Wallingford GWR BLT

[The Stationmaster]

Wallingford is a preserved railway, I am staying near it but have not visited the site so do not know how much is left. Last time I visited the Wallingford History Centre there was an N gauge model of the station on display.

 

Alas the original station site has long gone under housing and redevelopment and the Wallingford part of the preserved line bears little resemblance to what was once there.  The current terminus is situated on what was once basically plain line some distance south of the original station and south of St John's Road/Hithercroft Road

Edited November 19, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[clachnaharry]

When I first visited the preserved railway, it was adjacent to the then still extant maltings, and the inset private siding tracks were still in situ. Does anyone know when the maltings sidings were actually opened? Were the freights to the maltings post goods yard closure solely made up of grain hoppers or was there other traffic as well?

[Miss Prism]

Also suspect that while the autocoach may have been left on on times, it probably spent a lot of its life improperly connected given that shunting the coal would be a lot easier without the autocoach I would assume.

 

Some of the shunting was easier without the autocoach connected:

 

 

I'm not sure whether the shade on the lamptop is a WWII addition, or whether it was a late GWR style.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Miss Prism

[TonyMay]

Would the siding have been rope shunted?

[The Stationmaster]

Some of the shunting was easier without the autocoach connected:

 

Wallingford-station-shunting.jpg

 

I'm not sure whether the shade on the lamptop is a WWII addition, or whether it was a late GWR style.

 

Difficult to say about the lamp - there was at least one similar one at Henley but in addition there was one lamp at Henley you'd expect to be always lit at night which was exactly the same in style in post-war years as it was in Edwardian times as it appears in photos taken over quite a long timescale.  Judging by the profusion of different lamp styles at Henley I wonder if it was more likely a variation in design rather than anything else - maybe the answer is to seek out pre-war photos?.

Would the siding have been rope shunted?

 

As rope/chain and prop shunting were very much discouraged I doubt it - particularly as it can be seen there was no need to shunt it that way.  Something more 'ambitious' might have gone on if the station was heavily congested but normally folk wouldn't bother and there wouldn't be suitable kit there anyway, far simpler and easier to use a pinchbar.  

Also as the crossover was worked from the signalbox/ground frame and the engine shed end of it didn't give any room to accelerate you can rule out the siding being fly shunted - that would have been impopssible

Edited November 19, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[The Johnster]

I don't think so; can't see any pulleys or guides for the rope, though they may be further along out of sight.  A not very usual thing (actually it was probably the normal method here) is going on; the wagon has been partly unloaded into a pile of coal lying rather informally between the siding and the running line, and is being propelled out of the way presumably so that it can be shovelled up; I assume it is for the gas works.  A wagon would not normally be shunted with the door open like this, especially a part loaded one and particularly in the vicinity of a running line.  It can't be left there, either, as it is very close to fouling the engine shed access road.  The building to the left of the wagon is probably too close to the siding to allow the wagon door to be opened on that side.

 

I agree with Mike that fly shunting is not an option here.  There were all sorts of rules about this, for example the flies had to be roped together for safety...

[TomJ]

After this thread inspired me I dug out a copy of ‘Branch lines of Berkshire’. Apparently 2251 and pannier tanks were used as well as the more common 14xx autotanks. There’s a picture of a 2251 (3210) on a passenger train at the terminus.

 

Also mentions that the maltings siding wasn’t opened until 1961, so after passenger trains ended but before the end of general goods.

 

It’s got me inspired for an N gauge version!