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Brake tender length of service and where to be mainly found


TravisM
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A few photos of some in service.

 

The first three are at Pilmoor, on the ECML north of York.

 

Ratcliffe on Soar is between Trent Junction and Loughborough on the Midland Main line.

 

The final one is at Ravensthorpe.

 

 

1762841309_PilmoorD6777upgoodsMarch67J783.jpg.8d70c31bb39044a027750c7982ea4700.jpg

Pilmoor D6777 up goods March 67 J783.jpg

 

 

75074886_PilmoorClass37braketender(redbufferbeam)downfreightMay68J1307.jpg.9922bd1ba484f5a62c8a40ec60539859.jpg

Pilmoor Class 37 & brake tender (red buffer beam) down freight May 68 J1307.jpg

 

 

510191917_PilmoorClass37D6771andbraketenderupgoodsJune68J1306.jpg.cd19ac717d21b5354e0d30e95a13f605.jpg

Pilmoor Class 37 D6771 and brake tender up goods June 68 J1306.jpg

 

 

1471264136_nbRatcliffeonSoarRatcliffeonSoarClass20D8156andbraketenderredbufferbeamdownmineralMarch69J1566.jpg.36df36d74c250962e7c0129caa0fc003.jpg

Ratcliffe on Soar Ratcliffe on Soar Class 20 D8156 and brake tender, red buffer beam, down mineral March 69 J1566.jpg

 

 

1709617722_aRavensthorpeClass37westboundgoodsAug67J1106.jpg.5deeece162f4704cf61497c6619abbc8.jpg

Ravensthorpe Class 37 westbound goods Aug 67 J1106.jpg

 

 

David

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Brake tenders were listed on TOPS, so their weight and brake force could be included on the trainlist

and drivers slip. The TOPS code for brake tenders was RTV.

 

I remember seeing a brake tender on one or two occasions around 1977/78 on the morning Severn Tunnel Junction to Ashton Meadows coal train which was composed of a mix of HTVs and HTOs with brake van. 

The British Steel strike of 1980 resulted in many coal wagons being surplus to requirements, consequently large numbers of unfitted coal wagons were stored, many were never used again and subsequently scrapped. The diminished fleet of unfitted coal wagons must have had some bearing on the withdrawal of the brake tenders.

 

The other use of brake tenders, on the WR at least, was by the civil engineers on trains of track sections until 1979/80, as the WR fleet of salmons/ganes/sturgeons was all unfitted,

 

cheers

 

Edited by Rivercider
additional information
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4 hours ago, Phatbob said:

Some intersting information here, including photos of a replica under construction showing the brake gubbins inside the beast.
http://www.rvp-ltd.org.uk/projectx/

 

The "new build" one is shown here at Swithland Sidings in 2018...

 

18-1176.jpg.2b0fbfbf4cdf7f960804d88c9788a432.jpg

 

To be honest, it doesn't seem to have been used that much at GCR events, and the only photo I seem to have of it actually in use on a demonstration freight is this one from 2017....

 

17-2225.jpg.cf482e2d79a3a5fa69dcd4a15fc27857.jpg

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When i first started as a secondman, I spent six months, '77/'78, at South Dock (Sunderland) on the local mineral (coal) trip workings which were all still running unfitted at the time, and the use of brake tenders in the area had long since ceased.

There's many photos of them being used on such workings in the area in the '60s, being either hauled or propelled.

i remember being told by one driver that propelling them was banned as when being propelled by bonneted locos (EE) they couldn't be seen and there were several incidents where drivers forgot which end they were at and they got pushed past signals, this was with local trip workings with often frequent changes of direction during a shift, and the amount of running round them which would be required when propelling was  banned meant they fell out of use.

 

Even in my spotting days before starting work, from about '73, I'd never seen them being used.

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5 hours ago, DaveF said:

A few photos of some in service.

 

The first three are at Pilmoor, on the ECML north of York.

 

Ratcliffe on Soar is between Trent Junction and Loughborough on the Midland Main line.

 

The final one is at Ravensthorpe.

 

 

 

Pilmoor D6777 up goods March 67 J783.jpg

 

 

 

Pilmoor Class 37 & brake tender (red buffer beam) down freight May 68 J1307.jpg

 

 

 

Pilmoor Class 37 D6771 and brake tender up goods June 68 J1306.jpg

 

 

 

Ratcliffe on Soar Ratcliffe on Soar Class 20 D8156 and brake tender, red buffer beam, down mineral March 69 J1566.jpg

 

 

 

Ravensthorpe Class 37 westbound goods Aug 67 J1106.jpg

 

 

David

Nice photos. Interesting that the first, third and fifth appear to be trains which have a fully fitted head - indeed they look to be fully fitted. 

 

Paul

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13 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Nice photos. Interesting that the first, third and fifth appear to be trains which have a fully fitted head - indeed they look to be fully fitted. 

