Mendip industrials

[Steadfast]

The Somerset quarries of Merehead and Whatley are operated very intensively - literally Moving the Mendips as the EWS Westbury driver's shirts say

The GM SW1001 bought by Yeoman in the early 80s is relatively widely known about, but the fleet is more diverse than people may realise.

Just a note before I continue - the only publicly available location featured here is off the road bridge at Whatley. All the other pictures were taken either during a private guided tour or the Merehead open day in 2008

Right, first up is Hanson no.4 at Whatley, seen in 2007. This is a Thomas Hill industrial type jobbie, a Vanguard I think, but am happy to be corrected. There doesn't seem to be much about this one on the net, so any additional info would be appreciated! Of note is the fact it has swinghead buckeye couplers to allow shunting of the buckeye fitted "inner" wagons, and sounds like a beast!

Next up is a No. 120 "Whatley Endeavour", a GM EMD SW1001 - this one seems to be less well known than the Yeoman one, and was acquired around 2000, second hand. It got rather more public exposure when it ran away in 2008, ending up with a somewhat more streamlined cab thanks to a tunnel. The first two shots show it pre rebuild (2007), the third post rebuild (2009). The only visible difference seems to be change to LED marker lights

As well as these less common types, there are also plenty of ex BR class 08s in use with Mendip Rail. Most are in Yeoman blue, though a few retain old liveries, FGW green 08643 and BR blue 08947 spring to mind. As well as the Somerset quarries, they can also be seen at Machen in Wales and the Isle of Grain, and I have a feeling they can be seen around Acton yard.

08032 is a Yeoman stalwart, originally numbered as 33, it's now regained it's former BR number, Merehead 2008

08643 is ex FGW, still retaining the green colour scheme, seen here at the Merehead open day in 2008

08643 and 08652 stabled at Whatley, 2009

Finally, here is the Yeoman SW1001, number 44, named "Western Yeoman II" on a plate in similar style to the Westerns, in particular D1035. This loco was bought in the early 1980s, so is now 30 years old, and is still giving stirling work and led to the purchase of the class 59s, such was it's quality. Despite Aggregate Industries buying out Foster Yeoman in 2008, the Yeoman brand still lives on in 2011

I hope these are of interest to someone, and show just what's hiding in a corner of Somerset

 

jo

[pitbull1845]

Nice pictures Jo, Funnily enough I saw 08032 today, not at Merehead but at Eastleigh works.

Cheers

Scott

[Mark Saunders]

Rumour machine on Teesside says to expect SSI to obtain GM's similar to these for Redcar/Lackenby?

 

Mark Saunders

[Steadfast]

Thanks guys

Scott, I'd forgotten until you said about 08032 being at Eastleigh, there are a few (at least two, the other being 08933) Mendip 08s being overhauled there. They also did the work rebuilding the Hanson switcher after it's accident.

That's interesting Mark, will have to keep an eye on that B)

 

jo

[Pugsley]

Out of interest, whatever happened to the Thomas Hill Steelman, Pride of Whatley? I'm guessing from its absence in the photos that it's no longer there.

[Steadfast]

Was that the 6 wheeled jobbie with similar styling to the 4 wheel Thomas Hill I photted, Martin?

I've not seen any pics of it in Hanson livery, I assume the GM beast replaced it. I've never seen a pic of the SW1001 in ARC colours, so I'm guessing its around the rebrand time that the change happened. No idea where it went after, but I've got a mental image of an ARC coloured shunter at Peak Forest - am I imagining this?

Not much help for you I'm afraid

cheers

 

jo

[James]

Was that the 6 wheeled jobbie with similar styling to the 4 wheel Thomas Hill I photted, Martin?

Yes

 

I remember a really good article in one issue of RM on scratchbuilding a model of in in 4mm. The same guy seemed to have built all sorts of Class 59s and the associated rolling stock.

[halfwit]

Yes

 

I remember a really good article in one issue of RM on scratchbuilding a model of in in 4mm. The same guy seemed to have built all sorts of Class 59s and the associated rolling stock.

 

Len Vass if I remember correctly. Made a really good job of the TH.

[Pugsley]

Was that the 6 wheeled jobbie with similar styling to the 4 wheel Thomas Hill I photted, Martin?

Yep, that's the one, only it's a bit bigger and a bit squarer. You may well have seen an ARC coloured shunter at Peak Forest, I guess another operator bought it after it was replaced by the switcher.

 

James, I believe it was Len Vass who built a model of it (I've got the RM with it in somewhere), but AFAIK it was Hugh Searle who built the 59s.

[halfwit]

 

James, I believe it was Len Vass who built a model of it (I've got the RM with it in somewhere), but AFAIK it was Hugh Searle who built the 59s.

 

Len Vass did an article on the MTK class 59 kit in the July '89 Toddler.

[Steadfast]

Interesting stuff - I don't suppose anyone knows any more about the 4 wheeler please? It's one of those things that one day would be nice to model - along with an SW1001 or two

cheers

 

jo

[James]

I recognise bioth the names! I think they both had articles on building class 59s in RM. Unfortunaely my RM collection is very much stored at my parents' house. We already have too many books in our house! My wife and I have joked we need a bigger house just for the books!

[lyneux]

Hi Jo,

 

I'm also interested in the Thomas Hill 4 wheeler... planning on a model of one (or two) of them for my 4mm Whatley layout (but in ARC yellow rather than the Hanson blue).

