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Nuclear Flask Traffic between Didcot and Thurso


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The above traffic passed in the very late 1950s/early '60s - seemingly between Harwell and Douneray - and was carried in in a special flask loaded to a Rectank wagon.   The traffic had ceased by 1966 - presumably as a result of irradiated materials testing being concentrated at Harwell.    I don't know how many wagon(s) were involved in the flow and know little about it/them apart from the fact that it (they?) measured 37ft over buffers and was (were?) stencilled ' Radio Active Material. No unauthorised person must trespass on this vehicle.  To work between Didcot W.R. and Thurso Sc.R. only. Not to be sheeted. '   

 

The flask measured 4ft x 4ft x 4ft 3" and weighed 15 tons; it was loaded on a metal cradle  which had a yoke which went over the trunnions of the flask and it was all secured to the wagon with chains.   I would be interested to learn any further details if anybody has nay - especially any photos.

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Hello Mike - from memory (which may be faulty of course!) this is your culprit, a former Rectank, seen here at Thurso in 1969 courtesy of 'Ernie's Railway Archive' on Flickr. I think it was sat there for a few years doing not a lot. Others will no doubt know more.

 

Hywel

 

p_Thurso_goods_1969_DCMW_Ford_photo

 

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16 hours ago, HGT1972 said:

Hello Mike - from memory (which may be faulty of course!) this is your culprit, a former Rectank, seen here at Thurso in 1969 courtesy of 'Ernie's Railway Archive' on Flickr. I think it was sat there for a few years doing not a lot. Others will no doubt know more.

 

Hywel

 

p_Thurso_goods_1969_DCMW_Ford_photo

 

Officially it was out of use by then for the Didcot - Thurso flow from the date information that I can trace which indicates that the fklow ceased no later than 1966.  However it was not at all unlikely that flasks were between Douneray and other sites (Sellafield?) by then and of course the second Douneray reactor had come on stream in the 1960s (it had nothing to do with the flow to Didcot)

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