BR 16 Ton Steel Minerals - what else did they carry?

[BrendanPKaufmann]

Hello all

 

My question is regarding the ubiquitous 16 ton steel mineral, either of British railways manufacture, or its pre-Nationalisation predecessors.

 

During the 1950's, did these wagons carry bulk loads other than coal? Did they ever carry spoil, clinker from foundries and so on?

 

I'm particularly interested to know if they were ever tasked with carrying sheeted bulk loads (like wood chips, or farm manure)?

 

Did they get roped in to carry other loads, in the event there wasn't a more suitable wagon handy?

 

I could swear I've seen photos *somewhere* of a 16 tonner sheeted over, carrying something quite large under the tarpaulin...I'm pretty sure I heard mention of them being used to carry unpleasant loads like bones from an abattoir (although that may have been another steel open or hi-bar, I can't recall exactly).

 

Would be very interested to hear your thoughts!   BPK

 

[bazjones1711]

This is Tinsley Park steelworks wagon tippler , which was used to unload scrap steel , by the looks of it straight into ladles below

 

[Dunsignalling]

Sugar Beet for one thing, don't ever remember seeing a 16-tonner sheeted though, whatever the load.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[Enterprisingwestern]

Sugar Beet for one thing, don't ever remember seeing a 16-tonner sheeted though, whatever the load.

 

Plenty of pics on the 16 ton mineral thread, both sheeted and unsheeted, with coal loads and all sorts of other things, including empty.

 

Mike.

[Fat Controller]

Limestone- unsheeted

Burnt Lime- sheeted

Gypsum- sheeted (normally)

Scrap- baled and loose

Vauxhall cars in crates for export- see above.

Domestic rubbish- most notably from Ashburton Grove, now the site of the Emirates Stadium, I believe.

Round timber (pit-props)

Slag from iron and steel works (not foundries, which only produce relatively small quantities of it)

Hides and skins (sheeted, though whether this was to stop the flies inside getting out or vice-versa, I wouldn't like to say)

Fish offal (as above)

Sand (sheeted and unsheeted, depending on customer's requirements)

Doubtless there are others.

Some of the most poignant I've seen are recognisable chunks of places like Consett steelworks going for scrap.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Fat Controller

[jonny777]

I thought the Ashburton Grove Pullman was bogie wagons, not 16 tonners. 

[Fat Controller]

I thought the Ashburton Grove Pullman was bogie wagons, not 16 tonners. 

The 16-tonners replaced the old bogie sulphate wagons in later years.

[jonny777]

A few 16t coal wagons could be found in rakes of 27t iron ore wagons, at least on the Highdyke and Belvoir Junction workings to Frodingham. 

 

How long the springs survived the regular overloading, I don't know. 

[Fat Controller]

A few 16t coal wagons could be found in rakes of 27t iron ore wagons, at least on the Highdyke and Belvoir Junction workings to Frodingham. 

 

How long the springs survived the regular overloading, I don't know. 

16 tonners were not strangers to overloading; I had a summer job at BSC Landore, in the early 1970s, where one of my tasks was going through lists of wagons to find out how much scrap was being delivered. 16 tonners would regularly have 20t on.

There were a batch of LMS-built '16-tonners' , with bigger journals and heavier springs, for use on ore traffic. The bodies were identical, I believe.

[br2975]

To add a few more;

.

Pitwood and Pit Props - in South Wales, from St. Mellons and/or Wern Tarw to any number of collieries

.

Animal bones - in South Wales from Cardiff Docks to Treforest Estate, for P.Leiner and Son.

.

Steel Coil - in South Wales from Margam/Port Talbot in the 200 fitted sixteen tonners converted to Dia. 1/409 and lettered "For Pickled Coil Traffic Only" and which lasted from 1962 - approx 1966.

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Steel Coil - in South Wales, a fleet of wagons purchased by Richard Thomas & Baldwin in the mid to late 1960s, fitted with coil cradles as per Dia.1/409 above but renumbered in the RTB series. Later displaced by Coil J and Coil C conversions.

 

Bits of other, less fortunate sixteen tonners !

 

.

