Bridport Branch Goods Trains

[Joseph_Pestell]

A recent thread about stations where passenger trains were gravity shunted has reawakened my interest in Maiden Newton, junction station for the Bridport Branch.

 

The branch goods train ran to Yeovil (or perhaps Westbury). In either direction, the train would stop on the down main line. The loco (57xx?) would use the up main to run round the train before setting off again by way of the crossover. What I am looking for is information about the brake van/s. Did the train have one at each end? Or did it have just the one which would need a bit of shunting to and fro?

 

I have looked on the internet generally and on RMW but not found anything yet. 

[Stoke West]

38 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

A recent thread about stations where passenger trains were gravity shunted has reawakened my interest in Maiden Newton, junction station for the Bridport Branch.

 

The branch goods train ran to Yeovil (or perhaps Westbury). In either direction, the train would stop on the down main line. The loco (57xx?) would use the up main to run round the train before setting off again by way of the crossover. What I am looking for is information about the brake van/s. Did the train have one at each end? Or did it have just the one which would need a bit of shunting to and fro?

 

I have looked on the internet generally and on RMW but not found anything yet. 

Through goods dropped off and picked up traffic at Maiden Newton the branch had its own branded brake van and branch locos shedded at Bridport a sub shed of Weymouth

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 minutes ago, Stoke West said:

Through goods dropped off and picked up traffic at Maiden Newton the branch had its own branded brake van and branch locos shedded at Bridport a sub shed of Weymouth

 

On the Down Main, there was a short lie-by siding for transferring any wagons from Bridport towards Dorchester and Weymouth. Nice and easy.

In the Up direction, the layout of the sidings does not look adequate for a Branch Goods to terminate there. 

Anyone have access to a WTT?

[DLT]

Mr. Bulwell Hall will know, he is the authority on all things Maiden Newton - Bridport.

[Siberian Snooper]

Gerry Beale is building Maiden Newton, I think he has a thread on here, he may be able to help.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

On 31/07/2023 at 11:02, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

On the Down Main, there was a short lie-by siding for transferring any wagons from Bridport towards Dorchester and Weymouth. Nice and easy.

In the Up direction, the layout of the sidings does not look adequate for a Branch Goods to terminate there. 

Anyone have access to a WTT?

The Down Refuge Siding at Maiden Newton could hold 40 wagons so not exactly short as it extended back behind most of the Down platform.  There was an extended siding on the Up side although it was not listed as a Refuge Siding but could probably hold a good 30 wagons or more if needed

 

In the post=war period (1949 STT) freights from Paddington, Bristol, Rogerstione (TO) and Severn Tunnel Jcn were booked to call at Maiden Newton in the Down direction if traffic needed to be detached or for other purposes.  In the Up direction freights for Bristol, Penarth Curve (for coal empties), Yeovil, and Bristol TM were booked to call on weekdays. Not all of these various Up & Down freights ran on every day of the week.

[Miss Prism]

IIRC, the Bridport workings were discussed in the Oxford AA1/AA3 thread.