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Goods Yards and Freight Handling


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Having been scanning a few more of my prints from the 1980s, here is another that fits this topic

 

post-7081-0-20786700-1386091875.jpg

45015 indulges in a spell of shunting at Pengam Freightliner Terminal to form up trains for the evenings departures.

In the reception sidings is Gatesheads 47405, a rare visitor to the area, which had arrived with a working from Danygraig, 17/9/81

 

cheers 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I found this one when looking for gen about it yesterday:-

http://goo.gl/maps/I8rER

It's Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, now serving as a UK base for Class 66 overhauls. If you zoom in, you can see a lot of detail of the track plan. I worked there for a while in the winter of 1979/80. The open-air tracks dealt mainly with china-clay, but also steel coil, scrap, timber. The covered area, which had three roads with overhead cranes, dealt with palletised plaster (at least, it was palletised when it left the yard), Guinness in kegs, wire rod coil, and other things I've forgotten.

Between the large sheds and the station platform was an old-fashioned goods shed, which served as a Parcels Concentration Depot; it's been considerably extended, looking at the photos. The sidings on the other side of the main line held stored wagons for Marcrofts.

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I found this one when looking for gen about it yesterday:-

http://goo.gl/maps/I8rER

It's Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, now serving as a UK base for Class 66 overhauls. If you zoom in, you can see a lot of detail of the track plan. I worked there for a while in the winter of 1979/80. The open-air tracks dealt mainly with china-clay, but also steel coil, scrap, timber. The covered area, which had three roads with overhead cranes, dealt with palletised plaster (at least, it was palletised when it left the yard), Guinness in kegs, wire rod coil, and other things I've forgotten.

Between the large sheds and the station platform was an old-fashioned goods shed, which served as a Parcels Concentration Depot; it's been considerably extended, looking at the photos. The sidings on the other side of the main line held stored wagons for Marcrofts.

Part of the Longport sheds can be seen in the background of this photo, including the storage roads behind the signal box on the other side http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/dmu/e1cb162f5

 

Paul

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Here are a couple more photos from the 1980s, these were take on a day out with my BR workmate Roland.

We visited various locations in the Westbury area including Whatley Quarry.

post-7081-0-09131200-1388505956.jpg

A view of the sidings at Whatley with a rake of MSV tipplers and some PGA hoppers in the distance.

ARC no.4, a Thomas Hill, has featured on RMWeb before in a thread by ewsjo. 21/6/84 

 

post-7081-0-62376300-1388506057.jpg

Another view at Whatley looking towards the loading hopper, with PGAs being loaded,

 

cheers

 

 

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Part of the Longport sheds can be seen in the background of this photo, including the storage roads behind the signal box on the other side http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/dmu/e1cb162f5

 

Paul

 

Part of the Longport sheds can be seen in the background of this photo, including the storage roads behind the signal box on the other side http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/dmu/e1cb162f5

 

Paul

This shots makes the distance twixt the Parcels Depot (old goods shed) and the more recent covered unloading area to its left very obvious. The latter looks more imposing than I remember; mind you, when I was there, the weather was much like today's, so I didn't spend that long admiring the structure..

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Here are a couple more from the 1980s, one has been seen on another thread.

 

Dowmac at Quedgeley, south of Gloucester, manufactured concrete sleepers.

They were previously loaded out in tube wagons, but in the 1980s were dispatched on sturgeons.

These sturgeons were required to be 'load examined' to make sure they were safe to travel,

and, to help out the WR loads inspectors, my father was trained to be able to examine these loads.

 

post-7081-0-04118300-1388683218.jpg

Staff can be seen adjusting the straps on two sturgeons loaded with new concrete sleepers.

The sleepers were also held in place by long strips of timber laid along the baseplates, 10/7/85

 

post-7081-0-15082400-1388683236.jpg

Another view of a loaded sturgeon, I have no idea of the make or number of the loco. 10/7/85

 

cheers

 

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Hi 

Here is a photo showing some unloading, boy they where hard workers then hand unloading that lot!.

 

Hi 

Here is a photo showing some unloading, boy they where hard workers then hand unloading that lot!.

When I was at Longport, we were unloading these ( http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryvtgvan/h29a9339a#h29a9339a ), each loaded with 62 tonnes of Plaster of Paris in 60kg sacks. The sacks had been loaded on pallets, but the bright spark who loaded them forgot how rough the North Sea was in wintertime, and didn't wrap the bags to secure them. Once we'd opened the sliding doors (an epic in itself, as some bags had fallen against them), we'd then have to tranship the bags on to fresh pallets for their onward journey by road. Despite the fact that it was mid-winter, and the shed had only part-sides and no ends, we worked in T-shirts. Our best performance was one and a half wagons in a day; more normally we'd just do one. No wonder my knees are knackered..

