Bersham Colliery Sidings - An ideal subject for a model ?

[PGH]

A recent topic enquiring about shunting in colliery sidings prompted me to dig out a series of sketches I made over thirty years ago on the shunting operations at Bersham Colliery, near Wrexham.  The sidings at Bersham were very compact and restricted in layout and would I think be an excellent subject for a model, either of just the colliery itself with a main line fiddle yard on each side or as an addition to a main line layout.

 

Sinking of the colliery began in the 1860s but proved difficult and the first coal for sale (as opposed to coal used for the sinking operation) was not produced until 1874.  This may have been despatched by rail as the connection to the adjacent GWR line was made in 1869.  The pit remained in production until final closure in December 1986.

 

For most of this period the colliery sidings were operated by steam locomotives, all 0-4-0STs because of the tight curvature.  In 1980 a Hunslet 0-6-0DM arrived but was obviously found unsuitable as within two months it was sent to Point of Ayr Colliery and Bersham received Point of Ayr's 88DS Ruston in return.  In 1981 the yard was remodelled to accommodate MGR hopper wagons and a Hunslet 0-6-0DM then took over the shunting.

 

The operations detailed below were observed during the late 1970s when wagons were still loaded at the screens and shunted by steam locomotive.

 

 

View from the road overbridge in March 1977.  The NCB Peckett 0-4-0ST HORNET stands at the entrance to the headshunt ready to shunt the first set of empty wagons to the top end of the colliery yard, while a BR Class 25, having just backed the empty wagons into the yard, runs round on the down main line to the front of the loaded train in the exchange sidings.

 

In the diagrams below the NCB loco is shown in green, the BR loco in blue, the BR brakevan in purple, the loaded wagons in black and the empty wagons in yellow.

 

 

1.  B.R. empty wagon train arrives from the Wrexham direction and stops on the rising gradient south of the road overbridge.

 

2.  The brakevan is run by gravity from the rear of the train to the end of the full wagons in the exchange sidings.

 

3.  B.R. loco backs the empty wagons into the colliery yard.

 

4.  B.R. loco runs round to the north end of the full wagons via the main line, and departs in the Wrexham direction.

 

5.  During the arrival of the B.R. train the NCB loco waits near the B.R. connection because the end of the rake of empty wagons fouls the line from the loco shed.  When the B.R. loco has cleared the end of the sidings the NCB loco moves to the position shown.

 

6. The empty wagons are run down to the NCB loco by gravity, clearing the points into the empty wagon siding.

 

7.  NCB loco propells the empty wagons up to the top end of the colliery yard.

 

8.  NCB loco runs back through the yard to a position near the weighbridge.

 

9.  The wagons are run under the screens by gravity, loaded and then run by gravity to the weighbridge, where they are coupled to the NCB loco.

 

10.  After weighing the NCB loco pulls the full wagons into the headshunt and propells them to the entrance of the exchange sidings.

 

11.  The full wagons are then run by gravity into the exchange sidings.

 

The process is then repeated from step No.6 for the next set of empty wagons.

[5050]

Bersham Colliery was the main thing I could see from my bedroom window when I was a lad.  The loco working there at that time was 'Shakespeare' (an RSH I think) that caused me a great deal of head scratching as a youngster as the only loco I could find in my Ian Allan ABC with a name anything like it was Brittania 'William Shakespeare' which was considerably larger!  'Hornet' came from Ifton Colliery and I was surprised to find that she (he? it?) is preserved at the Ribble Steam Railway.  My uncle worked there in the wages office for many years and I wrote a short article in 'Railway Bylines' some years ago including photos of his that I have of the site and the signal box and another of the locos that worked there pre-war.

[Adam]

Thank you very much for posting this; it's so good to have a proper account of how these everyday workings were actually carried out. I am actually old enough to have seen this, just, but being from rather further south and west, lived in the wrong part of the country to see it (and not old enough to have remembered it even if I had). If operation is a neglected part of the hobby then freight operation is doubly so.

