RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 10, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi all There's a cracking photo of a 40 on milk tanks on the MIAC site - scroll down on http://www.miac.org.uk/class40.htm But what working was this? Was late in the day for milk workings - and why Swindon? Heres hoping Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 838rapid Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I wonder were they going for breaking up?? Possibility as you say its late in the day for them to be working as such Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 10, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2012 Thanks chaps - have already had that suggested and cant be dismissed - but look at the springs - very straight - so ? laden And also ran on more than one occasion - anyone got a wtt for this period please? Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 838rapid Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 My only other thoughts are to do with the St Ivel youghart factory at Wootten Bassett,was the milk roaded from Swindon to there. There used to be a lead from just before W.B Junction,Had this been removed at this time?? i lived in Swindon then but would have been 7 so aint got the knowledge of that time.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 10, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2012 Plus of course there was a complete trainload of refurbished (or at least partially refurbished and cleaned) milk tanks kept in reserve at Swindon for several years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Not sure how relevant this is but I have recently seen a photogeaph of a class 85 on some milk tanks. Wonder if this was a electrically hauled so far ? Unfortunately, can't recall the origin of the photo. On the more general issue of class 40s on milk trains - certainly the period from 1966 to at least 1969 saw EE type 4s working these trains, although I recognise this doesn't directly appertain to the OP Here is a snapshot week of work for a Bescot secondman in December 1967 D1693 D204 3V36 Wolves-Banbury, 5M63 Banbury-BS loco to TMD D844 D1686 3V36 Wolves-Banbury, 5M63 Banbury-BS D1717 D1721 3V36 Wolves-Banbury, 5M63 Banbury-BS D839 D233 3V36 Wolves-Banbury, 5M63 Banbury-BS D309 D383 3V36 Wolves-Banbury, 1M60 Banbury-Leamington, L/D BS 3V36 was the Shewsbury-Kensington milk loads which ran via Wolverhampton High Level, New St, attached at Exchange sidings, then attached at Coventry, before running back onto the "traditional" route at Leamington. also don't forget that 5M63 was a freight back then rather than an ECS !!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 10, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2012 There was a regular Carlisle - Swindon milk train in the mid/late 1970s which used to run via Tyseley. I remember that during the 1976 heatwave we nicknamed it 'The Yogurt', as the contents would probably have gone off before reaching its destination. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Wonder if it was anything to do with Appleby Dairy on the S&C? Appleby>Kingmoor>Swindon perhaps? Phils original thread here; http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53787-appleby-milk-depot/&do=findComment&comment=643059 Porcy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hope the OP doesn't mind me posting this picture taken at Warrington in the mid seventies. Looks like the milk tanks from Carlisle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2012 Thanks chaps - have already had that suggested and cant be dismissed - but look at the springs - very straight - so ? laden And also ran on more than one occasion - anyone got a wtt for this period please? Phil IIRC the one which ran via Tyseley was not in the WTT. It usually came out as an STN on a separate sheet showing the weekly programme. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I do remember being a secondman on the Swindon-Carlisle milk as it had a 25 on it and the Didcot crew did not sign these but we still went on it so giving me my first job in a 25. I suspect it was a midland crew working through as they did by putting these exotic locos on trains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymozza Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hi, been up the loft for a look at WTT,s .Found 6V34(1977/78)6v29(1979) 0705 Carlisle- Swindon Milk EMPTIES, routed via Stourbridge Jct. pass 1445. Nothing before 1977. No sign of loaded northbound service though! cheers Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 12, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12, 2012 Cheers Andy! Wonder if that means the loadeds went south via Tyesley as above. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12, 2012 Hi, been up the loft for a look at WTT,s .Found 6V34(1977/78)6v29(1979) 0705 Carlisle- Swindon Milk EMPTIES, routed via Stourbridge Jct. pass 1445. Nothing before 1977. No sign of loaded northbound service though! cheers Andy. Is there any northbound service at all Andy? I still wonder if this was anything to do with taking the Miltas to Swindon for assessment and forming into the reserve fleet/scrapping depending on what was found? