Tim Hale Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I am currently considering adapting the plan of the coal concentration depot at Dible's Wharf on Southampton Water. The site was both sea and rail connected - but what was the actual purpose of the depot? Was it used to store and distribute coal to domestic and larger customers? Presumably coal for the larger customers was not delivered in sacks but in tipper lorries? Unfortunately Google has plenty of images of coal concentration depot's but not a lot of explanation. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2011 The basic idea of the coal concentration depots (CCDs) was to concentrate domestic merchants and those who delivered relatively small amounts to industry in one place thus avoiding the costs of tripping wagons to local yards and of maintaining the rail connections to those yards. In many cases merchants continued to rent space in the local yards for their business premises but the coal came in in their lorry (or a factor's lorry) from the CCD instead of by train. And should anyone try to bring in landsale coal direct from pits there were fairly hefty penalty charges which effectively removed most of their profit although sometimes road delivery from landsale was permitted if it was arranged in advance and a fee paid (which effectively compensated the railway for its lost revenue). Alas I can't help with any specific information about the Southampton site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I am currently considering adapting the plan of the coal concentration depot at Dible's Wharf on Southampton Water. The site was both sea and rail connected - but what was the actual purpose of the depot? Was it used to store and distribute coal to domestic and larger customers? Presumably coal for the larger customers was not delivered in sacks but in tipper lorries? Unfortunately Google has plenty of images of coal concentration depot's but not a lot of explanation. Tim Dible's Wharf was otherwise known as 'Coralls', I believe. Apart from local customers in the wider Southampton area, I think there was also some 'export' coal traffic to the Isle of Wight. There was one interesting feature; whereas most CCDs received their coal in hopper wagons, Dible's Wharf also handled 'flat-bottomed' minerals. To do this, it used a curious end-tipper; 'normal' mineral wagons would be uncoupled, propelled on to the end tipper, and one end would be lifted so that the load could be dropped through the end door. This end-tippler was in two parts, tipping towards the centre, so that it didn't matter which way the wagons were orientated. Hopper wagons would simply have their hopper doors opened above the middle bit of the end-tipper. The coal would then have either been loaded into waiting ships or into the various 'cells' via a conveyor belt. There are some shots of operations at Southampton on the web. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hale Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 There are some shots of operations at Southampton on the web. Thank you, I have only found the photos in Corkscrew, the Peckett register- and I have Dave Marden's book. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Thank you, I have only found the photos in Corkscrew, the Peckett register- and I have Dave Marden's book. Tim Happy New Year, Tim Michael Delamar posted this link this morning, showing the end-tipper in use:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454429733/ The load looks like Anthracite 'beans'; used for domestic heating, and also for boilers in schools, hospitals and so on. This shot shows that both Corrall's own lorries and those of other merchants used the facilty:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454436545/in/photostream/ The background of this photo shows the 'coal tanker' type of lorry used for larger deliveries:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454420059/in/photostream/ , whilst this one shows a more normal tipper, probably used for delivery to other merchants' yards:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454417099/in/photostream/ Yet another gem, showing a small mobile crane with grab bucket, used for loading lorries, a third-party lorry and a 21t hopper:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/52467480@N08/6454415909/in/photostream/ Hope these views are of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Happy New Year, Tim Michael Delamar posted this link this morning, showing the end-tipper in use:- http://www.flickr.co...N08/6454429733/ Super pictures! They show the 'wings' that any previous pictures on the net haven't shown clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Super pictures! They show the 'wings' that any previous pictures on the net haven't shown clearly. I like the way that they seem to have organised the 16-tonners, such that pairs of wagons have their end doors facing one another. The whole place would make a lovely model, wouldn't it? Thanks to Michael for posting the initial link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hale Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Very many thanks, I had doubted that I would ever see the interior of Dibles. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Very many thanks, I had doubted that I would ever see the interior of Dibles. Tim There are some fascinating shots on there, aren't there? I posted direct links to about half the views; others include a view of one of the colliers, with the B4 in the foreground, partially framed by the concrete wall of one of the coal cells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 At last, the return of George Woods' pictures. Thanks for the pointer Brian (and Mike Delamar too for that matter). Useful detail of the Corrall's livery too. Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I like the way that they seem to have organised the 16-tonners, such that pairs of wagons have their end doors facing one another. The whole place would make a lovely model, wouldn't it? Thanks to Michael for posting the initial link. I doubt if the wagons were arranged in pairs as such. There are two bridges a wagon can be tipped whichever way round it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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