a couple of years parked in front of the doors of the former Midland Railway goods and grain warehouse, before being unceremoniously dragged to to main scrap pile, where piece by piece, it become part of the pile.

  4. Ruston

    Gasworks Peckett

    By Ruston,


    A
    Another one that had a short career at Strongs was this 14-inch Special Peckett. It was built in 1899 for use at a gasworks in the London area and after several changes of ownership ended up at a gasworks in Saltley, from where Strong purchased it for scrap. It saw limited use at Garrison Lane before being sold to the Harboro Stone Company of Derbyshire. This rare shot, by Terence Torrity, shows it shunting scrap at Watery Lane Sidings.

  5. Ruston

    Unidentified Peckett W4

    By Ruston,


    A
    Little is known about this one as it seemingly appeared and disappeared. Fortunately, it was recorded on film by Gordon Eggert on one of his visits of various industrial railway sites around the Midlands. As can be seen, it was clearly not in working order as the rods were missing and the whole thing looked to be in a sorry state. A group of IRS members, including Rob Carvill and R.K. Shell, noted it as being outside the cutting area on the 5th of May 1970, but were unable to identify it. Presumed scrapped or sold by June 1970.

     
  6. Ruston

    14-ton Motor Rail

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 85HP diesel shunter, built by Motor Rail Ltd. in 1957, formerly worked for The Harboro Stone Co. at their quarry that was located along the Cromford & High Peak line. It was used at Strong's but soon departed to become one of the hire fleet.

  7. Ruston

    Ceridwen

    By Ruston,


    A
    Ceridwen was built by Peckett,& Sons Ltd. in 1896, one of their W4 class 14-inch saddle tank locomotives. She was new as No.3 to Exuperias Gittins & Co. Railway Contractor for use on the contract to improve the Calder Vale Mineral Railway after it gained a Light Railway Order and was upgraded to carry public passenger services. She spent time between other contracts in Gittins' plant yard, near Wrexham until being sold, in 1908 to The Hughes Navigation Coal Co. at their Nant-Y-Mynydd colliery in South Wales. It was here where she gained the nameplates and where she worked alongside another W4 named Taliesin. In 1919, Ceridwen was returned to Pecketts to have a new boiler fitted and to have the cab lowered and the footplate dropped in order to work at one of the company's subsidiaries, the Rhymney Patent Solid Fuel Works. She worked here until being laid aside, in 1938, when, among other things, major work was required to the firebox.
     
    In 1943 Ceridwen was requisitioned by the Ministry of Supply and was sent to The Yorkshire Engine Company, in Sheffield, to be overhauled before being sent to work at The Harboro Stone Co. in Derbyshire. It was from here that Strong bought her after the quarry and works closed,  1971. She was a regular performer at Watery Lane and was favoured over the diesels by her usual driver.
     
    She was sold to members of the Foxfield Railway in 1978. You won't find here here though as she is currently undergoing a rebuild at a private location.
     
    A colourised photo of Exuperias Gittin's No.3, at Brookfoot, on the CVMR, circa 1897.

     
    Ceridwen and Taliesin, at Nant-Y-Mynydd, just before the outbreak of the Great War.

     
    Ceridwen at Harboro Stone, 1965.

    Ceridwen at Watery Lane, July 1973.

  8. Ruston
    This engine was built to a Drewry Car. Co. design by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns, in 1956. The type is very similar to what became British Rail's Class 04. It was powered by a Gardner 8L3 8-cylinder, 204HP diesel engine, driving through a Wilson 5-speed epicylic gearbox and until being bought and moved to Strong's yard in 1974 it had worked all its life for the Central Electricity Authority (later Central Electricity Generating Board). It wasn't in the best condition when it arrived and at least cosmetically things went downhill from there on. Most of the engine casing doors were discarded as they would get in the way every time the crews had to start it as the cold start controls were missing from the cab, as well as it requiring copious amounts of ether down the air intakes.
     
    One day in 1977 the engine ran away and began running on its own sump oil. Being unable to stop it, the crew got well clear and watched as it put a rod out of the crankcase. There ended it's career. It was quickly despatched by propane torch and within a week had ceased to exist. Recorded by the IRS as scrapped w/e 5/8/77.
     

     
     
     
     
  9. Ruston

    Fowler 150HP diesel

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 0-4-0DM was built for the Ministry of Supply in 1940 and was used at various munitions works during the war. It was subsequently sold to Shelby Transport Ltd., a company within the Shelby Group. It fell out of use when Shelby's Liverpool depot ceased using rail traffic and was sent to Strong's for re-use. Scrapped or sold by 1984.

