Neil's Hydraulic pics

[Steve T]

Hi Chaps

 

A few more for you to enjoy

 

D825 ST Jct Shed

 

D853 Ebbw Vale sidings 17th April 71

 

D1000 Canton july 68

 

D7094 Cardiff riverside

 

Cheers Gareth

A Warship at Ebbw Vale! Knew they'd worked there, never thought I'd see a photo.

 

Now, who's got a phot of one at Jersey Marine? In fact, has anyone even seen a photo of one west of Cardiff?

[TEDDYBEAR D9521]

A Warship at Ebbw Vale! Knew they'd worked there, never thought I'd see a photo.

 

Now, who's got a phot of one at Jersey Marine? In fact, has anyone even seen a photo of one west of Cardiff?

 

I have a photo somewhere of one at Rogerstone by i can't find it.

 

Warships used to get as Margam i've seen them at Cardiff on their way down to Margam worked by Severn Tunnel

 

Drivers .

 

Cheers GARETH

Edited March 5, 2015 by TEDDYBEAR D9521

[br2975]

Early 1971 there was at least one working a day to Margam / Jersey Marine with a Warship - it passed through the former Ely (Main Line) station just about 1:00pm, as I ate my sandwiches in the lunch break........

.

From my notes, some examples were:-  25/02/71 - 864, 865; 26/02/71 - 846;  27/02/71 - 846, 02/03/71 - 837, 03/03/71 - 808; 05/03/71 - 865 (44 years ago today !!); 06/03/71 - 809; 10/03/71 - 844; 11/03/71 - 807; 13/03/71 - 857; 15/03/71 - 857; 16/03/71 - 833; 23/03/71 - 859; 05/04/71 - 841

.

Brian R

[Fat Controller]

A Warship at Ebbw Vale! Knew they'd worked there, never thought I'd see a photo.

 

Now, who's got a phot of one at Jersey Marine? In fact, has anyone even seen a photo of one west of Cardiff?

One of the photo albums has a shot of one at Barry on an animal-feed train to the West Country. I saw one, back in the late 1960s, on a weed-killer train on the Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr. My bedroom overlooked the line from about 500 yards away; too far to read numbers, but close enough to tell that the loco wasn't one of the usual 'six-eighters'. It certainly brightened up a Sunday afternoon homework session.

[br2975]

At the turn of the 70s Warships were regulars on the Barry Docks - Temple Mills, ( a favourite for banana vans when a Geest ship had docked at Barry ).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/6722851559/in/set-72157635910263844 
.
They also appeared occasionally at Radyr on Avonmouth - Radyr coke trains and Filton / Wapping Wharf / West Depot - Radyr coal workings.
.
8C06 13:50 S.T.J. - Margam, 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/6669168883/in/photostream/
 
Brian R

Edited March 5, 2015 by br2975

[Phil Bullock]

There wasn't a great deal of rain in 1976 Johnny, but the rain in your pic of D1048 at Plymouth makes it a stunning pic IMO

It snowed in Worcester in June that year!

 

Phil

[Andy Y]

Hi Chaps

 

A few more for you to enjoy

 

D853 Ebbw Vale sidings 17th April 71

 

 

 

 

 

Few more the with a Warship at Canton i had the photo given to me a long time ago

 

 

 

I have a photo somewhere of one at Rogerstone by i can't find it.

 

Warships used to get as Margam i've seen them at Cardiff on their way down to Margam worked by Severn Tunnel

 

 

 

Early 1971 there was at least one working a day to Margam / Jersey Marine with a Warship - it passed through the former Ely (Main Line) station just about 1:00pm, as I ate my sandwiches in the lunch break........

.

From my notes, some examples were:-  25/02/71 - 864, 865; 26/02/71 - 846;  27/02/71 - 846, 02/03/71 - 837, 03/03/71 - 808; 05/03/71 - 865 (44 years ago today !!); 06/03/71 - 809; 10/03/71 - 844; 11/03/71 - 807; 13/03/71 - 857; 15/03/71 - 857; 16/03/71 - 833; 23/03/71 - 859; 05/04/71 - 841

 

 

 

One of the photo albums has a shot of one at Barry on an animal-feed train to the West Country. I saw one, back in the late 1960s, on a weed-killer train on the Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr. My bedroom overlooked the line from about 500 yards away; too far to read numbers, but close enough to tell that the loco wasn't one of the usual 'six-eighters'. It certainly brightened up a Sunday afternoon homework session.

 

 

At the turn of the 70s Warships were regulars on the Barry Docks - Temple Mills, ( a favourite for banana vans when a Geest ship had docked at Barry ).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrailandmore/6722851559/in/set-72157635910263844 

.

They also appeared occasionally at Radyr on Avonmouth - Radyr coke trains and Filton / Wapping Wharf / West Depot - Radyr coal workings.

