Rugd1022 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Had a bit of good luck last week when I dropped onto a one off working on Thursday, namely relieving a Hope driver at Leicester and working an additional 6Z39 'Lefarge' job to Northampton Castle Yard. It's possible DBS couldn't cover it, but anyway I'm glad I took my camera with me as we don't go to Castle Yard very often...... it's also been a while since I bothered taking any photos at work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
black and decker boy Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 nice to see somewhere off the beaten track, thanks for sharing. Out of interest, how long does it take to unload? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 So long as the belt doesn't snap, between two and three hours for the thirty wagons, including shunting it in and out of the siding Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester Thumper Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 i haven't been on or near the station recently.... How is London Road looking these days? I know there was a refurbishment but i don't remember if this was to include a loco shed or depot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted April 25, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 25, 2011 only ever been in there once, and to northampton for that matter, i had to assist rescuing some wagons from the yard when i was with fastline, the day after they had those containers blow off the intermodal near cheddington i saw the self discharge train in banbury the other day in the lafarge sidings Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
YesTor Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 How is London Road looking these days? Errr, in short... Bleak. I know there was a refurbishment but i don't remember if this was to include a loco shed or depot? The loco shed/depot and stabling point were closed quite some time ago, while the sidings now become overgrown. Its all becoming more and more uninteresting with very little interesting rolling stock around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Did Lafarge take over Redland? [Edit - answered my own question via Google - yes, in 1997]. Looks like the same set of hoppers and the same colour as the Redland ones that must date back to mid-early 80s? That was going to be the "next big thing", the self-unloading train, not requiring special facilities at the destination, but were any more built like that, or is it just the originals still plying their trade? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I had overlooked scanning my collection of these, will have to do them some time. The discharge wagon is here http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/paulbartlettsrailwaywagonphotographs/e3f5803a5 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/p940627656/e30754d01 and several more in http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/selfdischargeconflat Although not being replicated it is an interesting train - and thanks for posting these photographs. When I was travelling regularly on the ECML they seemed to be out and about a lot, it would be interesting to know what annual mileage they did. They are complex, but they would make a great model, really useful for a small railway installation. Perhaps a certain company could think about these instead of duplicating the 51L PCA? Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Interesting to see my 'local' yard. i understand castle yard is going ? I wonder where they will unlaod then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Interesting to see my 'local' yard. i understand castle yard is going ? I wonder where they will unlaod then. Thanks for your replies all Rob - Word is that Castle Yard has been earmarked for a tram / bus interchange but if / when it ever happens is anyone's guess. The Bridge Street Branch is now officially closed (although some trackwork remains), so where the stone will go I'm not sure. At a guess, the work could be transferred to Banbury and moved back to Northampton by road... we shall have to see. Regarding the train itself and Paul B's comment - next time I'm in the right place I'll ask around about the mileage. As far as I'm aware, most days when it does run it has 30 hoppers plus the discharger, but occasionally it'll have 40 on which ties us in knots at Castle Yard trying to get it in and out without disturbing Rugby 'box.We often use it on the Mountsorrel - Luton Crescent Road Yard job as well, although shunting it there is a real b*ll ache at times as the neck and run round loop can only accomadate so many wagons at once. We usually end up half way through the move with the 66 sandwiched between two cuts of wagons, which is probably quite an uncommon sight these days Running round with the last set takes a fair bit of skill on the part of the Shunter as the loop is very tight, we've come mighty close to loosing 66 handrails in the past. Next time I'm on one of these jobs I'll make a point of getting some close up shots of the hoppers and the discharger One more thing - I wasn't the only one taking photos on Thursday, Kev Moore, one of our other drivers came down armed with tripod and video camera so I'll see if he's amenable to uploading them on here if anyone's interested. His efforts are usually much more professional than mine.... we aslo spotted him up a ladder by the lineside fence near Brampton Cottages, videoing us as we came by! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 There was a similar train built for use on the Continent, but Standard then ceased operations, and no subsequent trains were built for revenue-earning traffic; to an extent, the development of higher-capacity grabs and buckets for excavators, coupled with high-capacity open wagons, meant there was no real advantage for a self-unloading train. Aggregate terminals general need some sort of kit for loading lorries, so it isn't as if they have to get it in just for unloading the train. The concept was developed further to give self-loading/unloading wagons for infrastructure use, however, and such wagons are used as part of the High-Output Track Renewal Train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Woodcock Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hello This train was modelled by Soar Valley MRC on their layout Redland Sidings which was originally built for Redland. This was probaly about 20 years ago. The layout has now retired from the exhibition circuit but they may still have the wagon rake. Also as regards Northampton; until a few years ago they used to use an 08 to shunt this train as the sidings were deemed to poor to use the mainline loco as a Class 60 came to greif and spread the track. This was the last duty for the 08 by this time and a driver had to come from Rugby to do it. The 08 used to stable in the headshunt by the road. When