Artless Bodger

Interesting - where I worked (and some other places I visited), helmets had a defined life (1 year iirc) and were all replaced at the same time and colour, old ones destroyed and new ones issued. All round the mill were signs with the 'in life' helmet colour displayed. Anyone with a different colour was in trouble with H&S (unless a contractor - and they usually had to undergo a 1 day site safety induction - a right pain for the photocopier serviceman).

In the paper mill we often had to move 45 gallon / 200 litre drums and stand them up. If rolled about most had a pair of raised ribs pressed in around near the centre they could be pivoted on. 2 people could stand a 200 litre drum (with biocides dissolved in NaOH often 250kg) on its end by pulling up a drain gulley lid and positioning the barrel so the down end was over the gulley (about 9"-12" wide), when lifting we would be only lifting about 3/4 of the total weight. Later we had drum dollies which were like an adapted sack truck with 2 prongs to go under the bottom and a sliding hook to engage the top rim - much easier to move drums around. For drums used on their sides with taps, we had metal stands with a quadrant built on one end and 2 prongs on the ends of the quadrant - the prongs were placed under the bottom of the upright drum, which was then pivoted over on the quadrant until standing (top end down slightly) on its side - tap fitted first. Older wooden stands had ramp timbers up the side - difficult to use. Later with environmental protection concerns the drum stands were big plastic tank like objects with a full drum and a half capacity bund built in - damn difficult to manouevre but kept H&S off our backs. Some chemicals like naphtha came in unpainted steel barrels with two H section hoops round near the centre - easily rolled and swivelled about. I think these might originally have been for supply from the adjacent tar distillery. Another tool we had was a long bar with a hook and a part circumferential strap part way along, the hook engaged under the top rim of the drum when the bar was laid along the top side of a drum on the roll, then 2 people could lift the bar end to tilt the drum up, the strap prevented the bar slipping off sideways. Rolling paper webs about we had curved metal shoes which would be positioned where we wanted to turn / swivel a web, the web was rolled onto it then pivoted round - we could 'easily' move webs up to 1 ton like that. In a later mill I worked in we had to make do with the plastic lids off ink tubs. I now have back trouble......

I'd thought it was the outward trip from Hull but thinking about it and asking head gardener we remembered that the day was hot - it was a sticky trip to York in the morning - after some sight-seeing we had to cut short as a thunderstorm let loose and the misty, wet conditions evident in the photos and your analysis certainly supports them being taken on the return trip.

Thank you Ken. When I looked at the google map views I could not reconcile that curve with the actual layout, so that is an interesting idea.

In the defence of diesel fumes - far preferable to the stink of burning fat from the burger bars on the concourse (speaking as a vegetarian).

Looking back to the comments on propelling with passengers, what was the procedure at Dorchester South? I remember backing into the up platform in 1968 or thereabouts, but that was with a 33/TC I presume? What happened in steam days? On an up DMU at Maidenhead one day we were all ejected onto the platform while the DMU ran forward and backed into the branch platform when we were all allowed back on, I can't remember the reason (maybe to couple to a DMU up from Bourne End?) Propelling into stations on the continent, I've seen photos of a shunter in the leading vestibule, with a thin pipe connected to the coach brake pipe, a valve at the end so he can apply the brake, or at least enough to alert the driver to make a brake application.

Thank you for your kind offer. I have no particular interest in Brough, apart from the one visit while SIL lived nearby. Though I had known that Blackburn aircraft had a factory at Brough and presumed that was accessed via the Brough East level crossing. Your photo with the 'plane flying over is very interesting in that context.

We looked in at the GGB station in Zermatt after our walk, everything was normal as far as we could see, no notices visible. It looked like they had done whatever repairs were needed and got back to normal operation in the space of the few hours we were out.

Thank you Ian and Mick, I will resort the photos from this info. Thank you for these photos, the red / white striping certainly stirs my memory.

Having a clear out and sorting some old photos, I found this one, taken while on a walk along paths above Zermatt. We'd just crossed the GGB at Findelbach station and were just out of sight when we heard a loud noise. Running back up the path we found a descending train had split the points at the top end of the station loop, partly blocking the exit from the tunnel. As seen here, passengers had to detrain and walk between units operating either side of the blockage.

One more photo but probably from an earlier visit when the SIL lived in South Cave - this is Brough, the approaching train my ride home, class 123? My main recollection of Brough was the level crossing, once on 4 tracks the gates did not completely close the railway when open for road traffic, and were more like a picket fence than normal crossing gates, opened and closed by a small motorised wheel on the outer end.

Having a clear out I found some photos which are fading a bit so I scanned them for posterity (?). I'm sure they were taken from the back of a DMU on a trip from Hull to York while staying with a relative in Hull. Date would be between 1980 and 1985. I don't have the negatives so they may not be in the right order. Selby station and swing bridge feature plus views of a new alignment and train load of track panels. I'm wondering if this might be part of the Selby diversion under construction (opened 1983). So far searching on the internet and using Google maps has not shown the long brick building (looks a bit like it's a model) in the area of the Hambleton fly over. Can anyone confirm the location, or deduce the alternative please?

