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Devon Diesel Era Photo Record


Garry Morris
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My recollection is that the white (or sometimes pink/purple) colour was an aerosol spray, used to highlight possible cracks in castings or welds. I encountered it in a chemical works I worked in; I think the theory was that you sprayed it on, then wiped it off, so that it would highlight cracks. The second part doesn't seem to have occured to them.

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We used to use it to detect cracks in steel - a purple coloured aerosol dye penetrating spray, as you said, and wipe off from the surface, then sprayed with a fine white powder (developer). The dye then leached from the cracks, showing as purple lines contrasting with the white. Cheap, quick and effective prior to further investigation - this sort of stuff http://www.grainger.com/category/ecatalog/N-1z0dh8l

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Pop Up Stabling Point!

 

The summer of 1982 and an outpost of Newton Abbot? This makeshift refueling point appeared behind Goodrington Sands Halt. It is easily modelable requiring only 3 wagons - a TTA a VEA and twin tank oil wagon. It saved trips back to Newton Abbot for long distance arrivals at Paignton needing fuel. Ironically it was too late as the number of Saturday workings were dwindling by the 80's - the following season it wasn't required. This 50 parked alongside has already been replenished. I never did see it in action probably because in trainspotting days if one was lurking down at Goodrington Sands Halt you could easily miss something coming into the other yard or running round in the station. It would be good to see if anyone else captured this anomaly of the modern era. I have not heard of one being set up anywhere else.

 

Hi

 

Delving through my photo's I came across these taken in Riverside yard  on 10 9 86.

As you can see from my notes I made an assumption as to the real use of this wagon.....

 

The van attached to it was similar to another in the yard.....I took a picture of the other van & it did'nt hav a yellow end,but olive green with chevrons half way up....

I don't remember this one having yellow ends either......

 

Any way.hope pictures are of interest.......

 

post-7844-0-40260500-1437934881_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-01055400-1437934913_thumb.jpg

 

Cheers Bill

 

Edit to add :The above refers to page 3 post 58 as this is not obvious from the above

Edited by treggyman
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Very Rare Traction

Devon is seldom the recipient of locomotives that Exeter crews aren't trained on, particularly on normal service trains.  An example that springs to mind was a class 58 working through from Saltely to Plymouth which was well documented. Here we have a combination of 40/25 on the up Bitumen tanks from King's Asphalt. The 40 is the one involved in the Great Train Robbery 40126 along with 25209 of Bescot.  A class 40 once worked through to Plymouth in connection with testing the washing plant at Laira in the early 1960's but apart from that they were rarely seen west of Weston - Super - Mare where they could turn up on excursions. The first arrivals of class 45's in the mid 1960's were by freights to Riverside Yard where we see this one departing 20/05/82. Class 20's have been rumoured to have reached Exeter but no photos have come to light yet. South Wales Class 37's were also known to have appeared long before their allocation in Cornwall. I don't know the source of this picture but it must have been someone keeping a close eye on workings to catch such a rare combination in the West.

 

.....not that rare at the time SK....I have a feeling that this was the booked traction for this period. I have this image as a postcard and by the looks of the picture above it is simply a scan of such a postcard. 40191 was sub shedded at Hereford June to November 1977 for driver training, therefore Hereford traction knowledge and Bristol route knowledge should have gotten this consist to Exeter and back without much mither. Most bitumen workings ex Ellesmere Port down the North & West towards Newport were 2x25s but a bit more HP was probably needed on the Exeter run to keep time.

 

A pair of 40s feature out of Exeter in my Devon album       https://www.flickr.com/photos/43564631@N08/sets/72157623135256021

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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Pop Up Stabling Point!

 

The summer of 1982 and an outpost of Newton Abbot? This makeshift refueling point appeared behind Goodrington Sands Halt. It is easily modelable requiring only 3 wagons - a TTA a VEA and twin tank oil wagon. It saved trips back to Newton Abbot for long distance arrivals at Paignton needing fuel. Ironically it was too late as the number of Saturday workings were dwindling by the 80's - the following season it wasn't required. This 50 parked alongside has already been replenished. I never did see it in action probably because in trainspotting days if one was lurking down at Goodrington Sands Halt you could easily miss something coming into the other yard or running round in the station. It would be good to see if anyone else captured this anomaly of the modern era. I have not heard of one being set up anywhere else.

 

Hi

 

Delving through my photo's I came across these taken in Riverside yard  on 10 9 86.

As you can see from my notes I made an assumption as to the real use of this wagon.....

 

The van attached to it was similar to another in the yard.....I took a picture of the other van & it did'nt hav a yellow end,but olive green with chevrons half way up....

I don't remember this one having yellow ends either......

