Jump to content
 

70s Industrial steam


Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

Cwmdu Sidings, Maesteg 1975

 


 Betteshanger Colliery 1970

Kentish Coal

Note the 24.5t hoppers on the Betteshanger- Richborough circuit working; the 'proof of concept' for the Merry-Go-Round train. The wagons were treated as a single unit, with no shunting of individual wagons. ISTR that thet were fitted with vacuum disc brakes.

 

Betteshanger Colliery Betteshanger Tip Run

 

Undated

 

betteshanger11 austerity 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Gordon A said:

Not sure carrying coal on the roof in the Betteshanger pictures is a good idea?

This made me take a second look. The tipper wagons appear to be loaded with coal rather than the usual cargo of muck. Not sure how Betteshanger operated but our local collieries had "stockyards" where surplus production could be stored. In latter years these were well organised concreted aprons often with flood lighting, fed by conveyors and marshalled by payloaders. In earlier times these were trackside dumps often some distance from the pit head.

I guess the coal on the roof was the result of a miscalculation under the screens due to the ultra short wagons. I hope the ventilation hatch was closed. Cue some genuine " pit language"!

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
2 hours ago, Gordon A said:

Not sure carrying coal on the roof in the Betteshanger pictures is a good idea?

It was normal practice with the L&Y Pugs at Bank Hall - coal was piled on every available surface at the start of a shift, all along the footplate and even lumps balanced on the tank handrails.

  • Like 2
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 26/02/2021 at 11:27, doilum said:

The tipper wagons appear to be loaded with coal rather than the usual cargo of muck. Not sure how Betteshanger operated but our local collieries had "stockyards" where surplus production could be stored. In latter years these were well organised concreted aprons often with flood

 

They are full of spoil, If you go into Fowlmead country park (the old spoil tip) and mooch around in of the mounds it looks like coal but doesn't burn very well. I didn't try it honestly guv.

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, montyburns56 said:

Need inspiration for a diorama?

 

Graig Merthyr Colliery 1970

 

Graig Merthyr Colliery

 

Lesson here for those new to collieries. NCB mantra " kick it. If it doesn't squeal paint it white". A key detail for the authentic post war look.

  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, montyburns56 said:

I can't imagine that anyone would ever want a model of this monstrosity..... ;)

 

No. 65 at Cadley Hill Shed 1979

 

Cadley Hill Shed

 

Shilbottle 1970

 

'No.45' at Shilbottle

 

Polkemmet 1979

 

79324-NCB25-Polkemmet Colliery

 

Careful!! Some of us treasure our Austerities in every aspect of their diversity.

  • Agree 1
  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
1 hour ago, montyburns56 said:

I can't imagine that anyone would ever want a model of this monstrosity..... ;)

 

No. 65 at Cadley Hill Shed 1979

 

Cadley Hill Shed

 

No.65, built in 1964, is the penultimate standard gauge steam loco built for commercial use in the UK and still survives (as does the last, no.66, at the Buckinghamshire Rly Centre IIRC).

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

When and where did the last Industrial Steam work?

 

I wonder when the last steam-hauled commercial freight was on the Middleton Railway? I know it blurs the lines a bit being a preserved line, but they did work commercial scrap traffic in exchange with BR, and certainly occasionaly used steam on these, at least in earlier times. The last inbound working was a cargo wagon carrying EM2 bogies in 1990 which was worked onto their metals by an 08 and picked up by an M.R diesel, and I think there hadn't been much goods traffic for a decade or so up to this point. Would be interesting to know if any scrap trains ran with steam in the 80's though.

 

According to Gordon Edgars book, the AB tank at Crossley Evans, Shipley, was still working in 83, and his text mentions it was one of the last regular steam turns in industry.

 

Would any MoD locomotives count? I thought the Royal Engineers kept a few Austerity tanks operational into the late 80's, though I doubt they'd be classed as 'everyday' motive power, rather more ceremonial.

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ben B said:

 

I wonder when the last steam-hauled commercial freight was on the Middleton Railway? I know it blurs the lines a bit being a preserved line, but they did work commercial scrap traffic in exchange with BR, and certainly occasionaly used steam on these, at least in earlier times. The last inbound working was a cargo wagon carrying EM2 bogies in 1990 which was worked onto their metals by an 08 and picked up by an M.R diesel, and I think there hadn't been much goods traffic for a decade or so up to this point. Would be interesting to know if any scrap trains ran with steam in the 80's though.

 

According to Gordon Edgars book, the AB tank at Crossley Evans, Shipley, was still working in 83, and his text mentions it was one of the last regular steam turns in industry.

 

Would any MoD locomotives count? I thought the Royal Engineers kept a few Austerity tanks operational into the late 80's, though I doubt they'd be classed as 'everyday' motive power, rather more ceremonial.

Any details of the last MOD austerities?

Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, 2251 said:

Here is a photo of No 98 at Long Marston in 1987, albeit burnished up for a special event rather than in regular use:

 

http://petertandy.co.uk/long marston/mod_98_1987.jpg

Isle of Wight Steam Railway has Royal Engineer as the final MOD steam loco retiring in 1991. Could be top trump? There were several locos carrying this name at different times so I will confirm the identity when I check my notes.

HE 3798 was one of a final batch of 14 locos with vacuum braking built for the MOD in 1953. For anyone interested, HE 3790 to 3803. 

Edited by doilum
Additional information
  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...