RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 25, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2021 6 hours ago, Fat Controller said: I note the one in the posting is 'off the road', I think 2 are AWOL, the middle one seems to be at a jaunty angle compared with the right hand one. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SED Freightman Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 3 hours ago, eastwestdivide said: There was a Metal Box factory in Strood (on the line between Strood and Cuxton) which had a rail connection at one point. By the time I got interested in the late 70s, any traffic there had gone to road. The site is now a Royal Mail depot. There was still some traffic passing (ex Trostre ?) around 1980/1 as I had to send the Divisional Terminals Inspector (Basil Wilson) there from time to time to inspect damaged tinplate and provide reports to the BRB Claims Department. I think the buildings were used as distribution depot for Tesco, or one of their haulage contractors, for a while after Metal Box closed down, athough no rail traffic was involved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 9 minutes ago, SED Freightman said: I think the buildings were used as distribution depot for Tesco, or one of their haulage contractors Yes that’s right. Was it Lowfield? No rail traffic though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SED Freightman Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 1 hour ago, eastwestdivide said: Yes that’s right. Was it Lowfield? No rail traffic though. Thanks, I was trying to remember who took over the private siding agreement, it was Lowfield Distribution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold john new Posted January 25, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) I may be having a wrong memory moment but weren’t the PalVans built for the Channel Islands to UK traffic (tomatoes etc.) coming in via Weymouth (and therefore logically also Southampton) but then when they arrived it was found the pallets were a bespoke size to the trade flow and didn’t fit the vans? Edited January 25, 2021 by john new Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted January 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 24/01/2021 at 18:53, montyburns56 said: Batchelors Foods, Wadsley Bridge 1982 Yes, it's another private siding so sue me. Note how, in addition to the double slip, there is a catch point to protect the main line. If this were a railway company siding, the headshunt from the slip would provide the necessary protection, with the far end worked together with the main line point, but as it's part of the private siding, the slip can't be worked from the box so the additional trap point is needed. Looking more closely still, I think the near end of the slip has the pairs of blades worked by separate levers. 3 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 03060 Posted January 26, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2021 Is it an optical illusion or does the line that the loco (English Electric ?) is sitting on run straight into the pile of coal ? Thanks to @Compound2632 for the above comments which have made me look deeper into this likeable photo. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 26 minutes ago, 03060 said: Is it an optical illusion or does the line that the loco (English Electric ?) is sitting on run straight into the pile of coal ? Thanks to @Compound2632 for the above comments which have made me look deeper into this likeable photo. I think you're correct. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post montyburns56 Posted January 26, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2021 I came across this picture of Thurso station in 73 and I loved the image of the lone 16 tonner and the conveyor, but the more I searched for pictures of the station it struck me that not only did it fit the parameters of the thread, but how it would make for a great model in its post Beeching period. It also amused me how the station was like a cliche of a branch line termini even in its later days as it had.. A single platform A station roof covering the tracks A bay platform A wooden goods shed A provider type store A loading bank An old wagon body as a shed/office A cobbled roadway in the goods yard An engine shed albeit disused An overbridge at the station throat Oh and mail and parcel vans loading on the platform... 26 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post montyburns56 Posted January 26, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2021 Thurso pt 2 Did I mention the Collet BG in the sidings in the 80s? This is from 1968, but gives a good view of the yard and the disused engine shed. 26 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted January 26, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 24/01/2021 at 18:53, montyburns56 said: Batchelors Foods, Wadsley Bridge 1982 Yes, it's another private siding so sue me. Not that many private sidings with OLE especially 1500v ones 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Thanks for the Thurso photos very useful but seeing the red viva van on the platform made me remember when I drove one for work.I did thousands of miles in it and was left with a permanent back injury that still plays up today ,good for goods but no good for driving. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted January 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) What is the structure behind the platform in the photos with the two Class 37s? It doesn't appear in any of the other photographs. David Edit: Just noticed that it seems to be present in some of Ernie's b/w photos Edited January 27, 2021 by DavidLong Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 5 hours ago, DavidLong said: What is the structure behind the platform in the photos with the two Class 37s? It doesn't appear in any of the other photographs. David Edit: Just noticed that it seems to be present in some of Ernie's b/w photos Do you mean this thing? 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Looks like they put a roof over the cattle market to me. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DavidLong Posted January 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2021 Yes, that's the one. I was trying to work out the time line for it as it doesn't seem to be present on the pre-large logo 37 photos. I think that @Nearholmer may have the right idea about what it is there for. Having checked Google Earth it isn't there now, just a large expanse of nothingness like the rest of the area around the station. Thanks for putting the extra photos up. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post montyburns56 Posted March 31, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2021 Norwich Victoria 1970s 33 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium iands Posted March 31, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2021 Somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but I've only just found this thread. Absolutely brilliant! