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Polybulks at Silvertown (London) - What service was that?


bigP

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....I was discussing this image with David Ratcliffe 2-3yrs ago whilst searching for images of bromine traffic to F. W. Berk at Stratford.....his call was sugar traffic but I don't recall the follow up comments. 

 

Trip working from Temple Mills rings a bell but I'll try & dig them out again.

 

Dave

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One or two polybulks were occasional traffic on the Silvertown Tramway.  Locals always said they carried sugar from the refinery until it closed.  Motive power was anything on hand at Stratford, often an 08 but sometimes a 37 came down and once or twice a 31.  The polybulks were normally worked in a different trip to the scrap trains which also used that route and consisted of a few 16t mineral wagons.  I lived overlooking the line at Custom House for a year in 1976-7 at which time it was expected to close completely at any time south of Stratford.  Looking at the drastically rationalised layout it was hard to see any other option then.  Docklands was still just a dream.  I've no idea where the polybulks ended up but the trip working was to Temple Mills yard.

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When we visited the York sugar works in 1988 they mentioned that Polybulks had been used to import sugar from France - they also commented that they had to re-refine it!

 

I photographed a train of steel wagons on the Silvertown line in 1982. http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/bdalever/e2ae7cd5f  http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brsteelcarryingwagons/e665f8d7d

 

 

Paul

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The return empty sugar Polyps were a useful source of sugar for am couple of homebrew enthusiasts at Dover. Crack the bottom doors then give the wagon a sharp tap with the pilot, hey presto enough sugar for quite a few brews.

 

Of course there was always someone who wanted more and he decided to climb inside via the top doors to get more of the internal girders. When he was one the second wagon, just before boat time, we decided to move him on by a few well aimed lumps of ballast at the wagon side. Empty Polybulks make an excellent sounding drum, said shunter came out head ringing like a cartoon character!!

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