Industrial locomotives in the late 80s to mid 90s

[Sir Hadyn]

Crane tank is Glenfield, Barclay from 1902. Has variously been at Didcot, Market Overton, Steamtown, Dealers, then Oswestry Antiques Centre, Statfold, Chasewater and now Ribble Steam Railway where it is currently for sale. If I had daft money and time, I'd have it!

 

The Bass brewery Baguley has also been at Fawley Hill, Market Overton, Steamtown, Dealers and then on to Chasewater. Two of the most individual and interesting industrials in preservation in my humble opinion.

[Adam]

On 29/02/2020 at 19:59, Sir Hadyn said:

The Bass brewery Baguley has also been at Fawley Hill, Market Overton, Steamtown, Dealers and then on to Chasewater. Two of the most individual and interesting industrials in preservation in my humble opinion.

 

It was also at Yeovil Junction for a bit - with another 20 or so locos - as dad and I photographed it there, along with a number of the Thomas Hills, at least one Hudswell and  a couple of Fowlers (the latter now over the way at the Yeovil Railway Centre).

 

Adam

[simonmcp]

What an amazing thread. I never knew that so many small industrial diesels were still working in the time frame you have been showing. Stay safe everyone. Simon

[rodent279]

On 09/01/2011 at 16:45, Ruston said:

 

My memory must be going because I seem to remember the Eurotunnel bodies going on low-loaders along the Wakefield road. Did they build the coaches/wagons at Horbury?

 

Here are some from what is my most memorable day chasing industrials.

 

In July 96 I took a few days holiday in South Wales with the aim of visiting the various steelworks and other industrial sites. I'd bought an OS map, which showed a public footpath crossing the BR main lines and the point where Margam yard met BSC metals at Port Talbot steelworks. I reckoned that if I stood on the path, between tracks, then I wasn't trespassing. I wasn't sure of this strategy and still wary of being chased off by either BR or BSC employees when this beast came out of the works, heading for the exchange sidings...

 

BT97/WB3142 was built by W.G. Bagnll for the Steel Company of Wales to an order by Brush Traction, using Brush electrical equipment and so has a works number from both companies. This is one of the rebodied locos. It came, dropped its wagons and left with another set - the crew obviously saw me but said nothing so I assumed I was safe...

 

And then another hove into view...

BT94/WB3139. One of the original machines. As this train drew up to the level crossing the driver slowed right down and opened his window. I thought I was going to get a bollocking but he brought the train to a stand and shouted to ask if I'd like a ride. Do bears sh*t in the woods?

 

So I stood in the cab as we trundled through Margam yard...

 

Then we stopped and as the shunter got down and uncoupled the train the driver got out of his seat and lit a fag, pointing to the seat and asking if I'd like a go. Well, I thought that my birthday and Christmas had come at once so I was in the seat before he could change his mind.He asked me if I'd ever driven anything like this before and I said yes, Of course that was a bit of a lie. I'd driven a narrow gauge Ruston and a couple of V-skips but nothing like this. I soon sussed out the controls and told him what was what. Air brake, forward/reverse , power handle etc. So off we went. I changed direction after we'd cleared the points and headed back toward the level crossing. At that point I expected he'd take control again but no - he had me back the loco down onto a set of empties and haul them off into the works! I must admit that I did a damn good job of backing onto the train, compressing the buffers just enough for the shunter to couple up with his pole first time.

 

The driver and his mate. Cheers fellas!

I believe there were some very similar Brush-Bagnalls built for Sri Lanka (or possibly somewhere else in that part of the globe).

[Michael Edge]

If you are referring to the shuttle locos, they were built at Qualter Hall in Barnsley and sent to Brush in Loughborough for the rest of the job. Getting them out of the works in narrow streets with sharp corners wasn't the easiest operation I've ever seen.

[Ruston]

2 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

If you are referring to the shuttle locos, they were built at Qualter Hall in Barnsley and sent to Brush in Loughborough for the rest of the job. Getting them out of the works in narrow streets with sharp corners wasn't the easiest operation I've ever seen.

You're right. I was getting confused with the Class 60s. It was the chassis/bodies for those that were built at Horbury Junction.

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

If you are referring to the shuttle locos, they were built at Qualter Hall in Barnsley and sent to Brush in Loughborough for the rest of the job. Getting them out of the works in narrow streets with sharp corners wasn't the easiest operation I've ever seen.

Didn't Marcroft , Stoke, have some involvement in the Eurotunnel locos?

[Busmansholiday]

On 28/02/2020 at 19:55, Ben B said:

Am I right in thinking that the shunting at Round Oak nowadays is just carried out by the train loco, the Sheds and 60's?

When I was their a few years ago they had a leased Hunslet as their own 0-6-0 Sentinel had gone bang. Must dig out the pics.

[Geevor Clayton Loco]

On 11/03/2011 at 20:16, Ruston said:

Thanks for that. So it may still be around...

 

 

 

 

Here you go.