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post montyburns56 Posted April 20, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2021 OT, but too good not to post...... Redbourn 1963 28 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artless Bodger Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 On 25/01/2021 at 08:09, Enterprisingwestern said: From Twitter. On the Mid Hants Rly. Mike. The top photo looks very much like Dover Priory goods yard to me, https://www.dover.uk.com/history/1930/dover-priory-station, the 6 legged watertank and the brick base of the old one. There was, I seem to remember from trips to Margate, a Metal Box factory at Ashford just north of the Ashford bypass with a private siding off the Ashford - Canterbury West line. You could see vans and minerals with shiny tinplate scrap in them from passing trains, so possibly the palvans moved empty cans from there to the Batchelors factories. At Aylesford (ref the Snodland link above) there was the goods yard on the down side, and just beyond the level crossing by Aylesford box was a long trailing siding on the up side, which served one or more warehouses (SPD or some thing at the far end), often a few vans in there including (according to my more knowledgeable friend) one of the vans with a fibreglass roof (translucent?) on one occasion, he referred to it as a plastic van. The warehouse later became a Finefare distribution centre. The siding terminated just short of Aylesford village level crossing. There were several food factories in the area along the Medway valley - Smedley next to Barming station, Foster Clarke alongside Maidstone West yard. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SED Freightman Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 20 hours ago, Artless Bodger said: The top photo looks very much like Dover Priory goods yard to me, https://www.dover.uk.com/history/1930/dover-priory-station, the 6 legged watertank and the brick base of the old one. There was, I seem to remember from trips to Margate, a Metal Box factory at Ashford just north of the Ashford bypass with a private siding off the Ashford - Canterbury West line. You could see vans and minerals with shiny tinplate scrap in them from passing trains, so possibly the palvans moved empty cans from there to the Batchelors factories. The photo certainly looks like Dover Priory, with the derailment on the sidings leading to the goods shed, I wonder what the Batchelors wagons were doing here, I would have thought three wagon loads would be a lot for local distribution. I cannot find a reference to any Metal Box factory at Ashford, the site you describe was the Batchelors Factory (now Premier Foods), they presumably received empty cans by rail from Metal Box unless there was a can manufacturing operation on site. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artless Bodger Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 33 minutes ago, SED Freightman said: The photo certainly looks like Dover Priory, with the derailment on the sidings leading to the goods shed, I wonder what the Batchelors wagons were doing here, I would have thought three wagon loads would be a lot for local distribution. I cannot find a reference to any Metal Box factory at Ashford, the site you describe was the Batchelors Factory (now Premier Foods), they presumably received empty cans by rail from Metal Box unless there was a can manufacturing operation on site. I was going from memory of trips to the seaside as child in the early 60s, and it is of lettering on the factory, but it was a long time ago. Looking up the Batchelors site, it is now Premier Foods, Google satellite view for TN24 0LU, shows some track still in existence outside the north end of the factory. It looks closer to the mainline than I recall. So my memory was wrong, thanks for sorting that out. Live and learn :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Simon Lee Posted May 25, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2021 13 hours ago, SED Freightman said: The photo certainly looks like Dover Priory, with the derailment on the sidings leading to the goods shed, I wonder what the Batchelors wagons were doing here, I would have thought three wagon loads would be a lot for local distribution. I cannot find a reference to any Metal Box factory at Ashford, the site you describe was the Batchelors Factory (now Premier Foods), they presumably received empty cans by rail from Metal Box unless there was a can manufacturing operation on site. The Palvans in the photo were in the very local flow of imported foam rubber from Belgium. Large sheets of the stuff would arrive via the Ostend steamer as ordinary cargo, and be off loaded by crane and loaded to the Palvans, usually 3 or 4 per day. The vans were tripped as the last job of the Calais end pilot via Dover town to the Priory goods shed for offloading to road vehicles. IIRC, the ultimate destination was Martin Walter's at Folkestone who, at the time built the Dormobile camper van bodies. The locals who I spoke to remembered about generally 8 / 9 vans for the flow, it been quite renumrative as all the moves were encompassed in existing booked moves. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artless Bodger Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 27 minutes ago, Simon Lee said: The Palvans in the photo were in the very local flow of imported foam rubber from Belgium. Large sheets of the stuff would arrive via the Ostend steamer as ordinary cargo, and be off loaded by crane and loaded to the Palvans, usually 3 or 4 per day. The vans were tripped as the last job of the Calais end pilot via Dover town to the Priory goods shed for offloading to road vehicles. IIRC, the ultimate destination was Martin Walter's at Folkestone who, at the time built the Dormobile camper van bodies. The locals who I spoke to remembered about generally 8 / 9 vans for the flow, it been quite renumrative as all the moves were encompassed in existing booked moves. Very interesting, thank you. One of my work colleagues in the late 70s drove a dormobile - I didn't know they were home grown in Kent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 22 minutes ago, Artless Bodger said: Very interesting, thank you. One of my work colleagues in the late 70s drove a dormobile - I didn't know they were home grown in Kent. The works was on the left-hand side, between the Folkestone and Cheriton exits from the M20. The site's largely been flattened, and is used as bus stabling for Cross-Keys, and as a sorting/ processing area for demolition waste. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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