 

Perhaps the best example of this - ironically from a layout populated by Tony Wright and friends - is Charwelton. The most interesting part of operation at this station was the ironstone line which was completely ignored (though it was included) in exhibition operation. Properly operated, I would have found this much more interesting than the parade of well observed passenger trains and, er, less well observed, freight. 

 

Thanks again

 

Adam

[avonside1563]

Presumably you haven't seen New Haden colliery (ex-Stafford Railway Circle) then Adam? This features empty trains coming in on the main line and being reversed into the exchange sidings. The brake van is shunted onto a full rake and the empty wagons are then taken to the screens by the colliery loco, loaded in full view and a full rake is then marshalled ready to be collected. Great fun to operate.

 

Link to more info about it here http://www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk/layouts5.php

[Adam]

Presumably you haven't seen New Haden colliery (ex-Stafford Railway Circle) then Adam? This features empty trains coming in on the main line and being reversed into the exchange sidings. The brake van is shunted onto a full rake and the empty wagons are then taken to the screens by the colliery loco, loaded in full view and a full rake is then marshalled ready to be collected. Great fun to operate.

 

I have actually - just the once - and yes, that's a positive example as the operation as Charwelton is a negative one. The point was a specific one; I wasn't saying that no one did, merely that effective freight operation was neglected.

 

Adam

[5050]

I remembered last night that somewhere I had some photos of the site taken in the mid/late 70's I think.  The one with the steam special is taken from the road bridge over the main line where I spent many a happy hour trainspotting in the late 50's and the one of the colliery loco (I think it's 'Hornet' but it's a very bad shot I'm afraid, I was dissappointed with it and others taken, no idea why so bad) is taken from down the farm track and across the field down by the signal box.  The loops, headshunt and holding sidings can be seen in the distance along with the track configuration allowing the empties trains to set back into the loops.

 

As a potential model it could be quite good, in fact, I'd played with the idea myself over the years.  The 'photo bridge' could be a scenic break at one end and there is another farm accomodation bridge about half a mile down towards Wrexham (just viewable in the steam special photo) which, with some modeller's licence, could be moved nearer.  Plenty of traffic on the main line, especially in 50's/60's mode.  Many of the buildings are still there in use as business/industrial premises.

 

The steam special was 'Princess Elizabeth' on a Chester-Shrewsbury-Hereford (I think) working.

 

Funny how photos, which at the time they were taken seemed quite insignificant, can now be interesting.

[PGH]

Bersham's steam locomotives:

 

 

SHAKESPEARE built by Hawthorn Leslie in 1914 was a long time resident of Bersham, from circa 1928 to disposal for scrap in 1980.  It was supplied new to the ill-fated Shakespeare Cliff Colliery, Kent's first coal mine intended to exploit coal seams discovered in boreholes at the old Channel Tunnel site.  The colliery closed in 1915 after producing only a small amount of saleable coal, so SHAKESPEARE saw little if any use there and was requisitioned by the Ministry of Munitions for use at the National Filling Factory, Morecambe.  It later passed into the hands of dealers Cudworth & Johnson of Wrexham, and after a period of hire at Bersham was purchased by the colliery company.  It was photographed outside the loco shed in 1967.

 

 

 

For many years SHAKESPEARE was the sole motive power at Bersham, with other locomotives being brought in temporarily when repairs were required, either from other collieries or loaned from BR.  In 1964 SPIDER, a similar 14" cylinder Hawthorn Leslie built in 1905, was transferred from Ifton Colliery for a few months and is seen here with an internal user wagon.  The internal user wagons were used to take landsale coal to the top end of the yard where it was transferred to road vehicles.

