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22 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

 

Did NSE and milk tanks really crossover......I'd have never of said that :o

 

The last official milk train from Cornwall to London ran in October 1980 with 50 017 working a load of the old six wheeled tanks, those newer tanks in the photo were built for emergencies but I think I've only ever seen one photo of them in operation.

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On 25/07/2021 at 20:00, montyburns56 said:

D426 Carnforth 1968 by George Woods

 

D426 Carnforth 11.7.68

 

Crewe Railway Works in 1968 by f22photographie

 

D408

 

D415 + D409 + D407 at Crewe North Junction 1968 by Anthony Guppy

 

D415 + D409 + D407 at Crewe North Junction

 

D406 Crewe Works 1970 by Trevor Casey

 

 

D406 Crewe Works. 07-03-1970

 

 


Great to see these very early photos of the D4xx - for anyone visiting Crewe post 1967/68 these were a major feature, the Anglo-Scottish trains changing locos electric/diesel and vice versa at Crewe.

 

Nice to see the cab fronts uncluttered with multiple working equipment but what I hadn’t appreciated, and is visible from these photos, is they appear to have been built with blanking plates covering the areas to allow its future fitting. Which begs the question why it wasn’t fitted from the start? 
 

I can’t remember what date double heading of class 50s was introduced across Shap but presumably this enabled a speed up of services in advance of electrification - 5500 hp being available - and multiple working. 

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7 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

The last official milk train from Cornwall to London ran in October 1980 with 50 017 working a load of the old six wheeled tanks, those newer tanks in the photo were built for emergencies but I think I've only ever seen one photo of them in operation.

 

I've posted some here....

 

 

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9 minutes ago, MidlandRed said:

 

Nice to see the cab fronts uncluttered with multiple working equipment but what I hadn’t appreciated, and is visible from these photos, is they appear to have been built with blanking plates covering the areas to allow its future fitting. Which begs the question why it wasn’t fitted from the start? 
 

I can’t remember what date double heading of class 50s was introduced across Shap but presumably this enabled a speed up of services in advance of electrification - 5500 hp being available. 

 

I'm only speculating, but as they were introduced at the very end of steam, perhaps BR just wanted to get them into traffic ASAP? Or perhaps EE were struggling to get the MU system working reliably?

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On 30/08/2021 at 11:13, D410Monarch said:

they were definitely black back then , if it was dirt ,the orange squares wouldn't look so orange in the picture I reckon

I think has come up before. Weren’t they are dark olive or something, rather than a proper black?

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On 31/08/2021 at 12:05, Rugd1022 said:

 

those newer tanks in the photo were built for emergencies but I think I've only ever seen one photo of them in operation.

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I've got to ask, otherwise I'll be scratching my head for all eternity. Milk tanks built for emergencies. Wh... What type of emergencies are we talking about? :huh:

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25 minutes ago, LU_fan said:

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I've got to ask, otherwise I'll be scratching my head for all eternity. Milk tanks built for emergencies. Wh... What type of emergencies are we talking about? :huh:

 

Something about strategic reserve?

Maybe we need them now, as McDonalds have run out of milk shakes, and the Arla super dairy at Aylesbury was blockaded by Animal Rebellion (an offshoot from the Extinction Rebellion lot) the other day....

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10 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

 

So did D400, but they were both factory fitted from new, so perhaps the retro fitted ones were black??

 

Vulcan Foundry Ex-Works D400 emerges, September 23rd 1967, E.N.BELLASS

 

no orange square coupling codes on the first 2 even though they had the factory fitted mw cables or  did coupling codes come along later ?

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On 01/09/2021 at 20:35, LU_fan said:

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I've got to ask, otherwise I'll be scratching my head for all eternity. Milk tanks built for emergencies. Wh... What type of emergencies are we talking about? :huh:

 

In the book Diesels in the Duchy by John Vaughan, Ian Allan, 1983, there is a photograph of one of the TMV tankers at Lostwithiel with the following caption:

”After the milk trains had been withdrawn from the West Country and scores of the tankers had been cut up for scrap it was with some surprise that ‘new’ four and six-wheeled tankers were produced by W.H.Davis Ltd. The frames of the old wagons, mainly those fitted with roller bearings, had brand new stainless steel tanks fitted for use in emergencies - for example in severe weather.”


I have yet to see any evidence that these renovated tankers were ever used in Cornwall (but happy to be proved wrong) but I suspect that it would have been these wagons that were used on the short-lived workings between Chard and Stowmarket.

Edited by Western Aviator
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1 hour ago, Western Aviator said:

The frames of the old wagons, mainly those fitted with roller bearings, had brand new stainless steel tanks fitted for use in emergencies - for example in severe weather.”

 

Severe weather? Okay? Not quite sure how milk tanks would be of any use in those circumstances. Could it be because delivery by truck would be too risky...?

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2 hours ago, Welly said:

^^^

What was that large wooden structure behind the lean-to?

I think it was the goods shed; there was a similar building at Liskeard.

I think 'emergencies' may have been too strong a word; I believe the wagons were intended to cover seasonal shortages in milk production at creameries in the east of the UK.

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3 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

I think it was the goods shed; there was a similar building at Liskeard.

I think 'emergencies' may have been too strong a word; I believe the wagons were intended to cover seasonal shortages in milk production at creameries in the east of the UK.

I think he's referring to the photo at Preston.

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On 02/09/2021 at 12:41, LU_fan said:

 

Severe weather? Okay? Not quite sure how milk tanks would be of any use in those circumstances. Could it be because delivery by truck would be too risky...?

 

I wonder if they were thinking of a hot summer similar to 1976, and transport of water supplies by rail to fill emergency bowsers? 

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