SR Milk Tanks Billingshurst

[Nearholmer]

Another milk tank flow to investigate/discuss.

 

I came across this photo of a depot at Billingshurst:

 

 

The location appears to have been at the London end of the station goods yard, on the Up side, although this map seems to show an additional, open fronted, building to the left of the one in the photo.

 

 

Have I identified the location correctly? Any clues as to where the tanks went from here?

The photo comes from an Express Dairies history booklet, and the caption says that the depot was opened in the late 1920s and was their first “country creamery”, so presumably one of the first places where rail tank transport to London replaced ‘churns all the way’.

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Graham_Muz]

The tanks were possibly sent to South Morden or Kensington?

[Nearholmer]

From what I can work out, South Morden opened in 1955, so more likely Kensington, I guess, although  their major plant in London was Cricklewood, so maybe there.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Wickham Green too]

Assuming that is, indeed, 'late 1920s' they're nor S.R. wagons as the first 6wh chassis were built in 1932 ...... and they don't appeear to be 4400 series numbers.

[Graham_Muz]

40 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

From what I can work out, South Morden opened in 1955, so more likely Kensington, I guess, although  their major plant in London was Cricklewood, so maybe there.

 

 

 

I hadn't picked up on the Morden opening date, Kensington was certainly a destination for milk from the GWR and SR whilst Cricklewood was primarily LMS.

[Nearholmer]

43 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Assuming that is, indeed, 'late 1920s

Hard to tell isn’t it? The caption doesn’t explicitly say that the photo was taken that early, and I thought the 6W tankers on all railways dated a bit later than that.

 

Without WTT information, it’s a bit of a guessing game with destinations too, because the number of termini grew over time. I know that Cricklewood was an early one, Express’s first I think,  but Kensington I’ve no idea about.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Wickham Green too]

Certainly prior to electrification in 1938.

[Nearholmer]

Another picture, after the yard has been ‘rationalised’. Looks as if the building has been extended, as shown on the map, and is being used for road, rather than rail, transport.

 

[John M Upton]

14 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Another picture, after the yard has been ‘rationalised’. Looks as if the building has been extended, as shown on the map, and is being used for road, rather than rail, transport.

 

 

That makes it easy, London end on the up side, the building is under a car park and a block of flats now.  Both platforms have been doubled in length extending northwards.  The track bed of the line curving off to the right could still just about be made out until relatively recently.

[SED Freightman]

21 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Assuming that is, indeed, 'late 1920s' they're nor S.R. wagons as the first 6wh chassis were built in 1932 ...... and they don't appeear to be 4400 series numbers.

The wagon ends have what are presumably Express Dairies fleet numbers 5 & 6. Interesting that the tank ends appear to be clamped or bolted to the barrels, could the tank be lifted off the frames and the ends be removed for maintenance ?

[Nearholmer]

I think they are the early type of tank, so called “glass lined”, made from vitreous enamelled steel sheet, which was presumably difficult to join without creating places where corrosion would set in, and I think the flanged ends were to do with making them from plates of limited sizes while creating a ‘clean’ joint. As time went by, VE panels in larger and larger sizes, then I think entire tanks, could be got into the enamelling ovens.

 

Do we have an expert on early milk tank wagons in the house? I suspect, but don’t know for sure, that they are LMS frames, which might fit with a fleet based at Cricklewood.

 

Heres a really good photo of a similar GWR one that allows a better idea of the tank end.

https://www.licensestorehouse.com/steam-museum-of-the-gwr/carriages-wagons/milk-transportation-milk-tanks/3000-gallon-glass-lined-milk-tank-no-2022-9116797.html

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Wickham Green too]

I think what appear to be flanged ends are the 'inlets' to a thin canopy over the top of the tank, flared out to capture cooling airflow when in motion ...... this idea doesn't seem to have lasted very long.

[Nearholmer]

Ah, might be, yes, like the double roof on a carriage “for the colonies”.

 

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Andy Kirkham]

6 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

 

Heres a really good photo of a similar GWR one that allows a better idea of the tank end.

https://www.licensestorehouse.com/steam-museum-of-the-gwr/carriages-wagons/milk-transportation-milk-tanks/3000-gallon-glass-lined-milk-tank-no-2022-9116797.html

 

 

Blimey! The Editor's Comments are enthusiastic  and no mistake: "This extraordinary milk tank represents an era when craftsmanship and innovation were at their peak. Its sturdy construction and elegant design showcase the expertise and attention to detail that went into its creation. The glass lining adds a touch of sophistication...."

