Guest Jack Benson Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) To paraphrase a comment found elsewhere "Diversion movements of Meldon ballast would tax even the most capable of goods locos on the hills, normally diagrammed for eight 40t hoppers S15s or just six for Ns." Were Q1s ever used from Exeter eastwards? I realise that BLPs and 4-6-0s were noted but 'Charlies'? See Link to steam powered ballast on the Southern Thank you, StaySafe Edited January 25, 2022 by Jack Benson redundant image Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowley 47521 Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 20 minutes ago, Jack Benson said: To paraphrase a comment found elsewhere "Diversion movements of Meldon ballast would tax even the most capable of goods locos on the hills, normally diagrammed for eight 40t hoppers S15s or just six for Ns." Were Q1s ever used from Exeter eastwards? I realise that BLPs and 4-6-0s were noted but 'Charlies'? Thank you, StaySafe What a photo. Any idea where exactly that was taken? I must admit that I didn’t realise Light Pacific’s were used on those workings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Looks like just below the quarry - on the way to Okehampton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowley 47521 Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said: Looks like just below the quarry - on the way to Okehampton. Thanks. I didn’t see the caption originally but I think I can see where that is now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I have never seen a photo of a Q1 on a ballast train west of Salisbury, but that does not mean they never worked one. One of the trains was 9.25pm from Okehampton to Woking, 12.20am from Exeter Central, so unlikely to often be photographed. Robert Trevelyan in his book Men Machines and Maintenance describes working a turn from Exeter with 30846 in 1962, he says S15s were the favoured loco for the job but WC/BBs were often substituted, he also says the regular load was 10 x 40t hoppers, and there are photos of 10 hopper trains in the book. Pretty much any class of loco could work the stone trains from Meldon to Exeter as it was mostly downhill, he says one day they had an Ivatt 2MT tank for the job with 10 on which was down to walking pace at North Tawton, though N class 2-6-0s were often used and were perfectly adequate for the job. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Rivercider said: I have never seen a photo of a Q1 on a ballast train west of Salisbury, but that does not mean they never worked one. One of the trains was 9.25pm from Okehampton to Woking, 12.20am from Exeter Central, so unlikely to often be photographed. Thanks Kevin, Although perceived as a central division asset, Q1s were visitors to Dorchester and Weymouth in the late ‘40s-early ‘50s (Steam Bash) Q1s were regular visitors to Salisbury, IFAIK, there is no notice that ‘bans’ the use of Q1s between Exeter and Salisbury but a link to a working notice would be welcome. StaySafe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 There were a number of Charlies assigned to Eastleigh and Don Bradley records they were regular travellers to Templecombe and were known to reach Okehampton - so who knows? Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 13 minutes ago, bbishop said: There were a number of Charlies assigned to Eastleigh and Don Bradley records they were regular travellers to Templecombe and were known to reach Okehampton - so who knows? Bill Thank you StaySafe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 25, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 25, 2022 2 hours ago, Rivercider said: Pretty much any class of loco could work the stone trains from Meldon to Exeter as it was mostly downhill, he says one day they had an Ivatt 2MT tank for the job with 10 on which was down to walking pace at North Tawton, though N class 2-6-0s were often used and were perfectly adequate for the job. cheers That must have been fun going up to Central. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 8 hours ago, Kris said: That must have been fun going up to Central. Definitely. With that load there would be an assisting loco front, and two rear, cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 To my recollection Charlies were usually used in pairs on ballast trains at the site of engineering works. They were apparently very popular with the pw men because of their ability to position the heavy train "on a sixpence". 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 59 minutes ago, bécasse said: ... Charlies were ... popular with the pw men because of their ability to position the heavy train "on a sixpence". Odd that - as their brakes weren't supposed to be particularly fantastic ! ...... and with a fully fitted train the wagon brakes would do much of the work irrespective of the class of loco on the front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowley 47521 Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 1 hour ago, bécasse said: To my recollection Charlies were usually used in pairs on ballast trains at the site of engineering works. They were apparently very popular with the pw men because of their ability to position the heavy train "on a sixpence". Would they also have been useful because of the extra wheel visibility due to the lack of running boards perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Whilst the topic of conversation is ‘charlies’ I thought it worth sharing my version. Not Hornby nor SEF, its only purpose is the ballast train on Beaminster Road the alternative reality South Western route to Exeter. StaySafe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 5 hours ago, Wickham Green too said: Odd that - as their brakes weren't supposed to be particularly fantastic ! ...... and with a fully fitted train the wagon brakes would do much of the work irrespective of the class of loco on the front. I think that it was down to the difference between trying to stop a heavy train moving at, say, 40 mph which definitely needed skill and anticipation with a Charlie, and bringing the same train moving at, say, 2 mph to a precision stop, which the Charlies were undoubtedly good at - I watched them do it with engineers' trains on several occasions (sadly a long time ago now). I have heard it suggested that it was due to the fast action of the steam brake on a Charlie, and, of course, the momentum of a train moving at 40 mph is 400 times greater than that of a train moving at 2 mph so the task is completely different. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 So far, I have failed to find a photo of a Q1 on either a ballast or engineering train despite trawling the usual suspects, they seemed to very camera shy. If anyone can assist, please do so. Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Jack Benson said: So far, I have failed to find a photo of a Q1 on either a ballast or engineering train despite trawling the usual suspects, they seemed to very camera shy. If anyone can assist, please do so. Thank you Here’s one on a ballast train, but I can’t get a caption to show up: https://dieselfutures.tumblr.com/search/Q1 (Edit - I also can’t link to a single picture! It’s the sixth picture on that linked page.) Edited January 27, 2022 by pH 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
73c Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 33002 running through New Cross Gate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Finally, this popped up in my inbox. 33026 hurring through Basingstoke on a Meldon bound train of ballast empties in January '64, I suggest that this does support the notion that Q1s did haul ballast trains as well as work engineering specials. My 'charlie' has finally acquired a rake of six Lima 40t hoppers now upgraded with Cambrian Diamond bogies, here is a link CLICK HERE but to prevent frothing, the images are pre-upgrade. StaySafe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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