 

Any way.hope pictures are of interest.......

 

attachicon.gifFuel tank StDavids 10 9 86.jpg

 

attachicon.gifTool van StDavids .jpg

 

Cheers Bill

 

Edit to add :The above refers to page 3 post 58 as this is not obvious from the above

 

The tank wagon's an odd beast. Looking at the side-rails on it, I wonder if it was one of the six-wheel flats designed to carry road-trailers on milk traffic. The tanks themselves seem a bit small in diameter, and long overall, to be from twin-tank milktankers.

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The tank wagon's an odd beast. Looking at the side-rails on it, I wonder if it was one of the six-wheel flats designed to carry road-trailers on milk traffic. The tanks themselves seem a bit small in diameter, and long overall, to be from twin-tank milktankers.

I remember seeing a similar tank wagon in the roofless depot at Exeter St Davids around 1970, then painted black as I recall, is it the same one I wonder?

 

Here is a another photo from 1992 showing it at St Davids stabling point

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132227756@N02/17494472934/in/photolist-hDr9R1-hDrPWK-9bkP7A-hhsx2t-bVFPeJ-5sqpHk-dqddRN-oorzGa-8JxFCp-9TrKpV-oGFZei-aL7wPZ-qwXuAk-c6nmsC-dYZbUS-nGjXK3-oJTFsi-pASt2M-nzSRZ6-oE7yCu-5WJw2U-oE7XdN-hSmkoh-hSmkG3-okkzBj-oUzkob-oE7F9A-fQaDTA-dmv7fu-pzXZ4b-9PSxhD-prZXY4-e5bSLQ-sDVKiG-dKxMNa-oyGMBF-bCXGk8-avYqaA-eJAp8A-dVzEBx-7QvyKZ-fdWZ6t-aTrVpR-tuNCud-eiLrFV-5HKK4c-twRcjG-ai3Wiz-dg4zzH-d2sFGW 

 

edit  -  and a shot as how I remember it in the early 1970s, next to D1028

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwakely/18064788036/in/photolist-twjL7G-o53rBA-swofcu-omk3sf-o53dnm-qqi7CX-e7KL1n-aoGvkL-7Dh3u3-bDTMx9-ra9FDc-r3rzR8-bwFN5s-7Skp5A-mSWRgv-a1AJd9-8N66Qo-sW2EAU-sgM15K-dEZBTy-jtYkMH-mpBKao-pneoPT-e9rMRe-rbTGLY-q5ysHE-dj1rSJ-aFZ3xc-rraAhA-r55JRX-qWPWoK-pftiYT-nhDU7m-dq2nbV-ozEBnu-wdaHkp-8PuSyB-9eaNQy-6QvYdp-oUn1T9-bADWV4-eRFWGv-buZFze-9E27vA-qqS9Dm-7zCSms-bvsHNP-rnRESk-buZWTt-ropfNV

 

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
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.....not that rare at the time SK....I have a feeling that this was the booked traction for this period. I have this image as a postcard and by the looks of the picture above it is simply a scan of such a postcard. 40191 was sub shedded to Hereford around this time for driver training, therefore Hereford traction knowledge and Bristol route knowledge should have gotten this consist to Exeter and back without much mither. Most bitumen workings ex Ellesmere Port down the North & West towards Newport were 2x25s but a bit more HP was probably needed on the Exeter run to keep time.

 

A pair of 40s feature out of Exeter in my Devon album       https://www.flickr.com/photos/43564631@N08/sets/72157623135256021

 

Dave

Interesting,

I have never photographed a 40 west of Bristol, and in my time on BR from 1977 I only remember them west of Bristol on a very few occasions

when they got to British Cellophane at Bridgwater, with the caustic soda tanks that sometimes came from Runcorn instead of Baglan Bay.

 

cheers

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Here is a photo of another pair of mixed traction in Devon, I have already posted this on another thread some time ago

 

post-7081-0-97595100-1438105668.jpg

47026 and 46052 arrive at Exeter St Davids with 1E30 08.15 Plymouth - Leeds 4/3/81.

My notes on the day say that both locos were under power, and recent conversations with old friends who were also enthusiasts

have indicated that 1E30 was often used for running in turns for locos off repair at Laira so that would make sense,

 

cheers 

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I remember seeing a similar tank wagon in the roofless depot at Exeter St Davids around 1970, then painted black as I recall, is it the same one I wonder?

