RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted December 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 14, 2020 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? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Vigor Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 I think we tend to forget just how many 'snorkers' were transported by rail in the past. There was Harris's of Calne, but there was also Palethorpe's of Tipton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham456 Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 (edited) 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 December 15, 2020 by Graham456 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillCav Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 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 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted December 16, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 16, 2020 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. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbrummitt Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 17 hours ago, WillCav said: A few Non-sausage traffic branded Penzance in 1920s I guess Slinn doesn't state what traffic they would have been for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillCav Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium M.I.B Posted December 20, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 20, 2020 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? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivybridge Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 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! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted January 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 28, 2021 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted January 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2021 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. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NCB Posted January 30, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30, 2021 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted January 30, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30, 2021 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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