eastwestdivide Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Doing a few scans, I came upon this, snatched from a train passing Derby RTC, in about 1981 probably 1982. [Edited in the light of further info] Appears to be DB981000, one of only two YCA Halibut, although I can't see the fish name on it. Very few references to it on the web, or even any other photos, so I thought I'd post here and see if anyone else has any info tucked away. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Doing a few scans, I came upon this, snatched from a train passing Derby RTC, in about 1981. Appears to be DB981000, one of only two YCA Halibut, although I can't see the fish name on it. Very few references to it on the web, or even any other photos, so I thought I'd post here and see if anyone else has any info tucked away. Your photograph must have been when it was new, in 1982. The fish name was added later - although it is in an unusual position. I have posted a small collection as "BR Halibut YCA Ballast wagon" (C#1943454) – 9 photographs http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/c1943454.html Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Aha, thanks. I see in your photos, it's between what look like Salmon? So maybe it didn't get used much for ballast? Although one sample is poor statistics. Your photos at Woking were 1986 - any idea how long they lasted/what happened to them? I'd have expected a fancy AB underframe like that would have been useful for conversion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyddrail Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I doubt they were used for ballast, it was one of a series of prototypes which didn't take off. I understand they were used as general material carriers and might have been on the Southern Region for much of their time. See pics at Tonbridge West Yard. Cheers. Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I doubt they were used for ballast, it was one of a series of prototypes which didn't take off. I understand they were used as general material carriers and might have been on the Southern Region for much of their time. See pics at Tonbridge West Yard. Cheers. Paul. I agree about not using for ballast - but it is what they were designed for - see the diagram and also the nice load in the picture at Derby. I suspect it was found they could carry well over 50 tons and those doors look very heavy to handle. I understand there was someone reasonably senior in the engineers department of the SR during the 1980s who made sure they accumulated unusual wagons - and this pair were typical. The SR certainly had an eclectic mix of wagons as my (and others) photo sites illustrate. For example, I never saw the PRAWN, but another one off that hung around on the SR. Hoo, Three Bridges, Horsham, Woking, Guildford, Basingstoke... could be relied on for the unusual [as well as 'your' Tonbridge which I didn't visit often enough] - and they were remarkably kind about accessing their third rail railway! Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I saw one of them on test at Bedford in 1982 whilst I was running round the Westbury to Leagrave stone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Thanks for all the info and pictures people. Wonder if that's the same load of ballast in post 6 as my original pic. Those test trains from Derby - I lived in Leicester around then, and they threw up some interesting workings, often powered by a 25, and often freight stock out on trial. Other hIghlights were the LEV1 railbus sandwiched between two red/blue coaches, and the loco 58001 with what appeared to be miles of wiring draped all over it presumably for instrumentation. (No, LEV1 and 58001 weren't in the same train!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Interesting vehicle which I'd never heard of before. Looks a bit like a BBA with a new deck and body. Thanks for posting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
new puritan Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 YCA DB981000 carrying a load of used sleepers ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 What none of us have mentioned is that the diagram and the two photographs of the wagon being tested (nice that one at Bedford!) show the end extensions for protecting the couplings and buffers from ballast (like the contemporaneous Turbot). Whereas these are missing from all of the photographs of the wagon in traffic. I suspect that the load shown in the Derby related photographs may have been the only time it was loaded with ballast! Paul Bartlett 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Found a photo of 981001 at http://www.garethbayer.co.uk/wotw/displayimage.php?album=427&pos=1 which indicates that it lasted at least until 1999. Same site has a similar pic to post 9 above too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
new puritan Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Same site has a similar pic to post 9 above too. Ah! I had forgotten that I sent the pic to Gareth some years ago and it was therefore already on line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Martin Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 There are three shots of DB981000 (3/4 roster shot, interior shot, door springs/bogie detail shot) and a 3/4 shot of DB981001 in British Railway Air Braked Stock, vol 2 by Tom Smith. Both were photographed at Mossend on different dates in 2001. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 I just came across this series of pictures from 28th March 2003 at Worksop, DB981000 was hiding in the sidings... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Wagon Diagram YC501A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Wasn't there also a 60' steel carrier prototype (BLA) trialled at about the same time? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 As this is such an old topic my link is out of date. Here are mine https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/halibut Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 17 hours ago, Fat Controller said: Wasn't there also a 60' steel carrier prototype (BLA) trialled at about the same time? Yes, and as I remark perhaps would have been useful as the BDAs have continued in use with low payload and having to use under runners for many longer loads. I suppose the cargowaggon flats are the nearest replacement. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brblaprototype Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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