Stoke West

Probably WW2 when scrap was needed for the war effort plus loads of free ash mixed with cement a no brainer

Not for brake force , but to be more stable when propelling

From what iv'e seen of scrap brake vans the weight is concrete with brake blocks thrown in it

They make a good summerhouse or workshop with stove

I often wondered why the runners were not ballasted

Another note Barton Hill shops in the picture up to the wall were Midland Railway shunted by the St Philips 03 pilot , beyond the wall were Days Road shops GWR the two were only physically joined by rail in May 1967 when Engine Shed sidings closed located to the right of the first brake van . The lines to the right were Midland lines to Gloucester closed end of 1969 . The wheel sets would be rolled up to the siding and an iron bar used to swing them round , i should imagine by this date there may have been a fork lift . The long open sided shed is the preventive maintenace shed . There were cripple sidings with a very compact layout at Melton Mowbray station the side away from the entrance there are photographs of these about .

Just to add a bit more all the materials came and went by rail there were wagons branded to work between Swindon Works and locations like this .This was just a basic facility to repair wagons so they could continue their journey with defects repaired like hot boxes , damaged buffers , drawgear , brakes and changing pads in oil axle boxes . Wagons for major repairs would be sent to main wagon shops like Barton Hill / Days road with better facilties .. The tipplers and hoppers on stone workings in the picture were on a preventitive maintenance programme and sent as complete sets to shops on a regular basis . The preventitive maintenance shed at Barton Hill is now the voyager servicing shed

The hand crane seen to the right would be used to lift the wheel sets into and out of wagons and move around as required , wagon would be jacked up one end , wheel set rolled out moved out the way , a replacement rolled back in . The original cripple sidings here were two roads with office mess and workshop , all work on wagons being in the open , against the bank behind the hoppers in the background with no road access

Had to move out October 1971 back to Buckfastleigh

Austerity 2-8-0 apparentley were good at pulling the coal forward

Was once on a train from Taunton booked to call Westbury sent up relief to Cogload propelled over up main to up relief crossover then off to Athelney with no delay , so short term planned

Stewart and lloyds became part of BSC so just changed name on wagons

Another waste of money the tactile paving on the disused dock on the right and now they have fenced it off !

J1773 you always get the one , you've been stood there ages waiting then some pratt turns up and stands in front you .

They go through a tippler , built to run coking coal into Corby

There coal wagons not iron ore . In 1968 a batch of these went to the wagon works at Radstock on the S&D for general repair

Quite a surreal sight with the proper railway passing through a preserved station . Was photographing the return Cricklewood bin liner there , the crew stopped the train bailed off and looked around the site and examined the sherman tank

It looks to be going into the yard It looks like 50028 is running into the yard

All up trains were on the up lines either relief , main or through , the relief and main were signalled for passenger trains to depart in the down direction . In the summer there were Saltash / Plymouth to Goodrington workings and return plus other excursions . There was no reversible working

J234 shunter riding on front step of loco with shunting pole in hand and another over buffer and hook , typical look for a goods pilot

That timber looks like its going to be a stop and examine further down the line as the load settles and ropes get loose

Canton only had 150/2

At Highbridge a completely new junction with new alignment and new road bridge was constructed to allow direct running onto the S&D off the main line into use on 04/04/71 controlled by Highbridge Crossing Box . This abolished the flat crossing and flattening all of the S&D station (except one platform) , works and loco shed site but brought in pairs of 37's on the PFA trains from Aberthaw

D95XX class 14 worked into Midland Bridge Road after March 66 , so any diesel available would have worked to the Coop coal siding which closed in 30th November 67 the first post march 66 S&D closure

Didn' t read question through , Valley lines i think was operator until 2001