 

 

 

HORNET arrived at Bersham in 1968 after the closure of Ifton Colliery.  HORNET is a 14" Peckett built in 1937 and designated a Special W6, in effect a cut down version of the makers standard W6 Class.  Both SPIDER and HORNET were supplied new to the Black Park Colliery at Chirk, which also had a locomotive named THE FLY !

 

 

 

HORNET propells the empty wagons past the screens.  The pithead buildings and screens would make an interesting but rather challenging model.

 

 

 

  

[PGH]

Bersham's Diesel Locos:

 

 

 

RH 326068 in March 1980, newly arrived from Point of Ayr Colliery to replace the steam loco HORNET

 

 

 

By September 1981 the track layout had been relaid to accommodate MGR wagons and the screen roads lifted.  HORNET stands isolated on a short length of track near the former weighbridge as Hunslet 325hp 0-6-0DM No.6663 shunts loaded HAA hoppers into the exchange sidings

 

 

 

In contrast to the long period when SHAKESPEARE was the only loco at Bersham, in August 1983 no less than four locos were present - shown here are the redundant RH 326068, HORNET and HE 7018

 

 

 

Another view of Hunslet 400hp 0-6-0DM No.7018

 

 

 

and the fourth loco HE 6663

[YK 50A]

Apologies for lowering the tone, but there's a café called Roy's Rolls in Coronation Street.  The walls are covered in railway memorabilia, a lot of wagon works plates and photographs and the like.  Anyway, the other night I noticed the nameplate "HORNET" on the wall between the main door and the serving counter.  It's in the same style as in the photographs of the very same in this thread.  I know there would have been many industrial engines named Hornet and there were probably several colliery engines with the name.  But could it be a coincidence?

 

Out of interest, does anyone know what happened to the Bersham steam (and diesel) locomotives?

 

Alun

[avonside1563]

Of the steam locos, Shakespeare was scrapped but Hornet is still with us at the Ribble Railway in Preston.

[The Stationmaster]

Very interesting subject which I've only just come across and excellently presented.  However I was a little surprised to see that there was no tare weighing prior to wagons being loaded as it was certainly still going on at collieries etc which I knew in the 1970s.

[YK 50A]

Of the steam locos, Shakespeare was scrapped but Hornet is still with us at the Ribble Railway in Preston.

 

Out of interest, here's the Ribble Steam Railway's page on Hornet.  There's an interesting picture of the loco from it's working days.

 

Alun

[PGH]

Very interesting subject which I've only just come across and excellently presented.  However I was a little surprised to see that there was no tare weighing prior to wagons being loaded as it was certainly still going on at collieries etc which I knew in the 1970s.

 

I'm sure there would have been a weighbridge for empty wagons at the top end of the screens, omitted from my description (Oops !).  There is a small building shown on the 25" OS maps where the screen roads diverge from the through road and I'm sure this was the weighhouse where the empties would have been weighed when moved by gravity down to the screens.

 

 

Out of interest, does anyone know what happened to the Bersham steam (and diesel) locomotives?

 

Alun

 

 SHAKESPEARE was scrapped in November 1980; HORNET left for Southport in January 1984; the two Hunslet diesels went to Holditch Colliery, Staffs., in 1987 after closure of the colliery; the Ruston disappeared circa 1985, presumably scrapped. (info from IRS North Wales Handbook)

 

 

Out of interest, here's the Ribble Steam Railway's page on Hornet.  There's an interesting picture of the loco from it's working days.

 

Alun

 

Nice photo of HORNET working - actually  taken at Ifton, the chimney in the background at the top end of Ifton Yard is particularly distinctive.  HORNET didn't normally work the line to Weston Rhyn, either it or the other 0-4-0ST SPIDER shunted the colliery yard, the 'main line' being usually worked by one of the two 0-6-0Ts RICHBORO or UNITY.  The unusual chimney on HORNET was apparently added at Ifton by somebody (presumably with a sense of humor !) imitating an early American spark arrestor.

