How were wheelsets moved to, and within wagon repair depots/sidings during the 1970s and 80s?

[Will Crompton]

I would like to find out how wheelsets were a) transferred to wagon repair depots and sidings from works and b) once they were there how they were moved around within the site. With regard to a) I am primarily interested in what wagon types were used to move wheelsets. I've found a handful of pictures online but my knowledge of wagons is too sketchy to identify them. Here's an example:

Stoke Gifford Sidings. Picture taken by Stephan Dowle on March 12th 1974.

 

As to b) I guess there will be several answers. Some of these sites were equipped with small rail going cranes and I assume they could be used in these places. Where there was a fixed wagon hoist could forklifts be used?

Edited October 30, 2023 by Will Crompton
typo

[Stoke West]

2 hours ago, Will Crompton said:

I would like to find out how wheelsets were a) transferred to wagon repair depots and sidings from works and b) once they were there how they were moved around within the site. With regard to a) I am primarily interested in what wagon types were used to move wheelsets. I've found a handful of pictures online but my knowledge of wagons is too sketchy to identify them. Here's and example:

Stoke Gifford Sidings. Picture taken by Stephan Dowle on March 12th 1974.

 

As to b) I guess there will be several answers. Some of these sites were equipped with small rail going cranes and I assume they could be used in these places. Where there was a fixed wagon hoist could forklifts be used?

The hand crane seen to the right would be used to lift the wheel sets into and out of wagons and move around as required , wagon would be jacked up one end , wheel set rolled out moved out the way , a replacement rolled back in . The original cripple sidings here were two roads with office mess and workshop , all work on wagons being in the open , against the bank behind the hoppers in the background with no road access

[hmrspaul]

The three wagons are stand open merchandise - an LNER design steel and a couple of wooden ones. Models available in all scales, some nice some poor. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/bropenmerchandiseowvcorrugated/e1900610e   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ohb/e1387858  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/ohb/e9fdf51b 

 

MEDFIT https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmedfitsteel/e32236670  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lms3plankopen/e39e2645a

 

Nice conversion of a PIPE https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brpipe/e21dac7aa

 

PAUL

 

[Fat Controller]

I watched it being done at a couple of locations using a pair of bottle-jacks ands some heavy wooden packing. In later years, locations where this was done frequently enough received a concrete pad for the jacks to rest on. This happened at Burry Port and Llanelli.. When roller-bearings were fitted, they seemed  to arrive ready-fitted to the axles.

[Stoke West]

14 minutes ago, Stoke West said:

The hand crane seen to the right would be used to lift the wheel sets into and out of wagons and move around as required , wagon would be jacked up one end , wheel set rolled out moved out the way , a replacement rolled back in . The original cripple sidings here were two roads with office mess and workshop , all work on wagons being in the open , against the bank behind the hoppers in the background with no road access

Just to add a bit more all the materials came and went by rail there were wagons branded to work between Swindon Works and locations like this .This was just a basic facility to repair wagons so they could continue their journey with defects repaired like hot boxes , damaged buffers , drawgear , brakes and changing pads in oil axle boxes . Wagons for major repairs would be sent to main wagon shops like Barton Hill / Days road with better facilties .. The tipplers and hoppers on stone workings in the picture were on a preventitive maintenance programme and sent as complete sets to shops on a regular basis . The preventitive maintenance shed at Barton Hill is now the voyager servicing shed

[hmrspaul]

33 minutes ago, Stoke West said:

The hand crane seen to the right would be used to lift the wheel sets into and out of wagons and move around as required , wagon would be jacked up one end , wheel set rolled out moved out the way , a replacement rolled back in . The original cripple sidings here were two roads with office mess and workshop , all work on wagons being in the open , against the bank behind the hoppers in the background with no road access

A Cowans Sheldon WW2 crane, such as these - some will have been used in a similar way https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/cowanshandcrane

 

Paul

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, hmrspaul said:

A Cowans Sheldon WW2 crane, such as these - some will have been used in a similar way https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/cowanshandcrane

 

Paul

Tonbridge West Yard and Hereford both had examples for this sort of work.

[Will Crompton]

Thank you everyone for the informative answers. Thank you Paul for the links to your photographs. I am currently in the early stages of planning a layout based around a small C and W facility so this is all really helpful. One thing I am debating is whether to have a fixed wagon hoist (for example as at Skipton C and W siding) or a handcrane. It's going to be n gauge and the NGS is going to be producing some models of hand cranes in the near future which look tempting. As noted above by Fat Controller, Hereford and Tonbridge used these. Tonbridge is interesting as it also had a fixed hoist so at a push I could have both I suppose. One feature at Bristol Barton Hill I rather like are the inset tracks that were placed at right angles to the track under the hoist. I was wondering how the wheel sets were moved from the inset tracks to the hoist track.

Bristol Barton Hill wagon repair depot in the early 1980s. Picture by Robert Tarling.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Will Crompton

[Stoke West]

1 hour ago, Will Crompton said:

Thank you everyone for the informative answers. Thank you Paul for the links to your photographs. I am currently in the early stages of planning a layout based around a small C and W facility so this is all really helpful. One thing I am debating is whether to have a fixed wagon hoist (for example as at Skipton C and W siding) or a handcrane. It's going to be n gauge and the NGS is going to be producing some models of hand cranes in the near future which look tempting. As noted above by Fat Controller, Hereford and Tonbridge used these. Tonbridge is interesting as it also had a fixed hoist so at a push I could have both I suppose. One feature at Bristol Barton Hill I rather like are the inset tracks that were placed at right angles to the track under the hoist. I was wondering how the wheel sets were moved from the inset tracks to the hoist track.

Bristol Barton Hill wagon repair depot in the early 1980s. Picture by Robert Tarling

Another note Barton Hill shops in the picture up to the wall were Midland Railway shunted by the St Philips 03 pilot , beyond the wall were Days Road shops GWR the two were only physically joined by rail in May 1967 when Engine Shed sidings closed located to the right of the first brake van . The lines to the right were Midland lines to Gloucester closed end of 1969 . The wheel sets would be rolled up to the siding and an iron bar used to swing them round , i should imagine by this date there may have been a fork lift . The long open sided shed is the preventive maintenace shed . There were cripple sidings with a very compact layout at Melton Mowbray station the side away from the entrance  there are photographs of these about . 

[Will Crompton]

1 hour ago, Stoke West said:

Another note Barton Hill shops in the picture up to the wall were Midland Railway shunted by the St Philips 03 pilot , beyond the wall were Days Road shops GWR the two were only physically joined by rail in May 1967 when Engine Shed sidings closed located to the right of the first brake van . The lines to the right were Midland lines to Gloucester closed end of 1969 . The wheel sets would be rolled up to the siding and an iron bar used to swing them round , i should imagine by this date there may have been a fork lift . The long open sided shed is the preventive maintenace shed . There were cripple sidings with a very compact layout at Melton Mowbray station the side away from the entrance  there are photographs of these about . 

Many thanks for the info. Just followed up your suggestion  and found a picture of some cripples in Melton Mowbray Yard. I think I would have needed an extra shredded wheat to attempt moving those wheelsets with an iron bar!