Pipes and tubes (wagons)

[russ p]

Am I right in thinking that pipe wagons would be loaded with smaller pipes sometimes ceramic across the wagon and tubes longer ones longwise always metal 

Cheers 

[Mark Forrest]

As a rule, yes, but both types were (at times) used for other loads.

 

For example, cable drums in a Pipe:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brpipe/h125f319e

 

Or rod coil in a Tube:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/h3fb8fc9b

 

 

[Covkid]

4 hours ago, russ p said:

Am I right in thinking that pipe wagons would be loaded with smaller pipes sometimes ceramic across the wagon and tubes longer ones longwise always metal 

Cheers 

 

3 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

As a rule, yes, but both types were (at times) used for other loads.

 

For example, cable drums in a Pipe:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brpipe/h125f319e

Or rod coil in a Tube:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/h3fb8fc9b

 

In the very early 1980s there was an occasional flow of tubes using Tubes (STV) which had their side doors removed.  I think the wagons were loaded from Round Oak to the Weldless works at Wednesfield Road - on the stub of the Midland Railway route. Can't remember which target number it was but IIRC it was 2x20 when I saw it. I imagine the missing wagon doors allowed stacker trucks to get their tines under the tubes to offload them.      

[Fat Controller]

3 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

As a rule, yes, but both types were (at times) used for other loads.

 

For example, cable drums in a Pipe:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brpipe/h125f319e

 

Or rod coil in a Tube:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/h3fb8fc9b

 

 

Other loads in the two types:-

 Ppe :-Palletized bricks

Latrge packing cases for the Grey Funnel Liine

Tubes:- casks of beer, aluminium slabs, also large cases for the services.

I nave seen a photo of a 'Pipe attached to a Milford- Swansea passenger working;  presumably something for the MoD.

 

[Rivercider]

In the late 1970s I recall a one-off consignment of low level nuclear waste from Hinkley Point which went by rail

from Bridgwater to Sharpness loaded in pipe wagons. I think the waste was loaded in drums.

 

Also from the late 1970s and again involving Sharpness I remember a train (or two) of wood pulp loaded in tubes from Sharpness to 

Marsh Ponds in Bristol for St Annes Board Mills.

There was also a pool of tube wagons to convey new concrete sleepers from the Dow-Mac plant at Quedgeley to the Pre-Assembly Depot (PAD)  at Taunton Fairwater, and probably also to the PAD at Radyr,

 

cheers 

[russ p]

1 hour ago, Covkid said:

 

 

In the very early 1980s there was an occasional flow of tubes using Tubes (STV) which had their side doors removed.  I think the wagons were loaded from Round Oak to the Weldless works at Wednesfield Road - on the stub of the Midland Railway route. Can't remember which target number it was but IIRC it was 2x20 when I saw it. I imagine the missing wagon doors allowed stacker trucks to get their tines under the tubes to offload them.      

 

I remember working trains of CODS as some tubes became with doors removed and they were loaded with concrete sleepers

[Covkid]

45 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

In the late 1970s I recall a one-off consignment of low level nuclear waste from Hinkley Point which went by rail

from Bridgwater to Sharpness loaded in pipe wagons. I think the waste was loaded in drums.

 

Also from the late 1970s and again involving Sharpness I remember a train (or two) of wood pulp loaded in tubes from Sharpness to 

Marsh Ponds in Bristol for St Annes Board Mills.

There was also a pool of tube wagons to convey new concrete sleepers from the Dow-Mac plant at Quedgeley to the Pre-Assembly Depot (PAD)  at Taunton Fairwater, and probably also to the PAD at Radyr,

 

cheers 

 

Ahhh Quedgeley.  Remember there was a Fridays only service to Northampton which I think was 7M65, and I think it was a class 25.  As you say formed of STVs.  I assume there was a balancing empty working back to Quedgeley, as the wagons were vaccy braked. . 

[hmrspaul]

1 hour ago, Covkid said:

 

 

In the very early 1980s there was an occasional flow of tubes using Tubes (STV) which had their side doors removed.  I think the wagons were loaded from Round Oak to the Weldless works at Wednesfield Road - on the stub of the Midland Railway route. Can't remember which target number it was but IIRC it was 2x20 when I saw it. I imagine the missing wagon doors allowed stacker trucks to get their tines under the tubes to offload them.      

Doorless TUBEs at Royal Oak https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e20501f9d   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e3ca67247

 

30 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

I remember working trains of CODS as some tubes became with doors removed and they were loaded with concrete sleepers

COD https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e3392b087   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e21a5593d  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e3bbf829b    https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e2d488710   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e2befc846  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e227fe22b  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e264f4ead  https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtube/e2b257538

 

Paul

[The Johnster]

9 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Other loads in the two types:-

 Ppe :-Palletized bricks

For London Brick Company, who in the 70s had a brickworks at Calvert on the ex GCR main line, by then a long siding.  Presumably trains went all over the place from here; one of my link jobs was the daily empties from Canton sidings, which we worked to Swindon for relief.  It picked up traffic at Lawrence Hill and ran via Box, the LH pickup including a piped brake van for the propelling move on the GC.  A Hymek job until they were supplanted by 37s. 

[Trestrol]

Don't forget they were very popular with BR S&T department after withdrawn from revenue service. Really good for pallets of concrete troughing. Easily loaded with a forklift due to the full length doors on the Pipes in particular. Signal posts and heads, location cases and cable drums as well.

