Dave F's photos - ongoing - more added each day

[DaveF]

im confused as to why you rated my question with thanks

 

PM sent to explain - it is actually as auld_boot suggested, a simple courtesy to thank those who take the trouble to give information, ask questions or whatever in this thread.

 

David

Edited August 3, 2017 by DaveF

[hmrspaul]

The boxes in the photos have 'Twistlock' fittings, but are not fully ISO-compatible, as they weren't designed to be stacked five or more high when loaded. Because of that, they wouldn't have been much use for transport by ship, especially on deep-sea runs. Deep-sea container operations from UK ports only really started to become significant from the late 1960s; older readers might remember the series of Dockers' strikes during the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in protest at job losses caused by modern freight handling methods.

 

Brian - but didn't the Freightliner flats have provision for both ISO and Twistlock fitted containers? I realise BR Freightliner containers didn't use a 'frame' to permit stacking but that wouldn't preclude maritime containers being on the same train. Presumably ( which is usually unwise!) the lack of mixing of the two sources of traffic was because of origin of the workings?

 

It is worth pursuing some of these discussions because the Bachmann Freightliner models are going to raise interest in these earlier Freightliner workings. Because of security at their depots, and their working quickly between such depots, there doesn't seem to have been much recording of these trains, at least once the early interest by official photographers had eased. Dave Larkin for example has almost no photos at all in his collection. I've none of my own. I did a Q&A for Model Rail on the early maritime containers, the early Sealand containers weren't framed either, but that must have altered very quickly.

 

Paul

[Mark Saunders]

I would expect that part of the reason that Freightliner trains/wagons/containers were not photographed was that the trains were running from terminal to terminal without intermediate remarshaling as with wagon load traffic!

 

Mark Saunders

[Swindon 123]

A Freightliner train waiting for the calling on signal to enter Danygraig terminal at Swansea lost an aluminium ingot worth several hundred thousand pounds during my time on the railway in the early 70s; the job was in my link but I was not the guard on that occasion.  He had no idea; that part of the train was around a the curve from Jersey Marine and out of sight.  There was also rumoured to have been a container full of 50p coins, allegedly £2million worth, from the Royal Mint at Llantrisant which went walkabout somewhere in North London off a Cardiff-Stratford liner; somebody's gas meter was topped well up!

One of the favorite places to raid the Stratford liner trains, barrels full of beer in the case of those I worked from the NE, and other things, was between Dalston W Jcn and Victoria Park Jcn, just outside Stratford. You would be stopped at Dalston WJ 36 signal (Up Poplar Starter) waiting for the section to Victoria Park to clear. If Stratford was busy this could be some time. Quite easy for the locals to liberate a few barrels from a container. If you look at the photo, lifting a whole container from the train from the yard on the right with a crane would not be too difficult. DWJ 36 signal was just out of site under the far overbridge so the train would be alongside the yard.

Dalston Western Jcn signalling map.

 

Looking towards DWJ 36 signal, hidden just around the corner under the far road overbridge.

 

The Fords car trains coming the other way from Daganham Dock also suffered at this location from Car radio losses, as it was quite common to be held at either DWJ15 or DWJ14/16 signals. When pulling away from the signal stop, looking back along the train and seeing loads of car doors open and human figures jumping out of the cars laden with radios. 

 

Paul J.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Brian - but didn't the Freightliner flats have provision for both ISO and Twistlock fitted containers? I realise BR Freightliner containers didn't use a 'frame' to permit stacking but that wouldn't preclude maritime containers being on the same train. Presumably ( which is usually unwise!) the lack of mixing of the two sources of traffic was because of origin of the workings?

 

It is worth pursuing some of these discussions because the Bachmann Freightliner models are going to raise interest in these earlier Freightliner workings. Because of security at their depots, and their working quickly between such depots, there doesn't seem to have been much recording of these trains, at least once the early interest by official photographers had eased. Dave Larkin for example has almost no photos at all in his collection. I've none of my own. I did a Q&A for Model Rail on the early maritime containers, the early Sealand containers weren't framed either, but that must have altered very quickly.

