Cut and Dressed Stone Traffic in the late 50’s/early 60’s

[splodgestudios]

Hi all,

 

I’m modelling a quarry branch in the late 50’s early 60’s and while fictitious I want it to be at least somewhat prototypical.

 

I know that crushed stone found its way in 16t mineral wagons in later years. That being said I’m struggling to find information on how cut and dressed stone was transported. I’ve found some grouping and pregrouping era photos, seems they were primarily transported in 3 and 5 plank open wagons. 
 

Any information, and photographs if available is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Edited January 10, 2023 by splodgestudios

[Paul H Vigor]

56 minutes ago, splodgestudios said:

Hi all,

 

I’m modelling a quarry branch in the late 50’s early 60’s and while fictitious I want it to be at least somewhat prototypical.

 

I know that crushed stone found its way in 16t mineral wagons in later years. That being said I’m struggling to find information on how cut and dressed stone was transported. I’ve found some grouping and pregrouping era photos, seems they were primarily transported in 3 and 5 plank open wagons. 
 

Any information, and photographs if available is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

As an Industrial Archaeology student in 1995 I studied a fosilised monumental mason's yard in Wellington, Shropshire. The owner of the yard, a retired stone mason, told me how blocks of stone were brought by rail to either the LMS or GWR goods yards serving Wellington Station. The stone was then transported by road to his yard where the stone block was cut down into gravestone-size slabs using a motorised stone saw.

[splodgestudios]

3 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

As an Industrial Archaeology student in 1995 I studied a fosilised monumental mason's yard in Wellington, Shropshire. The owner of the yard, a retired stone mason, told me how blocks of stone were brought by rail to either the LMS or GWR goods yards serving Wellington Station. The stone was then transported by road to his yard where the stone block was cut down into gravestone-size slabs using a motorised stone saw.

This is greatly helpful thank you, paints a really interesting visual. Was it mentioned how the industry changed with the formation of British Railways and later BR? 

[Aire Head]

9 hours ago, splodgestudios said:

found some grouping and pregrouping era photos, seems they were primarily transported in 3 and 5 plank open wagons. 

 

This remained very much the pattern until the 1960s. Private owner wagons for stone traffic weren't pooled during the war. After the war they were added to the nationalised pool and given M360xxx prefixes. Railway company merchandise vehicles such as unfitted 13T 5 Planks wagons particularly older ones were used for stone traffic.

 

All stone produce from a quarry would be sold so large lumps of cut or dressed stone wouldn't be the only traffic and wagons loaded with finer stone/gravel would be a common site due to its usefulness in road building.

 

[Wickham Green too]

I'm not sure about the other Companies, but the LSWR/SR had purpose-built low-sided wagons for block stone from Portland - some certainly lasted into BR days.

[Paul H Vigor]

9 hours ago, splodgestudios said:

This is greatly helpful thank you, paints a really interesting visual. Was it mentioned how the industry changed with the formation of British Railways and later BR? 

No. I imagine deliveries of cut stone from quarry to customer by rail didn't change much until BR abandoned traditional pick-up/local goods handling? United Stone Firms, Forest of Dean had - and still have - a stone sawmill at Bixslade, Cannop. Blocks of rough stone were transported from Bixhead quarry to be cut into regular large blocks to suit customers requirements. I understand that, traditionally, dried FoD bracken was used to cushion and protect blocks of stone during rail transit?

https://fodstone.co.uk/about/our-story

https://aboutangiekay.blogspot.com/2018/08/bixlade-and-cannop.html

https://wildswanbooks.co.uk/Books/Severn-Wye-Railway2.htm

Edited January 11, 2023 by Paul H Vigor
to add information

[Fat Controller]

Though not dressed stone, I do remember seeing large boulders being taken by rail from Craig-y-Nos quarry to the Port Talbot ore terminal and breakwater, and later from Cauldon quarry to the Thames Barrier. A mixture of wagons was used; Plate wagons for the smaller pieces, and Bogie Bolsters for the larger ones. They weren't tied or strapped down, but the wagon deck had a layer of broken stone to reduce movement. More recently, I've seen Italian marble being imported by rail. It was carried in 20' half- height open containers, which had a semi-permanent , tent-like, roof. They were quite common in the early days of the Channel Tunnel.

[Aire Head]

10 hours ago, splodgestudios said:

This is greatly helpful thank you, paints a really interesting visual. Was it mentioned how the industry changed with the formation of British Railways and later BR? 

 

The way the railways would intereact and work with  such an industry was largely unchanged from the 19th century until the 1960s/70s

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Pictures like this might help?

Entrance to Bath Stone Quarries, Box, No.13, 1932

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/entrance-to-baths-stone-quarries-box-no13-1932--339669996871805629/

 

It says "1932", but as Aire Head said:

 

24 minutes ago, Aire Head said:

The way the railways would interact and work with such an industry was largely unchanged from the 19th century until the 1960s/70s

 

See also

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Box-Freestone-Quarry-Limestone-Mine_3120/

and

https://www.higgypop.com/urbex/box-quarry/

 

Quote

Box Quarry is by far the biggest and most complex of all the Bath Stone mines,  it is in fact the largest stone mine in the country with many miles of interconnecting passages. Stone had been quarried from Box Hill since medieval times using open pits but the extent of the stone was unknown until Isambard Kingdom Brunel came in to town

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Box Station and Box Wharf are both good prototypical locations for modelling, with sidings, stone cranes and yards. With the advantage that the various tunnels and bridges make good scenic breaks.

 

Box Wharf

 

 

Box Station

 

[wagonman]

Most of the Bath stone mines were taken over by the government at the start of the war and converted. There was, and is still, a limited amount of dimension stone produced in the area though when they stopped sending it by rail I know not – probably '50s. That rather begs the question why have you chosen the '50s/'60s when the '20s/'30s would be a much better bet?

 

 

[splodgestudios]

44 minutes ago, wagonman said:

Most of the Bath stone mines were taken over by the government at the start of the war and converted. There was, and is still, a limited amount of dimension stone produced in the area though when they stopped sending it by rail I know not – probably '50s. That rather begs the question why have you chosen the '50s/'60s when the '20s/'30s would be a much better bet?

 

 

If stone workings were my only concern I’d definitely focus on the 20’s and 30’s however I model the fictional North Western Region created by the Rev W Awdry - specifically I model the Ffarquahr Branch which has a quarry tramway. I chose the 60s for running capabilities lots of variety between steam and diesel. 
The tramway, according to Awdrys writings, was open past the 60’s

 

That said thanks all for the insight!

[wagonman]

17 hours ago, splodgestudios said:

If stone workings were my only concern I’d definitely focus on the 20’s and 30’s however I model the fictional North Western Region created by the Rev W Awdry - specifically I model the Ffarquahr Branch which has a quarry tramway. I chose the 60s for running capabilities lots of variety between steam and diesel. 
The tramway, according to Awdrys writings, was open past the 60’s

 

That said thanks all for the insight!

 

When Awry was a kid he lived near Box and would listen to the freight trains labouring up towards the tunnel. Apparently. I can vouch for the fact that he couldn't hear the trains when he was shipped off to boarding school...