Small oil terminals

[Downer]

Can anyone point me in the direction of some pictures of transition-era oil terminal installations - the gubbins that take the oil from the wagons to the storage tanks. ( I have the two classic books on oil tank wagons by Tourret and Coppin)

Edited April 18, 2022 by Downer

[BR traction instructor]

There is a useful close up of a terminal nr York in this book by Hendry.

 

BeRTIe

[Innerhome]

Try googling Fort William Oil terminal - this was a small two siding operation.  

 

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3073155

 

There are four pipelines - which I assume would be Diesel : Gasoil : Kerosene : Unleaded and flexible hoses to connect to the tank wagons.

I also assume there will be a small hut controlling the pumping apparatus - with the pipes leading back to the main storage tank.

 

Another small installation would be Dalston near Carlisle Cumbria. In this case the railway siding and offices are separated by a road - Barras Lane - so on the railway side there is the basic pipework installation and not much else. 

 

 

 

[KeithHC]

Also what type of wagon are you considering. This boils down to gravity emptying from the bottom of the tank to suction type that uses overhead gangways. An example of the latter type includes Rowfant in Sussex.

 

Keith

[SM42]

There was a medium sized terminal ar Bromford on the outskirts of Birmingham  ( IIRC overhead discharge) 

 

Not a large affair but not what would call small ( 5 or 6 wagons) either

 

 

Andy

[40152]

Langley Green in the West Midlands might be a good bet?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8159229694

 

Cheers

 

’152

 

[spikey]

25 minutes ago, 40152 said:

Langley Green in the West Midlands might be a good bet?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/8159229694

 

Exactly how did the contents get from rail to road tanker in that setup?

[eastwestdivide]

Whole bunch over in this thread:

 

[Downer]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

[40152]

3 hours ago, spikey said:

 

Exactly how did the contents get from rail to road tanker in that setup?

That would be an ecumenical matter....

 

I’m not remotely qualified to answer your very reasonable question but there is some mention in the comments on Geoff’s picture on Flickr of some underground goings-on in addition to the pipework topside. I’m sure there will be someone on here with the requisite knowledge to give to a proper answer, though.

 

Cheers,

 

’152

[KeithHC]

In the vein of 40152 fe*k ar** nuns………

 

Going back to my favourite oil depot Rowfant. It started off as a military storage and distribution centre. The fuels where held in various storage tanks built in heavily wooded area. The fuel was distributed by road tanker. When taken over by Shell/BP again it was from the tanks by road. I think that it was the initial supply point to Gatwick airport. During the 1960s fuel types used at Gatwick changed from high octane petrol to Jet A1. Tied into this was the change from group A tankers to group B and the ability to change from suction to gravity emptying. Rowfant closed in 1967 and the first Gatwick fuel sidings did not open until 1972.

 

Keith

[Covkid]

Esso at Bromford Bridge (adjacent to Washwood Heath yard) received fuel and bitumen in by rail and later by pipeline, but also despatched oil too. One customer was Bates & Hunt with premises at Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury - the former Colonel Stevens station and terminus of the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire light railway. In the 1970s the terminal was serviced by a class 08 shunt loco tripping from Coton Hill yard.

 

Bates & Hunt also had a very small operation at Machynlleth located on the former cattle pens just up from the steam shed.  The Bates & Hunt siding could only accommodate two rail tanks at a time so the representative was over most days asking for a shunt. This was a problem because the Down goods 7J23 from Bescot was always late and the Salop crew avoided having to work through to Aberystwyth on it. In turn this mean the engine was left coupled to the train waiting to be recrewed.  The Bates & Hunt traffic was normally kept in the Upside yard so the engine would need to be on the Salop end to draw the traffic out and propel it up the rock to the pens, and vice versa. Many is the time that if a spare DMU was on the shed and a spare driver was available the chargeman would get the shunts done with the DMU.  Tanks were mostly Esso 35T TSVs or TSFs.

 

There was also a Shell fuel terminal at Aberystwyth which was serviced by air braked Shell "black" tanks, but not sure when the terminal was opened - maybe early 1970s.     

 

 

EDIT

Really useful images on this link

Abbey Station and its Environs in Regular Use. | Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Covkid

[dibber25]

I have pictures of the depot at Staines West if they would be of any help? Here's one showing it when new with overhead discharge gantries. These were later changed to the gravity type. It was one siding that could take about a dozen tanks so you won't find much that's smaller. It was opened in 1964. First train was steam-hauled, others were diesel. CJL)

Edited April 21, 2022 by dibber25

[Dave John]

For an urban location, Partick Central in its later years long after it closed to passenger traffic. 

 

 

[moore43grm]

There is a good account of Pre War Petrol Depots by John Cockcroft in MRJ No. 60 , 1993.

The following is a very edited version that I made for my own area of interest:

[Mike Storey]

For what it's worth, this is the only picture I can find of the oil tanks at Canterbury West. There were similar at High Brooms and Galley Hill. Rail traffic was spasmodic, and took place primarily in the autumn and winter, which suggests heating oil.

 

I have no idea how the loads were transferred. I was summoned to assist in shunting the train once or twice, when on call, in the 1980's, due to some dodgy pointwork. But once the train was in position, the loco departed and the operation was left to the Cory employees.

 

[Morello Cherry]

For a small rural oil terminal what about North Camp? Nice to model with the level crossing, SER buildings, limited but interesting rolling stock for transition era and interesting operation.

