Short East Anglian engineers trains circa 1990-2005

[Pete 75C]

I'm finding this a little difficult to research. Google images is awash with photos of 60s-70s branch line freight or more modern block freight, container traffic etc.

Essentially, what I'm after is prototype evidence of short engineers trains that could be easily modelled using OO RTR wagons. I have limited space on the layout and am just looking for something to break the monotony of railcars and two or three carriage DMUs. There is a short kickback siding and potential to run round.

Any links or pointers in the right direction would be very useful.

Thanks.

[cravensdmufan]

Good request - unfortunately I can't answer but will follow with interest as I only have a small layout.

[Johann Marsbar]

Not a brilliant scan of the original, but is 2 wagons enough......?

Taken at Ipswich in 1992.

The wagons look rather "ex works" though (and empty), so might not really be classed as an engineers train!

[Pete 75C]

6 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

Not a brilliant scan of the original, but is 2 wagons enough......?

Taken at Ipswich in 1992.

The wagons look rather "ex works" though (and empty), so might not really be classed as an engineers train!

 

Pretty much spot on, thanks. The Flickr image (below) is the sort of thing I had in mind, but wanted to get the region correct. Ipswich is perfect.

 

 

[Johann Marsbar]

17 minutes ago, Pete 75C said:

 

Pretty much spot on, thanks. The Flickr image (below) is the sort of thing I had in mind, but wanted to get the region correct. Ipswich is perfect.

 

 

That looks suspiciously like Winwick Junction - Spent quite a bit of time there over the years!

 

I've had a quick scan through my pictures from the 1990-2005 period and the one previously posted is the only short train I've got in this area. Have got a number of shots on the Felixstowe branch, particularly when they were lengthening Derby Road passing loop, but they are all long engineering trains - nothing short.

[Suzie]

Ipswich had a wagon repair depot so that might account for some short trains like the one above. Lima produced 37379 named 'Ipswich WRD' which would be ideal.

 

The other alternative of course for short trains is a pair of class 20s hauling a couple of nuclear flasks between a pair of barrier wagons from Sizewell or Bradwell.

[Steadfast]

The best "engineers" workings to model if you want variety of wagons are the trips between various yards. These can be as short as one wagon, or can have several thousand tonnes of traffic. Also you can get a right mix of wagons, much more so than in trains to worksites. 

Whitemoor currently does a lot of the Anglia work, and has trips from Hoo Junction (possibly others, like Toton too).

It was reopened in the 2000s, not sure where did the Anglia area marshalling of engineers traffic before then. That answer would give you a good location to chuck into Flickr or Smugmug for engineers trips

 

Jo

 

[Pete 75C]

The more I think about it, I'm tempted to go for the semi-fictional trip working. There is obviously far more flexibility and interest if you combine three or four different wagons and add a region-suitable loco to the mix. Three or four Seacows is fine, but maybe a bit samey and, dare I say it, a bit boring?

Taking East Anglia out of the mix, Flickr provides a lot more inspiration...

 

 

 

...etc etc.

[Classsix T]

Short train, East Anglia? Ipswich tanks buh! One Tractor two TTAs.

 

C6T. 

[Pete the Elaner]

On 07/07/2019 at 19:59, Suzie said:

The other alternative of course for short trains is a pair of class 20s hauling a couple of nuclear flasks between a pair of barrier wagons from Sizewell or Bradwell.

Nuclear flasks are a good call.

I seem to remember a pair of RF 31s on this though Colchester in the late 80s with what looked like standard HEAs as barrier vehicles.

I don't have any photos & being 30 years ago, I would not argue about being correct.

[Fat Controller]

On 08/07/2019 at 21:09, Steadfast said:

The best "engineers" workings to model if you want variety of wagons are the trips between various yards. These can be as short as one wagon, or can have several thousand tonnes of traffic. Also you can get a right mix of wagons, much more so than in trains to worksites. 

Whitemoor currently does a lot of the Anglia work, and has trips from Hoo Junction (possibly others, like Toton too).

It was reopened in the 2000s, not sure where did the Anglia area marshalling of engineers traffic before then. That answer would give you a good location to chuck into Flickr or Smugmug for engineers trips

 

Jo

 

Leyton or Temple Mills at the southern end? Chesterton Jct (Cambridge) and Wensum (Norwich)

Edited July 10, 2019 by Fat Controller

[Pete 75C]

Thanks for that, guys.

I'll need to Google the Ipswich tanks. I always seem to remember a lot more than two, but two would indeed be a good size.

I hadn't given the flask train a thought. No idea why, as I remember watching the movement across the road at Leiston. There are some great shots on Flickr. I seem to remember an EWS 37 on one end and an InterCity liveried 37 on the other. Variety indeed.

Many thanks.

 

Edited to add:
I knew I hadn't imagined it...

 

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Pete 75C

[Fat Controller]

37 minutes ago, Pete 75C said:

Thanks for that, guys.

I'll need to Google the Ipswich tanks. I always seem to remember a lot more than two, but two would indeed be a good size.

I hadn't given the flask train a thought. No idea why, as I remember watching the movement across the road at Leiston. There are some great shots on Flickr. I seem to remember an EWS 37 on one end and an InterCity liveried 37 on the other. Variety indeed.

Many thanks.

 

Edited to add:
I knew I hadn't imagined it...

 

 

The train of tanks to/from Ipswich stabling point was generally quite short. If you saw a longer train, it was probably the condensate tanks from North Walsham to Harwich.

[Classsix T]

My google-fu is obviously weak, Cambridge Ipswich fuel tanks only produced this gem by Paul Johnson on SmugMug;

 

 

I can only think that it was an EWS job until relatively recently because FL drivers didn't sign Chippenham Jnc-Cambridge?

 

C6T. 

[rob D2]

Ipswich CE yard , 1991. Pick  and mix your own train Pete ! I’m not bad at Flickr searches because I also need specific locations and times. I’d search Leyton CE yard and Stratford depot for representative dates as that’s where a lot of the stuff originated. On YouTube there are a couple of early 90s. Vids of March area.

copyright of photo is not mine of course. It rests with don gatehouse .

 

 

[Pete 75C]

21 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

Ipswich CE yard , 1991. Pick  and mix your own train Pete ! I’m not bad at Flickr searches because I also need specific locations and times. I’d search Leyton CE yard and Stratford depot for representative dates as that’s where a lot of the stuff originated. On YouTube there are a couple of early 90s. Vids of March area.

 

Thanks Rob. Is that photo the first one to come up when you type "inspiration" into Google? If not, it should...

[rob D2]

Haha ! Some pretty funky looking stock there, and of course Stratford had some interesting locos to pull it all right up to the shed domination took over.

 

I’m making support wagons to go with hattons 12T crane when it comes out in January , not sure if the eastern region had something similar . What about an inspection saloon for a bit of variety ?

[Pete 75C]

The 12T Hattons crane is on my radar. I haven't pre-ordered because I simply can't decide which version. I bought a Bachmann EWS-liveried ex-LMS saloon a while back when it was almost being given away by Rails. I briefly considered an EWS 37 which I gather was a common pairing, but it doesn't fit with the East Anglian theme. I think the closest it got was Cambridge in late 90s EWS livery, so I'm tempted to keep it to one side for a possible repaint.

 

Thanks again to all for the advice. I am truly space-starved now, and have made a start on a small layout, but with 4ft scenic, 4ft fiddle, options are limited and short trains are very much the only option. A Hornby 153 and RealTrack's soon-to-arrive Sprinter in Provincial livery will cover the passenger side, I just want some variety beyond DMU shuttles.

Pete.