Domestic/Household Coal - when did it end?

[QuoitsPlayer]

Hi

 

Did the supply of coal for domestic use to local coal yards end with Speedlink? I know Whitby and Sleights lost their coal yards with the end of Esk Valley freight in ?1983 but did large town size coal yards maintain a supply until the end of Speedlink?

 

I'm modelling sectorisation era to about 1994 so wondering if I can squeeze a wagon or two onto Speedlink services.

 

Many thanks 

 

Matt

[black and decker boy]

Domestic coal ran through the 1990s but not really serving small station goods yards with single wagons.

 

it was more short block workings and was HEAs with some FPA (JG Russell containers) or PFA (Cawoods/ BFL etc)

[QuoitsPlayer]

4 minutes ago, black and decker boy said:

It was more short block workings and was HEAs with some FPA (JG Russell containers) or PFA (Cawoods/ BFL etc)

 

We got our coal from BFL; ironically operating out of the old station coal yard at Pickering. 

 

I'm thinking maybe 4-6 wagons serving a small BFL coal yard or is that unrealistic?

[Paul H Vigor]

1 hour ago, QuoitsPlayer said:

Hi

 

Did the supply of coal for domestic use to local coal yards end with Speedlink? I know Whitby and Sleights lost their coal yards with the end of Esk Valley freight in ?1983 but did large town size coal yards maintain a supply until the end of Speedlink?

 

I'm modelling sectorisation era to about 1994 so wondering if I can squeeze a wagon or two onto Speedlink services.

 

Many thanks 

 

Matt

If I recall, a rail-served coalyard (Corrall's) survived at Totton (near Southampton) into the 1990s?

 

(Posted 2010) "Totton has a small set of sidings just west of the station/level crossings with 4 lines (use to be 7), this has not been used properly for around 18-20 years as the last trains in there were for the coal yard with a 56 or 37 down on a weekly bases dropping coal off, ..."

[phil-b259]

1 hour ago, QuoitsPlayer said:

Hi

 

Did the supply of coal for domestic use to local coal yards end with Speedlink? I know Whitby and Sleights lost their coal yards with the end of Esk Valley freight in ?1983 but did large town size coal yards maintain a supply until the end of Speedlink?

 

I'm modelling sectorisation era to about 1994 so wondering if I can squeeze a wagon or two onto Speedlink services.

 

Many thanks 

 

Matt

You should note that the speed link service finished in 1992 due to unsustainably high charges imposed by British Rail at the behest of HM Treasury (who seemed to be doing as much as possible to discourage Railfreight outside of block point to point trains.

 

Once speedlink shut there was simply no way of moving less than trainload quantities of wagons about - and it stayed that way to EWS tried unsuccessfully to revive it in a small way in the early 2000s.

 

As such the continued carrying of household coal by rail post 1992 was basically limited to where block trains to be operated - and as most coal yards did not warrant such block trains most of the remaining domestic coal flows (which had been declining year on year anyway as more people switched to central heating via gas or fuel oil) were lost to the roads.

[black and decker boy]

1 hour ago, QuoitsPlayer said:

 

We got our coal from BFL; ironically operating out of the old station coal yard at Pickering. 

 

I'm thinking maybe 4-6 wagons serving a small BFL coal yard or is that unrealistic?

Yes, just about but don’t think too likely after Speedlink closed in 1990 

 

chessington was served like that. It’s recently reopened as a Cappagh stone terminal 

 

some inspiration here

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2713302@N25/pool/with/53313346680

 

[Rivercider]

The traditional vacuum braked wagon load freight network was wound down and ceased in May 1984, scrap and domestic coal were among the last traffics. Thereafter remaining domestic coal depots were served by the Speedlink network with coal in HBA and HEA hoppers.

Commencing in November 1986 the domestic coal traffic was separated off from Speedlink onto the separate Speedlink Coal network, with the complete transfer by July 1987. By then there were about 37 coal concentration depots remaining. I was in WR HQ freight planning section at the time and was surprised a separate network was being set up for domestic coal traffic as many of the WR and SR depots were planned for a daily service, yet most were receiving only 5 or 6 wagons each a week!

Speedlink Coal was renamed Network Coal, and it finally closed in April 1993, (the Speedlink Network having already closed in July 1991). Thereafter the only depots regularly served were trainloads of coal to West Drayton and Preston Deepdale.

 

cheers 

[Pete the Elaner]

I remember seeing HEAs at Colchester Hythe in the early 1990s. The place was operated by Charrington's There were anywhere between 2 & 14 hoppers in the yards at both sides of the line.

I never saw any deliveries. I believe they used to arrive at Colchester overnight (possibly part of a larger block train) & then station's 08 moved them to Hythe, which is about 2 miles down the branch line.

[H2O]

9 hours ago, Rivercider said:

The traditional vacuum braked wagon load freight network was wound down and ceased in May 1984, scrap and domestic coal were among the last traffics. Thereafter remaining domestic coal depots were served by the Speedlink network with coal in HBA and HEA hoppers.

Commencing in November 1986 the domestic coal traffic was separated off from Speedlink onto the separate Speedlink Coal network, with the complete transfer by July 1987. By then there were about 37 coal concentration depots remaining. I was in WR HQ freight planning section at the time and was surprised a separate network was being set up for domestic coal traffic as many of the WR and SR depots were planned for a daily service, yet most were receiving only 5 or 6 wagons each a week!

