Freight on the S&D BR era

[dube]

The western region diverted a lot of freight from 1958 but having gone through some books, all the freight trains just seem to consist of a few opens, vans and mineral wagons, before and after 1958 ! were there any other types of freight before 58, ore, fuel, steel, cattle ?

[barrymx5]

The western region diverted a lot of freight from 1958 but having gone through some books, all the freight trains just seem to consist of a few opens, vans and mineral wagons, before and after 1958 ! were there any other types of freight before 58, ore, fuel, steel, cattle ?

The Mendips were of course important for minerals and coal so both would have been carried in quantity. Plus pit props, tar and mechanical equipment. But of course both Somerset and Dorset are primarily agricultural areas so all the inputs and outputs of the agricultural industry would have been carried eg tractors, fuel, oilseed, livestock, milk, cider - the list is a long one.

I model the S&D but do not take it too seriously and have the occasional “special “ which contains Trains that might have been. You may recognise Wagons from Burnham MRC etc.

[Phil Bullock]

This thread which has started today will help you for sure!

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/141742-some-sd-photos-by-ron-toop/

 

Phil

[Rivercider]

I don't have many books with S&D content, but thought that there was significant freight traffic, including minerals and coal as mentioned by Barry above.

 

The first book I picked up was The Somerset and Dorset, an English Cross Country Railway, by Ivo Peters.

Nearly all the freight photos consist of 20 to 30 wagons, many trains being banked.

 

It occurs to me that many of the photos were taken on summer Saturdays, when passenger traffic was heavier, but with less freight trains about

which might give a false impression of the route,

 

cheers

Edited January 27, 2019 by Rivercider

[johnofwessex]

Apart from Coal, both from the Somerset Coalfield, the North & via Highbridge, Fullers Earth from Midford & Wellow, Docks at Highbridge (Maritime Activities of the S&D) & Bridgewater, Peat from the branch, buildings from Pratten at Midsomer Norton..............

[Andy Kirkham]

This thread which has started today will help you for sure!

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/141742-some-sd-photos-by-ron-toop/

 

Phil

What someone pointed out on that thread (and which is very apparent in the photos) is that, although the S&D served the Somerset coalfield, it evidently carried plenty of coal from outside the region.

 

One particular traffic I recall reading about that originated on the S&D was calves loaded at Binegar. This came fairly late to the line as it was originally dealt with at one of the stations on the Bristol-Radstock line (Clutton? Hallatrow?) but was transferred to the S&D in the late 50s.

[RailWest]

Milk was a key traffic from places such as Bason Bridge, Wincanton and Bailey Gate.

[geoffers]

Watercress and for a time sugar beet from Bailey Gate. Horse traffic to Wincanton races perhaps? The livestock market at Sturminster Newton.

[ba14eagle]

Beer from Burton on Trent.

Do pigeons class as freight? lots of pigeon specials

[bécasse]

I seem to recollect that pigeon traffic was passenger rated, so they arrived in "parcels" trains.

[dube]

Thanks for the info looked through some more books and apart from the usual opens, vans and minerals found a single 14 ton tank wagon, a plate wagon and a rake of milk tanks with a van might be a stove R

[phil_sutters]

On 1/27/2019 at 9:48 PM, johnofwessex said:

Apart from Coal, both from the Somerset Coalfield, the North & via Highbridge, Fullers Earth from Midford & Wellow, Docks at Highbridge (Maritime Activities of the S&D) & Bridgewater, Peat from the branch, buildings from Pratten at Midsomer Norton..............

Highbridge Wharf rapidly ceased to operate as a port after WW2 and closed in 1949. It still functioned as the S&D line goods yard and as a store for withdrawn stock into the 1960s, so there was very little goods traffic originating from there in your period. I only have one photo by Dad of a goods train anywhere on the Somerset Central and that is this one from 1962. If you want a van for your milk tankers from Bason Bridge Zephyr can deliver one for you! 25.2.1966.

 

Edited February 2, 2019 by phil_sutters

[phil_sutters]

Another source of photos of goods trains, on the Somerset Central, is the Newman family, who had a farm close to the railway. They have a website http://www.newman-family-tree.net/s&d/index.html   This has several photos of goods trains, including one of 50 wagons. I wonder if they were redundant ones that had been stored at the Wharf.