Cattle wagons

[The Stationmaster]

One would assume that it would be cleaned as soon as possible after unloading to prevent breeding of bugs.

The post 1927 Instruction (which picked up on many earlier things as well as the change away from whitewash) required the vehicles to be cleaned immediately after unloading and before being despatched elsewhere - being first scraped and scrubbed as necessary to remove any traces of either animal or dung/dirty straw adhering to any part of the vehicle.  The same process applied to horseboxes,

[hayfield]

Thank you all very much, whitewash is out as its seems sensible to leave out cows.

 

I have not yet made up my mind as to what era to build it in, as its main purpose is to test 7 mm turnouts. I may build a small diorama to play with it which could be extended in future to a small branch line station. I have been fascinated by a couple of threads regarding painting and weathering and this wagon may form a test bed for this.

 

Thanks again 

[Buckjumper]

Who would have done the cleaning and when?

 

The 'when' has been answered - the 'who' is simply whoever it was on the station staff who dealt with incoming goods, and that particular job was almost certainly handed down to the lowest grade employee. Bit of a stinker of a job, but by no means the worst and railways have carried far less desirable goods; loading animal carcasses by hand must rank pretty low, but not as bad as the incident on the GER which regularly carried maggoty dog faeces in 3cwt barrels for tanning leather. On this occasion, during a hasty shunt, a barrel from a hunt's kennels split open, the writhing mess tumbling out onto the platform (no loading dock) and everyone nearby began to vomit. Some poor porter had to shovel it all up, including the contents of his own stomach...

[RonnieS]

'who' is simply whoever it was on the station staff who dealt with incoming goods, and that particular job was almost certainly handed down to the lowest grade employee. 

Ok it WAS a railway employee then. Thanks.

 

I wonder if it was checked by the same person that "Checked" the cleanliness of the Gents on Birmingham New Street station cica 1962?

[hayfield]

Sounds like in the old days someone at the station took overall charge of what was happening there, and made sure everything was done correctly. A bit like the old style matron on a hospital ward. 

 

Any chance of that happening today, no chance. Whilst we have many more managers, getting someone to take responsibility for things happen ! then you have the health and safety brigade ! and if that does not stop it happening, I guess most if not all of the staff would refuse to do it, as it was either not in their job description or against their human rights.

 

Having said that I don't think I would like to clean out a cattle wagon.

[The Stationmaster]

Sounds like in the old days someone at the station took overall charge of what was happening there, and made sure everything was done correctly. A bit like the old style matron on a hospital ward. 

 

Yes, they were called Stationmasters  And Goods Agents were in charge of larger goods depots and Shedmasters were in charge of larger loco depots, and in later years it was all rolled into one and they (we) were called Area Managers. 

[Worsdell forever]

Having said that I don't think I would like to clean out a cattle wagon.

 

I would much rather clean out a cattle wagon (and have cleaned out cattle lorries and trailers many times) than the gents on Birmingham New Street in '62...