South Moredon Dairy (a Morden South Bottling Plant inspired micro)

[HillsideDepot]

Another day begins at South Moredon with the arrival of the empty stock to form the first passenger service of the day through to Swindon Town.

 

For now the dairy sidings continue their slumber.

[HillsideDepot]

Postie has just brought me the latest issue of Traction magazine which has a 7 page article (and cover photo) on London Milk Traffic, the first of a two part series. That's this evening's reading sorted!

[HillsideDepot]

With the railbus having departed the line is clear for the empty tanks, which were dropped off at Swindon Junction by the Kensington to St Erth train, to arrive. As usual a D63xx is in charge.

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by HillsideDepot

[KeithMacdonald]

Here's another picture on Flickr of the empties at Wimbledon.

 

Quote

John Turner c.06/1965 - Wimbledon, Surrey. BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4MT 80154 approaches Wimbledon with milk empties returning the Express Dairies depot at Morden - c.06/1965. The 6-wheel tank wagons would head on to Clapham Junction, usually via East Putney (rather than via Earlsfield). From there they would join other empties from the United Dairies facility at Vauxhall.

 

 

 

[HillsideDepot]

Uncoupled from the tanks the loco moves forward towards the loading shed, taking care not to pass the red "No BR Loco Past This Point" sign and then runs round the tanks.

 

 

D6326 will then drop back onto the tanks and couple to the brake van, before heading off "engine and van" [the latter happens off stage] leaving the tanks for the dairy's own shunter to deal with.

[HillsideDepot]

With the BR loco out of the way Thomas Tripp (who is more famous for a different part of his career when he was the milkman in Camberwick Green and appeared in the BBC TV series) coaxes the Ruston into life and prepares to shunt the empty tanks.

 

Initially heading the same way as the BR loco, but remaining within the private siding complex, Driver Tripp now comes back down the arrival road ready to propel the tanks into the loading shed

 

As he does so the next passenger train of the day arrives

 

and keeping a good look out, first two tanks are slowly moved in to the shed

[Rich_F]

This is a lovely layout! I'd love to replicate something like this! 

[HillsideDepot]

1 hour ago, Weeny Works said:

This is a lovely layout! I'd love to replicate something like this! 

That's very kind of you.

Feel free to copy anything, although I'd suggest going to the real Morden South as your source material (there is a fair bit on-line, but for each question a new phot answers you'll find it raises 10 more!) rather than repeating my errors and assumptions. 

I stuck to my standard 1 foot width, an extra inch would have been good, an extra 2 inches would have worked even better, but I think it works visually as it is. I've built several small layouts now inspired by real locations, and I find it a great way of designing a layout . Give it a go!

[HillsideDepot]

Continuing the story...

With the first two tanks birthed the train is split

 

and drawn back across the cross-over.

 

Then the remaining empty tanks are propelled into the other siding for loading.

 

Brakes pinned down on the tanks, the Ruston is uncoupled and waits for its next task.

[Karhedron]

On 03/10/2022 at 22:29, KeithMacdonald said:

Here's another picture on Flickr of the empties at Wimbledon.

 

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, that looks like an ex-GWR brake vehicle at the rear. This working seemed to produce a variety of brake vehicles including ex-LMS Stove-Rs and BR standard fitted brake vans. I wonder if the brake vehicles indicates these empties are destined for dairies on WR metals?

[HillsideDepot]

After a short break the Ruston is back in action and over on the coal siding. First the spare tank is drawn out. 

 

The tank is left in the middle siding and the Ruston returns to the coal siding.

 

This time it draws out both coal wagons, one empty, one still loaded.

 

The empty is left in the middle siding, while the loaded one is moved back onto the coal siding for unloading later.

 

With BR's local trip arriving the Ruston stands aside in the coal siding. The the D95xx uncouples from its brake van, before running round.

[ModRXsouth]

Adrian - More great photos keeping us entertained! Would a wandering Class 128 diesel parcels unit be an idea to enhance workings into the platform? Christmas is coming…!!

 

Karhedron - “Interestingly, that looks like an ex-GWR brake vehicle at the rear.”
Any speculation on the precise type of ex-GWR brake? The photo links through to Flickr where the notes say “c6/1965.”

[Karhedron]

On 08/12/2022 at 16:00, ModRXsouth said:

Karhedron - “Interestingly, that looks like an ex-GWR brake vehicle at the rear.”
Any speculation on the precise type of ex-GWR brake? The photo links through to Flickr where the notes say “c6/1965.”

 

 

Good question. It is not the best shot but I can make a few educated guesses. It looks like a Collett vehicle based on the roof shape, probably a K40, K41 or K42. Sadly it is partly obscured by the vehicles in the siding but if I had to guess, I would say it is probably a K42. The K42s were built to a slightly narrower loading gauge than the K40s or K41s. This made them popular on inter-regional workings where the more generous GWR loading gauge could not be guaarnteed.

[HillsideDepot]

I'd forgotten I was part way through "a day in the life", so apologies for leaving things hanging. 

 

Uncoupled from the brake van the D9500 runs forward

 

before running round

 

and propelling the brake van 

 

On 08/12/2022 at 16:00, ModRXsouth said:

Adrian - More great photos keeping us entertained! Would a wandering Class 128 diesel parcels unit be an idea to enhance workings into the platform? Christmas is coming…!!

 

I do have a class 128 parcels unit, but in later era blue. It might get a run out at some point, but probably more likely to be on a test run from Swindon Works after overhaul than on the milk. 

[Karhedron]

Class 122 bubble cars could be seen hauling milk tanks from Saltash to Plymouth and occasionally from Torrington. I think they were limited to a maximum of 2 loaded tanks.

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

On 23/02/2023 at 22:34, Karhedron said:

Class 122 bubble cars could be seen hauling milk tanks from Saltash to Plymouth and occasionally from Torrington. I think they were limited to a maximum of 2 loaded tanks.

IIRC theres a pic of such a beast in one of the first editions of 'Traction' magazine!!

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[HillsideDepot]

Well, what'd you know - long forgotten photos, found in a dusty drawer after Swindon Works closed, show a freshly overhauled parcels car, first on test at South Moredon, and then after a request from the dairy to move some tanks, engaged in some shunting.

 

 

Believe that and you'll believe anything!

[HillsideDepot]

We left the "action" (such that it is in these parts) with the D95xx part way through its shunt to collect the empty coal wagon.

 

So, with the brake van stabled on No.1 siding the loco runs cross the crossover and sets back onto the mineral wagon left there by the Ruston. 

 

Another quick shunt and the train is made up

 

and on its way