  10. Ruston

    Ruston & Hornsby 165DE (2nd)

    By Ruston,


    A
    This was the second of its type known to have worked at Strong's yard and the adjacent Watery Lane Sidings. It arrived with another of the same type in 1979, from a steel stockholders in Wednesbury. The other was overhauled and sent to work at The White Peak Limestone & Tarmacadam Co., another Shelby company. The one that remained worked on and off at Strongs between hirings as part of the Shelby hire fleet. Fate unknown, presumed scrapped or sold by 1985.

  11. Ruston

    The Green Peckett

    By Ruston,


    A
    Never named or numbered, this Peckett had worked at a chemical at Oldbury until being displaced by diesels. It was still in working order and had a boiler ticket when it came to Strongs, due to it having been kept as a spare at the chemical works. A re-organisation and take-over there meant the transport manager, who had a soft spot for the engine, retired and it was sold for scrap. It was used often at Strong's, especially in the winter of 78/79 when fuel froze in the diesel locomotives. It was eventually retired and sold to to be plinthed as "Percy" at a Thomas The Tank Engine theme park.

  12. Ruston

    The Brown Peckett

    By Ruston,


    A
    This Peckett, believed to have been built circa 1920, was registered with the British Transport Commission and despite the steam ban arrived at the yard in 1973 under its own steam, via BR metals. It's former workplace was just up the line at Small Heath gas works. It was a regular performer at Strong's and was found to be useful in the winter months, with its Stones turbogenerator and large electric lamps. It had originally been built for Hadfields for use at their Sevastapol Works, in Sheffield.
     
    In1977 a group of enthusiasts attempted to buy it, but found the frame was bent and it also required a new firebox. It disappeared soon after, presumed scrapped.

  13. Ruston

    Rolls-Royce 0-6-0DH

    By Ruston,


    A
    Originally built for use at a steel rolling mill, this Rolls-Royce moved around a lot during its life. It even spent time working at a scrapyard in Rotherham. IRS records are unclear as to when it arrived and left Strong's, but it was photographed at least twice in 1983. Once parked in the yard and once shunting the adjacent Metal Box sidings.

  14. Ruston

    Andrew Barclay 153HP DM

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 0-4-0 diesel-mechanical was bought from an explosives works, near Coventry. It had originally been built for the war effort and is believed to have landed on the D-Day beaches. After returning to the UK it was sold out of WD service and through a dealer ended up at the explosives works. Strong purchased the entire site and scrapped everything there. The loco was used to move wagons around the site during the demolition and was eventually brought to the yard for further use. It proved to be a very reliable locomotive and was used for many years until the Gardner engine suffered a broken crankshaft. That was the end for the Barclay, which was cut up, sometime in 1982.

  15. Ruston
    This 0-4-0DE was built in 1958 and was supplied to a steel rolling mill at Bromford Bridge. Upon closure of the works, in 1976, it was acquired by Strong's and brought by lorry to the yard, where it was inspected and passed fit to run. It wasn't a popular locomotive with the crews as the fly cranks kept hitting scrap that was lying near the tracks. The generator suffered a flashover a few months after arriving and after a couple of weeks lying idle it was despatched.

  16. Ruston

    Small Heath No.2

    By Ruston,


    A
    This Andrew Barclay 16-inch 0-4-0ST arrived under its own steam in May 1974, from Small Heath power station, where it had been displaced by diesels. It worked for a few weeks before being sold for preservation. It now resides in the private collection of pig-farming magnate Sir John Taylor.
     

  17. Ruston

    Ruston & Hornsby LSSE 0-6-0DE

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 275HP diesel-electric arrived at the yard in 1977. It had originally been ordered by the MOD but as its electric transmission made it non-standard with their similar hydraulic locomotives it was put into store until being sold as surplus. It worked at the yard for a short period before being sent out as part of the Shelby hire fleet. Its fate remains unknown.

  18. Ruston

    The Cumbrian Engine

    By Ruston,


    A
    This powerful 16-inch saddletank, built By Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. was built in 1943 and until arriving at Strong's yard, had worked at an iron works, on the Cumbrian coast. It was the victim of dieselisation, but still had life left in it. When the two tiny Ruston 48DS locomotives were not able to deal with the busier times, and longer trains, with larger wagons, the Cumbrian Engine was pressed into service. In 1968 it was converted to oil-firing and used filtered waste oil that was drained from the sumps of cars and lorries that were scrapped in this and other of Strong's yards.
     