the 08 was removed and the mainline loco had to perform the shunting the relevant track was renewed to avoid embarrassment. The working was by then a 66 turn and still is today. Nice pictures by the way Nig, I hope you are well, long time no see. Cheers George Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hello This train was modelled by Soar Valley MRC on their layout Redland Sidings which was originally built for Redland. This was probaly about 20 years ago. The layout has now retired from the exhibition circuit but they may still have the wagon rake. Also as regards Northampton; until a few years ago they used to use an 08 to shunt this train as the sidings were deemed to poor to use the mainline loco as a Class 60 came to greif and spread the track. This was the last duty for the 08 by this time and a driver had to come from Rugby to do it. The 08 used to stable in the headshunt by the road. When the 08 was removed and the mainline loco had to perform the shunting the relevant track was renewed to avoid embarrassment. The working was by then a 66 turn and still is today. Nice pictures by the way Nig, I hope you are well, long time no see. Cheers George I remember the model, as 'Redland Sidings' was next to 'Tonbridge West Yard' at Freightconnection at the NEC in 1992- at about the same time, there was an article on building the train in 'Model Rail', when it was still a supplement inside 'Rail'. Am I correct in thinking that George Ansell, of S-Kits', was one of the people involved? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hello This train was modelled by Soar Valley MRC on their layout Redland Sidings which was originally built for Redland. This was probaly about 20 years ago. The layout has now retired from the exhibition circuit but they may still have the wagon rake. Also as regards Northampton; until a few years ago they used to use an 08 to shunt this train as the sidings were deemed to poor to use the mainline loco as a Class 60 came to greif and spread the track. This was the last duty for the 08 by this time and a driver had to come from Rugby to do it. The 08 used to stable in the headshunt by the road. When the 08 was removed and the mainline loco had to perform the shunting the relevant track was renewed to avoid embarrassment. The working was by then a 66 turn and still is today. Nice pictures by the way Nig, I hope you are well, long time no see. Cheers George Morning George! Ticketyboo thanks One of the regular jobs I used to do before jumping ship from EWS to FLHH was the Northampton Shunt with the 08. IIRC it ran for almost the whole week and although 08 742 was still in the yard we shunted the train with the 60 which brought it in on a couple of those days (well, evenings actually). Occasionally the 08 would be stabled in the old parcels bay beside the station, just to keep it out of the way. I also recall at least one evening where the trai narrived with 40 hoppers plus the discharger, the final ten were left unloaded and stabled in the neck under Spencer Road Bridge and dealt with the following night. This used to happen quite often if their were problems with the belt on te wagons. Happy days Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Woodcock Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hello Couldn't give a definitive answer to that Brian but I would imagine the Sage of Lydd would know. I photographed 08742 in the headshunt in some detail once as I was going to model it. This was because I have models of several of Northamptons' shunters over the years which run on my Pensbridge layout. However I never got around to it. I think it was last 08 at Northampton a\nd it always looked good to me in its' Royal Mail livery especially as Northampton used to have so much Mail activity in the recent past. Happy days indeed Nig Cheers George Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 I did a similar thing with 08 742 George, and with it's predecessor '580 (very faded BR blue and covered in some very rude grafitti!) but alas the photos are still in the hard drive of my last but one pc! I'll wager a certain Mr Coleman, R. of this parish may have something similar lurking in his archive....? 'Back to you in the studio, Frank' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardiff Bluebird Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Thanks for your replies all Rob - Word is that Castle Yard has been earmarked for a tram / bus interchange but if / when it ever happens is anyone's guess. The Bridge Street Branch is now officially closed (although some trackwork remains), so where the stone will go I'm not sure. At a guess, the work could be transferred to Banbury and moved back to Northampton by road... we shall have to see. Regarding the train itself and Paul B's comment - next time I'm in the right place I'll ask around about the mileage. As far as I'm aware, most days when it does run it has 30 hoppers plus the discharger, but occasionally it'll have 40 on which ties us in knots at Castle Yard trying to get it in and out without disturbing Rugby 'box.We often use it on the Mountsorrel - Luton Crescent Road Yard job as well, although shunting it there is a real b*ll ache at times as the neck and run round loop can only accomadate so many wagons at once. We usually end up half way through the move with the 66 sandwiched between two cuts of wagons, which is probably quite an uncommon sight these days Running round with the last set takes a fair bit of skill on the part of the Shunter as the loop is very tight, we've come mighty close to loosing 66 handrails in the past. Next time I'm on one of these jobs I'll make a point of getting some close up shots of the hoppers and the discharger One more thing - I wasn't the only one taking photos on Thursday, Kev Moore, one of our other drivers came down armed with tripod and video camera so I'll see if he's amenable to uploading them on here if anyone's interested. His efforts are usually much more professional than mine.... we aslo spotted him up a ladder by the lineside fence near Brampton Cottages, videoing us as we came by! The switch from Platform one at Castle Station and the track right down to the former Bridge Street crossing is in place, and from the crossing right down into Brackmills. The crossing needs sorting out as does the one at Brackmills but its all still there. I have noticed that the sleepers padlocked across the branch at the mainline have been removed a few times to allow rail diggers etc to be loaded on at the access point a few 100 yards down. Bluebird. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trog Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 The long timbers on the bridge over the river Nene near where No1 box used to be are rotten. So no trains down there until that is fixed at least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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