Ball Clay by rail

[RobR]

Model Railway News, March 1971 has an article describing the working of the Furzebrook traffic at that time. The open wagons in the photos seem to be a mixture of all wooden bodied , and wooden sided with corrugated steel ends. Some of these photos also appear in the Middleton Press book 'Great Railway Eras Wareham to Swanage 50 years of change'. Modern Railways October 1979 has an article covering freight workings in Dorset, including a description of a cab ride to Furzebrook. The down working consisted nine empty open wagons and two vans carrying tarpaulins. The return working was seven loaded, tarpaulin covered open wagons. The article goes on to say that the clay goes to either Stoke-on-Trent or Scotland, the amount brought out each day varying from one to twelve wagons, some of them being of Southern Railway origin. One of the photos with this article shows a train consisting of six vans arriving at Furzbrook. The book 'Diesel & Electric Memories Basingstoke to Weymouth'has colour photos of Furzbrook. One shows an all-steel open wagon at the end of headshunt. All the photos I can find show 33s on traditional wagons, and 47s on Clay Tigers.

[The Bigbee Line]

In the 1980's a number of un-fitted and vacuum braked wagons were scrapped at Ashford Works.  I'm sure there were numerous 5 plank opens that had been in clay traffic.  They had fixed ends.  I will see if I have any pictures.

[Djcwey]

There is some info in 'Swanage 125 Years of Railways' by B.L.Jackson (Oakwood Press)

 

Clay was carried in the vacuum braked opens until 1982 when the traffic ceased.

It restarted in July 1986 being carried in the clay Tigers, also bagged in ferry vans.

By May 1991 the service was running twice weekly, and then ceased in March 1992.

 

There is also mention that in 2008 that due to large volumes of clay passing by road to Poole Docks

there was talk between Imerys, Network Rail and EWS with a view to rail haulage, this has not yet come to pass,

 

cheers

 

edit

there are photos of 33s with empty clay opens in 1975, sheeted clayfits in 1978, and a 47 with clay Tigers in 1990 

Hi Steve,

 

We spoke at the Bridport show.  My initial google keyword search of "furzebrook clay" didn't produce much, but just stumbled across these images that certainly confirm 33's, Tigers and workings in 1991. 

 

http://table158photography.weebly.com/gm-free---page-3.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74384955@N03/sets/72157628968504009/detail/?page=27

 

Strange how two photographers both caught the 'elusive'(?) 6W56 working on the exact same day - the old saying abour buses: "wait for ages then two come along together"...

 

Regards,

Dan