SR B4 0-4-0tanks in Industrial use

[toffee]

Forgive my stupidity, but D.O. C. P. Means what exactly ?

[Osgood]

Here's an interesting note concerning the demise of DOCP 103 - the loco on this duty had to work over BR metals. 103 was sent to RSH in 1953 for overhaul, but was too far gone and subsequently condemned, and 44 was built as a replacement.  See:

 

http://www.tanfield-railway.co.uk/index.php?mact=LISETRLocomotives,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01item=No44&cntnt01category=stored&cntnt01id_hierarchy=5&cntnt01template_category=hierarchy&cntnt01returnid=50

 

DOCP:  not sure how this refers to 103 which was based at Backworth for working the Blue Bell disposal point (Blue Bell pit closed in 1915 but presumably there was a rail outlet for coal from the Backworth system, shunted by 103 until 1953?).

[Osgood]

The only reference to this site in BACKWORTH An Illustrated History of the Mines & Railways by Elliott & Charlton is:

 

'Also during this time between 1948 and 1956 the screens of the Church Pit, which had ceased drawing coal in the 1930s, found new use being used to process coal from opencast coal sites nearby.  The old Blue Bell Colliery site was also used for storage and disposal of opencast coal during this period'

 

The loco history is very detailed (Backworth could not afford new locos in the early 30s and was buying ex mainline company engines), but seems to be no mention at all of the B4.

 

If it was OCDP it could be 'open cast disposal point'!

Edited August 21, 2017 by Osgood

[Fat Controller]

The boards outside such establishments were usually worded:-

"National Coal Board

Open-Cast Executive

xxxx Disposal Point"

They took in coal from local open-cast sites and small mines, washed and graded it for sale. Quite often, they re-used redundant pit buildings, such as the one at Banwen (generally known as Onllwyn), but occasionally green-field sites were used, such as Coedbach. The sites were often managed on behalf of the NCB by contractors, so it's quite likely that any locos used on such a site would appear under the contractor's name (someone like Derek Crouch, Taylor Woodrow or Wimpey), rather than under the NCB.

[Mark Saunders]

The boards outside such establishments were usually worded:-

"National Coal Board

Open-Cast Executive

xxxx Disposal Point"

They took in coal from local open-cast sites and small mines, washed and graded it for sale. Quite often, they re-used redundant pit buildings, such as the one at Banwen (generally known as Onllwyn), but occasionally green-field sites were used, such as Coedbach. The sites were often managed on behalf of the NCB by contractors, so it's quite likely that any locos used on such a site would appear under the contractor's name (someone like Derek Crouch, Taylor Woodrow or Wimpey), rather than under the NCB.

 

The site operators changed as contracts changed and if locomotives were used these could be changed at the same time! The only constant till the end of the NCB was the weighmen who were Coal Board employees.

 

Mark Saunders

[Osgood]

So maybe the opencast operations were outside the scope of this book.

National Coal Board Opencast Executive was set up in 1952 and took over the bulk of opencast operations except for a few private ventures.

So the Church Pit screening and Blue Bell stocking operation were in operation before this time - under auspices of Backworth  would imagine.

It is just possible these operations were never taken over by the Opencast Executive if they had closed by 1956.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Osgood

[Osgood]

It appears (check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwenthaugh_Coke_Works ) that Derwenthaugh Coking Work took coal from the various opencast operations around this area as well as from the Bakworth pits - so they may have organised the operation and D could well stand for Derwnenthaugh?

Edited August 21, 2017 by Osgood

[Caledonian]

Google is your friend:

 

 

Directorate of Opencast Coal Production

 

 

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/record?catid=3800&catln=3

 

Opencast mining started as an emergency measure under the Defence Regulations in 1940 when the Government set up the Directorate of Opencast Coal Production within the Ministry of Works and Planning. In 1945 the directorate was transferred to the Ministry of Fuel and Power. In 1952 responsibility for opencast mining was transferred to the National Coal Board Finance Branch until the Opencast Executive was subsequently set up. This consisted of a part-time chairman and deputy chairman, plus three full time directors responsible for production, finance and administrative functions; from 1967 the latter included responsibility for land matters.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Caledonian

[Corbs]

Chaps, does anyone know what the colour of Sussex's new livery at Stewarts and Lloyds was? It looks quite bright from the black and white photo.

[Andy Y]

Chaps, does anyone know what the colour of Sussex's new livery at Stewarts and Lloyds was? It looks quite bright from the black and white photo.

 

A bump for this question as I've been trying to find exactly the same.

[Ruston]

On 07/10/2017 at 00:05, Corbs said:

Chaps, does anyone know what the colour of Sussex's new livery at Stewarts and Lloyds was? It looks quite bright from the black and white photo.

Did you find out any more on this?

 

I have one to weather for someone and the colour that Dapol of painted it is horrible! I would have thought the yellow would be like that on other Springvale Furnaces locos, which is a sort of golden yellow.

[Corbs]

I've still not seen a colour photo of it, but I would assume it would be the same or similar colour as the other ones.

 

@rope runner do you happen to know?

 

[rope runner]

@Corbs The loco is listed as having been scrapped in 1958 and there were few photographing industrial locos during this era in colour. It may be worth enquiring with the IRS as Ken Cooper was one of the few taking colour photographs at this time, and they hold his archive. 

 

Locos at Bilston were mostly yellow or black/dark green. Looking at B/W photos it's a fair assumption that this loco was yellow. I would lean more towards a light ochre for a more convincing livery/base for further work. 

 

Paul A. 

[Ruston]

On 09/08/2017 at 17:13, ailg8048 said:

If you want to go welsh 147 went to work for the NCB at Waenavon (AKA Waun Wen) at the Lion disposal point between Blaenavon and Brynmawr following withdrawal in 1949. It was then sold to the Blaenavon Co in 1951 wher it was named Blaenavon. Scrapped in 1958.  

 

The pic is clickable for details on the site where the link goes to.

 

Going back to the previous page, the links to DOCP one at Backworth is no longer functioning. Does anyone know where a photo of it may be found?

 

Edited February 5 by Ruston