 

(distinct feeling of déja-vu, which was confirmed when I looked at the first post of this series, where there was a shot of two gentlemen handballing bags of beet nuts. Lightweights- they were only 25 kg)

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I have no idea of the make or number of the loco. 10/7/85

 

 

 

Not sure of the exact type myself but I do that it was made by Ruston. The marks where the distinctive arrow shaped works plates were once fixed to the body gives it away.

 

 

Cheers

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Somebody asked about closure date of Bristols Kimgsland Rd Yard to freight traffic. It was March 1986 - the class 08 pilot loco was then withdrawn. The Guiness traffic was still running and therefore transferred to Lawrence Hill Yard - I noted in my diary a few occasions in 86 when I saw VGAs behind the station plat at Lawrence Hill, along with PCAs,and little mustard coloured TTA tank wagons for the molasses traffic to the distillery on Avonside Wharf.

 

Lawrence Hill Yard with a pilot loco ceased to function end of March 1990, I worked in the Area Managers office at Bristol and Nick the Area Ops Manager went out for the trial of the new Method of Working for the Avon Bins, whereby they propelled with the train engine off the main line to Barrow Rd, whereas from Spring 1985 to March 1990 the Lawrence Hill class 08 would draw them down to Barrow Rd. Cheers

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When I was at Longport, we were unloading these ( http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/ferryvtgvan/h29a9339a#h29a9339a ), each loaded with 62 tonnes of Plaster of Paris in 60kg sacks. The sacks had been loaded on pallets, but the bright spark who loaded them forgot how rough the North Sea was in wintertime, and didn't wrap the bags to secure them. Once we'd opened the sliding doors (an epic in itself, as some bags had fallen against them), we'd then have to tranship the bags on to fresh pallets for their onward journey by road. Despite the fact that it was mid-winter, and the shed had only part-sides and no ends, we worked in T-shirts. Our best performance was one and a half wagons in a day; more normally we'd just do one. No wonder my knees are knackered..

 

(distinct feeling of déja-vu, which was confirmed when I looked at the first post of this series, where there was a shot of two gentlemen handballing bags of beet nuts. Lightweights- they were only 25 kg)

 

Memories of a summer job with Cardiff Corporation at the turn of the 70s ....... one baking hot Friday afternoon, after a large fried lunch, unloading just 8 tons of cement (160 bags) carrying each bag along the flat bed of the artic, and then into the dry store - on my jack. And to make it worse, my 'bonus' the following Friday amounted to. . . . . . . .  'three duck eggs' 

.

Brian R

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Somebody asked about closure date of Bristols Kimgsland Rd Yard to freight traffic. It was March 1986 - the class 08 pilot loco was then withdrawn. The Guiness traffic was still running and therefore transferred to Lawrence Hill Yard - I noted in my diary a few occasions in 86 when I saw VGAs behind the station plat at Lawrence Hill, along with PCAs,and little mustard coloured TTA tank wagons for the molasses traffic to the distillery on Avonside Wharf.

 

Lawrence Hill Yard with a pilot loco ceased to function end of March 1990, I worked in the Area Managers office at Bristol and Nick the Area Ops Manager went out for the trial of the new Method of Working for the Avon Bins, whereby they propelled with the train engine off the main line to Barrow Rd, whereas from Spring 1985 to March 1990 the Lawrence Hill class 08 would draw them down to Barrow Rd. Cheers

 

That's most interesting Devonbelle,

 

Would you happen to have any pictures?

 

As I treated myself to some banger blue era stock with some Christmas money, one of my schemes is looking at building a small shunting layout based on opps at Lawrence hill. I'm guessing the mustard coloured TTAs for the Molasses traffic would be the same ones that worked to Cameron Bridge in Scotland. These were also mustard coloured but had a blue band down the centre. They were former Caustic Soda tanks which were transfered to molasses traffic in the early 1980s.

 

 

Cheers

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........................................ I'm guessing the mustard coloured TTAs for the Molasses traffic would be the same ones that worked to Cameron Bridge in Scotland. These were also mustard coloured but had a blue band down the centre. They were former Caustic Soda tanks which were transfered to molasses traffic in the early 1980s.

 

 

Cheers

I think you are correct that they were the same tanks.

ISTR the molasses was seasonal passing in late autumn/winter, only a few special block trains each of about 18 tanks. 

