Photograph of weedkilling train

[Weaselfish]

Good evening. I recollect seeing a photograph of a weedkilling train hauled by a pannier tank in one of the Bradford Barton 'Great Western Steam' books a few years ago. Can anyone remind which of the books it was please? I vaguely recollect the photograph having been taken at Reading. An old 3,000 or 3,500 gallon tender had been modified for use as a weedkiller tank. Thank you for any pointers.

[M.I.B]

I would be interested to see this too as I have a spare tender or two knocking about...........

[M.I.B]

Not my work, but this is accurate if I remember correctly (about 3/4 of the waydown)

 

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/4-rstock/04arstock8.htm

[jcm@gwr]

There are 3 photos in -

'Freight Wagons and Loads in service

on the Great Western Railway and

British Rail, Western Region'

ISBN 0 86093 155 2

 

Photo No's 328, 329 & 330.

 

Pannier 5727, 3 x tenders, tank wagon

and 2 x brake vans.

[kevinlms]

In Railway Modeller 1990 September, page 401 has a photo of the 3 tenders belonging to 'GWR Weedkilling Train No.2' based apparently at Wolverhampton. Also a 2mm scale drawing.

 

Hope that helps.

[M.I.B]

Jeff - would that be a grubby looking ex-milk 6 wheel tank or a shorter wheelbase 2 axle?

[jcm@gwr]

It's a 4 wheeled (2 axle!) ex-oil tank wagon, CORY'S FUEL OIL.

Rear brake van 35615 Old Oak Common,

other brake van 40353 Pt Way Brake.

 

Hope that helps, Jeff

[M.I.B]

Thanks Jeff.

 

Makes it cheaper too - 2 axles are more common on Evilbay........

[M.I.B]

ooops - 2 TOADs and an oil tanker on their way here.........

 

Would buffers on the former "front" of the tenders be required?   I guess so.......  unless they were close coupled "front to front"  and relied on the standard ones fitted,

[cornishexcile]

Good evening. I recollect seeing a photograph of a weedkilling train hauled by a pannier tank in one of the Bradford Barton 'Great Western Steam' books a few years ago. Can anyone remind which of the books it was please? I vaguely recollect the photograph having been taken at Reading. An old 3,000 or 3,500 gallon tender had been modified for use as a weedkiller tank. Thank you for any pointers.

Hi, Weaselfish. You might be interested in Kevin Robertson's Odd corners of the GWRfrom the days of Steam. There is an eight page item on weedkilling trains .Lots of information including Tender numbers.Yours Stu.Opps nearly forgot ISBN 0 7509 1940 X .Hope this helps.

[M.I.B]

Thanks for the book reference.

 

Just bought a hardback copy for 1p(!!!!!) on Amazon.    Can't argue with a price like that!

[jcm@gwr]

Re the buffers, the first picture shows the 'front' of the tender,

with all of the control gear (and what looks like 'normal' buffers).

The tenders are all coupled same way round, the one with the

control gear facing the tank wagon, the other 2 up to the engine.

[M.I.B]

Thanks Jeff.    Your brilliant description lead me to the ad for the book and I was hooked.

[jcm@gwr]

Thanks, I'm glad I've been able to help.

 

It's an interesting book, with lots of fascinating pictures.

Some of unusual/rarely seen stock, but mostly of the

various loads that were carried (not very well in a

lot of cases!) and how they were loaded or corrected!

[6892 Oakhill Grange]

Hi

 

Not the picture that you are referring to but Russell "A pictorial record of great western engines" volume 2, page 236 shows a weed killing train hauled by a pannier. It consists of 3 x 3000 gall tenders, a tanker and two toads. Caption states Taunton in 1937.

 

Hope this helps

 

Oakhill

[Weaselfish]

Thank you for the replies - this is very helpful stuff. My apologies for the late acknowledgement.

[phil_sutters]

Colin Maggs' 'Branch Lines of Somerset' has a photo of a pannier with a weed-killing train at Wells, on page 59.

One photo in a book of this type is a find, but to have one of LMS/LNWR origin on the Midland line to the west of Bath, as well, is a surprise. 

[DavidR]

Thanks for the book reference.

 

Just bought a hardback copy for 1p(!!!!!) on Amazon.    Can't argue with a price like that!

Thanks for the heads up on this. I also spent a penny !

[M.I.B]

Having read the 1p book cover to cover already, I opted for the later style of train, with the cab over the crew on the first tender. 

 

It was cheaper to buy a non runner 2251and tender than it was to but a tender from someplaces, so there's the cab parts and a pair of buffers sourced at the same time.

 

What to do with a cabless bufferless 2251 body????????

[lofty1966]

Weather it as a scrapper and sell on the Bay of thieves!

[M.I.B]

I've seen worse on there so that may be an option.......