Speedlink Coal was renamed Network Coal, and it finally closed in April 1993, (the Speedlink Network having already closed in July 1991). Thereafter the only depots regularly served were trainloads of coal to West Drayton and Preston Deepdale.

 

cheers 

Western Fuel Co(?) were operating behind what is now M Shed museum within about 1/2 mile of the city centre in Bristol up until 1990ish. Rail served via the old swing bridge, spike island from transfer sidings off the old Portishead branch IIRC. The transfer to the coal yard was done with their own shunter. 'Famously' the Peckett Henbury, run by Bristol Harbour Railway, was used for this commercial traffic when the diesel shunter was under repair.  Not 100% sure what their market was but guessing mainly for domestic use.

[Rivercider]

28 minutes ago, H2O said:

Western Fuel Co(?) were operating behind what is now M Shed museum within about 1/2 mile of the city centre in Bristol up until 1990ish. Rail served via the old swing bridge, spike island from transfer sidings off the old Portishead branch IIRC. The transfer to the coal yard was done with their own shunter. 'Famously' the Peckett Henbury, run by Bristol Harbour Railway, was used for this commercial traffic when the diesel shunter was under repair.  Not 100% sure what their market was but guessing mainly for domestic use.

Yes it was Western Fuel who had the CCD at Wapping Wharf, they also had depots at Filton, Taunton, and Exmouth Junction, and possibly elsewhere.

Western Fuel took over from BR for the operation of the Bristol Harbour line from Ashton Junction to Wapping Wharf in 1977.

 

 

Here is the former PBA No.30 Hudswell Clark shunter hauling HTVs of coal from Ashton Junction to Wapping Wharf, 11/2/80

 

 

After the vacuum braked network had been closed domestic coal for both Wapping Wharf and Filton CCD came on Speedlink services from Severn Tunnel Junction  to Stoke Gifford Yard, from there local trips were made to Ashton Junction and Filton.

Here 6B18 Severn Tunnel to Stoke Gifford Speedlink feeder service arrives at Stoke Gifford behind 47315. The loco will run round then shunt the train in Stoke Gifford Downside, The HEAs were loaded with domestic coal for Wapping Wharf and Filton, 10/7/85.

 

I believe Wapping Wharf closed first with the remaining domestic coal handled at Filton, that also ceased by around 1993.

 

cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25 by Rivercider
Spelling & additional photo,

[H2O]

6 hours ago, H2O said:

Western Fuel Co(?) were operating behind what is now M Shed museum within about 1/2 mile of the city centre in Bristol up until 1990ish. Rail served via the old swing bridge, spike island from transfer sidings off the old Portishead branch IIRC. The transfer to the coal yard was done with their own shunter. 'Famously' the Peckett Henbury, run by Bristol Harbour Railway, was used for this commercial traffic when the diesel shunter was under repair.  Not 100% sure what their market was but guessing mainly for domestic use.

From:

https://bristolharbourrailway.co.uk/tag/fuel/

Looks like rail delivery to Western Fuels' central Bristol yard stopped in spring 1987. Info and video (including film of Bath Road turntable) at above website has Henbury hauling coal commercially in 1981.

[31A]

Not a large town, but Gobowen station had a coal yard that was served until relatively recently using air braked hopper wagons; I’m not sure when it actually finished.

[mac1960]

I remember Hexham had domestic coal until quite late. Not sure how long but I remember going through there heading to Edinburgh for a New Year’s party and there was a 37 messing around with some hoppers which I assumed to be Coal and that would be late 80,s I think.

[Rivercider]

On 25/02/2024 at 16:08, 31A said:

Not a large town, but Gobowen station had a coal yard that was served until relatively recently using air braked hopper wagons; I’m not sure when it actually finished.

Good shout. I had forgotten that Gobowen, (and Shrewsbury) continued to receive coal after the Network Coal services finished.

There are some photos of coal traffic as late as 2000/02 on Flickr. 

 

This photo by John Catterson of 37896 14/2/2002.

 

And a photo of the facilities at Gobowen

 

 

Gobowoen yard photo by Minfforrdd Ken 26/2/2000

 

cheers

[Covkid]

On 27/02/2024 at 07:44, Rivercider said:

Good shout. I had forgotten that Gobowen, (and Shrewsbury) continued to receive coal after the Network Coal services finished.

There are some photos of coal traffic as late as 2000/02 on Flickr. 

 

This photo by John Catterson of 37896 14/2/2002.

 

And a photo of the facilities at Gobowen

 

 

Gobowoen yard photo by Minfforrdd Ken 26/2/2000

 

cheers

From memory domestic / industrial coal was conveyed by the Speedlink coal Network (SCN) after the carve up of Speedlink.  A pool of dedicated class 37s operated this network, 37222 and 37235 spring to mind as two of the dozen or so locos.  The bit of the network which I recall was Washwood Heath with services to Didcot and Toton, and the "branch" round via Bescot to Smallshaws depots at Shrewsbury New Bank and Gobowen.

 

Toton fed into the north whilst Didcot serve London, South Wales and Exmouth Junction. 

 

I recall a BS drivers diagram involving working a freightliner to Didcot then preping a class 37 and working 6M?? to Washwood Heath, then 6J43 Washwood Heath - Shrewbury - Gobowen, as far as Bescot. Wheen we got to Didcot we were given a class 58 to work back to Bromford then at Bromford the driver I was with didn't want to swap it for a 37 on SY shed, so a driver was sent to swap it out in the yard. Struggling to remember which one it was - maybe 37298 ?