 

Paul

Just because a train looks fully fitted doesn't mean it is. The correct designation is 90% fitted, piped throughout. Defective brakes, missing or damaged brake pipes can render a train unfitted. Check the headcode carried by the loco. If it's not carrying a class 4 headcode it's not fully fitted. If it's a pick up freight it may not have been time effective to connect up all the pipes. Also the brake tender may have just been along for the ride when the loco has been used for an unfitted working some time in the day.

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A couple of my copyright photos of brake tenders in service.

D1036 heading West in Sonning cutting in 1976 with a diagram 1/558 Stratford built brake tender.

IMG_1534.JPG.f3dfbbb62e68cad6f475cdd5ebb09ae2.JPG

46 003 at Bristol parkway propelling a brake tender in train of grampus on 26 February 1977. Not sure if that's a Gresley or Stanier bogied tender, I think the latter.

IMG_1537.PNG.8b41a079fafd89e663a906eaa9971e8c.PNGI do recall them being used on the WR- I saw but did not take the above photo, a day of infamy on the WR. They were mainly used on Severn Tunnel-Acton/Temple Mills services ( many which had originated from Radyr), but also on coke trains to the ISC smelter at Avonmouth via the Patchway chord. Photos of them in service are quite rare indeed. I also have a photo of a class 31 hauling a tender at STJ in 1980 but that is yet to be scanned.

Edited by Downendian
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Immediately thought of your pictures Neil.... guessed you might be along. Interesting to hear you clocked one on the Avonmouth coke train - as coke hoppers were piped but not fitted it has long puzzled me how ... based on the wtt ... the Llantrisant to Kingswinford coke ran northbound loaded as a class 8 but southbound.... with unbraked wagons! ... as a class 6. Makes me wonder if one was involved in that working too...

Edited by Phil Bullock
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3 hours ago, Yardman said:

Just because a train looks fully fitted doesn't mean it is. The correct designation is 90% fitted, piped throughout. Defective brakes, missing or damaged brake pipes can render a train unfitted. Check the headcode carried by the loco. If it's not carrying a class 4 headcode it's not fully fitted. If it's a pick up freight it may not have been time effective to connect up all the pipes. Also the brake tender may have just been along for the ride when the loco has been used for an unfitted working some time in the day.

It would have been useful to have said what codes they were carrying. I can see a VB or VP wagon very easily and there are a lot in these trains but I cannot read headcode classes, not least because they change according to railway, region or period. I cannot be bothered to list the consists as they are clear to all. 

 

Paul

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8 hours ago, Yardman said:

Just because a train looks fully fitted doesn't mean it is. The correct designation is 90% fitted, piped throughout. Defective brakes, missing or damaged brake pipes can render a train unfitted. Check the headcode carried by the loco. If it's not carrying a class 4 headcode it's not fully fitted. If it's a pick up freight it may not have been time effective to connect up all the pipes. Also the brake tender may have just been along for the ride when the loco has been used for an unfitted working some time in the day.

 

1667740027_StandardClassification.jpg.443fffa5bb594df142509cdb0ec59cbb.jpg

So a class 6 isn't fully fitted? Looks like British Rail doesn't agree.

 

General Appendix to Working Timetables and books of Rule and Regulations, 1st October 1972

 

Edited by Flood
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1 hour ago, hmrspaul said:

It would have been useful to have said what codes they were carrying. I can see a VB or VP wagon very easily and there are a lot in these trains but I cannot read headcode classes, not least because they change according to railway, region or period. I cannot be bothered to list the consists as they are clear to all. 

 

Paul

Hi Paul, We're talking trains in the 60's here, and the codes were pretty standard throuout BR at that time (there were exceptions). If we go from the photos I posted. The tender on the Class 24 is showing a Class 9 code (Unfitted, one lamp on the RHS) this is actually a Pick up freight code although it looks like a Mineral train. My other shots don't show lamps. The next shot with a class 37 carries a Class 7 code (Express freight Unfitted, one lamp top bracket, one lamp RHS). Next 37, Class 9, Next 37, Class 5 %0% fitted. The Class 20 on another Class 9, the loco showing a Class 7in the 4 charscter box. Note this is an LMR brake tender, note the differences to the York/Cowlairs tenders. Theer are plenty of diagrams of headcode positions on the web if you look for them. One of my pet hates is seeing trains carrying the wrong codes on model railways in anything bigger than N. i try and make my operators apply the correct lamps in the fiddle yard. If the scrapping of most signal boxes lamp headcodes and even 4 character one fell out of use and we went over to the domino boxes.

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26 minutes ago, Flood said:

 

1667740027_StandardClassification.jpg.443fffa5bb594df142509cdb0ec59cbb.jpg

So a class 6 isn't fully fitted? Looks like British Rail don't agree.

 

General Appendix to Working Timetables and books of Rule and Regulations, 1st October 1972

 

There weren't many lamp codes in use by 1972.

