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Fertiliser trains


TravisM
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When I lived in Andover in the 90’s, I used see occasionally fertiliser trains being unloaded from UKF wagons. I’m sure I read somewhere that these wagons had disappeared off the system but is bagged fertiliser, on pallets still carried?

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When I lived in Andover in the 90’s, I used see occasionally fertiliser trains being unloaded from UKF wagons. I’m sure I read somewhere that these wagons had disappeared off the system but is bagged fertiliser, on pallets still carried?

Not at present, partially down to farmers using the stuff more sparingly.

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But not sparingly enough unfortunately - effects of eutrophication on waterways, particularly during low flows, is environmentally degrading - algal blooms get worse each year.

 

Proliferation of chicken farms and slurry from dairy farms doesnt help either

 

Food production is a challenge isnt it - do we all have to become veggie?

Phil

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Not at present, partially down to farmers using the stuff more sparingly.

Is there any palletised agricultural produce other than small amounts of fertiliser carried on the railway? I was thinking of getting several of Kernow’s Cargo Waggons and have them either being pushed in, pulled out or parked in a siding at a agricultural factory or warehouse.

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Sometime after the UKF traffic had finished, Andover saw its final consignment of fertiliser arrive on 02/12/98 comprising wagons hired to EWS from VTG/Cargowaggon/? loaded with half tonne bags of fertiliser ex J&H Bunn Ltd of Great Yarmouth. The wagons arrived on the Eastleigh to Ludgershall trip hauled by 58027 and were placed in two of the sidings adjacent to the Switch Transport (ex UKF) warehouse. Switch unloaded the traffic with a forklift and then delivered the bags to local farms. Although a number of trial loads were despatched from the former Great Yarmouth Carriage Sdgs to such destinations as Carmarthen and Chichester, and Bunn's were very enthusiastic, I believe the traffic proved to be a financial basket case for EWS and is therefore likely to have been the last fertiliser conveyed by rail in the UK. Unfortunately due to a camera failure I have no photos of the Andover operation.

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Sometime after the UKF traffic had finished, Andover saw its final consignment of fertiliser arrive on 02/12/98 comprising wagons hired to EWS from VTG/Cargowaggon/? loaded with half tonne bags of fertiliser ex J&H Bunn Ltd of Great Yarmouth. The wagons arrived on the Eastleigh to Ludgershall trip hauled by 58027 and were placed in two of the sidings adjacent to the Switch Transport (ex UKF) warehouse. Switch unloaded the traffic with a forklift and then delivered the bags to local farms. Although a number of trial loads were despatched from the former Great Yarmouth Carriage Sdgs to such destinations as Carmarthen and Chichester, and Bunn's were very enthusiastic, I believe the traffic proved to be a financial basket case for EWS and is therefore likely to have been the last fertiliser conveyed by rail in the UK. Unfortunately due to a camera failure I have no photos of the Andover operation.

 

The last time I saw a fertiliser train in Great Yarmouth carriage sidings was in February 2000. The sidings were disconnected as part of the resignalling in October 2017.

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The last time I saw a fertiliser train in Great Yarmouth carriage sidings was in February 2000. The sidings were disconnected as part of the resignalling in October 2017.

You may have seen the last train as I have (somewhere) photos of a train being loaded for Chichester on 31/01/00, but I do not think they ran for much longer after that.

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  • 2 months later...

post-28110-0-10741300-1540759537_thumb.jpg                                                                                                                                  I used to shunt this train at Andover, UKF became KEMIRA fertilisers and switched from the PWA vans to Cargowaggons whose extra length became a nuisance on an s curve leading alongside the shed. The last time this particular track was used was 1991 due to the platform extension for 159s coming into service.

 

 

 

Paul

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  • 2 months later...
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The UKF PWAs appeared 68 - many thanks Paul

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ukfvan

 

There was an Ince and Elton to Plymouth - 6V35 and back from Bridgewater - 6M54 in the 71/72 wtt.

 

The earliest evidence I can find of the UKF PWAs on these workings is 1974....https://www.rcts.org.uk/features/querycorner/page.htm?id=query/Q16.04 - photos seem rare!

 

So can anyone advise please when the PWAs appeared - and what was used on this traffic before their appearance ? Was it vent vans?
 

Many thanks in advance

 

Phil

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The UKF PWAs appeared 68 - many thanks Paul

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ukfvan

 

There was an Ince and Elton to Plymouth - 6V35 and back from Bridgewater - 6M54 in the 71/72 wtt.

 

The earliest evidence I can find of the UKF PWAs on these workings is 1974....https://www.rcts.org.uk/features/querycorner/page.htm?id=query/Q16.04 - photos seem rare!

