Tablet catcher recesses on diesel locomotives

[Alex TM]

Hi everyone,

 

Just been browsing through lots of images of Scottish Region class 20, 26, and 27 diesels, many of which at one time had recesses for tablet catching equipment.  Although there are plenty of such photos for the pre-TOPS era, I didn't notice any for the later period.  Can anyone tell me when these began to be plated over, and if any locos survived to the TOPS era with them?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[Rugd1022]

A few locos did make it into the Tops era with the recesses still intact, two which immediately spring to mind are 20 029 and 25 261. The plating over probably started in the late '60s, early '70s period.

[newbryford]

Don't forget there were some Brush Type 2s (31s) with tablet catchers for the High Dyke branch.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[jonny777]

In between removing turkey meat from the carcass, and boiling up the bones for soup/stock, I have managed a brief rummage through my photo collection, and came up with this photo which purports to be Eastfield in 1978; although given there appears to be catenary in the background I would say is Polmadie. 

 

Anyway, the third 20 in the line-up (20105) has the recess. 

 

 

[david ellis]

27001 in green livery. August 22, 1974

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidhayes/5510037321/

[david ellis]

27013 (left) and 27009 (right) rest outside Eastfield shed in Nov 1974

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/suthensofty/15993465071/

[55020]

27023 still had it's recess in 1976.

 

https://flic.kr/p/9GJpjg

 

Here's a better sideview, taken a few months earlier:

 

https://flic.kr/p/e2t9Ez

Edited December 26, 2017 by 55020

[david ellis]

20105 on November 16, 1974

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/suthensofty/15375790323/

[royaloak]

27023 

Here's a better sideview, taken a few months earlier:

 

https://flic.kr/p/e2t9Ez

Were they p-ssed when they put the numbers on?

[david ellis]

20084 Westhouses MPD, 3rd June 1979  

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6928802275/

 

20126 stabled outside Eastfield MPD, 27th March 1976

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6928803457/in/photostream/

 

26037 and 26039 wait departure time at Kyle of Lochalsh with a service to Inverness, 29th August 1977

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/5796381789/

 

27010  at Eastfield

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikes_galleries/7618424518/

 

27012 at Eastfield 1976

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/deadmans_handle/36318953593/

 

20107 at Millerhill, 28th March 1976

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pics-by-john/6357181569/

[stovepipe]

I would say there was about an 8 year period after TOPS renumbering before tablet recesess disappeared completely. Some locos were withdrawn before the recesses were panelled over e.g. 25271 withdrawn in Oct 1981.

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

Thanks you so much for all that help; the links to images are particularly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[25901]

25262 had her  tablet recesess  still in June 76 and only lost them due to her having her cabs changed some time later

[Swindon 123]

31243 still had the tablet catcher recesses in 1982.

31243 [bW151-029] by Paul James, on Flickr

 

And 31247 in 1980.

31247 [A880C-007] by Paul James, on Flickr

 

Paul J.

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but did the 31s ever have tablet equipment fitted and used?  If they did, then what lines would have used them?

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

[AberdeenBill]

Hi again,

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but did the 31s ever have tablet equipment fitted and used?  If they did, then what lines would have used them?

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

 

Hi Alex,

 

A small batch of 31s (somebody will know the numbers...) had tablet equipment for iron-ore trains on the High Dyke branch.   There are pictures on Dave F's thread.  

 

Bill

[AberdeenBill]

Hi all,

 

Aside from the High Dyke branch, which lines had tablet-exchange equipment?   When did they go out of use?  

 

Thanks,

Bill

[Fenman]

... Aside from the High Dyke branch, which lines had tablet-exchange equipment?   When did they go out of use?  ...

 

The M&GN had tablet catchers until (mostly) closure in 1959. The technology was copied from the Somerset & Dorset Jt - "Whittaker's", I seem to remember. It was essential to cope with the volume of traffic on the line - freight on ordinary weekdays, rather than the more famous summer Saturday convoys. DMUs were fitted with them too; I think there was a rubber panel to deal with bits of kit banging back onto the bodywork.

 

There's a horrible story of a traction inspector riding on the M&GN on the footplate, who was killed by being impaled on a tablet catcher, caught unawares while leaning out of the cab. They do look vicious.

