Presflo Cement Wagon workings and train formations

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Hi Rob,

 

There was little original material left of the shrivelling BR branchline network in the eighties but WTTs were a crucial part of that little. I collected around 200 from the 1959 - 1980 period from across the network. Some are still inscribed with the intended recipient e.g. Drinnick Mill. The timeline created by successive issues from individual lines is an impressive record/picture of decline.

 

Dave.  

[rob D2]

Those WTTs are fascinating , shows what we have lost really.

Class 08, 25,31,45, 47, 50 ,52

 

sweet....

[rob D2]

er, there's an echo in here. My phone is possessed...

 

I've got aload of trip notes from the Banbury area a member kindly sent me. Fascinating reading.

[Mallard60022]

I'm sure there was cement into Central (usually a Hall) in 1960, certainly in '61. I never saw the train arrive or depart but I did see the wagons. I often wondered if it was anything to do with the SR Concrete Depot at 72A.

Phil

[Dunsignalling]

I'm sure there was cement into Central (usually a Hall) in 1960, certainly in '61. I never saw the train arrive or depart but I did see the wagons. I often wondered if it was anything to do with the SR Concrete Depot at 72A.

Phil

Blue Circle had a distribution depot in the goods yard at Central.

 

The train itself could arrive up the bank with all sorts on the front and a couple of whatever was in use on the banking turns on the rear - I remember a Hall + Grange combo on at least one occasion and there was also a famous appearance of 4707, piloted by a 80xxx standard, on 2nd May 1964, which may well have been the final revenue-earning duty performed by a 47xx.

 

This event has been covered quite comprehensively in the Summer 2016 issue of Southern Notebook, the quarterly journal of the Southern Railways Group. 

 

47xx weren't strictly allowed up the bank from St. David's due to tight clearances but I think such appearances may have happened at least once prior to that. I'm fairly sure I saw one do so in 1962 though my relevant notebook went AWOL years ago and I can't be categorical about it.  

 

After the end of steam, bankers ceased to be available and the train was rerouted down the SR line, continuing into the 1980s, often with the other sort of 47 in charge.

 

John

Edited September 28, 2016 by Dunsignalling

[Mallard60022]

Blue Circle had a distribution depot in the goods yard at Central.

 

The train itself could arrive up the bank with all sorts on the front and a couple of whatever was in use on the banking turns on the rear - I remember a Hall + Grange combo on at least one occasion and there was also a famous appearance of 4707, piloted by a 80xxx standard, on 2nd May 1964, which may well have been the final revenue-earning duty performed by a 47xx.

 

This event has been covered quite comprehensively in the Summer 2016 issue of Southern Notebook, the quarterly journal of the Southern Railways Group. 

 

47xx weren't strictly allowed up the bank from St. David's due to tight clearances but I think such appearances may have happened at least once prior to that. I'm fairly sure I saw one do so in 1962 though my relevant notebook went AWOL years ago and I can't be categorical about it.  

 

After the end of steam, bankers ceased to be available and the train was rerouted down the SR line, continuing into the 1980s, often with the other sort of 47 in charge.

 

John

John, see the 'other' thread for some really detailed workings in '63/'64 (if you haven't already) including a 47XX.

Phil

[Crepello]

Thanks to Paul's photos I'm now convinced I was right in thinking that Presflo ladders were body colour (at least originally) instead of the white used on Bachmann and Farish models. Now where's that Bauxite paint?

[MDP78]

I have come to this thread a little late, but I hope better late than never.

 

Presflo wagons could turn up in quite rural locations.  I would recommend the book Bala Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog by D W Southern (Foxline Publishing), even if you are not necessarily interested in modelling a location in rural North Wales.

 

There are a number of pictures in the book of the branch freight workings with presflo wagons. There are also a couple of pictures showing a rake of presflo wagons in a siding at Trawsfynydd station and Trawsfyndd military station. The pictures date from 1959 and coincide with the commencement of construction of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station.  The presflos were worked up to Bala via the Ruabon to Barmouth line - I have another book with a picture of a Bala to Ruabon freight train that includeds a pair of empty presflos being worked back to Ruabon.  

 

For modelers of rural branch lines and stations, those modelling a specific line or station as well as those modelling no specific location in particular, the above demonstrates that it would be possible and prototypical to  include a couple of presflo wagons in branch pick up workings and to justify shunting some in/out of a rural station goods yard, in addition to the more typical wagons for coal and vans for agricultural or general goods that such stations would normally be destined to receive.   If you are modelling a station in a rural location that is a junction of two rural routes, it could also allow the freight workings on the more significant of the routes serving the station (such as the Ruabon to Barmouth in the above example) to leave rakes of presflos in a siding for freight working on the more minor route to pick up and later drop off.    As the above example demonstrates, modeler's licence allows you to assume that even in a rural area  major off-site construction projects sometimes took place that required significant quantities of cement to be delivered to the nearest rail head.  

Edited October 16, 2021 by MDP78

[Halvarras]

I can't see any mention of Chacewater, between Truro and Redruth, in this thread. Until closure in September 1987 there was a Blue Circle distribution depot located in the former down side goods yard (the station itself closed in 1964 but the main building alongside the cement depot survived until the site was cleared). It was a tight location so presumably an eye had to be kept on the number of wagons despatched there! Empties were run to Redruth Drump Yard for run-round. Many photos of Truro station and yard show a rake of Presflos stabled in the former up main Platform 4 (truncated exactly 50 years ago), I don't know whether these were full or empty, but most appeared to have the large side boards.

Chacewater was within cycling distance of home, if I was feeling energetic, and was worth the effort to watch the clag erupting from Westerns on down trains opened up through the 'station' after a period of downhill idling! Sadly I never saw any hydraulics shunting the yard, only Class 47 1728 on the last day of 1973 - sadly, although the sun was out and I took photos, at that time of the year the whole scene was in shadow so they didn't come out very well. Grrrr!