 

Short video of one of the last oil trains to leave.

 

 

[KeithHC]

1 hour ago, Morello Cherry said:

For a small rural oil terminal what about North Camp? Nice to model with the level crossing, SER buildings, limited but interesting rolling stock for transition era and interesting operation.

 

Short video of one of the last oil trains to leave.

 

 

Nah that’s not a video from 1993 it’s just James Makins layout.

 

Keith

[Covkid]

On 20/04/2022 at 23:03, Covkid said:

Esso at Bromford Bridge (adjacent to Washwood Heath yard) received fuel and bitumen in by rail and later by pipeline, but also despatched oil too. One customer was Bates & Hunt with premises at Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury - the former Colonel Stevens station and terminus of the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire light railway. In the 1970s the terminal was serviced by a class 08 shunt loco tripping from Coton Hill yard.

 

Bates & Hunt also had a very small operation at Machynlleth located on the former cattle pens just up from the steam shed.  The Bates & Hunt siding could only accommodate two rail tanks at a time so the representative was over most days asking for a shunt. This was a problem because the Down goods 7J23 from Bescot was always late and the Salop crew avoided having to work through to Aberystwyth on it. In turn this mean the engine was left coupled to the train waiting to be recrewed.  The Bates & Hunt traffic was normally kept in the Upside yard so the engine would need to be on the Salop end to draw the traffic out and propel it up the rock to the pens, and vice versa. Many is the time that if a spare DMU was on the shed and a spare driver was available the chargeman would get the shunts done with the DMU.  Tanks were mostly Esso 35T TSVs or TSFs.

 

There was also a Shell fuel terminal at Aberystwyth which was serviced by air braked Shell "black" tanks, but not sure when the terminal was opened - maybe early 1970s.     

 

 

EDIT

Really useful images on this link

Abbey Station and its Environs in Regular Use. | Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust 

 

Further to the info about the Bates & Hunt facility at Machynlleth I have just discovered a really useful photo in Non-pool freight stock 1948-1968 vol1 by David Larkin. On page 58 there is a "goats eye view" of the facility taken in 1965 from the rock towering above the yard.  This shows Esso2770 a "traditional" 4 wheel tank wagon with the end framing to secure the tank in it's cradle. along with the discharge and storage equipment. 

 

HTH 

[westie7]

Hawkhead in Paisley, I can dig out various pictures

[Northmoor]

On 23/04/2022 at 18:50, Morello Cherry said:

For a small rural oil terminal what about North Camp? Nice to model with the level crossing, SER buildings, limited but interesting rolling stock for transition era and interesting operation.

 

Short video of one of the last oil trains to leave.

 

 

What a super video; particularly appropriate to me as I visited Margam area a few times during late 80s summer holidays when my Dad was working in the area (that path crossing by the West end of the Knuckle Yard is an enthusiasts' dream location) and in early 1996, I moved to within walking distance of North Camp station.  The tanks had already gone but the sidings were still in place for a few years.  A few observations:

• I think "Tony" Smith was still working the ticket office there when I last visited about five years ago.
• The shunt seemed to be done very quickly (reversing faster than I would have expected), but the crossing was closed for a significant time.  By 1996 it was by-passed by a bridge connecting to the new Blackwater Valley Road, which ended there at that time and was only extended to the A31 in 1997 or '98.  The crossing remains but hardly anyone needs to drive across it now.
• Note how the guy holding his young child and watching the trains is inside the barriers!  I'm amazed none of the railwaymen asked them to stand on the platform (and that child will be about 30 now!).
• Why did the train depart towards Guildford?  Surely going to Ripple Lane it would have been easier to reverse at Reading and join the NLL at Acton from the GWML?
• Note that the sidings are accessed via a facing connection, using a double slip.  That's not at all common.

[The Pilotman]

I asked a question about this video some time ago regarding the routing of the empties. The loco ran round at Guildford and the train then proceeded towards Woking. I can’t say why it didn’t run back via Reading; it would have simplified the shunting at North Camp somewhat. Running round a train at Reading that arrived from Wokingham and departed on the WR mainline towards London wouldn’t have been a problem. The only slight complication would have been that either the loco, whilst running round, or the whole train, would have had to run via Reading West Junction.

[Nick_Burman]

Hayle Wharves, images can be found on the web.

 

Cheers NB

[bécasse]

1 hour ago, The Pilotman said:

I asked a question about this video some time ago regarding the routing of the empties. The loco ran round at Guildford and the train then proceeded towards Woking. I can’t say why it didn’t run back via Reading; it would have simplified the shunting at North Camp somewhat. Running round a train at Reading that arrived from Wokingham and departed on the WR mainline towards London wouldn’t have been a problem. The only slight complication would have been that either the loco, whilst running round, or the whole train, would have had to run via Reading West Junction.

The Southern crew probably didn't have route knowledge for the GW main line east of Reading, whereas they probably knew the "Southern" route right through to Ripple Lane whichever way the train went through north London.

[nigb55009]

At the time it is possible that this was an out and back working for a Stratford crew. During the era of sectorisation a lot of routes were covered by new depots so as to avoid the need to involve other sectors. When I say Stratford, the depot may have closed . Train crew may have been  using Temple Mills as abase by then. I`m not sure exactley Stratford closed. IIRC Micheldever was another out and back run for  "Stratford" men.