wagon loads on inclines

[92000]

I studied this website a bit back and there are several other documents that do cover freight loads but not for the Filton incline. So I think Ronnie S is near but dated photographs are the best way of determining the normal load,

[RonnieS]

I found it!

[Alan Higgi]

What is a class 3 wagon? Is it 10 tons all up ie load plus tare?

[RonnieS]

Yes. One 16ton min wagon is 16t + (say)6-7 so 221/2 t so = 2  class 3s

[The Stationmaster]

The GWR loading system was not exactly simple as it depended, basically, on the type of traffic loaded to a wagon plus - in the cases of 'special' wagons the individual tare weight of the wagon.

 

Class 1 traffic was basically coal, coke and patent fuel, Class 2 traffic was 'other minerals' and Class 3 was general merchandise.  However there was a list of Class 3 traffics which were to be counted as Class 1 for load calculation purposes and some Class 2 traffic also had to be counted as Class 1 for load calculation purposes although most of these are fairly obvious things such as bricks, metal sheets, roadstone, tinplate etc.

 

To get at what the tonnages represented is not quite so easy but basically a wagon loaded with Class 1 traffic equated to a gross vehicle weight of around  8t 10cwt - 11tons,  for example a Gane with 20 ton carrying capacity plus a tare weight of 12t 10cwt thus a gross weight of 32t 10cwt was equal to 3 x wagons loaded with Class 1 traffic.

 

There was a ready reckoner for equating the various numbers of wagons thus at the low end 1 x Class 1 = 1 x Class 2, or 1 x Class 3, or 3 empties but the relationship changed as the loads increased;e.g. 10 x Class 1 = 12 x Class 2, or 15 x Class 3, or 20 empties OR 20 x Class 1 = 24 x Class 2, 30 x Class 3, or 40 empties.  But of course the number of empties changed if they were specially listed wagons so, for example if the empties were Bocars the number of empty wagons would be halved as an empty Bocar = 2 x loaded Class 1.

 

Yes, it was complicated and thank goodness it was discontinued for the far simpler tonnage system.  Incidentally a loaded 16ton min would equal 2 x Class 1 (as did a loaded Hydra C at a gross weight of 15 t 13 cwt).

[RonnieS]

The GWR loading system was not exactly simple as it depended, basically, on the type of traffic loaded to a wagon plus - in the cases of 'special' wagons the individual tare weight of the wagon.

 

Class 1 traffic was basically coal, coke and patent fuel, Class 2 traffic was 'other minerals' and Class 3 was general merchandise.  However there was a list of Class 3 traffics which were to be counted as Class 1 for load calculation purposes and some Class 2 traffic also had to be counted as Class 1 for load calculation purposes although most of these are fairly obvious things such as bricks, metal sheets, roadstone, tinplate etc.

 

To get at what the tonnages represented is not quite so easy but basically a wagon loaded with Class 1 traffic equated to a gross vehicle weight of around  8t 10cwt - 11tons,  for example a Gane with 20 ton carrying capacity plus a tare weight of 12t 10cwt thus a gross weight of 32t 10cwt was equal to 3 x wagons loaded with Class 1 traffic.

 

There was a ready reckoner for equating the various numbers of wagons thus at the low end 1 x Class 1 = 1 x Class 2, or 1 x Class 3, or 3 empties but the relationship changed as the loads increased;e.g. 10 x Class 1 = 12 x Class 2, or 15 x Class 3, or 20 empties OR 20 x Class 1 = 24 x Class 2, 30 x Class 3, or 40 empties.  But of course the number of empties changed if they were specially listed wagons so, for example if the empties were Bocars the number of empty wagons would be halved as an empty Bocar = 2 x loaded Class 1.

 

Yes, it was complicated and thank goodness it was discontinued for the far simpler tonnage system.  Incidentally a loaded 16ton min would equal 2 x Class 1 (as did a loaded Hydra C at a gross weight of 15 t 13 cwt).

 I think I have this but please correct this if not. A County could haul 48 class 3s up Filton incline so 96 empties max?

   

A County could haul 70 class 3s down Filton incline so 23 loaded 16t minerals max? 

 

This was my maths homework from 50 years ago

[The Stationmaster]

 I think I have this but please correct this if not. A County could haul 48 class 3s up Filton incline so 96 empties max?

   

A County could haul 70 class 3s down Filton incline so 23 loaded 16t minerals max? 

 

This was my maths homework from 50 years ago

48 Class 3 loaded = 64 empties (or 32 x Class 1 loaded, or 38 x Class 2 loaded)

 

70 Class 3 loaded = 46/47 Class 1 loaded = 23 x loaded 16 tonners  (however in this case the number might be different for some reason because the engine is not pulling the train but is stopping it thus the number of axles might be considered insufficient however there is no mention of this in the Sectional Appendix, there might have been in the Marshalling Instructions?). 

[RonnieS]

Thanks so much. There may have been other restrictions decending inclines on u/f jobs and the chart earlier on here is for C and Ds where as coals and empties were class E. What a minefield!