    By 1978 it was found to require serious repairs to the boiler and valve gear. It was sold to a preserved railway, but, apart from being painted into a fictional ICI livery, no serious work was done to it. By the 1990s it had been sold to a garden centre, just outside Kidderminster, where it was stuffed and mounted as a static display.

     
     
  19. Ruston
    Little is known about this 48DS, other than it came from a railway wagon works in Nottinghamshire. It was noted being unloaded from a Shelby Group lorry in April 1975. A couple of weeks later, parts of what are assumed to be the same locomotive were seen from Garrison Lane bridge, in a BR mineral wagon. Presumed scrapped by 5/75.
     

  20. Ruston

    Thomas Hill "Vanguard" 4WDH

    By Ruston,


    A
    This Vanguard diesel-hydraulic was built by Thomas Hill, at their Kilnhurst, Rotherham, works, sometime around 1966. It was built using the frames and running gear from a Sentinel vertical boiler steam locomotive. It was bought for the Shelby Group's warehousing and storage division and is believed to have worked at an oil storage depot, in Essex. It was transferred to Watery Lane for overhaul and possible sale, but could be found in use at Strong's yard during the mid to late 1970s. It continued in use well into the 1990s, right up to the cessation of rail traffic in 2000.
     
    It was popular with the staff at Strong's as it was very easy to drive and also quite powerful, with the turbocharged version of the Rolls Royce C6 diesel being fitted.
     

     
     
     
  21. Ruston
    This little 48DS was acquired from a contractor's yard in Camden, in 1975. Whilst outwardly scruffy it was in good mechanical condition and was used regularly to shunt fuel oil deliveries to the Metal Box works. After the creation of Strong/Shelby's locomotive hire business, it was hired out to civil engineering contractors and the like. The loco was sold in 1982 and is believed to be in a private collection, somewhere in Shropshire.

  22. Ruston

    Ruston 88DS

    By Ruston,


    A
    This Ruston & Hornsby 88DS was built in 1951 for the White Peak Limestone and Tarmacadam Co. Ltd, for use at their roadstone coating plant, near Matlock. It isn't known exactly when it arrived at Small Heath, but it must have been after the take-over of WPL&T by The Shelby Group as it was already carrying a Shelby logo when it arrived. It seems that it was sent to the Watery Lane workshop for repairs and was exchanged with another loco and stayed at Watery Lane and Strong's scrapyard.
     
    After rail traffic ceased at Strong's, it was parked in the former Midland goods and grain warehouse and was missed by the Strong's men and the contractors who cleared the site after closure and clearance of the yard. A group of IRS members visited the goods and grain warehouse in 2002. By this time it was being used by a tyre fitting company and the loco was found under a thick layer of dust and a pile of used tyres! It is still there but several attempts by enthusiasts to purchase it have failed due to the owner of the site thinking that it is worth far more than it really is.
     

     
     
     
     
     
  23. Ruston

    Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0DM

    By Ruston,


    A
    This 1958 vintage Hudswell was acquired from the National Coal Board's Nottinghamshire area. It was never intended to be used at Strong's yard as the Gardner 8L3 engine had been sold to Hong Kong, for use in a junk, before the locomotive was off the low-loader. Fortunately, the deal fell through and the locomotive went on to spend a couple of years as a yard shunter, before it was finally cut up.

  24. Ruston

    Brush-Bagnall 0-6-0DE

    By Ruston,


    A
    This huge locomotive, built in 1955 at the works of W.G. Bagnall of Stafford, should have been cut up on site at the colliery where it had worked in South Wales, but a mix-up in paperwork saw it arrive one day as part of the trip freight from Small Heath yard. It had travelled as part of several British Rail good services with its rods off and its appearance was a complete surprise to the staff at Watery Lane. It was the most powerful locomotive to have worked at Strong's and was fitted with a 400HP National Gas & Oil 6-cylinder diesel engine.

    It's working life at Strong's was short as it spent most of the time stored in the shed. It was sold to an operator in Italy and is believed to have since been preserved there.

  25. Ruston
    This locomotive was formerly owned by the Central Electricity Generating Board and worked at a small power station in Yorkshire.  Strong purchased it, along with much of the scrap when the power station closed in 1975. It was used for several years in the yard, before moving to another company within the Shelby Group. Its ultimate fate is unknown.

     

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