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35 minutes ago, Yardman said:

There weren't many lamp codes in use by 1972.

Plenty of diesels around with "white lights or discs"

 

spacer.png

 

Looks like a class 7 if I am not mistaken...

Edited by Titan
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The quality is poor, but my photo shows a Cl.37 with a rake of empty hoppers working a Barry Docks - Nantgarw  export coke circuit, circa 1980.

.

Like London buses, someone says brake tenders were almost unknown in South Wales, then three come along together

.

Brian R

cL.37 PLUS BRAKE TENDERS-cARDIFF-CIRCA 1980.jpg

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7 hours ago, Yardman said:

If it's not carrying a class 4 headcode it's not fully fitted

Class 6 trains are also fully fitted and could run without brake vans after the 1969 single manning agreement. The rear 4 axles had to have the automatic brake working and proven in the continuity test before departure, but so long as there was sufficient brake force for the load some vehicles could be piped only and some could have inoperative automatic brakes.  This applied to both vacuum and air brakes.  Class 4 trains were timed for 75mph running speeds, Class 6 for 60mph maximum and were often composed of 45mph 10' wheelbase vehicles. 

 

1 hour ago, Flood said:

If it's a pick up freight it may not have been time effective to connect up all the pipes. Also the brake tender may have just been along for the ride when the loco has been used for an unfitted working some time in the da

Branch pickups were thin on the ground by diesel days, but short distance trip working was still common, and almost always run as class 9.  This allowed them to run with the instanter couplings in the long position to facilitate shunting with a pole, limited to 25mph, and sometimes without brake vans by the authority of a Sectional Appendix.  To a casual observer, such a working consisting of entirely bauxite liveried stock would look like a fitted freight.  Brake tenders would certainly be included in the fitted heads of part fitted class 7 or 8 trains or even in fully fitted class 4 or 6 trains in order to be returned or delivered to a location they were required at, as well as the 'earlier in the day' scenario Flood suggests.

17 minutes ago, br2975 said:

The quality is poor, but my photo shows a Cl.37 with a rake of empty hoppers working a Barry Docks - Nantgarw  export coke circuit, circa 1980.

.

Like London buses, someone says brake tenders were almost unknown in South Wales, then three come along together

.

Brian R

cL.37 PLUS BRAKE TENDERS-cARDIFF-CIRCA 1980.jpg

It's all a conspiracy to make me look daft, Brian.  And as you know, I look pretty daft anyway most of the time...

 

Edited by The Johnster
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On 08/04/2021 at 13:38, Phatbob said:

My understanding is that initially they could be propelled as well as dragged and that the prohibition on propellinng them came later.

There are several photos of them in service in the NE being propelled - but I can certainly understand the problems with them being propelled by a bonnet-first EE Type 1. As has been said, prohibitions on them being propelled was a late development.

 

Mark

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11 hours ago, Downendian said:

46 003 at Bristol parkway propelling a brake tender in train of grampus on 26 February 1977. Not sure if that's a Gresley or Stanier bogied tender, I think the latter.

IMG_1537.PNG.8b41a079fafd89e663a906eaa9971e8c.PNG

Those are Gresley's. The Stanier are the more angular.

 

Nice pic. I had a load of grampus kits intended to go with a blue 46 but I sold them on in the end.

 

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Cue my 'mystery photo' taken at Low Fell, Gateshead, which has been aired before. I have now tied down the date I took this to 2nd August 1967, but I did not make a note of the locos at the time and am hoping someone who also saw this unusual working can provide the details. The Brush Type 4 on the northbound Car Carrier/Motorail train has apparently expired and has been rescued by a BR Type 2, complete with brake tender which has now gained immortality by wearing Class 1 headlamps! Pity we don't know its identity also - yet(?)

Thanks in advance!

 

432419978_(748aS)D51xxD1xxxLowFell2-8-67(TrevorErmel).jpg.e33dca312c66f5545dc8266965cb34c9.jpg

 

 

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12 hours ago, Downendian said:

A couple of my copyright photos of brake tenders in service.

D1036 heading West in Sonning cutting in 1976 with a diagram 1/558 Stratford built brake tender.

IMG_1534.JPG.f3dfbbb62e68cad6f475cdd5ebb09ae2.JPG

46 003 at Bristol parkway propelling a brake tender in train of grampus on 26 February 1977. Not sure if that's a Gresley or Stanier bogied tender, I think the latter.

IMG_1537.PNG.8b41a079fafd89e663a906eaa9971e8c.PNGI do recall them being used on the WR- I saw but did not take the above photo, a day of infamy on the WR. They were mainly used on Severn Tunnel-Acton/Temple Mills services ( many which had originated from Radyr), but also on coke trains to the ISC smelter at Avonmouth via the Patchway chord. Photos of them in service are quite rare indeed. I also have a photo of a class 31 hauling a tender at STJ in 1980 but that is yet to be scanned.

 

Why a day of infamy?

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