Siphon H Questions

[Binky]

I have an Airfix/Mainline Siphon H and have a few questions.

 

From 1923 to 1930 were Siphons only attached to GWR passenger trains and used for milk traffic or could they be seen in other parts of the country and being used for other products? (Could I justify one appearing on an LMS layout set in Yorkshire for example?)

 

Reading this forum and elsewhere it seems the popular thing to do with this model is to replace the supplied Collett bogies with American style ones. Am I right in thinking that only a small number received American style bogies and that others did have Collett bogies as supplied on the RTR model? Were they likely to have Collett bogies in the 1920s?

 

Lastly, when were they withdrawn? Did any survive long enough to see BR parcels or newspaper service?

 

Many thanks

[Miss Prism]

 

[The Johnster]

That's a picture of a Stafford Road Works 3D printed fishbelly bogie Ms P, not an American, although Stafford Road Works do produce American bogies as well. 

[Miss Prism]

Yes I know. Unfortunately, it is the only image left in that wide-ranging thread that survives the several great image loss events.

 

[corneliuslundie]

I am sure that John Lewis has answered your question in his forthcoming book from Wild Swan on GWR Siphons, now due out in May or June I understand.

 

Jonathan

Edited March 29 by corneliuslundie

[Cwmtwrch]

The original HMRS book on Siphons gives 1422-38 as built with 9ft coil spring bogies and 1439-41 with 9ft American. Changes were -

to 9ft American: 1424 8/30, 1425 10/29, 1426 no date, 1428 no date from 7ft heavy, 1430 no date, 1432 no date, 1434 5/30, 1435 10/29.

to 7ft heavy: 1422 11/29, 1428 11/29, later to 9ft American, 1432 11/29 from 9ft American, 1438 11/29

They were withdrawn between 1/56 and 11/62.

 

Bogie Siphons were later commonly used for other traffic requiring ventilation, such as fruit and flowers, and also for general parcels, but milk churn traffic was still heavy up to the early 1930s, when it started to be reduced by the change to road collection and rail transit in bulk in tanks.

Edited March 29 by Cwmtwrch

[Coach bogie]

Unlike the G the Siphon H had end doors and could be used for any traffic that required end loading. They were fitted with additional Westinghouse air brakes, to work off the system until the early 1930's.

 

As far as Yorkshire is concerned, in the 1920's there was a Sheffield to Swindon train that usually produced an LNER Atlantic through to Swindon. There are images that show a GWR Siphon H at the head of the train. Whether it work through to Sheffield is another story.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Pete Haitch]

 

The working timetables detailed below, shows 2 siphons running between Penzance/Helston and Sheffield. Elsewhere on this site there was a post stating that these carried rabbits for use  in glove making. Also, that this was a long established pre-war flow.

 

 In the “Brown vehicles in passenger trains” thread, @martinT reports;

 

“I've just acquired a Bristol Division 'Working of Coaches' book for October 28 1940 UFN, a fascinating document which provokes more questions. There are lots of references to Siphon Gs, but only a pair of references to a Siphon H. The 9.15pm Swindon to York conveyed, at its head, a Siphon H that was making a Neyland to Sheffield journey. It had arrived at Swindon on the 8.48am from Fishguard. The return journey, given as Sheffield to Swansea, was made as last vehicle (behind 2 Siphon Gs from Sheffield to Helston & Penzance) on the 10.5pm York to Bristol. It was worked forward from Temple Meads on the 9.5am departure to Swansea. The provoked questions are of course: 'why a Siphon H? What was the traffic?' “