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Which diesel locomotive to pull Shell TTA wagons circa 80s?


faa77

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Hi, I have a large number of N-gauge, black, shell TTA wagons such as this:

 

R6044-LN-06_3141568_Qty1_ruler.jpg

 

I was wondering which (available) engine would most-realistically have been pulling them back in the 80s? N gauge doesn't seem to have a Class 47 Petroleum Sector (like the Bachmann Pectinidae).

 

I know of the Charles Babbage engine from Grafar, just I'm not too keen on it.

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The livery isn't so critical in the sectorisation period either, to which that TTA livery belongs. I used to watch the Charrington tanks at Lichfield behind pretty much anything. It was usually a class 31 or two but the livery was a free for all with everything from BR Blue to Intercity 'Mainline'. The same went for the cans to and from Bromford, usually a class 31 but the livery was a lucky dip. Then there was Kingsbury, most of what I saw was class 31 and 47, but as the 60s took over class 37s in pairs and the occasional 56 became more and more common. I saw a fair few trains to/from Stanlow too, but again that was the early to mid '90s, pretty much anything and everything to be seen from class 31 to class 60. To be honest, I think the location is more important than the livery as that will influence the class, you wouldn't really see a 33 in the midlands, but you equally wouldn't see a 31 down south.

 

For me, the 'vanilla' choice on TTA tanks would be a BR blue class 31, I saw these commonly on cans right into the mid 90s and they equally go back to before I was born.

 

edit ~

 

The image below is how I remember the Charrington oil trains in the late '80s

 

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/14/71/3147191_28879232.jpg

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The shell refinery at Stanlow was often resourced from Crewe Diesel Depot and in the sectorisation years had a fleet of 47s and some 37s. 31s did appear as well. In BR Blue, a similar situation plus class 25 and class 40.

Beast66606 of this forum may be useful source if you send him a PM and flickr has some good images too.

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Depends which region your modelling too?

 

A lot happened in the 1980s in terms of loco liveries as Sectorisation from 1982 developed, so BR Blue got over taken by RF large logo, the triple grey, departmental grey and Dutch liveries, by the late 1980s / early 1990s.

 

Around where I live, there was a flow from Stanlow, which then split at York to go to Harrogate and Scarborough, which more commonly saw a Class 31 or Class 37. But by the early 1990s petroleum sector 47s did the trip workings with the service finishing in 1992.

 

By the early 1990s BR had finished with wagonload and serving smaller local terminals which TTAs where commonly used for.

 

Farish have being a bit hit and miss in terms of loco liveries for this period. Still no 47s in RF large logo or triple grey yet. Class 31 is only available as unrefurbished with sealed nose doors. Class 37 being more liveries, but quite a few to do yet. A class 60 would be used on the block train workings such a immingham to Jarrow tanks, which was 20 odd TEAs.

 

This question is really more appropriate for the modelling question and answers forum or prototype forum!

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  • 8 months later...

The livery isn't so critical in the sectorisation period either, to which that TTA livery belongs. I used to watch the Charrington tanks at Lichfield behind pretty much anything. It was usually a class 31 or two but the livery was a free for all with everything from BR Blue to Intercity 'Mainline'. The same went for the cans to and from Bromford, usually a class 31 but the livery was a lucky dip. Then there was Kingsbury, most of what I saw was class 31 and 47, but as the 60s took over class 37s in pairs and the occasional 56 became more and more common. I saw a fair few trains to/from Stanlow too, but again that was the early to mid '90s, pretty much anything and everything to be seen from class 31 to class 60. To be honest, I think the location is more important than the livery as that will influence the class, you wouldn't really see a 33 in the midlands, but you equally wouldn't see a 31 down south.

 

For me, the 'vanilla' choice on TTA tanks would be a BR blue class 31, I saw these commonly on cans right into the mid 90s and they equally go back to before I was born.

 

edit ~

 

The image below is how I remember the Charrington oil trains in the late '80s

 

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/14/71/3147191_28879232.jpg

 

Sorry to reply to an old post, you said class 56, which livery would this have been- red stripe?

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The 60s started coming into service in the very early 1990s, so by then the 56s would have been in Railfreight Grey, Red Stripe, BR Blue, Large Logo Blue or any of the Trainload sector liveries (Coal, Metals/Automotive and Construction). Personally I think Railfreight Grey, Red Stripe or BR Blue would look very good with your TTAs if you go down the 56 route.

 

Otherwise, maybe wait for a Railfreight Grey, Red Stripe or Trainload Petroleum 47, which are rather slow to be produced by Farish. If you wait a few years longer, you may get a 31 in the same liveries!

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According to my old Platform 5 book for 1988 I saw 56004 in BR Blue and 56096 in the original RF grey on cans, although which tanks it was I didn't take note; more than likely TEAs to/from Kingsbury. 096 was a bit of an odd one, as at the time it was part of the Yorkshire coal pool. Quite what it was doing in the Midlands on an oil working is beyond me! 004 being from the Notts coal pool was still some way out of area itself. I think it was too late for clearing Birch Coppice, so they may have perhaps had something to do with the winding down of Baddesley Colliery, as that was closed in 1989 and cleared by 1991 .The last clearing trains I saw used 58s, but earlier movements may have used the Grids which I am guessing might have been worked into the area on oil traffic.

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  • 3 months later...

I'm modelling the S&C in the late 70's, early 80's and I was wondering if these TTA wagons were ever routed via the S&C?

 

Julian Sprott

 

By the early 80's almost every through freight was diverted from the S&C, they were trying to close it.

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By the early 80's almost every through freight was diverted from the S&C, they were trying to close it.

 

That's not what I asked as I know BR HQ were running down services on the S&C by the 80's.  What I asked was were these tank wagons ever routed over the S&C on the few freights that were left?

 

Julian Sprott

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That's not what I asked as I know BR HQ were running down services on the S&C by the 80's.  What I asked was were these tank wagons ever routed over the S&C on the few freights that were left?

 

Julian Sprott

Apart from Jarrow, I can't see any Shell terminals in the area, so I'd doubt it. The trains from Stanlow to Jarrow went across the Pennines, and then up the ECML; it is possible that some trains might have been diverted via this route when the ECML electrification was taking place.

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