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Harris Sausages' Siphons


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Having spent my earliest years in Calne, I have always had something of a soft spot for the Calne Branch and its sausage traffic.  To that end I have built one of the Siphon F's and intend to build a siphon C to go with it.

 

I have the Wild Swan book on the branch, and further photos of the dedicated siphons in Russell (one of which shows a Siphon F branded to Work between Calne and Newcastle in 1948 still in GW livery).  However while these photos show a range of destinations all over the country, I havent seen anywhere west of Brent.  

 

So I was wondering, is anyone aware of a photo of a Harris branded siphon with a Plymouth or Cornish destination?

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Not much help but as a fellow calne born rmweber I thought I would point out the booklet on the calne branch is  No help on siphons! 

But the cover picture of a post man waiting with mail on the cover of The Calne Branch by Tanner 1972' also has a view of the Morris  post office van that my dad went tobogganing down a hill in, writeing it off back in his younger days not to long after the cover shot!

Edited by Graham456
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The Slinn book has brandings.

 

In 1947, only 5 Siphon Fs remained. None branded west country - 3 unbranded.

 

More variety with Siphon Cs.

 

A few Non-sausage traffic branded Penzance in 1920s (would it still be branded Iike that in 1940s?)

 

Closest for Sausages was Calne to Bristol Temple Meads.

 

If you want numbers for any of these then let me know and I'll dig them out.

 

Will

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During the period up to 1930 Harris acquired several factories including at Redruth, Totnes and Tiverton. I believe that the Harris family sold their interest in the 1920s and part of their shares were bought by the Marsh family, of Marsh and Baxter in Brierley Hill. Shortly after  the Harris brothers became involved in Bowyers.

During WW2 the Government as part of the rationing programme dictated the areas food suppliers could operate. Later alterations affected which sausage manufacturers could supply which areas. I don't know about Harris but by 1942 Palethorpes were only allowed to operate north of a line from Bristol to The Wash. The final restrictions on food supply were not removed until the 1950s.

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2 hours ago, richbrummitt said:

 

I guess Slinn doesn't state what traffic they would have been for?

Just says general traffic and Harris traffic for the two sections. There were 5 Siphon Cs for Penzance 1919 earliest, some used for Harris sausage traffic late 30s onwards.

Will

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On 15/12/2020 at 14:44, Graham456 said:

 

But the cover picture of a post man waiting with mail on the cover of The Calne Branch by Tanner 1972' also 

 

 Another Calne veteran here - 80-83.

 

Was Tanner by any chance "Scoop" Tanner the reporter and photographer for the the Gazette - probably!

 

Would piggy pies head to Janner-land - not sure - them had their own  paaaaaasties dinnum?

 

 

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As another who grew up in Calne in the 40's - 50's and several of my family in the 'porker' business either as farmers or in the bacon factories. one of my uncles was involved in the Redruth factory of Harris's, before returning to Chippenham. As they were making sausages in Redruth - they wouldn't be sending them to Cornwall from Calne. 'Coals to Newcastle' using the wrong metaphor!

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And I suspect that some workings were seasonal, at least in earlier days. One of the GWR Service Tables I have for South Wales before WW1 has at least one train marked "Only in the sausage season". Was this so they didn't go off in hot weather?

Jonathan

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Even in the 1950s availability of various types of fresh meat was still seasonal. Only cold storage, freezing  and better transport gave us the anything anytime food choice we have now.

Palethorpes and the LMS were innovators in the 1930s with ice-cooled forced ventilation of vans. Other than that the only way to stop meat from going off on the train was running fast using wagons with lots of ventilation. 

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On 28/01/2021 at 09:22, TheSignalEngineer said:

Even in the 1950s availability of various types of fresh meat was still seasonal. Only cold storage, freezing  and better transport gave us the anything anytime food choice we have now.

Palethorpes and the LMS were innovators in the 1930s with ice-cooled forced ventilation of vans. Other than that the only way to stop meat from going off on the train was running fast using wagons with lots of ventilation. 

 

I believe refrigeration on the GWR, with some types of MICA vans, occurred much earlier than that and I'd be surprised if other railways didn't do the same.

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1 hour ago, NCB said:

 

I believe refrigeration on the GWR, with some types of MICA vans, occurred much earlier than that and I'd be surprised if other railways didn't do the same.

There were some previous types of insulated and ventilated meat vans with provision for fitting ice boxes. I think the Palethorpes vans were some of the first with electric fans driving ducted ice-cooled air around the load.

 

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