Porcy Mane

I wonder if it was because Standard built 029 that accounts for the different rake to the ends??? P

A mate and I started doing the same for BR Brake vans. We soon realised life’s too short. (but it showed up some interesting anomalies.) Porcy. Who should be getting on with far more important "stuff".

It may also have been Mr Ermel that just south of here, photographed the down Heart of Midlothian(double headed by Class 24s) being rescued by another Sulzer with two brake tenders. That in turn had to be rescued by another Class 24 with DBT. It was reported in the contempory railway press at the time. I'm told the photo definitely exists. Trumpted Ya... Edit: Whilst checking back through old Trains Illustrated to see if I can find the report of the above incident (And just to check the facts so as not to let the truth get in the way of a good story!) I came across a rather nice pic of D1 with DBT leaving Kirby sidings being piloted by 4F 43888. 14/07/1963. This in turn reminded me that I have a neg of a V2 hauing a DBT on the east Coast main Line near to Chester le Street. So who needs a nasty Diesel to pull a DBT.

And the end faces don't look as steeply raked. Your database could turn out to be a lifetimes work... and after the last couple of pages, I'll bet my bottom dollar there was loads of variations from new to scrap, on each individual tender over their short life. I gave up on mine after looking at how the signwriters seemed to go mad with them during the rail Blue Period. Some looked like they had just had a bucket of fonts tipped over them. P

Good work. I think you are right. I've made a follow up call this morning to try and find out the origin of the photo but no joy. 2nd hand copy of copied copy so to speak. There is a possibility of it not being 030 but there is no doubt the more steeply raked ends are unusual. P

Don't think I'll have 025 but 115 is a possibility. Thats a very kind offer. Looks like it will be a couple of weeks before I can start recovering info of my hard disks as I'll probably be away most of next week and not have access to any internet. In the meantime here is 115 in 1980 at Thornaby Shed. I assume it must have been out of use for some time or may have been held in reserve. Since being given the link to the photo I mentioned it to one ex Thornaby man and he thought them long gone from the NE by then. 1980-03-16 RTV brake tender B964115 Thornaby by delticalco, on Flickr Just checked back through some of my old postings on rmweb referencing brake tenders and the one recorded with only one brake release hole is 088. Only having a phot of the one side, I suppose it's quite feasible that the other side may have had the standard two. P Edit: Forgot to say earlier. The pic of the 035 you posted earlier looks as if it's the same as photographed by Derek Cross on trial in Scotland. Heres a link to 102/3 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49032-pdk-kits-diesel-brake-tender/&do=findComment&comment=558500 I also postulate on the start of fitting of guard irons. I have two phots of 043 in its early Gateshead days with no saftey irons but a phot from Geoff Sharp that shows 043 when allocated to Healey Mills was fitted with them. Possibly another bogie swap? ? Also at this early hour, a lurker has just e mailed me this pic. of which he assures me is 030. It's very poor quality but with the more angled ends and what looks like Mk 1 bogies it may well be one of the Marcroft two. And finally. The emergengy coupling pocket. Something I kept a look out for was an ECP on the non brake wheel end. As far as I can remember and this only applies to the York built 555's I never saw one. I will recheck my images when recovered.

Try it now. It works ok for me. Must be something to do with me cutting and pasting from my original posting. Thinking about the pic I seem to remember seeing a bigger version on Flickr so it may have been posted before. P

Initially posted in the wrong thread by me. http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/number3861.asp Porcy

Bu**er! Wrong thread! Trying to work with no mouse, ailing pc and tiny screen. (Well that my excuse and I'm sticking to it...) Thanks for pointing out the error of my ways. Better post it in the right thread. Nice pic though, and there could be some parcels in the BSK. There might even be a PostOffice van on the overbridge. P

Another from the Time capsules Site. http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/number3861.asp Porcy

Well you scanned it in colour so manipulation should be easy. It certainly looks like B960035. Boxed in lettering and "Return to Acton Yard" probably date it to mid to late sixties. Maybe even later?. I would think that would mean with some certainty that it never received cladding. Regarding the Marcroft Build 1/557 I know without looking that I have non, for despite just concentrating on the diagram 555’s those two are a bit of a grail item for me. One day maybe. Despite all the negs and transparencies (And considerably more prints and access to a good few more prints!) I have still only scratched the surface at trying to record each number. The numbers tend to be unreadable on many due to the acquired grime although it does seem that during the “green period” some attempts were made to keep the number panel clean. Of the North East photographers I have spoken to that were active in the early sixties some were even loath to photograph Diesels, and if a DBT was stuck on the front they would just put their cameras down. Fortunately a lot of DBT pics are now starting to come to light. Arthur K,s pics on rmweb being one example. I just wish way back in the early sixties I hadn’t been stood on this platform with a stationary DBT stood in front of me. As a curious 4 year old, on asking my uncle what it was, he must have read the word, “Tender” and made the assumption, “additional fuel holder”. That started my interest in the Bl**dy things. http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/number3824.asp Ooops I'm rambling again.