 

Here is a another photo from 1992 showing it at St Davids stabling point

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132227756@N02/17494472934/in/photolist-hDr9R1-hDrPWK-9bkP7A-hhsx2t-bVFPeJ-5sqpHk-dqddRN-oorzGa-8JxFCp-9TrKpV-oGFZei-aL7wPZ-qwXuAk-c6nmsC-dYZbUS-nGjXK3-oJTFsi-pASt2M-nzSRZ6-oE7yCu-5WJw2U-oE7XdN-hSmkoh-hSmkG3-okkzBj-oUzkob-oE7F9A-fQaDTA-dmv7fu-pzXZ4b-9PSxhD-prZXY4-e5bSLQ-sDVKiG-dKxMNa-oyGMBF-bCXGk8-avYqaA-eJAp8A-dVzEBx-7QvyKZ-fdWZ6t-aTrVpR-tuNCud-eiLrFV-5HKK4c-twRcjG-ai3Wiz-dg4zzH-d2sFGW 

 

edit  -  and a shot as how I remember it in the early 1970s, next to D1028

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwakely/18064788036/in/photolist-twjL7G-o53rBA-swofcu-omk3sf-o53dnm-qqi7CX-e7KL1n-aoGvkL-7Dh3u3-bDTMx9-ra9FDc-r3rzR8-bwFN5s-7Skp5A-mSWRgv-a1AJd9-8N66Qo-sW2EAU-sgM15K-dEZBTy-jtYkMH-mpBKao-pneoPT-e9rMRe-rbTGLY-q5ysHE-dj1rSJ-aFZ3xc-rraAhA-r55JRX-qWPWoK-pftiYT-nhDU7m-dq2nbV-ozEBnu-wdaHkp-8PuSyB-9eaNQy-6QvYdp-oUn1T9-bADWV4-eRFWGv-buZFze-9E27vA-qqS9Dm-7zCSms-bvsHNP-rnRESk-buZWTt-ropfNV

 

 

cheers

Hi

 

The picture of the wagon in black makes me wonder if it is a converted Gas wagon of the type used to supply gas to stations.....Is Cordon the right name ?

 

I had assumed that the underframe was from an old 6 wheeled milk tank of some description but we may never know.!!!!!

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi Again

 

The wonder of Google.....

 

As the running number is clearly legible on my photo I typed it in Google search & the full details are there.....

It was/is a ROTANK built in 1937 & is believed to still exist......

 

The running no is ZSV070882.....

I actually typed in the letters as lower case......

I would do a link but don't know how!!!!!

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

The picture of the wagon in black makes me wonder if it is a converted Gas wagon of the type used to supply gas to stations.....Is Cordon the right name ?

 

I had assumed that the underframe was from an old 6 wheeled milk tank of some description but we may never know.!!!!!

 

Cheers Bill

Not sure if there were any

 

Hi Again

 

The wonder of Google.....

 

As the running number is clearly legible on my photo I typed it in Google search & the full details are there.....

It was/is a ROTANK built in 1937 & is believed to still exist......

 

The running no is ZSV070882.....

I actually typed in the letters as lower case......

I would do a link but don't know how!!!!!

 

Cheers Bill

One like this, http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=171but with Dean-Churchward brakes?

Edited by Fat Controller
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Mornin' all,

 

I've checked through the Traffic & Traction pages 1977-83 and can't find a single mention of a 40 + 25 combo on the Exeter bitumen tanks....it appears that 2x25 was the norm when it ran, so apologies. I did however find details of a split box 40 (40128 or 138) working a Wallerscote to Taunton salt train throughout, followed by the booked Taunton to Severn Tunnel Jnc freight to get back (March 78). More interesting still was 40028 recorded on the Parkandillack branch from Burngullow working a china clay train....probably the clayliner from the Potteries but it must have passed through Devon. The Bridgewater tanks referred to by Rivercider above featured with occasional 40 haulage.

 

The 1978 dates tie in nicely with the new class 40 traction knowledge of the Hereford traincrews.

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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What are Traffic and Traction pages? Are they a complete record? Very interesting that 40028 was recorded so far west. Is there a date? I once heard that axle loadings on the Royal Albert bridge were a limiting factor to heavier diesel electrics in the 1960s. Maybe Cuneo's curious painting of a class 40 coming off the bridge into Saltash isn't so far fetched after all (see tria-ang catalogue 9?)! The only other recorded 40 to Cornwall is 40145 on railtour duty as far as I know.

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.....Railway Magazine contained a section called 'Traffic & Traction' (other titles had similar) where a brief account of railway events during the previous month or so are collated.

 

40028 is listed as reaching the Parkandillack branch on Dec 13th 1978

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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What are Traffic and Traction pages? Are they a complete record? Very interesting that 40028 was recorded so far west. Is there a date? I once heard that axle loadings on the Royal Albert bridge were a limiting factor to heavier diesel electrics in the 1960s. Maybe Cuneo's curious painting of a class 40 coming off the bridge into Saltash isn't so far fetched after all (see tria-ang catalogue 9?)! The only other recorded 40 to Cornwall is 40145 on railtour duty as far as I know.

