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Prototype for everything corner.

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The Stationmaster

The Stationmaster

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On 04/12/2023 at 19:21, The Johnster said:

 

I believe this was mostly done on permissive block sections, though I'm sure there must have been exceptions.

 

 

 

Above nentioned in reply to. my earlier post respect of operation of two freight trains coupled together.  

 

Mostly in fact the exact opposite.  For example it was permitted in both directions on all Main and Relief Lines throughout between Paddington and Highwoorth Jcn,Swindon, a distance of roundly 70 miles on lines signalled almost exclusively by Absolute Block (the exception was some lines at Reading Station where Permissive Block was permitted for passenger trains, only)

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Jeremy Cumberland

Jeremy Cumberland

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There is a photograph of one at Bath Road:

Blue Pullman at Bristol Bath Road

 

The picture was posted on Flikr by Kevin Drabble. I think the following deserves to be copied here, together with an expression of my appreciation. Thank you for taking the effort, Kevin:

Quote

I have about 330 pics in total from the owner of these pics. Sadly no more of the Blue Pullman. They are all scanned from small square prints and take between 30 mins and an hour or more to scan, straighten, crop and clean up. What I like about them , is the fact that they are just enthusiast pics and not taken by a professional. Some of them are in fairly poor condition and even after working on them for some time, are not really good enough to post on here. I have not cleaned any up for a while so will have to get stuck in again.

 

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The Stationmaster

The Stationmaster

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On 04/12/2023 at 18:19, The Johnster said:

 

 

 

 

I live in South Wales, (Land of my Fathers, according to Dylan Thomas, and he also said his fathers were bl**dy well welcome to it...), and there was once a time when we made a lot of steel.  Still do, a bit, but nothing like the old days.  There was, in those days, a big steelworks at a place called Dowlais, nearly 1,000  feet up on the mountain above Merthyr Tydfil (it was here that the Bessemer smelting process was devised and first used), and once the local source of iron ore, literally on the doorstep, had been worked out imported ore had to be used.  This entailed hauling iron-ore hoppers up a 1 in 35 gradient of about 3 miles for the last stretch of the journey, and four 56xx class engines were used.  The train was double-headed and there would be a 'helper' mid way, and a banker coupled in rear, all working flat out and  blowing holes in the sky.  The load?  13 small 4-wheel hoppers, 462 tons with the brake van (caboose), you'd carry that on the footplate of one of your big Malletts...  TTBOMK this is the only example of regular use of mid-way helpers in the UK, though TBOMK is not inexhaustible...

Where do we begin?  Let's start with Beesemet steel the first ingots of which were cast by Galloways of Mamchester in their Knot Mill works in Hulme in 1856 where Bessemer had been conducting his large scale experiments to develop the process.  Galloway brothers had been heavily involved with Bessemer in developing his process and made various items of equipment for him for his experimental work.  Bessemer established his own steelworks in Sheffield and it began producing steel in 1858.

 

It is unclear if the Dowlais company obtained a Bessemer licence in 1856 but if it did it sold it back to Bessemer in 1858 when all four licence holders returned their licences due to quality problems caused. by impurities remaing in the Bessemer steel.  Bessemer refined his process to deal with the impurity problems and Dowlais commenced using the revised process in 1865 although it's probably likely that Bessemer had first used it in his own steelworks in Sheffield as he developed the means of getting rid of most impurities.

 

I. can't fpnd out when the Pantywaen Jcn connection to a mineral line that extended to Dowlais works was closed (I might be able to after Christmas when/if the relevant book might arrive from Santa!) but it sounds a bit odd to be sending traffic for the works via the B&M in later days although it was convenient for Newport Docks.  And there was definitely no 1in 35 gradient on that section of the B&M although there was  several miles of 1in 38.   Coupling of freight trains - which would therefore allow an engine in the middle of the trains was authorised between Aberbargoed Jcn and Deri Jcn but with a substantial reduction of train size - from 60 to  38 wagons   - beyond Fochriw

 

However even if handover was possible at Pantywaen Jcn the train was still more than 3 miles from Dowlais Works - over the private mineral line.  The only line which came closer was the Zig Zag from Dowlais Jcn where the steepest graduient was 1 in 36 and trains were limited to a maximum of 10 x 10 ton wagons.

 

So was the train in the photo heading for Pantywaen Jcn or was it going somewhere else?

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Stoke West

Stoke West

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3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Servicing at Bristol was at Dr Day's , maintenance was concentrated on Old Oak for the entire WR Blue PuulLman fleet.

Your probably right as they were at that end daytime , but ive seen them on Bath Road at weekends , but when did Old Oak become able to service diesels .

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keefer

keefer

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This seems to be the same set from the other end (and a different barrier coach on the other end - any standard Mk1 or 2 coach would do)

Generator van 975325 was the only one able to supply the 415V 3-phase required by HST stock.

47558 on 1E42 with the "Generator Set" - 975325, HST set PM47 and 975981, Nibley, Saturday July 16th 1988.

By Robert Tarling on Flickr

"Bath Road-allocated 47558 'Mayflower' heads north at Nibley on 1E42, the 1119 Paignton - York with the 'Generator Set' rake comprising Generator Van 975325, HST set PM47, and barrier coach 975981."

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Mol_PMB

Mol_PMB

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10 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

This is still my favourite HST 'substitution' ! ...

 

348_30.jpg.4c04ac8c7fc70a6e1267e9a73536bd44.jpg348_32.jpg.7ef77a26f4b2d5d96683e42bcbf9320a.jpg

08.930 + ADB975999 + NL48 (?) + M92213 ..................... OK, it's only ECS - arrived behind 47.124 : Kings Cross, 7/1/89

That Mk1 looks interesting - a former first class one downgraded and fitted with ‘forced ventilation’ in one compartment only? 

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Wickham Green too

Wickham Green too

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3 hours ago, Steven B said:

Why would a Mk3a Sleeper need a barrier coach? I'd assumed they were all fitted with buffers and standard coach drop-head buckeye couplings?

Well, that's what Platform 5's Departmental Coaching Stock book calls it !

 

To be quite honest, why would an HST set need a dedicated barrier coach as it, too, has standard buckeyes ( fixed head ) ? ..................... M92213 hadn't been modified in any way.

 

Edited by Wickham Green too
'onest guv
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