Loading fish vans on the ScR in the 1960s and 70s

[Max Legroom]

Hi all

 

I'm looking for photos of fish vans being loaded on the ScR in the 1960s and 70s, for example at Mallaig or the Wick Fish. I'm assuming they were loaded at the platform but wondered if the actual loads were delivered from the harbour by pallet. If anyone can point me in the direction of any photos I would be most grateful.

 

Thanks

 

Max

[ardbealach]

The 1960's were the days before palleting and fork lift trucks.  Mallaig vans were loaded on the quay by hand to hand lifting into the vans by the fish porters and this was certainly not on the station platform - and the fish were contained in wooden fish boxes.  Don't forget fish have quite a pungent smell so they would be kept away from passengers.

[sulzer27jd]

Remember that the fish would not be coming from the harbour as such, but from the fish houses, where they had been gutted and cleaned, iced, then packed into sealed boxes.

 

For Aberdeen (at least), the fish boxes would arrive via lorry. The boxes would then be loaded into the waiting vans.

 

John

[D9020 Nimbus]

You might like to check out the BBC programme "The Fishing Line" in the 'Steam Days' series—this ought to be available via iPlayer. It contains quite a lot on Mallaig.

Edited March 9, 2018 by D9020 Nimbus

[Sandpiper]

At Mallaig three sidings continued beyond the station onto the pier. There was a loading platform between two of the sidings which was used for fish as well as other goods. Rail mounted steam cranes were used to move loads onto the platform ready to be loaded into wagons. Transport of fish by rail ended in the 1960s and the rail connection to the pier was severed in 1968. There was a very brief revival of fish traffic in the spring and early summer of 1987 using Interfrigo refrigerated wagons which were presumably loaded in the station. 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24041160@N02/14002076942/in/faves-87410449@N05/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/35747118874/in/faves-87410449@N05/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/36141617880/in/album-72157687544793485/

 

https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/23/11/

 

Scroll about two thirds of the way down this page and there is another photo and brief description.

 

http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/westword/oct2016.html

Edited March 8, 2018 by Sandpiper

[Max Legroom]

Thanks for your replies. Some great photos of the quay at Mallaig. I wonder how the Wick Fish was handled in the 1970s when it was just one or two vans included at the front of regular passenger trains. I'm sure I've seen a photo somewhere of fish boxes being loaded by hand on the station platform.

[Ian Kirk]

Not quite the area you are after but at St.Monans on the Fife Coast line. At one time a fishing village, there was a curved platform on the South edge of the goods yard. Fish was brought up from the harbour area by horse drawn carts and boxes were loaded by hand into the vans. These were usually added to passenger trains.  In the lines last few years of operation when DMUs were on most of the passenger trains there was one loco hauled train each way (to/ from Thornton Junction) as I don't think that the DMUs were allowed tail traffic (or not enough).  In the 1980s/90s my little factory unit was on the site of ST.Monans station and I am fairly sure that this platform  was the only remnant of the station. It might be still I have not been back for years. I think that while on that site I did produce some Fish van kits in my 4mm wagon range (which eventually became the beginnings of Parkside) 

 

best wishes,

 

Ian

Edited to add that the fish platform is still there, or it was on Google maps in 2009

Edited March 8, 2018 by Ian Kirk

[Sandpiper]

This interesting aerial view of Mallaig in 1964 shows the relationship of the pier to the station. The loading platform can be seen running along the centre of the pier with wagons on both sides. Also interesting is the shanty town of sheds, warehouses and fish processing businesses on the rocky headland to the left. The harbour is much bigger now than it was in 1964.

 

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1123613

Edited March 9, 2018 by Sandpiper

[Max Legroom]

Thanks again for all of this useful information. I'm planning a small West Highland terminus and want to include some fish traffic. I think I'll handle it at a separate freight platform but run the wagons attached to the passenger trains. This will add a bit of shunting variety and I like the idea of a cluttered fish platform. 

[JeremyC]

The BFI film 'Train Time' includes a short sequence of fish vans being loaded at Aberdeen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj_wS9jfuj4

About 7 minutes in.

Edited March 9, 2018 by JeremyC

['CHARD]

The 1960's were the days before palleting and fork lift trucks. 

 

Of fish, specifically?