 

 

Thanks all; you've probably saved me from a bit of embarrassment as I write a piece picking apart the lives of 43s and the different operations compared to 42s and commented that they were rarely seen beyond Newport. Just goes to show!

 

At least it all seems to be freight and toward the end of their lives rather than along term thing.

 

The other lines that I can't see much evidence of 43s on is the N. Devon and N. Cornwall lines. I don't think they let them loose on many singled lines.

[br2975]

Andy

.

In their last couple of years the Warships had only appear to have had one rostered passenger working into Cardiff - a Saturdays Only summer dated Paignton - Cardiff - Kingswear job that arrived about lunchtime and left again within about an hour.

.

I can get you full details, if you wish ?

.

Brian R

Edited March 5, 2015 by br2975

[Andy Y]

Yes please Brian! This is interesting stuff and I can foresee this article having to have an appendix or two.

[jonny777]

It snowed in Worcester in June that year!

 

Phil

 

 

'Fraid not Phil,

 

That was 1975.

[stovepipe]

Thanks all; you've probably saved me from a bit of embarrassment as I write a piece picking apart the lives of 43s and the different operations compared to 42s and commented that they were rarely seen beyond Newport. Just goes to show!

 

At least it all seems to be freight and toward the end of their lives rather than along term thing.

 

The other lines that I can't see much evidence of 43s on is the N. Devon and N. Cornwall lines. I don't think they let them loose on many singled lines.

 

Ah I see, must be time to check on those pre-orders!

[Phill Dyson (onslaught832)]

Actually Phill September and October were wetter than average! I know what you mean though Jan-Aug that year were seriously below, hottest and best summer in my lifetime.

Neil

 

 

Yes, Neil.

 

In fact the heavy rain in 1976 started at the end of August Bank Holiday Monday in the south. I know because my car got marooned in the floods during an almighty thunderstorm and I abandoned it and walked home.

 

In fact September 1976 was the wettest for 50 years, and most places had at least twice the monthly average, with a few areas getting four times their normal monthly total.

 

< /meteorological anorak mode >

Thanks guys I do remember the long hot summer of 76 through my hazy childhood memories....how could we forget the last summer of Hydraulic Power! 

 

But for me the end of the summer school holidays meant my return to the north & memories are much less clear after that,  my return journeys to BR(WR)  were few until the the following summer & by then of course it was all over..........Hoovers were a very poor substitute ( even with Warship names) IMO

 

Thanks to everyone who is posting all these wonderful pics & memories

 

Phill 

[Trevellan]

Since we've had a bit of a Warship vibe recently, I've dug out a couple of shots dating from 1972. That year I was working as a trainee manager with John Menzies, which also involved some short term postings as a relief manager to cover for sickness or annual leave. As a youngster I was only given relatively small shops and, to my delight, station bookstalls, including Reading, Oxford, Maidenhead and High Wycombe. All except Maidenhead allowed me to view railway operations, with Reading being a spotters' paradise. Just think: hydraulics still in abundance, Blue Pullmans, Tadpoles on the Reigate/Redhill services and all sorts of interesting inter-regional stuff. The only downside was that I had to serve customers and do bookwork when all I wanted to do was to watch trains!

 

Anyway, I digress. My stint at Reading lasted two weeks in the July of 72 and on the middle Sunday I used my day off to travel down to Exeter. When I arrived I found some engineering work in progress, with 820 providing the motive power. 810 was also present. The edit below has been left with a lot of clutter showing as I think it is a real period piece. See if you agree.

 

 

There was a regular parcels working through Reading at that time, 5A06, which I recall was always Warship-powered. I cannot remember if it was a daily working, but I managed to record 821 on it, as shown below. I did wonder whether or not to edit out the station lamp visible above the locomotive, but I've left it in.

Note also the variety of stock in the train.

 

 

By coincidence, I managed to get a picture of 832, the other preserved Warship, on this working. I'll have to dig out that shot to share.

[Fat Controller]

Thanks for posting those, Trevor.

The first is interesting as it shows both the SR (front) and BR versions of the Walrus ballast hopper

The second photo is almost certainly an Up empty Newspapers, given the number of Siphon Gs in the formation, and the fact it's on a through road, so not loading or unloading parcels. If you look, you can see small boards about half way along each Siphon- these would carry lettering to the effect of 'Paddington- Bristol Newspapers' or similar. There would be further chalked instructions such as ' Menzies this end' depending on the load. The trains would work out in the very early morning, possibly even just before midnight for the longest runs, then return empty to Old Oak carriage sidings during the day.

[Rugd1022]

Great photos Trevor once again - that shot of 821 on the Up empty vans at Reading is a classic. That particular working would often stretch to fifteen or more vehicles and the Warships used to fly when booked on it according to several Old Oak men I used to work with, you could often tell when a London crew were going home from the volcanic standing starts from the Up Main or (old) platform 5 at Reading!