 

So can anyone advise please when the PWAs appeared - and what was used on this traffic before their appearance ? Was it vent vans?

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Phil

Vent vans were used, and even after UKF went over to bogie vans, ICI and others used the four-wheelers into the early 1980s.

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Many thanks Brian - was tempted to start a rake of PWAs but perhaps I'll just but some more vans....

 

Phil

You can never have too many Vans.Depending when you're modelling, the rakes would vary a bit in appearance; until about 1970, there'd be a right mix of Big-4 types, ex-Meat, Insulated and Fruit vans, with a leavening of BR standards. Then the rakes became more homogenous, with mainly BR Standards, followed by a period of Vanwides. Don't forget the 'Hollar' labels...

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You can never have too many Vans.Depending when you're modelling, the rakes would vary a bit in appearance; until about 1970, there'd be a right mix of Big-4 types, ex-Meat, Insulated and Fruit vans, with a leavening of BR standards. Then the rakes became more homogenous, with mainly BR Standards, followed by a period of Vanwides. Don't forget the 'Hollar' labels...

 

ICI or basic slag???? Better get some Metal Box labels too for shocvans from Worcester

 

And already have some ex Inuslated vans in Bauxite - white/blue rare by our era and there have been some bargains around lately.... Mr Mortimore will be along with the lynch mob if I use the Ex LMS abortion however....!!!!

 

Phil

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Yes indeedy! enjoyed that one too but looking for gen a few years earlier so didnt want to hijack your thread...

 

Phil

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ICI or basic slag???? Better get some Metal Box labels too for shocvans from Worcester

 

And already have some ex Inuslated vans in Bauxite - white/blue rare by our era and there have been some bargains around lately.... Mr Mortimore will be along with the lynch mob if I use the Ex LMS abortion however....!!!!

 

Phil

Funnily enough, Phil, I saw a white insulated van (very dirty) in a train bound for West Wales in the early 1970s.

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Funnily enough, Phil, I saw a white insulated van (very dirty) in a train bound for West Wales in the early 1970s.

 

With wagons there were often late survivors - the last rolling stock that had attention in the grand scheme of things I guess .

 

Have already repainted half a dozen bauxite perhaps we will leave one white then and weather heavily....

 

Phil

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  • 1 year later...

I came across this picture on Flickr which I thought was interesting as I never realised that some of the early PWA wagons were originally curtain sided, but were then rebuilt to be like the rest of the batch.

 

c.1969 - unknown location.

 

c.1969 - unknown location.

 

And does anyone know this location, it looks like it might be in Wales or Scotland?

 

e13 Helmsdale UKF wagons 19mar85

 

 

 

Edited by montyburns56
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2 hours ago, Western Aviator said:

Helmsdale, on the far North line.

 

Probabaly conveyed via a weekly Ince-Keith working in the late 70s. Northbound Friday, with the empties south on a Wednesday - routed via the S&C

I often saw the empties pass my house - usually with a HA or ED 47 at the head of 13-14 PWAs

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19 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Apart from the odd much later build - which had a quite different appearance, I believe they were all built curtainsided. HMRS also has photos of them when newly built.

 

Tony Dyer took a slightly different photo of no. 14 (John and Tony were Mopok at that time). https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ukfvan/e5371e04c

 

Paul

 

Thanks, I noticed that UKF palvan wagon on your site last night which I never knew existed before. I'm guessing it didn't last very long

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  • 9 months later...

Did the UK ever move Fertilizer or Manure in the steam age?

 

If so anyone know any suitable tankers etc?  Or were bags put in vans?

 

Either RTR or unpainted kits.

Feel a poo poo train coming on. Lol.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Knuckles said:

Did the UK ever move Fertilizer or Manure in the steam age?

 

If so anyone know any suitable tankers etc?  Or were bags put in vans?

 

Either RTR or unpainted kits.

Feel a poo poo train coming on. Lol.

 

 

Yes; the Great Western certainly had purpose-built Manure wagons (as did other companies, presumably) to deal with the manure at places like Fishguard Harbour. Artificial manure was produced at various places; Hull, Avonmouth etc. It tended to be transported in rather prosaic vans. 

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Oh yes, manure was produced in great quantity in the good old days, and I'm not taking about the "night-soil man" who emptied early Victorian outhouses.  Sweeping from cattle wagons, and posh horsey places like Newmarket, Lambourn and Cheltenham might be able to recycle to local agriculture.   But big goods terminals in cities had a lot of horse drawn delivery carts and you had to get rid of the stuff.  Good job we don't model smells.

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