Grounded Rolling Stock

[Guest nzflyer]

Hi all,

 

I see a lot of kits and models on layouts of grounded vehicles, almost all of which are vans or vintage coaches (pre-Grouping or Nationalisation). On a modern image layout, would you find a Mk1 or Mk2 coach or even a more modern style open wagon grounded in a yard or by the side of the tracks, complete with graffiti? I could imagine a road crane lifting a moss-covered, grubby coach onto the back of a truck for a heritage railway somewhere.

 

Regards,

 

Jim.

[darrel]

Can't remember seeing any grounded mk2 coaches. I've seen one or two pictures of grounded mk1 coaches but they are not common. A portacabin would be more prototypical. Knightwing make a very good kit.

The old 12 ton van bodies were very common and I can think of a few places where they still exist. Ayr station has one and Shields road depot have about 3.

More common today would be an old container second hand Hornby ones are easy to come by.

[cobbler]

Northampton yard has a grounded VCA van, DC 200535, it it was used by the Carriage and Wagon fitters as a store, it is now disussed and covered in graffiti

 

Richard

[great central]

There used to be a grounded Mk1 coach in Looms' scrapyard at Spondon near Derby. No idea if it's still there but it had been there so long it was still in maroon livery

[Swindon 123]

I never saw any grounded Mk1 or 2 coach bodies, except in scrapyards, although I do remember seeing photos of a GUV grounded at one of the Birmingham depots, possibly Tyseley. Also seen photos of grounded DMU bodies at Newton Heath I think. I seem to remember a Mk1 coach still on its bogies somewhere, but on an isolated section of track, but can't remember where at the moment. Can offer you the following as a grounded pre-grouping coach body at Coton Hill yard, Shrewsbury in the mid 1980's

DBR7A-136 by Paul James, on Flickr

 

Paul J.

[Fat Controller]

There was a grounded four-wheel railbus at Millerhill for many years; allegedly, the large amount of glass made it an ideal greenhouse.

[jessy1692]

There was a grounded four-wheel railbus at Millerhill for many years; allegedly, the large amount of glass made it an ideal greenhouse.

Was that the one thats buried somewhere in the yard as asbestos removal wasnt worth it? Also was there one at Craigentinny too?

[Mike Storey]

Was that the one thats buried somewhere in the yard as asbestos removal wasnt worth it? Also was there one at Craigentinny too?

 

Exactly. Asbestos contamination would make the use of Mark1's (and even early Mark 2's I think) problematic, if any intrusive change was made to the bodysides or roof, internally or externally. I would avoid placing them in a static role on a model, as there are far more viable freight or NPCCS vehicles that are used in reality.

[K14]

Deltic Shed?

 

Some years back one of the cabs from 55021 was in a field west of Reading & visible from the main line. It's since moved to Bridgend:— http://www.traincabs.co.uk/?page_id=77

[Market65]

I never saw any grounded Mk1 or 2 coach bodies, except in scrapyards, although I do remember seeing photos of a GUV grounded at one of the Birmingham depots, possibly Tyseley. Also seen photos of grounded DMU bodies at Newton Heath I think. I seem to remember a Mk1 coach still on its bogies somewhere, but on an isolated section of track, but can't remember where at the moment. Can offer you the following as a grounded pre-grouping coach body at Coton Hill yard, Shrewsbury in the mid 1980's

DBR7A-136 by Paul James, on Flickr

 

Paul J.

I hope that this body has managed to make into preservation, in some way, since the time of that photo'.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[298]

There is a grounded Mk2 at Quainton Road: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1508 , and there was one at the Donnington Park Race circuit, if that counts: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2825

 

I believe the Eurotunnel exhibition centre also used a pair of Mk2s as a school picnic area.

 

I can see the advantage of using a Mk2 over anything else as the body is more structural and can be lowered nearer to the ground once the underframe gubbins are removed, anything older would have truss rods in the way. But considering Mk1 disposals were more plentiful around the same time, it's more likely a customer would find something more suitable for their needs from one of those designs.

[Fat Controller]

There is a grounded Mk2 at Quainton Road: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1508 , and there was one at the Donnington Park Race circuit, if that counts: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2825

 

I believe the Eurotunnel exhibition centre also used a pair of Mk2s as a school picnic area.

 

I can see the advantage of using a Mk2 over anything else as the body is more structural and can be lowered nearer to the ground once the underframe gubbins are removed, anything older would have truss rods in the way. But considering Mk1 disposals were more plentiful around the same time, it's more likely a customer would find something more suitable for their needs from one of those designs.

After the fire of 18th November, 1996, one of the Mk2 coaches at Cheriton was rapidly converted into a smoke training vehicle- you'd walk through it once, then it would be filled with 'smoke', then you'd try to walk back without too many bruises from tables and seat edges. When the purpose-built 'training envirionment' was built on the main site, one of these coaches was incorporated into it- it's still there, but unless you work for ET, Eurostar or the Emergency Services, you're unlikely to ever see it.

Other coaches have been similarily repurposed for the Fire Brigade College at Moreton in the Marsh, and for elements of the Armed Forces at various locations.