 

HE8805 photographed from a passing train at Aldwarke, April 88.

 

And in action, passing a trainload of proper minis (as opposed to the BMW effort - eugh!) at Rover's Longbridge plant 8 years later.

 

And another pair of before 'n' after shots.

 

Sentinel 10037 at Thos. Hill's Kilnhurst works in January 91.

 

And in August 96 at Balfour Beatty's track supplies depot at Sandiacre. A rail crane also operated here and can be seen in the background.

Are the strips of metal on the blue Sentinel there to prevent buffer lock on tight corners?

[Michael Edge]

5 hours ago, Geevor Clayton Loco said:

Are the strips of metal on the blue Sentinel there to prevent buffer lock on tight corners?

Looks like it to me, just about the crudest effort I've seen though. They were probably welded on horizontally but there's nothing to stop the buffer heads turning.

[Ruston]

46 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Looks like it to me, just about the crudest effort I've seen though. They were probably welded on horizontally but there's nothing to stop the buffer heads turning.

The photo of it at Kilnhurst shows them crudely welded on but on the one at Sandiacre it looks as if the extensions are part of the buffer head. There also appears to be a small vertical piece at the back of the head, which could locate in a slot cut into the buffer housing to prevent the head from turning.

[Geevor Clayton Loco]

Ok, thanks for the info - might have to stick ‘em on some of my locos

[PeteBrid]

23 hours ago, Ruston said:

The photo of it at Kilnhurst shows them crudely welded on but on the one at Sandiacre it looks as if the extensions are part of the buffer head. There also appears to be a small vertical piece at the back of the head, which could locate in a slot cut into the buffer housing to prevent the head from turning.

 It's basically a copy of what Hunslet did for BNFL. A large profile welded over the buffer face, a round bar welded back from the 'face along the buffer axls and one or more guides on the buffer body to keep it in line. The other trick was to add round 30" dia face plates on the buffer but the weight  did shorten the buffer life, so a prototypical droop should be considered!

 

Pete Briddon

[adb968008]

On 22/02/2011 at 21:34, Ruston said:

 

RH312432 Seen in March 91 standing on a short length of track at what was soon to become the station throat of the ELR's Rawtenstall station. The loco had worked the Rossendale Solid Fuel Concentration Depot at this site until it closed and was abandoned on site. It was criminal that the ELR didn't do something about preserving the loco and it was cut up where it stood shortly afterwards.

I need to challenge this course of events..

 

it arrived dumped around 1982/3 and was a wreck, from where is unknown, but it wasnt there before… see here

 

 

 

not my pictures, flickr url, but both by the same author / day in 1981,a year after closure showing both directions… no shunter there. Aiui the wagons were moved by a tractor.

 

The photographers album is here..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beast66606/albums/72157698090269744/with/42410875944

 

aiui, subject t9 correction, the owner was from Southport, involved in a newspaper and also owned a fowler tender, which I understood to be genesis of a plan to create a Patriot in the mid 1980’s that came to nought.

I understand it wasnt welcome at Bury Transport Museum, or elsewhere so the owner simply put it there.

The land belonged to BR at this time, but derelict, and later the lease went to the ELR. 
I first saw it in 1986 and it was a wreck then. 
In June 1987 I and a friend stuck posters on its buffers announcing the ELRs opening to Ramsbottom in 1987 when we walked the line to Rawtenstall one day.

In 1990 it had to be moved as it was in the way of the water tower being installed… it was dragged by a jcb as it was rusted fast. A group in a van optimistically brought tools and fuel, but this thing was stripped of everything.. nothing inside the cab, parts robbed off the engine, underneath... i saw this myself, it was a wreck internally.

 

As it wasnt the ELRs property, and not subject to any agreement to be onsite, as well as a vandalism injury risk, they tried to get the owner to remove it. 
Moving it to Bury would involve considerable cost by road, for something which was a completed rusted stripped shell and would need a better condition example to be sacrificed to restore something with no tangible connection… plus they didnt own it.

 

so it was disposed of, I’m not sure theres much else they could do really.

I do have some pictures of the seized engine, cab interior and around it, but they arent yet scanned, when I find them I will share them here.

 

 

Edited February 9 by adb968008

[Marshall5]

14 hours ago, adb968008 said:

I need to challenge this course of events..

 

aiui, subject t9 correction, the owner was from Southport, involved in a newspaper and also owned a fowler tender, which I understood to be genesis of a plan to create a Patriot in the mid 1980’s that came to nought.

 

 

The gentleman to whom you are referring may or may not have owned this shunter but he certainly didn't own a Fowler tender and it wasn't anything to do with his harebrained scheme to build a Patriot (or the Dreadnought which preceded it). The Fowler tender (ex 42756) was owned by two Steamport directors and was intended for 42765 which was reserved at Barry.  It was later sold to Andy Wilson when he bought the loco. Hope this sets the record straight.

Ray.

(Steamport 1973-88, Director 1978-85)