Oakhill Brewery Railway, Somerset.

[Gordon A]

Does any one have any information on the bogie wagons used to carry the beer from the brewery to the standard gauge line.

 

I am looking for information for a friend to assist in building a few models of these wagons.

 

Any pictures please?

 

Gordon A

[Nearholmer]

Article in Backtrack several years back had photos that were good enough to allow plausible drawings to be made.

 

K

[Gordon A]

Article in Backtrack several years back had photos that were good enough to allow plausible drawings to be made.

 

K

 

Thanks Nearholmer.

 

Do you know which one?

 

Does anyone have a copy they would be prepared to scan the pictures for me please?

 

I have found an article in British Railway Journal.

 

Thanks

 

Gordon A

[Nearholmer]

Actually, I'm now having doubts; I think the article was in Bylines. Will try to find it later.

 

K

[Nearholmer]

And, it seems that there is another rmweb thread, containing all the references

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/41604-binegar-interchange-shed/

[phil_sutters]

There are a number of photos of the Oakhill Brewery railway at https://www.flickr.com/photos/42009063@N08/sets/72157629831245527/

[phil_sutters]

And, it seems that there is another rmweb thread, containing all the references

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/41604-binegar-interchange-shed/

That it is quite an old thread - 2011 - and most of the links don't seem to work - for me. Although the text is of interest it doesn't help with the look of the wagons. From the photos in the set at the other end of the Flickr link above, they seem similar to some of the WW1 bogie wagons, but the underframes look different.

[Nearholmer]

Found the magazine; will make a dimensioned sketch later this evening.

 

K

[HSB]

According to 'Brewery Railways' by Ian P.Peaty (David & Charles 1985) they were 20' long by 5' 6" wide running on 2' 6" w/b bogies with 1' 3" diameter wheels. Bogies were at 14' centres. The underframes were formed from steel channels 6" x 3" x 3/8" and the sides were built of 3 pine planks with a central 4' door. Livery was light grey with black metalwork. Hope this helps.

[Nearholmer]

The dimension given by HSB match those in the article, and using them, plus the photos, I get the attached.

 

I'm not totally sure if the end is a plain circular shape, or an eliptical, in plan, but I think the latter. One of the photos appears to show it as squared, but is very heavily retouched, and the one close-up of decent quality shows a curve. The channel iron frame is definitely rolled open-side inwards, so shows a plain face on the exterior.

 

The bogies are hidden in shadows, so I've attached a zoom-in on a Bagnall catalogue picture of a contemporary sugar-cane wagon bogie, which has volute springs. Bagnall bogies of this period typically seem to have a frame made from six pieces of channel iron: two ends, two sides, two along the centre around the bearing, but the irons can be either open or plain face outwards on different ones. Super-light ones only consisted of four lengths of iron. W-irons were cut from plain sheet, and riveted to the plain face, whether that be inside or out.

 

Wheels appear to be straight-spoked. Couplings are underslung hooks, on long radius bars, pivoted some distance back along the frame, which taken together with rounded ends on the frames, suggests that the wagons were designed to go round very tight curves.

 

I'm sure a working drawing could be concocted from this sketch plus typical Bagnall detailing.

 

Hope that helps, Kevin

[Nearholmer]

Peering further at the photos, I think that the uprights holding the body to the frame are L- section, which makes sense from a rigidity point of view, probably c2.5" X 2.5", and I think there are minor differences between the detail on the various wagons, one might even have the sides made of two planks, rather than three, although of the same overall height.

 

K

[phil_sutters]

Peering further at the photos, I think that the uprights holding the body to the frame are L- section, which makes sense from a rigidity point of view, probably c2.5" X 2.5", and I think there are minor differences between the detail on the various wagons, one might even have the sides made of two planks, rather than three, although of the same overall height.

 

K

In the close-up, front view of Oakhill, in my linked photos, the two wagons do show noticeable differences. Having looked at it again, the front wagon seems to be taller as well as having less uprights, although with the tarp one can't be sure. All the other wagons seem more similar, despite minor differences. The photo which has both locos and five wagons, looks like a posed publicity shot and possibly represents the initial state, with all the wagons present matching. Maybe the alterations arose from repairs in subsequent years. Barrels are heavy and a misplaced one could do some damage.

[Gordon A]

Thanks for the information chaps.

Can any one tell me who built the wagons?

 

Gordon

[Nearholmer]

Bagnall