 

I've just taken delivery of a Judith Edge kit of the 0-6-0 TH Steelman to be made into "Pride of Whatley" (325v?). It's rather a unique loco (quite different from the other Steelman's. I've been digging through old railway modellers to try and find the drawings (August 1989). I've got about 15 photos of the right hand side of the vehicle but none of the left. Even though it features on the Rail Freight Today video in several shots, the left side of it remains elusive! Anyway, the engine casing is going to require a lot of work. My current plan is to make custom etches for the engine casing and one or two other bits unique to 325v. This will be my first etched kit so experience on this will help when it comes to possibly scratch-building or etching the 4-wheelers (which are further off in my plans).

James, I believe it was Len Vass who built a model of it (I've got the RM with it in somewhere), but AFAIK it was Hugh Searle who built the 59s.

 

Martin, having dug through a load of 1980s RMs recently, you are right that the first 59 article in Railway Modeller was by Hugh Searle (in an issue from 86 IIRC). Then between about 87 and 92 there are loads of articles by Len Vass on Mendip wagons of various types.

 

Jo, I'll PM you with some shots of the 4-wheel TH that I've found on the internet (it's a pity fotopic search is down again at the moment). Maybe we can club together and persuade Judith Edge to do a kit of it? ;-)

 

Guy

[Steadfast]

Thanks for the PM Guy - it really ilustrates how small the thing is!

I'd like to model it in N, so motorising could be interesting, if not it'd be an interesting static model. At least the GMs are a bit easier to model with cobbled together bits of various switcher models

Thanks again - plenty of food for thought

 

jo

[Kenton]

Jo, I'll PM you with some shots of the 4-wheel TH that I've found on the internet (it's a pity fotopic search is down again at the moment). Maybe we can club together and persuade Judith Edge to do a kit of it? ;-)

But there is a TH 4wDH kit already isn't there? ... and a TH 6wDH to follow soon. Or is this something slightly different?

[Steadfast]

The Whatley beast seems to be different to any of the Thomas Hill locos I can see listed on the Judith Edge site.

I haven't seen any photos of any other identical shunters online, they all seem to have a rear catwalk, whereas the steps on the Whatley one lead directly into the cab

 

jo

[Adam]

The Whatley beast seems to be different to any of the Thomas Hill locos I can see listed on the Judith Edge site.

I haven't seen any photos of any other identical shunters online, they all seem to have a rear catwalk, whereas the steps on the Whatley one lead directly into the cab

 

jo

 

That will be these:

 

http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/image.asp?swind/1_3_ths_whatley_25_8_82.jpg

 

The reason for the difference being that some of these loco's were rebuilds of some of the Sentinel steamers previously employed at Whatley - something Thomas Hill did quite frequently (and something which Sentinel themselves had done before) - differentiated by a 'C' suffix to the works number. They were also among some of the earlier complete loco's that Thomas Hill produced. More details here:

 

http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/swind/index.htm

 

HTH

 

Adam

[Boscarne]

Here are a few scans from my collection;

 

Foster Yeoman's '33' formerly 08032 at Merehead.

 

ARC No4 Thomas Hill works No 200V at Whatley.

 

Former ARC No1 Thomas Hill 133V at Mells Road.

 

Former Foster Yeoman YE 'Janus' also at Mells Road. Does anyone know the works number of this loco?

 

I believe that these two locos were part of the North Somerset Railway Company collection and were moved to Mells Road after they vacated their Radstock site.

 

 

Finally, ARC,originally Roads Reconstruction's Sentinel No3, works No 9387 of 1948 preserved at Welshmill Adventure Playground, Frome.

This loco went to Frome after withdrawal in 1971, I wonder where she is now?

[lyneux]

Lovely stuff!

 

You don't happen to have any photos of the ARC TH Steelman 325V "Pride of Whatley" do you?

[Boscarne]

Despite many trips to Whatley, TH325V has proved to be somewhat elusive. This is as close as I ever managed to get....

 

Anyhow, here's a couple more. Before General Motors '120' arrived, various machines appear to have been hired in.

 

Back to the earlier Thomas Hill loco's, this is TH136C preserved at Cranmore.

 

And finally the mystery YE Janus again not soon after it's arrival at Merehead. Note the number chalked on the cabside, little did they know then....

[Ruston]

Former Foster Yeoman YE 'Janus' also at Mells Road. Does anyone know the works number of this loco?

 

If it's the same one listed in "7EL" then it's 2641 of 1957.

[lyneux]

Any idea which 08 that is in the photo with TH325V?

 

I'm trying to work out which one to do on my layout!

 

Guy

[Steadfast]

It's been a while that this thread's been dormant!

28th June saw the Whatley Switcher get renamed after one of the Hanson guys who retired last year and sadly passed only a few months after. The original name Whatley Endeavour was chosen by the daughter of an employee in a competition when it was new.

Here's the newspaper story http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Train-tribute-hard-working-Grandfather-Frome/story-26807259-detail/story.html

 

Here's a few photos I took on the day. 

 

jo

 

[lyneux]

I've just found this (unfortunately rather small) picture online on the Quarry Faces website

 

 

Does anyone have any idea what the shunter is? It would appear to have outside cranks on it and looks much too long to be the Thomas Hill. It looks nothing like the Steelman either so it must be something I haven't seen before.

 

Guy

Edited April 18, 2016 by lyneux

[Michael Edge]

It's a fairly standard TH Vanguard 0-6-0DH - we do have a 4mm kit for this loco.

Michael Edge

Judith Edge kits