 

Paul

 

I was under the impression the two locks were incompatible, and FFA & FGA wagons were fitted with one or the other, (as per the Colin Craig kit), although it must have caused operational complications.

 

Mike.

[Fat Controller]

I was under the impression the two locks were incompatible, and FFA & FGA wagons were fitted with one or the other, (as per the Colin Craig kit), although it must have caused operational complications.

 

Mike.

Twistlocks are intended for use with ISO boxes; on the boxes themselves, the give-away is that the boxes have corner-mountings with holes on each face. The original Freightliner containers were bottom-lift, with reinforced lifting points at roughly 1/4 and 3/4 along the bottom edge. They were secured to the wagon by lifting spigots, with a light to indicate the spigots had engaged. I haven't managed to find a photo of the fittings on the wagons, but Roger Silsbury's chapter in 'Freightliner- Life and Times' has juxtaposed photos of the early type of container and the first of the 2nd generation ones, showing the differences.

[lanchester]

Always interests me how these Freightliner trains lack much, if any privately owned containers. Marine and Domestic services were run separately but I don't know when this senseless split ended. Freightliner gave advantageous rates to companies that backloaded -so beer kegs (and in my day Schweppes crates) went out loaded and returned with the empties. Non deposit stopped a lot of that, to the considerable detriment of the environment (although handling empty crates that had been stored for weeks in a pub backyard with the owners dog was not pleasant!).

 

Paul

About this time (1974-5) Derby Litchurch Lane was churning out large numbers of containers branded Bell, in a fetching purply colour

[RANGERS]

About this time (1974-5) Derby Litchurch Lane was churning out large numbers of containers branded Bell, in a fetching purply colour

Sounds like a right royal ding- there then...

[DaveF]

The latter days of BR and British Steel on the High Dyke branch and the quarries today.

 

 

High Dyke Class 47 08.30 Halifax then Leeds to Kings X , Class 31 in sidings Dec 71 J2802

 

 

Easton Class 31 iron ore loaded to High Dyke, east of Burton Lane crossing Oct 72 C1155

 

 

Colsterworth Class 31 up iron ore April 72 J2902

 

 

Colsterworth No 2 quarry 100RB loading wagons May 72 J2930    Also a British Steel loco.

 

 

Skillington and Sproxton Road level crossing, looking east towards Skillington junction March 70 J2074

 

 

David

Edited August 4, 2017 by DaveF

[Andy Louch]

About this time (1974-5) Derby Litchurch Lane was churning out large numbers of containers branded Bell, in a fetching purply colour

I think this refers to Bell Line. IIRC an Irish shipping company which traded mostly around NW Europe. Their vessels were preficxed with 'Bell' and I recall seeing Bell Ranger and Bell Rover in the southern North Sea.

See attached

[flapland]

 

 

Sounds like a right royal ding-###### there then...

 

 

I think this refers to Bell Line. IIRC an Irish shipping company which traded mostly around NW Europe. Their vessels were preficxed with 'Bell' and I recall seeing Bell Ranger and Bell Rover in the southern North Sea.

See attached

Most of them sailed from the UK on the Bell Ringer. 

 

This is my case for the urgent introduction of the Groan button. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by flapland

[leopardml2341]

And I suppose those deepest in the hold were the 'Bell Bottoms'?

[SHMD]

What was the last of the line called?

 

"Bell E.."

 

 

Kev.

[LNERGE]

I'll be relaying the junction at Highdyke soon. I hope to get a bit of free time to have another look at the branch. Super pictures as always. There was a crossing between Skillington Road and Colsterworth that had some sort of indication driven by the token machines. The crossing keeper could open the gates if all the keys were in the machines. As soon as one was removed the indicator would drop to 'Train in Section'

[DaveF]

I've enjoyed all the comments about containers but think It's probably time now to get back to the photos and discussing the content of them, I hope no one minds my saying that.

 

I have to admit I haven't had much time to look at the thread so far today as I have been "enjoying" yet another birthday, being 68 just makes me realise that I am gradually getting older.  Yesterday I bought a 2 step set of steps, I decided that balancing on a chair to reach things on high shelves is no longer a good idea.