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andymozza Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Is there any northbound service at all Andy? I still wonder if this was anything to do with taking the Miltas to Swindon for assessment and forming into the reserve fleet/scrapping depending on what was found? Hi, I wouldnt have thought so, the train ran daily including saturdays, thats an awful lot of milk tanks! I will throw a theory here that after arriving at Swindon they were then attached to the daily returning London- West of England milk empties? As for northbound loaded there is nothing listed from Gloucester north and I dont have the relevent WTT for routing via Didcot/ Leamington route. I have seen photos in a couple of books of milk tanks formed in Severn Tunnel Jct- Crewe/Carlisle/Mossend mixed freights, possibly tripped from the West country to STJ for onward transit? cheers Andy, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 As I said earlier I worked on one of these trains from Foxhall Jct to Brum, I suspect they might have run as specials, 6Zxx, so might not appear in WTT's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark alden Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I lived right next to the railway line just South of Tuffley Junction and I can remember this train. It used to go past my house around 16.00, just as I got in from school, and on several occasions a Class 40 worked through to Swindon, on most occasions though the loco changed at Gloucester. When the train didn't run its path was used to convey locos going to Swindon Works for cutting. I can remember trains of Class 24's and 25's going past, I'd rush home to see it. When the 50's came to the W.R. they started using them on 1V90 from Gloucester, leaving at 16.20 (I think it went to Gloucester on 1M22) so in 78/79 I could bags loads of 'cops' from my back garden. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 13, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2012 Thanks again all There's enough evidence here to ditch the scrappers theory I think - going back to OP the cows in Cumbria had worked overtime and that looks like a load that would have taxed a 25 - about 20 loaded tanks, whats that gross? 5 - 600 tons? Must have sounded nice on jointed track too....... Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 There's enough evidence here to ditch the scrappers theory I think - going back to OP the cows in Cumbria had worked overtime and that looks like a load that would have taxed a 25 - about 20 loaded tanks, whats that gross? 5 - 600 tons? But andymozza's reply indicates that these were empties. I am inclined to agree as everything I have read suggests that the only milk flows left at this date were from south wales and the west country. Cumbria's milk no longer travelled by rail by that date as far as I know. So if they are empties, that gives 2 questions. Why were they going to Swindon? And what had they been doing at Carlisle in the first place? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted July 13, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2012 I have a "homemade" WTT for Bristol workings, 1978/9 which includes some milk workings, I think from South Wales. I will dig it out next week when back in Devon, and post here. I'm generally very interested in these later milk workings, and wondering when these tanks finally bit the dust. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I'm generally very interested in these later milk workings, and wondering when these tanks finally bit the dust. I believe it was circa 1980 that milk trains finally finished. However a small fleet were refurbished and kept in reserve for emergency use. Many others were converted for departmental use and hauling a variety of other liquids. The photo that triggered this discussion is pretty much at the twighlight of this traffic. If anyone can give a more precise date I would be interested to hear it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I'm pretty sure Craig Munday photographed the very last St.Erth - Kensington Milk working in the Summer of 1980, with a (plain) blue liveried 50 up front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 In his book 'Beyond the Crumbling Edge', my former colleague Stephen Poole (who was apparently the last person to be trained as 'Milk Controller', based at Paddington) mentions workings from the West Country to both Swindon and Carlisle during the summer of 1975. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 13, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2012 I believe it was circa 1980 that milk trains finally finished. However a small fleet were refurbished and kept in reserve for emergency use. Many others were converted for departmental use and hauling a variety of other liquids. The photo that triggered this discussion is pretty much at the twighlight of this traffic. If anyone can give a more precise date I would be interested to hear it. Photo is dated 7th June 1979 Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Photo is dated 7th June 1979 Sorry, I meant the cessation of milk traffic in general. Summer 1980 seems fairly conclusive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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