[SM42]

58 minutes ago, Trestrol said:

Don't forget they were very popular with BR S&T department after withdrawn from revenue service. Really good for pallets of concrete troughing. Easily loaded with a forklift due to the full length doors on the Pipes in particular. Signal posts and heads, location cases and cable drums as well.

 

And the bright blue Project Mercury  versions too.

 

Andy

[Phil Bullock]

23 hours ago, Rivercider said:

In the late 1970s I recall a one-off consignment of low level nuclear waste from Hinkley Point which went by rail

from Bridgwater to Sharpness loaded in pipe wagons. I think the waste was loaded in drums.

 

Also from the late 1970s and again involving Sharpness I remember a train (or two) of wood pulp loaded in tubes from Sharpness to 

Marsh Ponds in Bristol for St Annes Board Mills.

There was also a pool of tube wagons to convey new concrete sleepers from the Dow-Mac plant at Quedgeley to the Pre-Assembly Depot (PAD)  at Taunton Fairwater, and probably also to the PAD at Radyr,

 

cheers 

And the PAD at Newland? 

[Vanfit]

11 hours ago, Trestrol said:

Don't forget they were very popular with BR S&T department after withdrawn from revenue service. Really good for pallets of concrete troughing. Easily loaded with a forklift due to the full length doors on the Pipes in particular. Signal posts and heads, location cases and cable drums as well.

Yes, Tubes were popular with the S&T but only the drop sided version, loading/unloading SCT (Surface Concrete Troughing) from a centre door Tube was not appreciated and would inevitability result in more breakage as troughs and lids were thrown over the side of the wagon.

 

Pipe wagons (drop sided) were used but not as popular as their capacity per wagon was less.

 

 

A RTR drop sided Tube would be very welcome, there were plenty in the SATLINK fleet even when vacuum braked wagons were becoming less common. A block train from Taunton Concrete Works would be good to model. Never say never but I know Taunton were not amused if any centre door Tubes arrived for loading.

[Trestrol]

5 hours ago, Vanfit said:

 

Pipe wagons (drop sided) were used but not as popular as their capacity per wagon was less.

Sorry I have to disagree. Our yard was virtually exclusively Pipe wagons with at least 30 on site at the height of ECML electrification.  We had only about two Tube wagons in the yard. Maybe it was what was available at the time but that's the way it was.

[Wickham Green too]

6 hours ago, Vanfit said:

... Pipe wagons (drop sided) were used but not as popular as their capacity per wagon was less. ...

Understood it was the weight of the sides that made them unpopular !!?!

[Trestrol]

That shouldn't have been a factor if the door springs were good. Although we used the forklift forks after loading.

[Nearholmer]

SR power supply department used to use them for concrete troughs too, but ours were the ones with a centre door, rather than drop sides, and were hand unloaded. I spent many a night supervising such operations in the early 1980s, and have plenty of memories, good and bad, for instance a wagon that, as it was gradually emptied over multiple stops proved effectively not to have a floor - there were so many bits missing that it’s a miracle the load hadn’t tumbled down onto the track. Mind boggles at the mentality of whoever loaded it at Taunton.

[hmrspaul]

12 hours ago, Vanfit said:

Yes, Tubes were popular with the S&T but only the drop sided version, loading/unloading SCT (Surface Concrete Troughing) from a centre door Tube was not appreciated and would inevitability result in more breakage as troughs and lids were thrown over the side of the wagon.

 

Like this untidy mess! Unusual for me to take photos with workers in it but it was a lucky find unusually very close to my home. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmstube/e2a5cca05    https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmstube/e21b3c360

 

Paul

Edited March 8 by hmrspaul

[russ p]

11 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Like this untidy mess! Unusual for me to take photos with workers in it but it was a lucky find unusually very close to my home. https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmstube/e2a5cca05    https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lmstube/e21b3c360

 

Paul

 

Until very recently there was a ferry tube in Wembley yard. It may still be in there somewhere 

[Covkid]

4 hours ago, russ p said:

Until very recently there was a ferry tube in Wembley yard. It may still be in there somewhere 

 

The only time I ever saw a Ferry tube was actually a pair in the OBB yard at Steyr in Austria - in May 1981 !!!!

[hmrspaul]

5 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Until very recently there was a ferry tube in Wembley yard. It may still be in there somewhere 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brferrytube

 

Paul

[russ p]

2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brferrytube

 

Paul

 

Thanks Paul 

Interesting the tops code for the ferry version is open O rather the steel carrier S

[hmrspaul]

13 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Thanks Paul 

Interesting the tops code for the ferry version is open O rather the steel carrier S

Reflects they were an all purpose open merchandise wagon suitable for going to the Continent. 

 

Paul

[Mark Saunders]

41 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

Reflects they were an all purpose open merchandise wagon suitable for going to the Continent. 

 

Paul

In the same way refurbished SOV became ODA. However the SJA joining the steel categories was a sectorisation thing as the prototype two scrap carriers were MFA.

[russ p]

18 minutes ago, Mark Saunders said:

In the same way refurbished SOV became ODA. However the SJA joining the steel categories was a sectorisation thing as the prototype two scrap carriers were MFA.

Hi Mark

I forgot ODA was originally a pipe, are there any of those still about