In your photo the driver's side window has been opened a bit more, and it looks like his head looking out and back, as he might when drawing away. Also some exhaust smoke visible. Looks as though your surmise is right.

Well known Yorkshire headgear made from Thai currency? The Ilkley Moor Baht Hat.

This is all making my head spin (perhaps I should have kept out of this thread), but very interesting nontheless, thanks for the explanations. What I'm not sure of is whether at any time there is a significant potential difference between earth and the rails - i.e would you notice it if you touched the rails and an earthed object?

Have just discovered this thread, lovely work! My main recollection of Swanley was the Maidstone and Gillingham sections of trains combining or separating when we went to London for the day. Always straining to hear the announcements on the way home to ensure we'd got in the right part and never happy until we bore right and passed the paper products factory. We also used to look out for the coal tax pillar just to the west of the station. Most vivid memory was having been to a concert in London one Saturday evening and came out to find heavy snow falling, caught the last train down from Victoria, slow running and delay via the Catford loop (wind and snow battering the train at Nunhead), finally reaching Swanley to find the whole train was going to go to Gillingham, Maidstone passengers had to get out and wait, now around 2 am. Luckily the station staff were still around, lights on and the waiting room warm and dry. Hats off to the staff who had to clear points of snow to get a unit out of the stabling siding. Eventually reached Maidstone about 4 am, thick snow all about.

Just come across this thread, a late evening rabbit hole excursion! I had been quite interested in the Harrow gasworks, off Northolt Road in South Harrow and close to South Harrow UndergrounD station - here on viaduct, the concrete viaduct spur still exists. Reason for interest was another rabbit hole excursion - looking for the why LH was painted on the MAN gasholder at Southall (1960 PanAm 707 landed at Northolt aerodrome after mistaking the Harrow GW MAN gasholder for the Southall one, the Harrow one got NO painted on the side after). The Harrow GW was unusual as it was fed by MET steam trains running over what was technically MET track from Rayners Lane (The Metropolitan District line had terminated at South Harrow, MET took over their powers to build to Uxbridge). Aiui the coal train was propelled from Rayners Lane to the GW spur. The GW site is now a Waitrose, one of my old work colleagues lives in Roxeth but cannot remember the MAN holder being demolished, though they probably went past it every day on their way to work.

Pretty sure the rail borne phase has to be earth, I've seen a simple explanation somewhere I think (here http://www.faydon.com/Almeria/ThreePhase.html). I visualise it as taking the triple sine wave diagram of the 3 phases and stretching it by pulling one sine wave straight. On a trip on the Gornergrat bahn years ago I noticed that some rail joints were coloured, presumably indicating electrical sections? One 3 phase railway that had 3 conductor OHL was the Marienfeld - Zossen line near Berlin (a Prussian military run line I think). The 2 trial railcars had a mast with 3 bow collectors mounted one above the other, the 3 conductors carried to one side of the tracks. The railcars reached speeds in excess of 100 mph (pre WW1).

You can download the Parshall and Hobart book at: https://ia800206.us.archive.org/23/items/electricrailway00hobagoog/electricrailway00hobagoog.pdf Valtellina loco details from page 425 of the pdf. I've had a quick look but as I know next to nothing about electrical engineering I'm no more enlightened than I was.

Is the Metrovick taking on water? It looks like it's standing at the watercrane and maybe has the bag in? Though it is June, so steam heat not in use.

Years ago I saw what looked like the end of a grounded van, or possibly coach body in a garden near our house, over the years the hedges have grown up and all but obscured it from the road. Yesterday the owner was cutting said hedge so I took the opportunity to ask whether it was a railway van body. Answer no, but perhaps interesting in its own right, he had been told when moving in (by neighbours) that it was a Pickfords horse drawn van (pantechnicon I suppose). Apparently rather decayed but still has wheels, parts much covered in roofing felt.

You might find the diagrams of the Valtellina locos of interest, see files 295, 298, 300, 301 under: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Electric_railway_engineering_(1907)_Parshall_and_Hobart_(locomotive_diagrams)

The Karrier dustcart is a beaut! I can just remember dust carts with the curved sliding hatches before the compactor types came in, I had a toy one possibly Matchbox. When the bigger compactor dust carts began, sometimes the dustmen would operate the compactor at the end of our road, my brother and I would watch as the whole rear body was tilted up by hydraulic rams. There was a mesh cage on the cab roof for bulky items like matresses. The council also sent round a lorry - again a Karrier I think, to pick up waste paper - Dad put the newspapers outside tied ina bundle.

Agreed, on a few occasions I joined a 170/159 combination at Basingstoke on my way to work in Overton, probably either the 0722 or 0750 something off Bas. I travelled in it when possible, as the seats were not so raked as in the 159 and better for my back. Also travelled Brighton to Reading on one after a thorough soaking in Brighton walking up from the model exhibition there, miserable slow, fuggy and packed train with windows misted up - never again!

Have just watched this film on Youtube, very interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDH1lnMGUjk Of particular interest (to me anyway), is the use of an SR left hand ducket brake van so far off home ground - rare beasts. Also in view of comments in another threead recently regarding IZAL, palleted ZAL disinfectant being loaded into IZAL liveried Palvans of the later type.