 

Have you got any more... would love to see them...?

[Trevellan]

Thanks to Brian and Nidge for the comments. As far as I can recall, 5A06 was always signal checked at Reading while I was there, which gave me time to admire the loco, if not photograph it.  Unfortunately, I only managed to shoot 821 and 832. From memory, the latter is on a colour slide. I'll try to find that a.s.a.p.

 

That summer I remember seeing 810, 814, 821 and 832 quite regularly, although 814 evaded my camera.

 

EDIT for typo.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Trevellan

[Steve T]

Andy

.

In their last couple of years the Warships had only appear to have had one rostered passenger working into Cardiff - a Saturdays Only summer dated Paignton - Cardiff - Kingswear job that arrived about lunchtime and left again within about an hour.

.

I can get you full details, if you wish ?

.

Brian R

The Book of the Warships has some detail.

 

In the summer of '71 a Newton Abbot 43 was diagrammed to work 1C36 0845 SO Kingswear - Cardiff and 1B04 1310 SO Cardiff - Paignton. It was booked onto Canton to run round.

 

In the same year a Laira 42 was rostered for 1C96 1615 SO Plymouth - Cardiff but only outside the main summer period (until 5th June and from 11th September). That returned empty to Bristol. I believe this also worked during 1972.

 

Assuming they were booked Warships I suspect the freight workings west of Cardiff were diagrammed Old Oak 43's as these do not feature in the book.

[ozzyo]

Hi Chaps

 

D7094 Cardiff riverside

 

Cheers Gareth

 

A small point D7094 is at Cardiff General.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Whenever I see the title to this topic, I think it says "Neil's hydraulic pies". Minced beef and onion usually comes mind.

[Trevellan]

I've had a look for more scans of Warships, but most of these are on a Mac-formatted hard drive, which I cannot currently access. However, I've found a couple of transparency scans which might generate some interest.

 

 

A rather grotty portrait of Royal Oak at Old Oak Common in 1970, shot on an old Instamatic 25. No further details to hand, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

We move forward to June 1974 for the second image. It was an incredibly wet week in the West Country, but I managed to capture a few reasonable shots. This is Western Fusilier passing Ivybridge, again something of a period piece from today's perspective.

 

Right, I really must get on with some work...

 

Edit: to correct D842's name. Can't think why Triumph came to mind!

Edited March 6, 2015 by Trevellan

[Andy Y]

I cannot find evidence of 43s on the N. Devon and N. Cornwall lines either. 

 

The other thing which seems to be a rarity is any pics with any early Mk2 stock hanging off the back of them. Was braking or heating compatability an issue for Warships?

[jonny777]

I wonder if the Mk2 issue is just one of timing. I think a lot of the first batches of Mk2 (generically speaking) stock went to the WCML with their shiny new electric service, and the ECML got some after that, but the routes to the SW were always something of a Cinderella when it came to coaching stock in those days.

 

There is one here https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/2597708810/in/set-72157603648348394 but even that is 1971, and by the time that Mk2a/b stock had gravitated to the Devon/Cornwall services, the Warships had mostly gone, or were relegated to parcels and goods trains.

 

There was an upsurge in hydraulic interest with the demise of the Hymeks and Westerns, but if you look at a lot of (especially the 52s) photographs, they were taken from 1973 onwards, which is why the Mk2 stock is more prevalent.

Edited March 6, 2015 by jonny777

[Phill Dyson (onslaught832)]

I think it was an issue of timing as I have seen published pics of Warships with the odd MK2 in their rakes

[TEDDYBEAR D9521]

A small point D7094 is at Cardiff General.

The station is Cardiff General where the engine is stood it's called riverside sidings

[Fat Controller]

I wonder if the Mk2 issue is just one of timing. I think a lot of the first batches of Mk2 (generically speaking) stock went to the WCML with their shiny new electric service, and the ECML got some after that, but the routes to the SW were always something of a Cinderella when it came to coaching stock in those days.

 

There is one here https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/2597708810/in/set-72157603648348394 but even that is 1971, and by the time that Mk2a/b stock had gravitated to the Devon/Cornwall services, the Warships had mostly gone, or were relegated to parcels and goods trains.

 

There was an upsurge in hydraulic interest with the demise of the Hymeks and Westerns, but if you look at a lot of (especially the 52s) photographs, they were taken from 1973 onwards, which is why the Mk2 stock is more prevalent.

Even when the third tranche of Mk 2 stock was delivered, to the Western, it was reserved for South Wales and Bristol services, powered by Westerns and Brush Type 4s. Those services that still used Warships, chiefly the Waterloo- Exeter and Paddington- Worcester ones, were to remain with Mk1 stock until Mk 2 stock was cascaded after the introduction of HSTs.