[PGH]

Apologies for lowering the tone, but there's a café called Roy's Rolls in Coronation Street.  The walls are covered in railway memorabilia, a lot of wagon works plates and photographs and the like.  Anyway, the other night I noticed the nameplate "HORNET" on the wall between the main door and the serving counter.  It's in the same style as in the photographs of the very same in this thread.  I know there would have been many industrial engines named Hornet and there were probably several colliery engines with the name.  But could it be a coincidence?

 

Alun

 

The origin of industrial loco names is perhaps an interesting subject in itself, many seem curious or mysterious although they no doubt made sense to whoever chose them at the time.

 

HORNET doesn't seem to have been a particularly common name.  The Industrial Locomotive Society's website at  http://www.industrial-loco.org.uk/  has a list of industrial loco names and that contains only four HORNETs, including Peckett 1935.

 

The other three were:

 

1.  A mysterious 0-4-0ST (possibly Manning Wardle ?) at Hargreaves Collieries Ltd., Rosegrove Cokeworks, Burnley; obtained from an unknown source via a local dealer and scrapped in 1934.

 

(The same company had locos ANT, WASP and BEE at nearby Bank Hall Colliery, whilst at their Huncoat Colliery they named after birds - LINNET, LARK, RAVEN and KESTREL)

 

2.  Fletcher Jennings 116 a 0-4-0T (later rebuilt to 0-4-0ST) supplied new in 1873 to Gilkes, Wilson, Pease & Co., Tees Ironworks, Middlesborough and scrapped there at an unknown date

 

3.  Manning Wardle 1516 a Class O 0-6-0ST new in 1901 to J.& R.Stone Ltd., Park Colliery, Garswood, Lancs., and scrapped there by the NCB in August 1960

[flyingsignalman]

Only just seen this, most interesting as I never saw the sidings being shunted as my visits tended to be at weekends.

I took these photos when the sidings were being relaid.

 

Looking north from the road bridge.

 

47 254 passes, heading south

 

Hornet on its piece of track

 

Bersham Sidings Signal Box, 19 levers.

 

The photos were taken on 17/2/1981.

[5050]

During a sort-out of papers and envelopes in my room I found my uncle's photos of the signal box at Bersham (he worked in the wages office there).  Taken on 7 July 1930, I suppose they are now historically significant - especially as I learned this afternoon that all the fittings, lever frame and nameboard from the box are installed at Kidderminster Railway Museum as a working exhibit.  I have sent them copies of these photos which may be incorporated in the display.

 

It's a pity my uncle didn't note the loco number......................

[malcolmcelyn]

Just come across this thread. I used to sit on the fence or the embankment next to the signal box, complete with sandwiches and pop, and watch the shunting and main line trains for most of the day. This would have been in the mid seventies, say 1973-1976. Dad was a surveyor at Bersham. The drawing office is the windowed building in the white complex in the first picture. A few strings pulled, and I got to tour the system. Then, a ten year old's dream, a ride on the footplate of Hornet!

Three major wagon periods applicable to modelling: wooden-bodied wagons, Private Owner and Pool; Steel-bodied 16 ton mineral wagons; finally, HAA hoppers.

I was fortunate too, to get a trip underground, followed by a tour of the yard, many years later. Present were the two 0-6-0 diesels (as per the photos, a Hunslet or two I guess, but I have a strange recollection of a Rolls-Royce/Sentinel with the long sword emblem in the grill). It may just be the colour photos or a faulty memory, but the engines looked a lot more khaki than the yellowish tinge to the green in the pictures.

Fabulous memories for an ageing fifty-something!

[RGSrr]

I agree with PGH that Bersham's compact layout would make an interesting model, especially the jumble of mine buildings above and around the screens, however the real challenge facing the small scale modeller will be all that wonderful gravity working.

I counted five separate moves up to setting out the first rake of loaded wagons ready for departure.

 

Is gravity working allowed in 2013 ?

 

Was the screen structure too low for Hornet to pass under ?

