Identification of working - Shirebrook 1979

[Richard Pike]

I have been very fortunate to have been lent a large collection of photographs to aid in research of my new layout "Shirebrook", I have come across this picture of a unusual working.

Bit of a long shot, can anyone help identify this working, dated 6th August 1979,  it is a North bound train coming from Mansfield, heading towards Worksop seen at Shirebrook Junction, looks like fine Stone or Gypsum in HTV hoppers.

 

 

 

[Fat Controller]

I'd say that was glass sand, possibly from Oakamoor or Middleton Towers to a glassworks in the area. There had been a sand quarry near Mansfield, but I don't know if that was still open. The wagons are former Iron Ore hoppers (HKV or HJV), which used to have a maximum speed of 35 mph.

[Richard Pike]

It may be a diversionary working from Middleton Towers to Yorkshire via Toton would be plausible.

 

Mansfield did indeed have a Sand quarry but I only know of a few trials using vans to take bagged Sand in the 70's took place and Mansfield Sand is a dark red colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited due to my lack of local knowledge !

[great central]

There used to be a co-op glass works in Worksop, making milk bottles. It was in the area roughly behind the wagon shops. If you look closely behind one of the sectional buildings on the approach from the Sheffield direction you should see a ramp dropping away. That was I believe the rail connection into the area, whether the glass works was rail connected I can't say for sure, but I would imagine it was.

I remember working in the glass works on a contract probably mid-late 70s, being fascinated by the process, fully automated where a continuous stream of molten glass was transformed into milk bottles!

When I first started working to Worksop on the train about 13 years ago, the glassworks may have closed (not enough call for milk bottles by then?) the yard pilot (08) was often parked on that bit of track.

Edit to clarify dates a bit

[eastwestdivide]

Agree with Fat Controller on the wagons and probable load - if not Worksop, then Shirebrook-Shireoaks-Maltby-Barnby Dun/Kirk Sandall might be a likely routing.

[RANGERS]

The Worksop glassworks closed in about 2010, I believe it was still making bottles up until closure but by that stage I'd have to assume it wasn't milk bottles. It was still receiving sand in the 1990s so this is a possibility. Close to it was a site making refactory linings which also used silica sand as feedstock. I can't say if that was delivered by rail but could have been.

[Mark Saunders]

My money is on Worksop as the destination as it was a destination for the BIS PAA sand hoppers!

 

Mark Saunders

[Guest bri.s]

There was up untill the mid 80's a sand train to beatson Clarkes glass works in Barnsley I know the redferns one came from Middleton towers too it went up to wath yard and went to the glassworks from there

Not sure of the paths it took to get upto wath yard though

 

Brian

[Guest bri.s]

Pic of the sand train at beatson Clarks glass sidings

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/blue-diesels/8596879981/in/search_QM_q_IS_Stairfoot

 

Brian

[Richard Pike]

Working Identified, as Longport (Stoke) to Worksop Glass works. It was a regular infrequent service.

 

Thanks so much to everyone who commented, amazes me the knowledge that comes through this forum.

[AberdeenBill]

Pic of the sand train at beatson Clarks glass sidings

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/blue-diesels/8596879981/in/search_QM_q_IS_Stairfoot

 

Brian

 

Great view of a 56 on vacuum braked wagons.  

 

Bill

[Guest bri.s]

Great view of a 56 on vacuum braked wagons.

 

Bill

It was a rare occasion that one I'd heard of the 56 being used but didn't see it ,norm what I saw were class 31's,37's and a pair of 08's or a pair of 20's those were rare aswell

 

Brian