It came from somewhere in the Kings Lynn area, was it a product of the sugar beet process?

 

cheers.  

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I think you are correct that they were the same tanks.

ISTR the molasses was seasonal passing in late autumn/winter, only a few special block trains each of about 18 tanks. 

It came from somewhere in the Kings Lynn area, was it a product of the sugar beet process?

 

cheers.  

This is the type of tanks http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/procormolasses

 

Before them (converted c 1982) the earlier United Molasses tanks were probably used http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/unitedmolasses

 

Paul

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Here are a couple more photos from the 1980s, these were take on a day out with my BR workmate Roland.

We visited various locations in the Westbury area including Whatley Quarry.

attachicon.gifscan0078a.jpg

A view of the sidings at Whatley with a rake of MSV tipplers and some PGA hoppers in the distance.

ARC no.4, a Thomas Hill, has featured on RMWeb before in a thread by ewsjo. 21/6/84 

 

attachicon.gifscan0079a.jpg

Another view at Whatley looking towards the loading hopper, with PGAs being loaded,

 

cheers

Some photos down in the Whatley Quarry sidings here http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/whatley

Quite a difficult site for photographs - very enclosed and therefore rather dark

 

Paul

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That's most interesting Devonbelle,

 

Would you happen to have any pictures?

 

As I treated myself to some banger blue era stock with some Christmas money, one of my schemes is looking at building a small shunting layout based on opps at Lawrence hill. I'm guessing the mustard coloured TTAs for the Molasses traffic would be the same ones that worked to Cameron Bridge in Scotland. These were also mustard coloured but had a blue band down the centre. They were former Caustic Soda tanks which were transfered to molasses traffic in the early 1980s.

 

 

Cheers

I have already posted some of these pictures before, (Vanders is creating, Laurence Hill, inspired by Lawrence Hill)

 

Firstly three pictures taken in the yard at Lawrence Hill, then one on the Avonside Branch, I had a ride down on the brake van with the shunters.

 

post-7081-0-36679100-1389441022_thumb.jpg

47104 is standing on the 'brick road', 08949 the Lawrence Hill pilot is on the siding that leads onto the Avonside Branch

the molasses tanks have another brake van already attached at the other end for the propelling move, 28/9/83

 

post-7081-0-61108500-1389441033_thumb.jpg

08949 is shunting to berth traffic that has just arrived from Severn Tunnel Junction on 6B46, the caustic soda tanks to the right were for British Cellophane/Courtaulds at Bridgwater and would go forward on 6B46. 28/9/83

 

post-7081-0-49459500-1389441043_thumb.jpg

08949 berths PCAs for Ketton Cement on the brick road, 28/9/83.

 

post-7081-0-26931900-1389441053.jpg

After shunting was completed at Lawrence Hill 08949 propels the molasses tanks to the Distillers siding on Avonside Wharf,

it is seen here at Barton Road Crossing. In later years when traffic was irregular it was not unknown for British Transport Police to be called to remove parked cars blocking this crossing, 28/9/83.

 

cheers 

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Thanks for posting those Rivercider.

 

Those molasses tanks are different, they look like TSVs (similar to the Airfix/Dapol kit?). I'm beginning to get really interested in this thread, it's providing plenty of inspiration for my shunting plank. I used to travel through Lawrence hill on the way to visit My Girlfriend at her mums and the area has changed very much. The site of the yard is used by a builders merchant, although it looks like one or two roads still remain, possibly left over from when the Avon Binliner used to run.

 

 

Following with interest.

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Thanks for posting those Rivercider.

 

Those molasses tanks are different, they look like TSVs (similar to the Airfix/Dapol kit?). I'm beginning to get really interested in this thread, it's providing plenty of inspiration for my shunting plank. I used to travel through Lawrence hill on the way to visit My Girlfriend at her mums and the area has changed very much. The site of the yard is used by a builders merchant, although it looks like one or two roads still remain, possibly left over from when the Avon Binliner used to run.

 

 

Following with interest.

Yes looks like you are right about the tanks. I do recall that both vacuum and airbraked tanks were in use when I knew the yard from 1978 (I worked in Bristol TOPS Office from 1978 - 1985). As Paul Bartlett suggests the airbraked replacements came into use approximately 1983 perhaps this was the last year of the vacuum ones.

 

In Lawrence Hill Yard the long siding/branch still remains, as well as one short siding just by the bridge, which was long enough to detach a crippled wagon from the Avon waste train if needed.

 

There are a few more various shots of the Lawrence Hill area on my Flickr site, though most of the yard views are now on this thread,

 

cheers 

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