 

....as for Route Availability SK a 40 is better than a 47 for axle loadings e.g. the Cambrian....40s could go to Aberystwyth whereas 47s could not....I'll bet that a 40 is better than a 50 too.

 

D336 reached Plymouth in the late 60s I seem to remember....will need to revisit that article too.

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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A Short History Of Class 40's in Devon

 

Surprisingly at least 15 Class 40's have appeared in Devon so far. This may not be a complete record because no one person holds all the data! Please post if there are any other 40's that you know have come our way.

 

10/62      D336                  11.30 Liverpool-Penzance

9/10 77   40081+40084     MTK railtour. Paddington - Exeter (2x25 on to Paignton)

16/10/77 40081+40083    Deltic to Devon railtour. Paddington-Newton Abbot (2x33 West)

6/5/78     40118                Cathedrals Express railtour. Cardiff-Exeter

3/12/78   40028                Parkandillack clay working

20/5/82   40126                Exeter Riverside inbound freight service

19/9/82   40025               Western Whistler railtour. Crewe-Plymouth (2x37 to Carne Point)

28/5/84   40057+40135   Devonian railtour. Preston-Paignton and Meldon

16/9/84   40079               The Devon Belle railtour. Swansea-Paignton

24/11/84 40118+40086   Devon Quarryman railtour. Paddington-Meldon

31/8/87   D200                 Desert Songster railtour. Waterloo-Exeter

30/4/94   40012               Display exhibit-Riverside Yard

22/5/04   40145               Western Whistler 2 railtour. Crewe-Plymouth

28/8/06   40145               The Whistle Pixie railtour. Ealing Broadway-Penzance

8/09/07   40145               Devonian railtour. Banbury-Kingswear

20/9/08   40145              Torbay Whistler railtour. Thame Bridge-Kingswear

27/6/09   40145              The Cornish Explorer railtour. Portsmouth Harbour-Penzance

25/5/10   40145              The East Lancs Champion railtour. Crewe- Penzance+ with D1015

 

This photo is of 40057 and 40135 passing the site of the former Hollicombe Gas Works sidings. A creative railtour as this is only a four coach train, the rest of it went to Meldon Quarry, a very popular short train!

 

post-12275-0-95106700-1438629443_thumb.jpg

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Taken from the bridge in the last photo this Ruston shunter was always stabled at the end of the headshunt. This location on the clifftop would make a superbly interesting model railway layout. Compact, dramatic, red cliff scenery, heavy industry and an industrial loco to run. One day it will appear in an exhibition surely! The Gasworks were always very smelly and discharged hot sulphurous water in a stream down Hollicombe beach. We were never allowed to play anywhere near it. A regular train of about 20 coal trucks came up from Kingswear daily? The Ruston which here is shown fresh from it's very last overhaul, fell into disuse and the train loco was used to position trucks from about the mid 1960's onwards. I remember seeing D864 Zambesi in ex works condition. It was the first loco I remember seeing in BR blue and looked stunning in the bright sunshine (1967?). The Ruston I believe was a ubiquitous off the shelf loco of the Ruston range but none could have been posted to a more bizarre location as this!     

post-12275-0-38915800-1438695701_thumb.jpg

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Railtour images of the 40s to Paignton trip

 

post-7795-0-32510900-1438703250.jpg

Not the best image but no doubting where it is or what it is.

 

 

post-7795-0-92115900-1438705542.jpg

Seen passing Torre.....Meldon Quarry to Paignton leg with the other portion of the train....31259....thanks Rivercider

 

post-7795-0-51679300-1438706536.jpg

Not every day that a Cardiff 37 rolled up in Paignton on a passenger working in 1984....37275 heads for home past Hollicombe on the 23rd of June.

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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Railtour images of the 40s to Paignton trip

 

 

 

attachicon.gifMaybe.jpg

Seen passing Torre.....Meldon Quarry to Paignton leg with the other portion of the train....sorry don't know the ID of the 31

 

Dave

Six Bells Junction records the 31 on that leg as 31259

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76769005@N00/15020998445/in/photolist-oTmxvP

 

cheers

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What a stunning shot of 37275 TG, Perfectly framed and elevated with the red cliffs behind, I guess this was the Summer Saturday dated South Wales working, In steam days this used to produce an Ebbw Junction 9F to Kingswear! The equivalent working features earlier in this thread with a 33 on the Swansea at Aller and Dawlish Warren,. Did a 37 turn up on this working on other occasions?

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