 

Paul

[Edwin_m]

The M&GN had tablet catchers until (mostly) closure in 1959. The technology was copied from the Somerset & Dorset Jt - "Whittaker's", I seem to remember. It was essential to cope with the volume of traffic on the line - freight on ordinary weekdays, rather than the more famous summer Saturday convoys. DMUs were fitted with them too; I think there was a rubber panel to deal with bits of kit banging back onto the bodywork.

 

There's a horrible story of a traction inspector riding on the M&GN on the footplate, who was killed by being impaled on a tablet catcher, caught unawares while leaning out of the cab. They do look vicious.

 

Paul

The Cravens 105 units had rubber panels behind the cab door, which I believe were to prevent the tablet swinging back and damaging the paintwork when caught manually [Edit: apparently not, see below], but I don't think they had tablet catchers. 

 

I recall seeing a tablet catcher in use on a Class 120 on an Aberdeen-Inverness run in summer 1979. 

Edited December 27, 2017 by Edwin_m

[SouthernBlue80s]

31245 still had tablet catcher recesses in 1986

[PM47079]

31245 still had tablet catcher recesses in 1986

That was the one that was involved in a collision with another 31 possibly 31261 at Maryland and was withdrawn with recess in place still

[Swindon 123]

 

I recall seeing a tablet catcher in use on a Class 120 on an Aberdeen-Inverness run in summer 1979. 

 

Perhaps it was this one, as shown in this photo on Flickr, and dated 1980.   https://flic.kr/p/wVwutv

 

And also to be seen in this photo but taken 12 years earlier.    https://flic.kr/p/dMz5Ug

 

And without going through all of Dave F's photos, here's a 31 with a tablet catcher on Flickr.   https://flic.kr/p/fdNz5c

 

 

Paul J.

[Clive Mortimore]

The M&GN had tablet catchers until (mostly) closure in 1959. The technology was copied from the Somerset & Dorset Jt - "Whittaker's", I seem to remember. It was essential to cope with the volume of traffic on the line - freight on ordinary weekdays, rather than the more famous summer Saturday convoys. DMUs were fitted with them too; I think there was a rubber panel to deal with bits of kit banging back onto the bodywork.

 

There's a horrible story of a traction inspector riding on the M&GN on the footplate, who was killed by being impaled on a tablet catcher, caught unawares while leaning out of the cab. They do look vicious.

 

Paul

Hi Paul

 

No DMUs were used regularly on the M&GN apart from the section to Cromer.

 

No East Anglia DMUs were fitted with tablet catchers.

 

The rubber panel was a glass panel with a rubber surround. Glass is not very good at bouncing bits back.

 

The panel was far too high for a Whittaker type apparatus, see where the tablet catcher is on a locomotive or an Inverness to Aberdeen Swindon Cross country unit. 

 

If anyone has a collection of late 1950s and early 1960s Railway Magazine or Trains Illustrated could you be kind enough to look for a short article where the use of the panel was illustrated. It was to display the stations the train was to serve between the two terminal places. It must have been a problem because they soon went out use. We had a copy at one of teh clubs I belonged to until one member decide that a way to raise funds would be sell the old magazines. I didn't get chance to photocopy it.

 

Photos of green liveried DMUs show a white panel, later painted green, or blue. I recall seeing few Cravens left in the early eighties with these panels where the paint was pealing off and the white glass was showing.

 

One last thing to think about there was the national time table and the laid back East Anglia time table. No passenger would moan if the signalman and driver stopped to have a chat when exchanging the tablets, it was part of life.

[CloggyDog]

20 028 at Ayr shed, late-1970s

20028 Ayr by Alan Monk, on Flickr

 

A rather poorly 31 245 (after it's coming together with 31261 at Maryland) on Stratford depot circa 1986

31 245 Stratford by Alan Monk, on Flickr

[jonny777]

Yes, I remember seeing a few green Cravens DMUs on Grantham - Boston services in the early 1960s with the narrow white panels and wondering what they were.

 

In my schoolboy naivety they looked like thin toilet windows, but I thought there could not be enough room for a toilet behind that space. 

 

Edited to add, it is not easy to find photos of original white panels on the internet; but here is a green painted one - 

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27045884@N05/13190592303/in/pool-1362082@N24/

Edited December 27, 2017 by jonny777