jim.snowdon Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 12 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Thanks Jim - I wonder if you're in any of the photos? There are a lot more pictures of a 1970s BLS tour online here: https://www.branchline.uk/album-new.php?id=365 I am definitely planning to model a few Highs with loaded with gricers for my MSC layout! I'm somewhere in that lot on the 1974 tour. It was a good day out, sunshine as well (!) and a different perspective on the estate's railways - I was working for GEC at the time. I suspect that I have some pictures of it as well, but they're well buried in the archives and yet to be scanned. Jim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Thanks Jim - I wish I could have been there myself but I wasn’t born. If you do come across your photos from that trip I’d love to see them, especially anything in the Barton-Irlam-Cadishead section. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 On 02/04/2021 at 22:30, enz said: From Google Earth, the wagons weren't there in June 2018, 23 wagons were there in Sept 2019, they were reduced to 21 wagons and a couple of gaps opened in the rake (so I assume shunted) in April 2020 and no change in the most recent image dated 2 June 2020. (The image copyright date is not the date of the image, by the way.) Narrows the dates in traffic down somewhat. - E I think these may have been some of the 'Cargowaggons', stored after Ford's Bridgend plant ceased operations. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 On 16/04/2021 at 21:29, Mol_PMB said: I recently bought some original medium-format negatives on ebay and thought I would share the images here. I don't know the original photographer I'm afraid; I think they date from the mid-1970s. They feature a railtour in Trafford Park with 4002 and a fairly short rake of five steel highs. Well worth a close look for the variety of ladders used for getting in and out of the wagons, and the children messing around with one of them or wandering over the track. There are some great classic gricer outfits and some impressive sideburns! From an operational point of view, this train had no continuous brakes or indeed any brakes operable from within the train - the highs are vac-fitted but the loco only has air brakes. There are several variants of steel high: two have Morton brakes and hence a tiebar between the axleboxes, one of these has the later body variant with a rib along the bottom of the sides and no curb rail. Two types of axleboxes are visible, one wagon has odd wheelsets with different axleboxes at each end of the wagon. Two of the wagons have reinforced doors while the others do not. And of course they all have different lettering styles. The ones with the two bars across the doors were intended to carry Soda Ash from ICI in the Northwich area. The ones I remember were usually covered with traces of their load. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 52 minutes ago, Fat Controller said: The ones with the two bars across the doors were intended to carry Soda Ash from ICI in the Northwich area. The ones I remember were usually covered with traces of their load. Thanks, that's correct; they also had a sheet rail fitted when in use for Soda Ash. Later (mid 60s?), many returned to merchandise traffic, retaining their strengthened doors but some losing the sheet rail. Some of these were branded 'Empty to Manchester Ship Canal' for general merchandise traffic; there was apparently a shortage of suitable wagons at this time. Here's an example: https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/bropenmerchandisesteel/e14c1d84c Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 A few old MSC Railway slides I bought on eBay recently, all I think are at Mode Wheel. The colour ones were taken in 1983 and I think the monochrome is 1978. 13 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kevin Johnson Posted May 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2021 Great pictures Mol, thanks for sharing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 I bet that someone ended up with a nice little shed when that crane was scrapped. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Standard Hornby Toad in front, K's kit or Oxford Toad behind. I like the crane in the second Toad. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Yes, the MFD toad has more modifications including the little crane for safely unloading heavy equipment. The MFD toads were some of the last rail vehicles purchased by the MSC Railway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 The MFD toad is a diagram AA23, the last type of Toad built in the 1940s. The nearer one is an older vehicle, I think diagram AA15 as per the Hornby van you mention. I’m not sure if either of these are available in 7mm scale, though they could no doubt be modified from AA19. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 A couple of original negatives I recently bought on eBay; they appear to have been taken from on board a train on the MSC Railway. They are dated 22nd May 1958. I do not know the name of the photographer. Barton swing bridges, looking East: Barton locks, looking East: 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 5 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: A couple of original negatives I recently bought on eBay; they appear to have been taken from on board a train on the MSC Railway. They are dated 22nd May 1958. I do not know the name of the photographer. I wouldn't assume they were taken from a train - traffic was infrequent and slow. I don't think they worried much about trespassers, or even if they did I would have thought an employee on foot would have no problem taking photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 7 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: I wouldn't assume they were taken from a train - traffic was infrequent and slow. I don't think they worried much about trespassers, or even if they did I would have thought an employee on foot would have no problem taking photos. Its not that long ago that most Docks and Harbours were wide open and in places were almost footpaths! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 True, though my impression is that the vantage point is rather higher than someone standing on the ground. No ‘pole shots’ in those days... There were several trains a day along this section in the 1950s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Today I went to pay my respects to the MSC 250t steam crane as it left the canal for the last time. The railway connection is that this floating crane lifted very many exported locomotives and other railway rolling stock onto ships in Manchester docks. It is being towed to Newcastle (its longest ever voyage) for conversion to a restaurant (must confess I can’t visualise that). Hopefully it will survive the voyage though I must confess the tugs were struggling to handle it once out in the Mersey. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said: Today I went to pay my respects to the MSC 250t steam crane as it left the canal for the last time. The railway connection is that this floating crane lifted very many exported locomotives and other railway rolling stock onto ships in Manchester docks. It is being towed to Newcastle (its longest ever voyage) for conversion to a restaurant (must confess I can’t visualise that). Hopefully it will survive the voyage though I must confess the tugs were struggling to handle it once out in the Mersey. No pictures? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Today I went to pay my respects to the MSC 250t steam crane as it left the canal for the last time. The railway connection is that this floating crane lifted very many exported locomotives and other railway rolling stock onto ships in Manchester docks. It is being towed to Newcastle (its longest ever voyage) for conversion to a restaurant (must confess I can’t visualise that). Hopefully it will survive the voyage though I must confess the tugs were struggling to handle it once out in the Mersey. The real test will be getting it round the north coast of Scotland. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 15 hours ago, Gordon A said: No pictures? Oops - I forgot to link them! Here you go, seen at Stanlow, Ellesmere Port and on the Mersey at Eastham: 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 15 hours ago, jim.snowdon said: The real test will be getting it round the north coast of Scotland. Oddly it is going South. It would actually just fit through the Caledonian Canal - the English Channel seems like the more difficult option considering the weight of shipping traffic there. 8 hours ago, David jennings said: Do you know when the crane is due to reach the Tyne ? (I live in the north east and might go and watch !). thanks I guess it will take at least a week. You can track its progress here: https://www.vesselfinder.com/ Search for the ship 'GT Victory' which is the tug towing it. Currently it is crossing Cardigan Bay. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Has anything replaced her? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Oddly it is going South. It would actually just fit through the Caledonian Canal - the English Channel seems like the more difficult option considering the weight of shipping traffic there. Could you get the tugs in the locks as well as the crane? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 3 hours ago, Gordon A said: Has anything replaced her? Not directly, the occasional heavy cargo lifts are usually done by road crane. The floating crane 'Lara 1' is usually based in the Mersey and has done some work in the ship canal too. 55 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said: Could you get the tugs in the locks as well as the crane? Not at the same time. But then the same was true of big ships in the MSC, it's not a show-stopper. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 6 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Oddly it is going South. It would actually just fit through the Caledonian Canal - the English Channel seems like the more difficult option considering the weight of shipping traffic there. That's a surprise, although thinking about it, the distances involved may not be too different. It's also rather smaller than I was expecting - this is more what comes to my mind when traditional floating cranes are mentioned - https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205158305 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 The crew of the GT Victory have posted some great photos of the move on here, including updates from the open sea. https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchestercanal/ Look out for the dolphins! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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