 

An extra photo now taken at Carnforth in relatively recent times, 2003.  It's just to see how my very early digital photos look as I will need to use some of them to illustrate particular places at some future date.

 

 

Carnforth Class 175 Aug 2003 hols2 011

 

David

[Davey]

Happ

 

I've enjoyed all the comments about containers but think It's probably time now to get back to the photos and discussing the content of them, I hope no one minds my saying that.

 

I have to admit I haven't had much time to look at the thread so far today as I have been "enjoying" yet another birthday, being 68 just makes me realise that I am gradually getting older.  Yesterday I bought a 2 step set of steps, I decided that balancing on a chair to reach things on high shelves is no longer a good idea.

 

An extra photo now taken at Carnforth in relatively recent times, 2003.  It's just to see how my very early digital photos look as I will need to use some of them to illustrate particular places at some future date.

 

 

Carnforth Class 175 Aug 2003 hols2 011.jpg

Carnforth Class 175 Aug 2003 hols2 011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY David.

I always look at your post every day to see what gems are going to delight us.

Davey

[The Johnster]

What was the last of the line called?

 

"Bell E.."

 

 

Kev.

 

Beat me to it, for which on reflection I'm grateful...

[Market65]

Hi, Dave, and I hope you are enjoying a very Happy Birthday.

The photos of High Dyke and the former branch are fascinating, and in C1155 there is what looks like the one time practice of stubble burning. Thankfully it is no longer permitted.

J2930 is a good view of 100RB as it loads wagons. It will surely make a great model.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[Clive Mortimore]

I was under the impression the two locks were incompatible, and FFA & FGA wagons were fitted with one or the other, (as per the Colin Craig kit), although it must have caused operational complications.

 

Mike.

Hi Mike

 

I was always under  the impression the early Liner Flats were fitted with the air operated clamps, the middle generation builds had both the air operated claps and ISO mountings, the early ones were rebuilt to this variation and the last lots were built with ISO mounting only. Slowly the older wagons lost the "freightliner" clamps, and the last few remaining were converted to mechanical operation before being removed. So there were some container flats that had both systems until the older containers fell out of use.

 

A quick skim through "Life and Times of Freightliner" suggest the same.

[DaveF]

Photos from the ex LNWR today.

 

The first one shows the remains of a railway.

 

The remainder were taken around Harrow and Wealdstone, those who know the area should know the viewpoint, I've never been there (except passing by on trains).

 

 

Farthinghoe remains of LNWR Banbury branch during road widening Oct 70 J2402

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 86 Liverpol to Euston June 76 J5291

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 501 Watford to London June 76 J5292

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 501 down June 76 J5293

 

 

Harrow and Wealdstone Class 310 down June 76 J5294

 

 

David

Edited August 5, 2017 by DaveF

[brushman47544]

Interesting that the Mk1 catering vehicle in J5291 is labeled as a Buffet. Weren't they still Restaurant Buffet's in 1976?

[DaveF]

Interesting that the Mk1 catering vehicle in J5291 is labeled as a Buffet. Weren't they still Restaurant Buffet's in 1976?

 

 

I've just checked the date to make quite sure, it really is June 76.

 

David

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I like the ex - LNWR photo's. The class 310 makes a fine sight in the last photo'. A pity we cannot travel in them today. And I suppose a number of the trees visible in the first photo' would be felled in connection the road widening scheme.

 

With warmest regards,

 

Rob.

[Davexoc]

Farthinghoe remains of LNWR Banbury branch during road widening Oct 70 J2402

 

Having used that road regularly over the last twenty years, I can say that it has never been widened. The part of the line where the car is parked is the entrance to the tip/recycling centre, the otherside where the pipes are has been recovered by nature.

Looking on the NLS mapping site shows that the railway used to cross the road on a bridge, so I'm guessing it was the demolition site.

 

Dave

[45125]

Interesting that the Mk1 catering vehicle in J5291 is labeled as a Buffet. Weren't they still Restaurant Buffet's in 1976?

 

Ii looks like an RKB, so would only be branded Buffet.