[great central]

Should have remembered that there's also a GUV at the back of Eastcroft depot, what used to be the infrastructure depot but now incorporated into the EMT depot

[Moxy]

I seem to remember a Mk1 coach still on its bogies somewhere, but on an isolated section of track, but can't remember where at the moment.

 

 

Could that be Huddersfield?  There is (or was) a Mk1 in a former bay platform there

[PhilJ W]

I never saw any grounded Mk1 or 2 coach bodies, except in scrapyards, although I do remember seeing photos of a GUV grounded at one of the Birmingham depots, possibly Tyseley. Also seen photos of grounded DMU bodies at Newton Heath I think. I seem to remember a Mk1 coach still on its bogies somewhere, but on an isolated section of track, but can't remember where at the moment. Can offer you the following as a grounded pre-grouping coach body at Coton Hill yard, Shrewsbury in the mid 1980's

DBR7A-136 by Paul James, on Flickr

 

Paul J.

Any idea of the original company? The round topped doors are unusual, AFAIK they were only found on Metropolitan or GWR stock.

[phil_sutters]

Tube trains seem to have more potential afterlife - http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/open-house-london-presents-village-underground-4-recycled-subway-cars.html

[Swindon 123]

I hope that this body has managed to make into preservation, in some way, since the time of that photo'.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

I don't think it did, but I'm not 100% sure?

 

Any idea of the original company? The round topped doors are unusual, AFAIK they were only found on Metropolitan or GWR stock.

According to comments on the Flickr site on the photo it may be GWR 5-compartment 4-wheeled third, built for through services to the Metropolitan/District railways in London. Any more info would be welcome. How it came to be at Shrewsbury is anyone's guess, unless it came by way of the Shropshire & Montgomery Rly or the Bishops Castle Railway??

 

Paul J.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Swindon 123

[PhilJ W]

I don't think it did, but I'm not 100% sure?

 

According to comments on the Flickr site on the photo it may be GWR 5-compartment 4-wheeled third, built for through services to the Metropolitan/District railways in London. Any more info would be welcome. How it came to be at Shrewsbury is anyone's guess, unless it came by way of the Shropshire & Montgomery Rly or the Bishops Castle Railway??

 

Paul J.

There is a GWR 6-wheel 5 compartment third listed on the carriages trust website but it is obviously not the same vehicle as it has flat topped doors. There is an ex New York subway car grounded at Quainton Road. At one time it was used as a diner but now it is staff only.

[Fat Controller]

I don't think it did, but I'm not 100% sure?

 

According to comments on the Flickr site on the photo it may be GWR 5-compartment 4-wheeled third, built for through services to the Metropolitan/District railways in London. Any more info would be welcome. How it came to be at Shrewsbury is anyone's guess, unless it came by way of the Shropshire & Montgomery Rly or the Bishops Castle Railway??

 

Paul J.

I believe similar vehicles may have been used on the Burry Port and Gwendreath Valley until passenger sevices stopped in the early 1950s; is it possible that this vehicle came from there?

[Rail-Online]

I don't think it did, but I'm not 100% sure?

 

According to comments on the Flickr site on the photo it may be GWR 5-compartment 4-wheeled third, built for through services to the Metropolitan/District railways in London. Any more info would be welcome. How it came to be at Shrewsbury is anyone's guess, unless it came by way of the Shropshire & Montgomery Rly or the Bishops Castle Railway??

 

Paul J.

These 4 wheel GWR coaches were 'cascaded' onto secondary services throughout the GWR system, both branch and suburban services. Some for instance worked in rakes on the Birmingham suburban services out of Snow Hill in the 1920s.  Some then went into internal PW sevice so this one could have come from anywhere.

 

Tony

[phil_sutters]

There is currently a van body alongside the building that the Newhaven & District MRC used to meet in. The club have had to move as the area, between the University Technical College and the swing bridge, is being redeveloped. So I don't know how much longer it will be there. At the seaward end of the East Quay, Newhaven Marine Station building has now been removed, down to platform level and a new port security fence runs down the middle of the platform. Its upper quadrant signal is still in place.

[D6975]

There's a fair few mk3 sleepers around that aren't on their original bogies, BR kept the bogies as useful spares when they disposed of many of the sleepers. Several preserved lines snapped them up a sleeping accomodation for volunteers to use.  They are usually on accomodation bogies, don't recall seeing a fully grounded one.

[Metr0Land]

There was a grounded four-wheel railbus at Millerhill for many years; allegedly, the large amount of glass made it an ideal greenhouse.

M79971 Aug74 jpg._NEW by Alan Rintoul, on Flickr

[PhilJ W]

M79971 Aug74 jpg._NEW by Alan Rintoul, on Flickr

But the asbestos was a problem. IIRC they were buried in an old pit because of the asbestos.

[russ p]

Was in what was York carriage works the other week for some reason network rail have grounded about 50 modern side tippers

They have them sitting on sleepers under the bogie side frames.

There was an awful lot of quite new rolling stock going for scrap including those mid 90s built ballast cleaning trains