Brian R

[dibber25]

BMC Longbridge used them for swarf from machining. The resultant machine oil preserved the bodywork, whereas wet coal dust was corrosive and ruined the wagons. As a result, most of the preserved 'windcutter' 16tonners used for the Great Central Railway's demonstration 'coal' train, actually came from Longbridge (Rover). (CJL)

[Covkid]

There is a published image of a ballast job on the southern WCML with 16 tonners loaded with ballast. IIRC one of the locos is a green EE type 1 which probably dates it to early 1960s.

[Wickham Green]

Sugar Beet for one thing, don't ever remember seeing a 16-tonner sheeted though, whatever the load.

The M.o.S. side door variant - that went to the S.N.C.F. and came back - were built with lashing rings ..... though how often they were used for intended purpose is open to conjecture !

[The Johnster]

I have a spare on Cwmdimbath which will not fit into either the loaded or empty coal rake due to length limitations; it carries the occasional load of pitprops which I imagine to have come from Wern Tarw given Cwmdimbath's location, or limestone gravel for an imagined building project nearby, or coal, for Remploy's.  I certainly remember them carrying swarf, which made twanging noises as the wagons moved along rather like my attempts to play guitar...  

 

I do not recall sheeted ones in South Wales, but I am sure Brian or someone will be able to put me straight on this.  Most of the pit prop loads from Marshfield/St Mellons went out in 5 plankers, but Min 16s were not uncommon.  You wouldn't expect to see a whole train of them, though.

[laurenceb]

Soda ash-sheeted, ICI

[brack]

BMC Longbridge used them for swarf from machining. The resultant machine oil preserved the bodywork, whereas wet coal dust was corrosive and ruined the wagons. As a result, most of the preserved 'windcutter' 16tonners used for the Great Central Railway's demonstration 'coal' train, actually came from Longbridge (Rover). (CJL)

Somewhat ironic that the wagons carrying swarf waste were the only rust protected vehicles coming out of Longbridge in those days.

Edited May 8, 2018 by brack

[BrendanPKaufmann]

Thank you, everyone! Plenty of useful insights, much appreciated!

[JeffP]

In later years they were relegated to spoil, unsheeted.

Often with sighting holes cut in the side sheets to prevent overloading.

[The Johnster]

This was for wagons in departmental service, very late in their lives.

[89A]

In later years they were relegated to spoil, unsheeted.

Often with sighting holes cut in the side sheets to prevent overloading.

In the late 1970s they were used to carry ingot molds manufactured or repaired at Dowlais to Port Talbot or Llanwern steel works. I believe that sighting holes were cut in the sides to assist with loading or unloading the molds following an accident.

[Mark Saunders]

In the late 1970s they were used to carry ingot molds manufactured or repaired at Dowlais to Port Talbot or Llanwern steel works. I believe that sighting holes were cut in the sides to assist with loading or unloading the molds following an accident.

I understood that it was Iron Ore tipplers that were converted for ingot mould traffic!

[Fat Controller]

I understood that it was Iron Ore tipplers that were converted for ingot mould traffic!

It was, Mark; they worked out of BSC Landore foundry as well.

[stadman]

Stone pebbles for use in cosmetics.

From my local station (Whimple) in the 1960's forwarded to Portishead via Exeter Riverside.

[18B]

It’s becadue many 16tonnerz found their way onto scrap metal workings that collieries had gantries to observe wagons coming to make sure that they weren’t contaminated before they were loaded with coal

[br2975]

In the late 1970s they were used to carry ingot molds manufactured or repaired at Dowlais to Port Talbot or Llanwern steel works. I believe that sighting holes were cut in the sides to assist with loading or unloading the molds following an accident.

 

There were occasions when 16 ton minerals wagons were used in this traffic.

.

However, Dowlais traffic also used 'Hot' Pig Iron wagons for this traffic, bogie 'ARM' wagons, 'WELTROL' wagons (both bogie and four-wheeled) - all adapted as necessary.

.

But, former 'Iron Ore' tipplers were the mainstay in this traffic having heavier built underframes and suspension...........the earliest date I can trace (from a waybill in my collection) for their use was 1968.

.

Holes were cut in the side panels following an apparent serious injury to a worker who was inside a tippler during loading/unloading - there being no way of supervising unloading/loading from outside the wagon with staff on the ground.

.

It appears the 'safety' holes appeared during the mid to late 1970s.

.

Brian R