Stormbringer Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) Hi all. I went past the traverser at Felixstowe earlier and it started me to wondering if there were any more working traversers in this country? Pete Edited November 21, 2018 by Stormbringer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) Out of use but still there is the one in York Wagon Shops plusthe one at the carriage works that is being removed in the near future! Edited November 21, 2018 by Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Out of use but still there is the one in York Wagon Shops plusthe one The former Marcroft (now DBC/Axiom) site at Stoke has some., there is one at the former RTC at Derby, and another at Brush Loughborough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redkiterail Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 London gateway, eastligh works Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Davexoc Posted November 21, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 21, 2018 Steam in Swindon and Crich Tramway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Isn't there one at Didcot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 There's one at Fowey, to move wagons back to the sidings after unloading. One of the more unusual applications of a traverser I'm aware of is not in the UK, but at one of the Peugeot plants in Eastern France (Sochaux?). Loaded trains of cars are long by European standards, meaning that it takes the 'jockeys' a long time to drive cars to the far end. To reduce this, a traverser is used; incoming trains are broken down into pairs of twin wagons and a 'mule' attached to the far end. The wagons are brought down to the loading ramps, and placed on the traverser. Once loaded, they are moved sideways on to the departure track, where they are coupled to either another 'mule', or to the last vehicle already on the track, and moved away from the loading area. The loaded wagons are then taken by shunter to the main departure sidings, to be formed into complete trains, or portions to be added to mixed freights. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 There is the famous one at Crewe Works, whether it is still used to move bogies I don't know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 Not in the UK, but how about the set-up I've linked to below. It's not a works, but a running shed, with a longitudinal traverser fed by two turntables. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Matabiau,+Toulouse,+France/@43.6134037,1.4541037,331m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x12aebca2147379cb:0xa4d8e8da788f434c!8m2!3d43.6103756!4d1.4495103?hl=en There are variations on this theme around SNCF; La Chapelle, outside Gare du Nord, being one many of you will have passed. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daltonparva Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 (edited) There's one in my loft. https://youtu.be/7Yi1CTi9YIs Edited November 23, 2018 by daltonparva 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 I'm not sure if the one at Inchicore is still used ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLBH Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 We have one where I work to move ships to the right refit bay after being lifted out. It's not connected to the rail network though - not even our disused internal one. The inner rails (it has four) may be standard gauge, but I doubt it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Kirk Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 There were once a lot dotted about the country, most wagon works had them even the little wagon repair works at Thornton that I went to look at when it closed about 50 years ago as a possible factory unit plus site for Railway preservation. Builder got it though and it now makes timber frame houses. There is one still at Swindon but I do not think it is still operable. The reason they were popular in wagon/coach works is the huge saving in length over conventional pointwork. A fact not missed by railway modellers. My little O gauge "Thrift Drift " has one concealed under the colliery buildings connecting three tracks to allow exchange of full and empties. This is about a foot long in O gauge (two wagons) but to do the same with conventional points would need two plus a headshunt.Even with tight radius points it would have needed 3 to 4 ft. The old wagon works people were not daft. Even the little one I looked at had 4 or 5 roads in the working area and a few outside The combination of traverser and a few wagon turntables brought all of this down to one track out the gate to connect with BR and yet it all fitted within a comparatively small yard. best wishes, Ian . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejstubbs Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 isn't there a traverser at the Hitachi plant at Newton Aycliffe? I'm sure I saw it on Portillo's programme a while back. Just checked online: I was wrong. There are two! https://www.railway-technology.com/products/traversers/ The same company has also built a two-road one at Ilford for Crossrail. In both cases the reason was as Ian Kirk's posting: saving space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted November 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 24, 2018 (edited) A lot of railway workshops had them, generally spanning the end of a workshop feeding individual bays in the shop. Away from there, they were quite rare in traffic use. The best on I can think of was Birmingham Moor Street, where they were used to provide a runround in the bay platforms, and saving space, which real Railways normally don’t worry about as much as modellers do. There’s one on my Washbourne line, using B&Q drawer runners, and I swear by this as a useful way of doing things. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrms1223.htm Edited November 24, 2018 by Northroader 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pb_devon Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 We have one where I work to move ships to the right refit bay after being lifted out. It's not connected to the rail network though - not even our disused internal one. The inner rails (it has four) may be standard gauge, but I doubt it. Would you be able to say where this is please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted November 25, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 25, 2018 The best on I can think of was Birmingham Moor Street, where they were used to provide a runround in the bay platforms, and saving space, which real Railways normally don’t worry about as much as modellers do. Snow Hill at one time had a sector plate for the same reasons on the bay platforms, another modelling space-saver. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_anorak59 Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 Crewe Works - 1977... ...and 1979... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted November 26, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 26, 2018 Here’s one of the Swindon A shop, 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted November 26, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 26, 2018 There were once a lot dotted about the country, most wagon works had them even the little wagon repair works at Thornton that I went to look at when it closed about 50 years ago as a possible factory unit plus site for Railway preservation. Builder got it though and it now makes timber frame houses. There is one still at Swindon but I do not think it is still operable. The reason they were popular in wagon/coach works is the huge saving in length over conventional pointwork. A fact not missed by railway modellers. My little O gauge "Thrift Drift " has one concealed under the colliery buildings connecting three tracks to allow exchange of full and empties. This is about a foot long in O gauge (two wagons) but to do the same with conventional points would need two plus a headshunt.Even with tight radius points it would have needed 3 to 4 ft. The old wagon works people were not daft. Even the little one I looked at had 4 or 5 roads in the working area and a few outside The combination of traverser and a few wagon turntables brought all of this down to one track out the gate to connect with BR and yet it all fitted within a comparatively small yard. best wishes, Ian . I think the Swindon one (at Steam museum) is still used. It's the best way to get locos off a low loader lorry and into the museum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted November 28, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 28, 2018 (edited) Another place that used traversers was Birmingham Moor Street low level goods sheds (one each side of Park Street at street level) Wagon hoists dropped the wagons from track level to lower level where they were move by traversers and capstans. https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moorstreet/gwrms1205.jpg https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moorstreet/gwrms1220.jpg https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moorstreet/gwrms2740a.jpg Also some wagon turntables. Keith Edited November 28, 2018 by melmerby 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted November 28, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 28, 2018 The one that was at Nine Elms works had a slight steampunk look to it. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejstubbs Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Nah, can't be steampunk - no-one is wearing goggles. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2018/nov/25/sixth-haworth-steampunk-annual-weekend-in-pictures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 The proposed new station for Corris is planned to have a sector plate due to space restrictions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
87023Velocity Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 Bombardier at Derby Litchurch lane still has 2 in daily use. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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