Midland Main line 20th March 1967

[travelintrev]

While I as back in the UK the other week I grabbed a handfull of B & W Prints to scan when  I got back to Ng. 

 

This lot are dated 20th March 1967 and where taken between Chiltern Green & Harpenden  Junction. 

 

They note that the Tartan Arrow was a test train.  Looks (if my memory is correct)  like it is on the Up slow lines. 

 

I hope these are of interest to some one. 

 

 

Trev.

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Trev

 

Great set of photos. I done quite a bit of trainspotting at Bedford in the late 60s so these are wonderful. After school we would try and get to Bedford Midland Road to see the "Arrow" because there was a chance of a cop of a Brush 4. The full train was a mix of containers and CCTs with a LMS brake. The containers had bevelled tops to the sides. Does anyone know if  the train was air braked or if vacuum braked if the container wagons were not standard Freightliner flats?

[Fat Controller]

Hi Trev

 

Great set of photos. I done quite a bit of trainspotting at Bedford in the late 60s so these are wonderful. After school we would try and get to Bedford Midland Road to see the "Arrow" because there was a chance of a cop of a Brush 4. The full train was a mix of containers and CCTs with a LMS brake. The containers had bevelled tops to the sides. Does anyone know if  the train was air braked or if vacuum braked if the container wagons were not standard Freightliner flats?

Clive,

Might the flats have been the bogie 'Condor' flats that used Boplate E underframes, or possibly the ones that used old coach underframes? As the containers were carrying parcels, they wouldn't be particularily heavy.

Both of these were supposedly built for the Condor service, but I've no recollection of seeing any photos of them on that. The Boplate-derivatives went on to work the Cobra coke trains, and ended their days on containerised salt/ potash workings from Boulby.

[Clive Mortimore]

Clive,

Might the flats have been the bogie 'Condor' flats that used Boplate E underframes, or possibly the ones that used old coach underframes? As the containers were carrying parcels, they wouldn't be particularily heavy.

Both of these were supposedly built for the Condor service, but I've no recollection of seeing any photos of them on that. The Boplate-derivatives went on to work the Cobra coke trains, and ended their days on containerised salt/ potash workings from Boulby.

Thanks Brian

 

I am surprised by the lack of information of this service compared to the tons of stuff on the Condor.

 

Found this lorry forum thread, there is a photo of one of the bevelled edged containers. http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=33343

 

The only published photo I know of is in Diesels in the Landscape by Derek Cross (Bradford and Barton). I have just got the book out and the photo shows 4 Freightliner flats. The first one has 3 20 foot containers, the first is an unpainted/unlettered square box, and the second is a bevelled toped one, followed by a lettered square box. The two square ones have what look like lifting lugs on the top corners but not ISO fixing points. The next and last flats have 30 foot bevelled top containers. The third wagon has three 20 foot open containers, I cannot recall seeing a photo of a train in service with open containers. The wagons and containers must have had the early BR fixings to hold the containers in place not ISO ones. The flats are followed by a string of CCTs. You can make out the LMS BG by a change in roof profile of the last vehicle. I think I have answered my own question about the brakes, the train must have been air braked if it had Freightliner flats. The two BGs in Trev’s photo must be air braked.

[Timara]

My word...!  That's a very familiar location to me indeed!  Aside from the catenary, not a great deal has changed since.  Almost tempted to link an appropriate "now" picture...

 

Cheers,

Tim

[stovepipe]

The RCTS coaching stock book for 1972 lists only 4 exLMS BGs with dual brakes - I suppose these must have been the ones used in the Tartan Arrow?

 

Similarly there are 23 BR CCTs listed with dual brakes, which follows a note about the Tartan Arrow livery.

[br2975]

Top photos Trev.

.

Don't think the blue Peak is D60 tho' - no nameplate (Lytham St. Annes) and different headcode boxes.

.

D90 ?

.

Got any more, please ?

.

Brian R

[travelintrev]

I do have some (somewhere)   of the same location taken in  63/64's  big snow storm --- As I had received my first 35mm camera- (Petri 7s)  There are a couple to come of the  Hemel branch too

 

Thanks for the interest.  Couple more points that may be of interest to  some, in the valley below & to the north (Luton- wards) Was the "Leather Bottle"  PH. In the back garden of which lived Kerr Stuart Wren "Pixie" - which I help re-tube as I was skinny enough at the time to get hands head and shoulders in side the fire box! . East Hyde (IIRC) sewage works had a 2' gauge  rope worked tramway which was adjacent to Luton Hoo (GNR) station..

 

Trev. 

[Gibbo675]

On 23/11/2014 at 17:01, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Trev

 

Great set of photos. I done quite a bit of trainspotting at Bedford in the late 60s so these are wonderful. After school we would try and get to Bedford Midland Road to see the "Arrow" because there was a chance of a cop of a Brush 4. The full train was a mix of containers and CCTs with a LMS brake. The containers had bevelled tops to the sides. Does anyone know if  the train was air braked or if vacuum braked if the container wagons were not standard Freightliner flats?

Hi Clive,

 

Six years after your post here are some photographs that I have found:

 

This shews the flat wagons which appear to have Davies and Lloyd Ridemaster type bogies.

 

A close up of the container box, I think that the boxes had bevelled tops to fit within the loading gauge on the bogie flats that had a higher deck height than Freightliner flats.

 

Gibbo.

[Clive Mortimore]

52 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Clive,

 

Six years after your post here are some photographs that I have found:

 

This shews the flat wagons which appear to have Davies and Lloyd Ridemaster type bogies.

 

A close up of the container box, I think that the boxes had bevelled tops to fit within the loading gauge on the bogie flats that had a higher deck height than Freightliner flats.

 

Gibbo.

Hi Gibbo

 

Thanks. There is a thread on the Tartan Arrow somewhere else on here. I listed the freightliner flats that were used on the Arrow and they came into service the same dates as the service was started.

 

Could the bevel tops be for some bridges on the route that had not been modified ? Over the years many bridges and tunnels have had the track bed lowered so containers can squeeze under them.