 

Someone must have had a soft spot for HORNET leaving it stranded at Bersham

 

Great thread thanks to all

 

 

[Dudley]

Hello PGH,

Thanks very much for your wonderful drawings; I spent a fabulous day at the colliery on 2nd Sept 1977 having seen the steam activity from a northbound train the same day. A bus to the colliery from Chester (IIRC) armed with camera and a packet of Extra Strong Mints for sustenance. Very friendly NCB staff allowed me to wander at my leisure. Also had a cab ride on 'Shakepseare'. It always struck me as a good modelling project so now I can enjoy your jottings. Sorry about photo quality; quick digital snaps from BW prints made in 1977. Maybe I should revisit the page of negatives to make some top-notch scans. 

 

47 195 + Shakespeare

 

     

Shakespeare

 

   Shakespeare

 

 

  colliery gen view

 

  wooden solebar NCB internal user wagon

 

 

Best wishes,

Dudley

http://dudleysphotos.zenfolio.com/

 

 

[5050]

Nice photos, thanks.  I must say that the cab back sheet of 'Shakespeare' doesn't look at all standard.  It's a detail worth noting if making a model of him/her using one of the available kits.

[RThompson]

Apart from the winding house which I can see from the main road, is there much left at bersham, just curious as I might make a visit even though I drive past everyday for work!

[PGH]

Apart from the winding house which I can see from the main road, is there much left at bersham, just curious as I might make a visit even though I drive past everyday for work!

 

The No.2 Shaft headgear and winding engine house together with some items from other collieries remain as a museum under the ownership of Wrexham Borough Council:

 

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/heritage/bersham_colliery.htm

 

I believe the museum is open for group visits or on special open days.  There are proposals to remove part of the waste tip which may have started ? - it’s a while since I passed there myself.  The remainder of the colliery site is now an industrial estate which may possibly incorporate some of the former colliery buildings.

[Dudley]

Railway Modeller mag May 1993 ran an article by Christopher Pope on 'Colliery modelling in 4mm' based on Bersham. Worth looking out.

 

D.

[malcolmcelyn]

A recent topic enquiring about shunting in colliery sidings prompted me to dig out a series of sketches I made over thirty years ago on the shunting operations at Bersham Colliery, near Wrexham.  The sidings at Bersham were very compact and restricted in layout and would I think be an excellent subject for a model, either of just the colliery itself with a main line fiddle yard on each side or as an addition to a main line layout.

 

Sinking of the colliery began in the 1860s but proved difficult and the first coal for sale (as opposed to coal used for the sinking operation) was not produced until 1874.  This may have been despatched by rail as the connection to the adjacent GWR line was made in 1869.  The pit remained in production until final closure in December 1986.

 

For most of this period the colliery sidings were operated by steam locomotives, all 0-4-0STs because of the tight curvature.  In 1980 a Hunslet 0-6-0DM arrived but was obviously found unsuitable as within two months it was sent to Point of Ayr Colliery and Bersham received Point of Ayr's 88DS Ruston in return.  In 1981 the yard was remodelled to accommodate MGR hopper wagons and a Hunslet 0-6-0DM then took over the shunting.

 

The operations detailed below were observed during the late 1970s when wagons were still loaded at the screens and shunted by steam locomotive.

 

 

Bersham 01.jpg

 

View from the road overbridge in March 1977.  The NCB Peckett 0-4-0ST HORNET stands at the entrance to the headshunt ready to shunt the first set of empty wagons to the top end of the colliery yard, while a BR Class 25, having just backed the empty wagons into the yard, runs round on the down main line to the front of the loaded train in the exchange sidings.

 

In the diagrams below the NCB loco is shown in green, the BR loco in blue, the BR brakevan in purple, the loaded wagons in black and the empty wagons in yellow.

 

 

Bersham 001A.jpg

1.  B.R. empty wagon train arrives from the Wrexham direction and stops on the rising gradient south of the road overbridge.

