Ex-GWR Fruit Van labelled 'Fisons Basic Slag'

[cary hill]

I am looking at a Bachmann Ref 33-201 Ex-GWR 12T Fruit Van W134195 in BR brown livery, it is clearly marked "Fison Basic Slag' which has got me intrigued.

 

If I assume Bachmann have got this right, my 'general knowledge' of 'slag' is limited to believing it to be a by-product of iron/steel manufacturing processes and coal extraction which might have some useful mineral content (limestone?).

 

I know Fisons were (are) in involved in Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Fertilisers but is the 'Basic Slag' going to or coming from them and why does it need to be in a covered ex-Fruit Van (Does slag react with rainwater)?

 

Can someone "join up" the dots and clarify what might be the purpose of the traffic.

 

Thanks.

[craigwelsh]

This should help:

 

http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1950_1959/fulltext/023c10.pdf

 

Seems to come from steel works for use as a fertiliser. I assume it'll be bagged and most types of fertiliser seemed to go in vans from the variety of labels you see on them.

[Arthur]

There was some discussion on this topic in an earlier thread:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/15788-slag-reduction-sites-what-was-their-purpose/page__p__147751__hl__%2Bslag+%2Breduction__fromsearch__1#entry147751

 

The slag used for fertiliser was slag from the basic (as opposed to the acid) open hearth steel making process and is rich in phosphorous.  Slag is a general term for waste from the metal smelting industries whereas, although sometimes referred to as slag heaps, the waste from mining is called spoil.

 

Arthur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cary hill]

Thanks for the very swift and informative replies and especially the pointers to further reading. My understanding of "basic slag" and it uses is much improved.

[Pennine MC]

I am looking at a Bachmann Ref 33-201 Ex-GWR 12T Fruit Van W134195 in BR brown livery, it is clearly marked "Fison Basic Slag' which has got me intrigued.

 

 

 

Is the poster like this?

 

[Fat Controller]

The traffic in agricultural supplies- notably basic slag, fertiliser and feed of various sorts- meant large numbers of vans being retained into the early 1970s. The traffic was seasonal, and the wagons unloaded when it suited the agricultural merchants, which meant that investment in new stock was difficuly to justify. The trains I remember seeing heading for Carmarthen and its hinterland at the time included examples from all the 'Big 4', along with things like a very dirty 10t Insulated Van (who's white liverly was difficult to discern under the dirt) Within a couple of years, the greater part of such traffic had been consigned to history.

[cary hill]

Is the poster like this?

 

 

 

Not really - The poster is depicted by Bachmann in clear white capitals on a black background - it looks unrealistically "new" to my eyes as if it had just been applied to the van

[Pennine MC]

Cheers, I wont bother hunting one down then

[cary hill]

The traffic in agricultural supplies- notably basic slag, fertiliser and feed of various sorts- meant large numbers of vans being retained into the early 1970s. The traffic was seasonal, and the wagons unloaded when it suited the agricultural merchants, which meant that investment in new stock was difficuly to justify. The trains I remember seeing heading for Carmarthen and its hinterland at the time included examples from all the 'Big 4', along with things like a very dirty 10t Insulated Van (who's white liverly was difficult to discern under the dirt) Within a couple of years, the greater part of such traffic had been consigned to history.

 

Thanks - that is useful information.It sounds as if I could be justified in having two or three vans, not employed for their original as-built purposes, lurking near an agricultural supplies store in a run down goods yard until about 1974 without stretching credibility too far.

[Pennine MC]

It sounds as if I could be justified in having two or three vans, not employed for their original as-built purposes, lurking near an agricultural supplies store in a run down goods yard until about 1974 without stretching credibility too far.

 

Up to you how far you stretch it (IYTS rules apply), but 'early 70s' is open to interpretation. Study of photos shows that few vans of pre-BR design and build lasted beyond 1971.

[JoePajak]

Hi,

 

Fisons were based in Corby at the Steel Works - where thay made Fidons Basic Slag - fertiliser - happy to give more detail if helpful.

 

Kind regards,

 

Joe

 

 

 

I am looking at a Bachmann Ref 33-201 Ex-GWR 12T Fruit Van W134195 in BR brown livery, it is clearly marked "Fison Basic Slag' which has got me intrigued.

 

If I assume Bachmann have got this right, my 'general knowledge' of 'slag' is limited to believing it to be a by-product of iron/steel manufacturing processes and coal extraction which might have some useful mineral content (limestone?).

 

I know Fisons were (are) in involved in Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Fertilisers but is the 'Basic Slag' going to or coming from them and why does it need to be in a covered ex-Fruit Van (Does slag react with rainwater)?

 

Can someone "join up" the dots and clarify what might be the purpose of the traffic.

 

Thanks.

[RANGERS]

Fisons produced slag based fertilisers at other steel plants around the country, certainly in South Wales, but Corby seemed to be more notable than any others and probably longest lasting. Reputedly the most famous product of Fisons Corby plant came out of the canteen, it's the stuff of legend that BSC employees would go to great lengths to get an illicit meal for a few pence in there!

[R A Watson]

Fisons also had a production facility at Cattedown Wharves in Plymouth, where they used materials brought in by smaller "coaster" type boats, Guano (birds droppings) and seaweed being two of them.

 

There was also a trade in agricultural market sea weed at Newham Wharves at Truro, this gives a whole new thread of traffic for west country ports, the hardest part will be modelling the aroma given off by these trades.

 

Wally

[hmrspaul]

Thanks - that is useful information.It sounds as if I could be justified in having two or three vans, not employed for their original as-built purposes, lurking near an agricultural supplies store in a run down goods yard until about 1974 without stretching credibility too far.

The use of fruit vans was always seasonal, I have early BR minutes about recovering the fruit vans from general merchandise use and back to their bases, such as Evesham and Whitemoor.

 

Later BR removed the side ventilators of some BR-GWR style fruit vans.

 

Paul Bartlett