Gunpowder vans

[mike morley]

As all the narrow gauge railways of North and Mid Wales served quarries, and was indeed the entire raison d'etre for many of them, it surprises me that only the Talyllyn and the Ffestiniog appear to have had gunpowder vans.  Were there others, unknown to JIC Boyd and Google?  If not does anyone have an explanation as to why?

 

I'd like a gunpowder van for my layout but fancy something different to the ubiquitous Talyllyn and Ffestiniog versions.  I also like the look of the ex-RNAD armaments vans, but they are far too late for my era.

Edited September 6, 2023 by mike morley

[melmoth]

The quarry served by the Welshpool & Llanfair was close enough to the mainline station that transshipment by road was probably quicker and cheaper. The line was mainly built to serve the agricultural areas around Llanfair.

 

Lead mining in the Rheidol Valley was virtually dead on it's feet by the time the VOR opened, and all freight operation on the line was discontinued around 1930 anyway.

 

The Welsh Highland was promoted as a tourist railway, and towards the end of its existence would presumably have had access to the Festiniog's stock.

 

Not sure about the Corris, the Padarn, or the Plynlimon and Hafan.

 

Pedant alert. Neither the Snowdon Mountain Railway or the Fairbourne served quarries 🙂

 

 

 

 

[mike morley]

53 minutes ago, melmoth said:

The Welsh Highland was promoted as a tourist railway, and towards the end of its existence would presumably have had access to the Festiniog's stock.

But in it's earlier guise of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway it quite definitely served several quarries.

 

53 minutes ago, melmoth said:

Not sure about the Corris, the Padarn, or the Plynlimon and Hafan.

To which I would add the Dinorwic and Penrhyn Railways and the numerous quarries in the Vale of Nantlle. 

Good point re Snowdon Mountain and Fairbourne Railways.  Even if there had been quarries on Snowdon I'm not sure gunpowder vans would have been permitted; a steep incline, explosives and passengers not being a happy combination!

Edited September 6, 2023 by mike morley

[Fat Controller]

2 hours ago, mike morley said:

As all the narrow gauge railways of North and Mid Wales served quarries, and was indeed the entire raison d'etre for many of them, it surprises me that only the Talyllyn and the Ffestiniog appear to have had gunpowder vans.  Were there others, unknown to JIC Boyd and Google?  If not does anyone have an explanation as to why?

 

I'd like a gunpowder van for my layout but fancy something different to the ubiquitous Talyllyn and Ffestiniog versions.  I also like the look of the ex-RNAD armaments vans, but they are far too late for my era.

ICI used a narrow-gauge system to link their plant at Gatshurst to the main-line; it lasted into the 1970s, at least.

[asmay2002]

Did the other lines use a portable magazine/strong box carried as a load?

 

[mike morley]

Since first asking the question I've discovered the Glyn Valley did indeed have a metal box in the guards van for conveying gunpowder.  As the GVT actually served a gunpowder factory I'd have expected the sheer volume of outgoing explosives would have made their need for a dedicated gunpowder van even greater.