ICI 40t Bogie Caustic Tankers - Where, when, who?

[Artless Bodger]

On 15/01/2020 at 17:22, SED Freightman said:

 

Sorry for going OT but the seeing the photo reminded me that sometime after the chlorine traffic finished I made arrangements for 'Hornblower' to be transferred from Reeds Siding to Brookgate Siding on the opposite side of the main line.  Following C&W and guaging exams, the loco ran under its own power via Aylesford to cross over, driven by Reeds driver accompanied by a BR conductor driver (from Gillingham?), sadly nowadays it would almost certainly be quicker and cheaper to effect such a transfer by road. 

Even more off topic; sorry to disagree but the movement was from west mill (Brookgate Siding) to east mill via Snodland to cross over. This was c. 1979-80 and I was walking to New Hythe station for a 1/2 day off when Hornblower came through, our OMED superintendant was also on the footplate. Hornblower was the west mill shunter (photo on Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/6680871095.) originally. Through family connections I got a trip on it in 1968 from the point in that photo round to the back of no 13 machine house and was allowed to drive part way back. Howe the Pecket 0-4-0ST was brought out of retirement a while later when Hornblower was having its tyres turned and I got a turn on Howe too. Once Hornblower was in East Mill it was used for the chlorine tanks and clay wagons (Bounty the 88DS's gear box had died). After the last train off our site, Hornblower and Bounty sat under the em beaterfloor or outside our department until they were carted off for scrap - craned onto a low loader. I borrowed the mill polaroid to take a couple of photos. I still have Hornblower's maker's plate - the engineers didn't want that to go to the scrapman!

 

[SED Freightman]

2 hours ago, Artless Bodger said:

Even more off topic; sorry to disagree but the movement was from west mill (Brookgate Siding) to east mill via Snodland to cross over. This was c. 1979-80 and I was walking to New Hythe station for a 1/2 day off when Hornblower came through, our OMED superintendant was also on the footplate. Hornblower was the west mill shunter (photo on Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/6680871095.) originally. Through family connections I got a trip on it in 1968 from the point in that photo round to the back of no 13 machine house and was allowed to drive part way back. Howe the Pecket 0-4-0ST was brought out of retirement a while later when Hornblower was having its tyres turned and I got a turn on Howe too. Once Hornblower was in East Mill it was used for the chlorine tanks and clay wagons (Bounty the 88DS's gear box had died). After the last train off our site, Hornblower and Bounty sat under the em beaterfloor or outside our department until they were carted off for scrap - craned onto a low loader. I borrowed the mill polaroid to take a couple of photos. I still have Hornblower's maker's plate - the engineers didn't want that to go to the scrapman!

 

 

Continuing OT. Thanks for the detailed information re Hornblower's movements.  The movement I recall was definitely Reeds Sdg to Brookgate Sdg, but would have occured in 1982 or later as I had no involvement in Out of Gauge and Exceptional Load movements prior to then. It was a long time ago and the name Hornblower stuck in the mind, however you were on site and I was sitting in an office in Beckenham. I take it that there were no other locos on site that could have been involved other than Hornblower and Bounty.

[Artless Bodger]

Yes, you are right that there were only the two locos Hornblower and Bounty. It was necessary to move Hornblower to east mill when Bounty broke down. I was full time at APM from July 1978 to April 1985, and I don't recall Hornblower being in use in WM at all in that time (I walked past the shed most days). It was a surprise to see it on the mainline when it was moved to EM and I was based in the building on stilts right next to it for 3 years ('82-'85).  It left APM before I did, probably 1984.

 

With a half hourly passenger service, and a 15 mph top speed (indicated on the clock) it must have been a squeeze to get it moved between passenger trains.

 

Do you know when wagonload freight stopped on the Strood - Paddock Wood line please? We stopped taking chlorine as a result, clay traffic had stopped a bit before I believe - mainly because APM had shut the machines that made grades using it. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 24/12/2014 at 06:43, br2975 said:

 

And a Cardiff Corporation 'bus in the West Midlands....................

.

Brian R

Just looking back and reading through the thread, it's actually a Coventry Corporation bus.