Two-road GWR goods shed operation

[Schooner]

On 09/08/2019 at 08:40, Harlequin said:

Another one for the list: Ross on Wye.

A great find Harlequin, many thanks - not only is the shed of relevance, but the yard crane is a dead ringer for that at BoA and those photos will be really useful

 

On 09/08/2019 at 12:02, The Stationmaster said:

...Westbury was the serving yard for Bradford-On-Avon. 

Another question to highlight my ignorance - does this mean that wagons to be dropped at BoA would typically be assembled at Westbury? So traffic from the North would go past BoA, drop at Westbury where a train for the Bathampton branch would be made up to go back up the branch a deliver those wagons? #n00b

 

On 09/08/2019 at 13:34, DavidCBroad said:

The Goods shed was obviously repaired at some stage radically changing it's appearance.

Interesting. Are you seeing this in the change of orientation in the-timbers-that-aren't-barge-boards-but-now-I've-got-that-in-my-head-I-can't-remember-what-they're-called (vertical in the 1870s pic, horizontal in all subsequent photos, and it seems other sheds)? Are there other changes you've spotted that I've missed?

 

On 10/08/2019 at 09:59, No46 said:

Two cranes operated inside

Good to know, thank you

 

Sheds to investigate: Challow, Chippenham, Newbury, Par (although this sounds like it might be for other reasons), Ross-on-Wye, Tiverton, Yeovil... Excellent, should keep me out of trouble for a little while!

Edited August 27, 2019 by Schooner
Tiverton added to the list, courtesy of Miss P

[Joseph_Pestell]

Yeovil Pen Mill is another double-track shed. Originally accessed from both ends but the down connection was removed when the station platforms were lengthened.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

 

Another question to highlight my ignorance - does this mean that wagons to be dropped at BoA would typically be assembled at Westbury? So traffic from the North would go past BoA, drop at Westbury where a train for the Bathampton branch would be made up to go back up the branch a deliver those wagons? #n00b

 

 

The simple answer is 'probably' and inevitably once the connection that was there from the Up line had gone (Westbury is shown in 1947 as the serving yard).  True an Up train could possibly be run round using the two crossovers but the distance between them was not very great so it would only be possible with a. short train unless train was split.   I would think that at one time Up trains might possibly have called to pick up urgent traffic, and maybe even to set down shed traffic, but the easiest way to shunt the yard was by using a Down train hence Westbury being the serving yard.

 

I have just checked the 1891 STT (Service Timetable)    and a number of Up Goods and coal trains were booked to stop at Bradford but in every case except one ( a 10 minute stop) it was only for 5 minutes.  However in the Down direction three Goods trains called and the shortest time there was 15 with a morning train (from Westbury) being booked 20 minutes.  It was later than the early morning Up trains and would obviously have been able to properly shunt any traffic they dropped as a simple detachment.

 

The 1938 summer STT shows a morning Up freight there for 19 minutes while another called for only 7 minutes solely to detach traffic, there were other calls by Up trains but insufficient time to shunt the yard.   Basically the pattern of traffic would change over the years and the trains calling reflected that plus the ability given by the track layout for them to actually work there,     

[DCB]

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

 

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

  On 09/08/2019 at 13:34, DavidCBroad said:

The Goods shed was obviously repaired at some stage radically changing it's appearance.

 

Interesting. Are you seeing this in the change of orientation in the-timbers-that-aren't-barge-boards-but-now-I've-got-that-in-my-head-I-can't-remember-what-they're-called (vertical in the 1870s pic, horizontal in all subsequent photos, and it seems other sheds)? Are there other changes you've spotted that I've missed?

The original stone arch above the tracks was demolished and replaced with timbers see the old 1870 photo and the 1950 one. Looks at first glance like a completely different shed.

[Schooner]

Thanks for that Mike, really interesting and useful information. I should probably have mentioned that my interest is particularly in the first two decades of the 20th Century, and I'm only just getting to grips with the only timetable I've found for the period (so far), so it's a great help to have the moves so clearly explained

Edited August 13, 2019 by Schooner
It does still leave open the question of how the shed handled the traffic...

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

Thanks for that Mike, really interesting and useful information. I should probably have mentioned that my interest is particularly in the first two decades of the 20th Century, and I'm only just getting to grips with the only timetable I've found for the period (so far), so it's a great help to have the moves so clearly explained

Michael Clemens site is an excellent resource and one big advantage is that he's happy to allow timetables to be downloaded.  I have got a few GWR STTs from that period although only one from broad gauge days.  Just for real amusement I have a public timetable from very early days (when the GWR finished at Bristol and the South Devon hadn't even opened) which list various connecting stage coaches - makes a fascinating change from rail replacement 'buses.

 

PS the second one down on that page - Section 3 - includes Bradford-On-Avon but be careful how you sort Up trains from Down trains. read the notes carefully. 

Edited August 13, 2019 by The Stationmaster

[Schooner]

Glad you think so - it certainly seems very good, but proceeding as I am on the basis of scanty knowledge I'm a little wary of online resources.

 

I've nabbed the Section 3 timetables already*, thinking they'd make a nice gentle introduction on how to glean information from WTTs...but actually they've highlighted a bit of  crunch point in the nascent layout all these posts are (very) gradually working towards. Carnage starts here if anyone fancies playing as fast and loose with timetabling as I've done with geography  

 

 

 

*well noted about the Up/Down for the Bathampton branch, although I still don't always manage to refer to them correctly...

Edited August 13, 2019 by Schooner
Syntax

[Miss Prism]

Tavistock, 1928