 

Bersham 002A.jpg

2.  The brakevan is run by gravity from the rear of the train to the end of the full wagons in the exchange sidings.

 

Bersham 003A.jpg

3.  B.R. loco backs the empty wagons into the colliery yard.

 

Bersham 004A.jpg

4.  B.R. loco runs round to the north end of the full wagons via the main line, and departs in the Wrexham direction.

 

Bersham 005A.jpg

5.  During the arrival of the B.R. train the NCB loco waits near the B.R. connection because the end of the rake of empty wagons fouls the line from the loco shed.  When the B.R. loco has cleared the end of the sidings the NCB loco moves to the position shown.

 

Bersham 006A.jpg

6. The empty wagons are run down to the NCB loco by gravity, clearing the points into the empty wagon siding.

 

Bersham 007A.jpg

7.  NCB loco propells the empty wagons up to the top end of the colliery yard.

 

Bersham 008A.jpg

8.  NCB loco runs back through the yard to a position near the weighbridge.

 

Bersham 009A.jpg

9.  The wagons are run under the screens by gravity, loaded and then run by gravity to the weighbridge, where they are coupled to the NCB loco.

 

Bersham 010A.jpg

10.  After weighing the NCB loco pulls the full wagons into the headshunt and propells them to the entrance of the exchange sidings.

 

Bersham 011A.jpg

11.  The full wagons are then run by gravity into the exchange sidings.

 

The process is then repeated from step No.6 for the next set of empty wagons.

Only just found this topic having been looking at another thread with your photos from Wrexham-Ellesmere.

How it brings back memories! I was born in 1963 and my earliest memory is of being on the road bridge at Bersham (probably 1967 or thereabouts) when a coal empties train arrived behind what I guess now must have been either a Black Five or Stanier 2-8-0. I distinctly remember the smoke billowing over the bridge, engulfing my father and me!

Later, possibly in the early 1970's, there was an open day at Bersham. I got to drive Hornet up and down the yard, one of the greatest things that ever happened to me!

Dad was a surveyor at Bersham; his office was on the ground floor of the white building on the left above the head shunt. I spent many an hour watching trains through his office window. Later still, probably the late '70's, I spent many hours, probably most of the day, during school holidays and at weekends, sitting on the embankment next to Bersham Sidings Signal Box, watching trains and shunting. I remember Class 24's (in green and blue)and 25's (in blue, with small centre window and 3 equal sized end windows), Class 40's in green and blue liveries, with all variations of head code boxes and 47's in Rail Blue. In the early 1980's, I moved home just a mile down the line, spending many a pleasant walk with the dog between the footbridge over the track in Johnstown, up to the colliery. 25 912? Tamworth Castle, was a regular visitor to the area. Both my brother, a deputy under manager, and sister, a nurse, now worked at Bersham, so useful contacts got me a trip underground, followed by a tour of the yard. I took some photos of the Hunslet diesels (since lost) although I must admit my memory told me they were Sentinel/Rolls Royce, not HE!

I married a Wrexham lass at this time whose parents lived at Croesnewydd. Again, I spent time watching shunting and remember the engines being stabled on the triangle around what was formerly Croesnewydd steam shed (the line up through the yard led to Brymbo, another part of my railway life, but that's for another place!). I'm not certain, but I'm sure empties for Bersham were built up at Croesnewydd yard (16 ton minerals at this period, prior to the HAA hoppers on MGR).

Anyway, enough waffling! Thank you so very much for bringing back such happy memories of fabulous train spotting days!

[malcolmcelyn]

Just another thought that's popped into my head. The head surveyor in my dads time at Bersham was Bill Shakespeare (yes, I know!). I think I'm right in saying that he was one of the founder members of the Flintshire and Deeside Railway Preservation Society, later to become the Llangollen Railway. Quite a coincidence that they had a Hawthorn Lesley with the same name!