I think you may be thinking of the series of photographs taken by Derek Cross taken in July 1961 of trials on the Ayr/Waterside branch. Not sure if a report appeared in Trains Illustrated or it may have been the Railway Observer. Of the shots I’ve seen of the trials the tender is dirty and no numbers are visible. Last photograph in Freight Wagons and their Loads (Russell) show fully clad ex works DE320923 (Became B964037) From your writings elsewhere I think you’ll be aware that B960035 originally numbered DE320848 and B960036 originally numbered DE320922. What we need to find is a pic of 035 will full body to be certain. I’ve got about 90 transparencies and negs' from ex works to scrapyarad but unfortunatly they are of predominantly York builds. Of the prints I have there is one where a strange looking DBT like vehicle is creeping in to the edge of a photograph at one of the Scottish works but I can’t scan it at the mo due to PC problems. It would be good to get others opinions of it. You all have probably seen this Cowlairs jobby before. http://flic.kr/p/dEkyjk Porcy

Well... I was going to keep well out of this thread but... Here is a better pic of the said tender... The warning panels should be slightly different to go with that style of lettering! Built many many years ago... but shortly to be improved, along with the two currently on the workbench (and another four in the roundtuit cupboard) Adrian; the DBT you have/had on your display is a rarity indeed as I've only ever seen one photograph of a diagram. 555 (York builds) with a single hand hole for the vacuum release cord on one side. That’s not to say it’s unique. The Cowlairs build Dia. 555’s in their Mk.II guise were a subtly similar shape but noticeable different and their bogies retained their foot boards. They ran in their Mk I condition without body cladding being originally numbered in the engineers series. Re the bogies have you considered they may have been changed during maintenance or riding tests? Photos show tenders 041 (July 1962) and 045 (Feb 1962) to have standard bogies so as you say, it is possible 040 and 046 may have been the only two with heavy duties? 040 was originally allocated to Gateshead Depot and was built with standard bogies. It was still on HD’s at scrapping. It was one of the tenders transferred to Healey Mills on the opening of the Diesel Depot in 1967 Contrary to what you said in post #81 the standard Gresley bogie combined with the wheelbase was one of the contributory factors leading to their demise. Being relatively softly sprung with the bogie centres being almost 25% of a standard length of bullhead a DBT could start to rhythmically bounce going over rail joints. This bounce could become so bad the the DBT would literally bounce itself into derailment. According to an ex Thornaby driver DBT’s quickly received the nickname, “The Deadly Tenders”. The BR carried out a number of tests with DBT’s in approx 1963 but until I’ve read through the report I don’t know of the tests purpose. Apologies for not doing a more detailed reply but I’m fighting with failing hard disks and interweb connections at the moment so it may be some time before I can add anything further. Porcy

Twas April 1963. Articles appeared around the same time in Transport Age, Design Magazine and on the cover of May 63 Midland edition of the BR staff magazine. Different Versions of “the Box” appeared on three 16 tonners painted in experimental liveries in 1961, along with experimental chalk panels on a 12 ton box van and an Ice blue container with boxed lettering and the railfreight crate logo. (You read it here first! ) I remember reading what the original purpose of the white box was for and why it fell out of use, but can’t bring the source to mind at the moment. Porcy Edit: Forgot to add this.

Hmmmmm. A little off topic, but I wonder if those two tanks are eventually going to end up at Hayle wharfe? (Bromide) Porcy

Pedant...

Amazing amount of Railway history in this view: http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/number3770.asp Oh! and a couple of 16tonners loaded with Scrap... Porcy

Photo of the Garston to Bathgate cartics in late 1967 here: http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/number3774.asp with some good follow up info. in the comments regarding routing post Waverley route closure. Porcy

As long as you have not signed any document assigning your copyright to "AN Other" the copyright remains with you. (And for seventy years after you've been boxed up and sent on your merry way.) Porcy

The load didn't appear to shift a great deal from his earlier pic... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/36891-16t-minerals/page-30&do=findComment&comment=771870 Taking us all the way back to page 30... Porcy

Quiet time at Blackgill shed. All the locos are in good fettle and out at work. Not a spare... or under repair to be seen. Porcy

Has the two box vans had their roofs removed? (Or flat roofs fitted) Looks suspiciously like a waning flash fitted to one. P

. Dunno about that... Beamish Station: Consett-Tyne Dock Line (Stanhope and Tyne Railway). From an old postcard. Most stations between Leadgate and Pelaw were of a similar style. Porcy

Can't remember seeing this one before. By the inimitable Roy Lambeth. No38 by tanfield.railway, on Flickr Porcy

Not sure if we,ve had this before but some Cine Film on you tube of the Harton Electrics during their white period. it's the Sept 1968 Durham Coast railtour with 4472. Looks like BR kept all of the NE region joiners busy for a while fitting out all those 13t opens with benches. (Or did BR keep a rake of them for railtour duty?) Thanks to axlebox Duncan for the link. Porcy