[Wickham Green too]

Phew !

[Nearholmer]

Arts graduate.

[Andy Kirkham]

Here's an image which almost deserves its florid description:

 

https://www.licensestorehouse.com/steam-museum-of-the-gwr/locomotives/steam-standard-gauge-king-class-locomotives/king-george-v-plymouth-c1930s-20358651.html

[Andy Kirkham]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I felt it was worth sharing these pictures of royal occasions. It's interesting to see how routine it was to erect "Potempkin stations" at every stop on a royal visit, and how the Royal train was used to reach quite minor places such as Grampound Road, Henwick and Treharris

 

https://www.licensestorehouse.com/steam-museum-of-the-gwr/royalty-royal-trains/

[Wickham Green too]

I think you hijacked the hijack there ! 😮

[hmrspaul]

13 hours ago, SED Freightman said:

The wagon ends have what are presumably Express Dairies fleet numbers 5 & 6. Interesting that the tank ends appear to be clamped or bolted to the barrels, could the tank be lifted off the frames and the ends be removed for maintenance ?

That is exactly how they were maintained, because the barrels were privately owned. As I've said recently it is why there were a few tanks in the freight yard at Staines Central - unfortunately the photos of the frames without a barrel have been lost. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmilktanks/e2e1a997b

Paul

 

[Karhedron]

Billingshurst was indeed the first country creamery that Express constructed. The only creamery they owned prior to that was Faringdon which had been built independently and then taken over. Milk tanks from Billingshurst initially ran to Cricklewood and later some traffic ran to the Bollo Lane creamery at South Acton. Tanks ran behind the Portsmouth - Victoria train as far as East Croydon. Here they were consolidated with other tanks and worked via the West London Line. Kensington Olympia was mainly a marshalling point with tanks being tripped from here to the bottling plants.

 

The tanks in that photo are LMS examples, part of the first batch of 6-wheelers built in 1931 to diagram 1994.

 

On 29/07/2023 at 10:28, Wickham Green too said:

I think what appear to be flanged ends are the 'inlets' to a thin canopy over the top of the tank, flared out to capture cooling airflow when in motion ...... this idea doesn't seem to have lasted very long.

 

Yes, it was a sort of sunshade. As you say, they fell out of fashion which probably gives you an idea of how effective they were.

[Karhedron]

On 28/07/2023 at 11:57, Nearholmer said:

Another picture, after the yard has been ‘rationalised’. Looks as if the building has been extended, as shown on the map, and is being used for road, rather than rail, transport.

 

 

What is happening here is that churns are being collected from the surrounding area by lorry and delivered to the dairy. Here it is chilled and piped into the tanks for dispatch to London. You can see Billingshurst in operation here.

 

https://www.yfanefa.com/record/24288

[Nearholmer]

Yes, I get that, what I meant was that the trip to London had moved to road transport.

 

I’m guessing that, like Horam, this would have been an early move to road, because north of Horsham the road was pretty good I think just pre-war onwards. South of Horsham it isn’t great even today!

 

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Karhedron]

I am not sure about that. Both the lorries visible in the photo are flatbeds loaded with churns which implies local collection to me. If the milk was going to London by road, I would have expected to see tanker lorries. I would be surprised if Express stopped using rail tankers to take the milk to London and moved it in churns by road instead.

 

Then again, stranger things have happened. A look through the working timetables would probably be necessary to work out when Billingshurst ceased sending milk by rail.

[Nearholmer]

6 hours ago, Karhedron said:

I would have expected to see tanker lorries.

Well, yes, when they were there, but the milk still had to come in from the farms by churn lorry even if it was going to London by road.

 

After electrification of the line, it would have been an expensive traffic, requiring a dedicated train, unless the tanks were hung on the back of an EMU, which I doubt.

 

PS: a 1938 article in Railway Magazine, published to describe the new electrification, says that steam remained in use on goods, parcels and fruit trains, the latter two of which could have encompassed milk.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Nearholmer