Merfyn Jones Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The latest Railway Bylines (vol. 17 issue 5 April 2012) has a couple of photos of a BR owned Muir Hill - no details unfortunetely. The tractor carries the number CRW 0320 F on the bonnet side. Got my copy today and can add a little. CRW 0320 E was new to the Eastern Region in May 1959, and was unregistered. A Fordson Power Major with a conversion by Muir Hill. Another one appears on page 219 at Wisbech and the registration looks like TGU### which would make it another Fordson Major of 1956-7 with a Weatherhill Epping auto shunter conversion numbered one of RY 0303-10 E Merf. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2012 The 'cage' on the side between the wheels is a platform for the shunter to stand. I have never seen one where the shunter ever used the platform however. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrushType4 Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 East Anglia used to have an even stranger 'shunter' at Lowestoft sleeper works- a powered Grampus wagon. I remember there being a piece about it in Rail about 20 years ago. You don't happen to know which issue? Better still have a copy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) the LMS had this for shunting in Crown street goods yard Liverpool, I believe they used moderner farm style tractors in later years. Edited July 5, 2012 by michael delamar 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Traxson Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Not farm tractors but close, this is from memory as a youngster in the 1950's/60's so details may wrong. Bass breweries in Burton-upon-Trent used a fleet of what I was told were ex RAF bomb trailer tractors, very low slung, with buffing plates either end, almost level with the top of the bonnet and very comprehensive mudguards over all the wheels. I can remember them being used to push wagons round on wagon turntables and into buildings where the loco's couldn't get. Also used for towing converted low floor horse drays around the streets full of empty barrels. From the recollected bonnet shape I would say the tractors were David-Browns but may have been Fergies. There were a good number of them and yet I don't ever recall seeing any photo's of them. Phil T. Edited July 10, 2012 by Phil Traxson 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Truman's also had at least one shunting tractor, which looks to be a Fordson, fitted with a cab and buffer beams but only standard farm style mudgaurds on the back. There's a photo on page 186 of 'Brewery Railways of Burton on Trent' by Cliff Shephard taken in 1958 when the tractor was apparently new. Edited July 11, 2012 by halfwit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryten65 Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Most definately not a farm tractor but Dow mac at eaglescliffe used a Scammell Explorer with buffing plates, to shunt their sidings, i have an article about in a truck magazine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krusty Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Not exactly a farm tractor, but from the same general family: a fine piece of late forties engineering. Edited July 11, 2012 by Krusty 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) Not farm tractors but close, this is from memory as a youngster in the 1950's/60's so details may wrong. Bass breweries in Burton-upon-Trent used a fleet of what I was told were ex RAF bomb trailer tractors, very low slung, with buffing plates either end, almost level with the top of the bonnet and very comprehensive mudguards over all the wheels. ... From the recollected bonnet shape I would say the tractors were David-Browns but may have been Fergies. The 'classic' RAF bomb tractor was indeed a David Brown, with a few Fordsons (with cabs) early on in the war. Airfix do one in the 1/72 Stirling kit which is close enough for 4mm. A few built ones here: http://airfixtribute...t__t_12432.html with some photos of real ones if you scroll down a bit. Edited July 11, 2012 by stuartp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 The 'classic' RAF bomb tractor was indeed a David Brown, with a few Fordsons (with cabs) early on in the war. Airfix do one in the 1/72 Stirling kit which is close enough for 4mm. A few built ones here: http://airfixtribute...t__t_12432.html with some photos of real ones if you scroll down a bit. There is one in the pipeline from Oxford, I believe. The French have used some even stranger vehicles as shunters, usually at grain silos. Amongst others, I've seen photos of a White M3 scout car, still fully armoured, and a Dodge 0ne-tonner' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Not exactly a farm tractor, but from the same general family: a fine piece of late forties engineering. The Mercury tractors were used by B R, photos of a pair exist on the dock at Kyle of Lochalsh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I have posted photos of a couple more shunting tractors - 66006 Massey Ferguson 50 as Shunting tractor @ Ripple Lane C&W 30/05/87 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/road/e54eaed42 - this is working! and 66014 PVY125F Shunting tractor with front loader @ Gateshead 24/09/88 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/road/e54eaed48 Paul Bartlett 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 The latest issue of Railway Bylines (Volume 18: Issue 4 March 2013) includes a photo of a shunting tractor pulling a 16t mineral across a road in Dundee. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 The latest issue of Railway Bylines (Volume 18: Issue 4 March 2013) includes a photo of a shunting tractor pulling a 16t mineral across a road in Dundee. Just got my copy. The fleet number looks like RA 9004 SC, and it appears to be a Fordson Major, the most common type used by BR in the 50s. My lists only have one Scottish Region one and this is it, registered LYS438 in late 1953 or early 54. Merf. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Kyle of Lochalsh 1968 Royston 1990 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johann Marsbar Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 As I've just discovered this thread, the Pauls tractor used on Ipswich Docks can be seen (or rather, part of it) on this section of a larger photo.... 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Almost certain that United Glass used tractors in Castleford to move individual wagons of sand and soda ash into the plant. Rockware glass did something similar in Knottingley that involved crossing the main road. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Truro Gas Works had a shunting tractor which I occasionally saw from across the river. It was red with steel bufferbeams and I'm sure I've seen a colour photo of it quite recently but can't remember where. The works had two long sidings I think, set in concrete, at a higher level than the goods yard at Newham. BR locomotives were not permitted into the gas works site but did use the spur to allow gravity shunting operation of Newham yard which AFAIK didn't have a run round loop. The gas works spur opened on 3/4/55 and closed 25/12/70 (?!) so the tractor may well have been the site's only shunter. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted June 3, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) On 01/06/2020 at 21:55, doilum said: Almost certain that United Glass used tractors in Castleford to move individual wagons of sand and soda ash into the plant. Rockware glass did something similar in Knottingley that involved crossing the main road. I remember seeing the Rockware tractors in Knottingley probably late 70's. The Cadtleford operation IIRChad a wagon turntable right up against the factory wall so i never saw what shunted the wagons insude the factory. Jamie Edited June 3, 2020 by jamie92208 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 North Wall Jun 2004 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Sadly, I don't have any photos but, here in Western Australia, a newish John Deere (I think, from the colours) is used to shunt tank wagons in and out of the unloading dock at BP's storage facility in Kewdale. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted June 27, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2020 John Deer colours are green and yellow but so are BP's. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jack Benson Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 The LNER forum posted a lengthy thread of their use in Lowestoft and other locations in the 30s. Poole Quay once possessed an ancient Fordson with a pushing baulk at the front, presumably towing facility at the rear? Falmouth Docks also used a repurposed farm tractor, all long gone. Finally, this image is from the US (I think) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
montyburns56 Posted November 16, 2021 Share Posted November 16, 2021 Leith Docks 1980 by Murray Liston 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lather Posted November 17, 2021 Share Posted November 17, 2021 I recently picked up a copy of Lost Lines: LMR by Nigel Welbourn (Ian Allen, 1994) from my local charity shop. This has a picture on page 56, taken in Burton-on-Trent on 12 April 1958, of a small agricultural tractor fitted with a cab and buffing plates being used as a shunter. Ironically, in the picture in question, the tractor is being used in reverse to push a Peckett 0-4-0ST into an engine shed - a case of a tractor shunting a shunter! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now